Stones (Book Four) Ocean Breeze

Chapter Six

BACK AT THE CLANS

STONECLAN

Amberpaw sat in the camp clearing, once again listening to a cat loose their life to green cough. Luckily this cat was Stonestar so he would still have some lives left, how many, Amberpaw didn't know.
"Gravelstripe hasn't let me anywhere near Stonestar for four days," Swanpaw rolls her eyes, "I'll never learn if I can't be near the patients."
"Its probably because she wants you to go to the medicine cat meeting tonight. She doesn't want you to pass it on," Amberpaw points out.
"I guess that makes sense," Swanpaw sighs, "although I'm pretty sure we got it from Treeclan."
The coughing stops. Stonestar looses a life.

Back at Frostclan

Snowfang and Shadowblaze sit with Bluewish in the medicine den.
"So you're expecting his kits," Bluewish looks from Snowfang to Shadowblaze, "and you've been expecting- knowledgeably- for a moon now."
Snowfang nods.
"So that means you've actually been expecting for about a moon and a half," Bluewish continues.
Shadowblaze nods, "sure, yeah."
Bluewish nods, "and he's been a warrior for a moon."
"Y- yes," Shadowblaze stutters.
"So something not right happened on one of those patrols," Skyswipe trails off.
"What was he hunting for? Babies!" Bluewish laughs.
"But seriously bro," Skyswipe mews, "that's weird."
Snowfang closes her eyes tightly, What have I done?

Back at Treeclan

Lostpaw sat in the corner of camp, eating a mouse. He sighed, staring at the thing he took a singular bite out of. He didn't feel very hungry, but he knew he shouldn't visit Irispaw on an empty stomach.
    Suddenly, Snowyblossom came rushing out of the nursery, not even looking at him as she ran into the Medicine Den. Curious, Lostpaw padded over and carefully peeked in.
    "What is it, Snowyblossom?" Birchwood asked, "It looks quite important."
    "I think Willowcloud is in labor," Snowyblossom said hurriedly.
    "I actually kinda expected that, not gonna lie." Birchwood mewed calmly, "I'm gonna head over there right now."
    Lostpaw went to walk away, but Birchwood saw him and asked, "Hey, would you mind going to find Darkoak? I'm pretty sure he's on border patrol with Pebbleskip, Finchrise, and Dewpaw; they've probably reached LeafClan by now."
    "I guess," Lostpaw sighed. That's what he got for spying, I guess.
    The evening wind blew his fur as the sun set in the sky. They must've been close to camp, so Lostpaw decided to do a regular patrol- but backwards- until he reached them.
    As he walked through the forest, he warily looked around every step. Anything could happen, and he knew that the other Clans were dangerous.
    Suddenly, something lightly twitched beyond the border. It was too big to be a squirrel or something, but too small to be a full-grown predator. Was it what he thought it was?
    Lostpaw stepped forward, fur on end. The thing twitched again; closer up, it looked like a cat tail swishing under a bush. "Show yourself!" The black tom growled.
    The tail didn't seem effected. It continued to swish until, suddenly, it didn't. It swallowed itself into the bush, and a pair of bright orange eyes- a pair of cat eyes- faced him.
    "I said," Lostpaw hissed, "Show yourself!" He lunged at the bush, only to get paws full of leaves.
Where did that cat go? Was it even real? Lostpaw paused, No, it had to be. What else could it have been, a mouse?!
    "Uh, Lostpaw, what are you doing over there?" A young voice meowed. He turned around to see Finchrise standing there, Pebbleskip and Darkoak by her side. Dewpaw was sitting behind, a plump mouse in her jaws. She set it down on the forest floor to hear the tom's reply.
    "Oh, there was a mouse over in the bush," He replied, not wanting to sound stupid, "It ran over here, and since it wasn't Clan territory, I thought no one would mind."
    "I mean, I guess it isn't against the code," Dewpaw squeaked.
    "No, it isn't," Pebbleskip agreed, "And if it was, Oakstar would've said something about it."
    "But, being out of camp without permission or purpose is definitely wrong." Darkoak mewed, "If you were meant to be hunting, you'd be on the hunting patrol they sent out. What's your excuse this time?"
    "Birchwood sent me to get you, actually," Lostpaw meowed calmly, "Willowcloud is kinda in the middle of having her kits, and she thought you would want to see them right after their born."
    "Well why didn't you say sooner?!" Darkoak exclaimed, "Let's go!"

    It turned out that Willowcloud had 9 kits. One was stillborn and Birchwood thinks that two are mute for some reason, but they were quite adorable (well, except for the dead one, but we are ignoring that one. What, do you think that Lostpaw's insane or something?).
    "So what are you two gonna name them?" Asked Lostpaw, "They're pretty cute."
    "I'm not sure yet," The fluffy she-cat replied, "But I'm thinking that the apprentice's den is gonna need an extension when mine and Snowyblossom's kits are apprentices.
    Darkoak laughed, "Yeah, we're gonna need to talk to Oakstar about that."
    "Does Oakstar even know yet?" Dewpaw asked. Why was she even in here? Lostpaw thought, Yet again, I don't know if I should be in here, so...
    "No, I don't think so," Darkoak mewed, "He's only come out of his den twice today."
    "Why don't you two go tell him while we decide the kit's names?" Willowcloud asked.
    "I guess," Lostpaw said, standing up and starting to walk out of the nursery, "You coming, Dewpaw?"
    "Yeah!" Dewpaw squeaked, "Wait up!"
    "Then come on!" Lostpaw laughed, trotting over to Oakstar's den. Since when do I laugh? Lostpaw growled to himself.
    When Dewpaw was by his side, he called for Oakstar, "Hey, we're coming in to tell you something. That's okay, right?"
    "Go away," Oakstar sobbed.
    "W-what's wrong?" Dewpaw asked, stepping forward. Lostpaw reached his paw out in front of her, as the tom didn't want to be disturbed.
    "N-nothing important," Oakstar sniffed, his voice shaky with sadness, "Now, I-I said go!"
    "Come on, Dewpaw," Lostpaw mewed, "We can tell him when he's feeling better."
    "Okay, I guess," Dewpaw sighed, "But just know that his sadness makes me want to groom and comfort him for a moon."
    Lostpaw padded to the fresh kill pile and grabbed himself a squirrel.
    "Can we share?" Dewpaw pleaded, "Please?"
    "I guess," Lostpaw lowered his head and took a bite of his squirrel.
    Dewpaw took a small nibble before saying, "Hey, you look sad. Is something wrong?"
    "No, I'm just thinking," Lostpaw replied.
    "What about?" The light gray she-cat looked up at him calmly. She was a tiny bit shorter than him, although she was two moons older. I guess some cats are different from others.
    "I want some kits one day. I mean, imagine it, Dewpaw," Lostpaw fantasized, "Four little fluff balls circling you, asking you questions about being a warrior and pouncing on your tail with every little twitch." He paused, "Well, if I still had a tail."
    Dewpaw smiled a bit as she said, "Well, who would you be mates with?"
    "I don't really know, none of the apprentices like me that much."
    "Oh, they like you!"
    "Not that much."
    Silence.
    More silence.
    Okay, this is getting awkward.
    Dewpaw, can't you say anything?!
    "Well, I know someone who does."