Shadows Within Storms(ENTERED IN THE WATTY AWARDS 2015)

Chapter 14

"Ripplestorm! Wait up!"

Ripplestorm stopped walking when he heard a cat call his name. He turned and saw Roseflower padding towards him. "Hey Roseflower." Ripplestorm purred. 

Roseflower padded in step with him. "Hello there Ripplestorm. Where you off to?"

Ripplestorm hesitated. "To the ShadowClan border." he admitted. He was going to go see if his father was there, but now that Roseflower was with him, he couldn't.

"Why?" Roseflower inquired.

Ripplestorm sighed. "I don't know. Trying to make up for the fact that I interrupted a fight between Lionblaze and a ShadowClan warrior on my first day as a warrior." he lied to the tortoiseshell she-cat.

Roseflower gaze him a glare. "Don't lie to me." she growled.

Ripplestorm sighed. "Nothing." he meowed. "I don't want to talk about it." 

Ripplestorm sat down, and when he did, Roseflower settled right beside him, lifting his muzzle with her. "Whatever it was, you can always talk to me." she murmured.

Ripplestorm licked Roseflower's head. In the moons that Roseflower had become a warrior, the two of them had spent more time together. Ripplestorm could remember to when he was about to become a warrior, thinking about how he wanted a mate and kits eventually. Lately he'd been thinking that Roseflower might be that she-cat to help him.

The two warriors sat still for a second, before they both heard a sharp crack. "What was that?" Roseflower asked. 

Ripplestorm stood up and looked around, scenting the air. "It smells like-"

The bushes rustled, and three WindClan cats padded towards Roseflower and Ripplestorm. It was Harespring, Heathertail, and Furzepelt. "What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" Ripplestorm growled at the WindClan deputy.

Harespring dipped his head. "I wish to speak with Bramblesta. I don't want claws unsheathed today."

Ripplestorm relaxed a little bit, before signalling to Roseflower. "Go warn Bramblestar we have visitors." he growled. The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded and dashed off.

Ripplestorm sniffed the air for more WindClan cats, which he could smell none. "Let's go." he meowed cooly, leading the WindClan cats to the camp, where they were greeted by Bramblestar and Mousewhisker, who had obviously  been dragged away from the nursery, where his mate Ivypool had been confined to, now that her kits were due any day now.

"Welcome, Harespring. Is WindClan okay?" Bramblestar meowed to the WindClan deputy.

Harespring nodded. "WindClan is fine. We just came to pass on some news. Onestar is dead. I have travelled to the Moonpool, and got my nine lives and name. My new deputy is Heathertail."

Bramblestar dipped his head to the new WindClan leader. "Onestar will not be forgotten. He was a wonderful leader."

Ripplestorm sat down next to Roseflower, and wondered how much of that was true. From the stories he'd heard, before Onestar became leader, Tallstar had been good friends with Firestar, ThunderClan's leader at the time. But when Onestar had become leader, WindClan had caused lots of trouble.

Harestar nodded; "Is ThunderClan doing okay?" he asked.

Bramblestar nodded. "We are doing well, we have two queens in the nursery, and are about to make three new warriors."

Harestar nodded. "Very good. We must be going now, Glad to hear ThunderClan is doing well."

With the wave of their tails, the WindClan warriors had left.

Bramblestar turned to Sprigrunner, his son. "See that they go straight to their own territory." he growled.

Sprigrunner nodded and hared away.

Suddenly, they heard a cry from the nursery. Mousewhisker stiffened, until Ivypool poked her head out of the nursery. "Jessy is kitting." she reported.

Bramblestar immediately stood up and headed for the nursery, and Mousewhisker visablly relaxed.

Blueberry headed into the nursery, as Ivypool came out and joined the deputy, twitching her tail with worry.

Ripplestorm watched his leader pace outside the nursery, as Blueberry spoke from inside the nursery. "It's alright Jessy, you're doing fine. You only have to do that two more times."

Ripplestorm heard a hiss of pain and he winced, He was glad he wasn't a she-cat.

Finally, Jessy's  wails had faded into loving purrs, and Blueberry poked her nose out. "Bramblestar, you have two sons and a daughter. Come welcome them."

Bramblestar jumped up and nosed his way into the nursery. 

Roseflower nudged Ripplestorm with his muzzle. "I wonder if we'll have kits one day." she wondered aloud.

Ripplestorm flicked his ear and looked at the tortoiseshell she-cat. "I'm sure we will." he finally meowed after a long pause. She felt the same way he did!

Blueberry came to sit beside Ripplestorm and Roseflower. "They are beautiful," the medicine cat purred. All three of them are brown tabby's, just like bother their parents."

Roseflower purred and slowly twined her tail with Ripplestorm's. "I want kits..." she meowed wistfully. 

Blueberry gave them a look. "I'm sure you'll have kits soo." she assured.

Ripplestorm ducked his head, his ears hot with embarrassment, and he felt Roseflower shuffle her paws. 

Bramblestar padded out of his den, purring. "We've named them Twigkit, Oakkit, and Alderkit." he announced to the waiting Clan.

Cheers arouse from the Clan. Every cat in the Clan rejoiced the birth of kits. They were the future of  the Clan. Without them, there would be no future warriors.

Bramblestar dipped his head and he ran out of camp, returning soon after with a water soaked moss. He brought it into the nursery, and Ripplestorm purred. "You'd think this was his first time being a father." he murmured into Roseflower's ear.

Roseflower twitched her ear. "Well this is Jessy's first litter of kits," she pointed out. "He wants her to feel as comfortable as possible." she paused. "Well, I assume. I'm not a tom."

Ripplestorm purred in amusement. "I wouldn't know either," he meowed sadly. "I've never been a father before."

Roseflower sighed and nuzzled his cheek.