Warriors: Rainfeather's Honor

Chapter Nineteen

"Spicefur's here!" somecat called from the clearing. Rainfeather meowed a thanks back. She called to her kits, who were tussling near the nursery entrance. Rainfeather moved to sit by her favorite tree in camp, the alder. She waved her silver-blue tabby tail for Spicefur to join her. The pretty orange she-cat glanced around nervously and padded over to Rainfeather.

Rainfeather's kits were now a half moon old and Rainfeather had told Beestar that she would like Spicefur to visit her. The queen's former mentor had agreed reluctantly. Luckily, FallClan and SpringClan had no grudges.

Wildkit, Moonkit, Owlkit, and Featherkit tumbled closer to their mother. Cloudkit and Petalkit stayed by Rainfeather's side. These two kits were less rambunctious, for obvious reasons.

Rainfeather positioned herself so Spicefur could not see Petalkit, who was sitting close to Rainfeather's side. Cloudkit was laying between his mother's paws.

"You had five kits?" Spicefur asked disbelievingly as she settled herself near Rainfeather.

"Correction, I have six kits." Rainfeather nudged Petalkit forward with her nose. The gray kit moved around Rainfeather so she could lay in the curl of Rainfeather's tail. Spicefur's eyes widened and longing glittered in their stormy blue depths.

"I know who she is, Spicefur," Rainfeather told the FallClan she-cat. She lowered her voice. "I won't tell anyone, but what if our Clans fight? Will you be able to fight against your own kit, and your kit's father?"

Spicefur hung her head, clearly not wanting to talk about it. Wolfheart padded up, back from his patrol. He brushed his muzzle against Rainfeather's. Spicefur looked up, seeing Cloudkit in the process. Rainfeather tensed as the orange she-cat stiffened.

"Is he blind?" Spicefur asked quietly, so Cloudkit couldn't hear her. Wolfheart shot Rainfeather a sad glance.

"Yes." Rainfeather lifted her chin defensively. She and Wolfheart had waited for days for Cloudkit to open his eyes. The gray-and-white tom had opened them later than the rest of his littermates, and Rainfeather was distraught when the kit showed them his eyes. They were light green, so pale that they were basically white. He was blind. His future in the Clan was uncertain, at least to every cat but his parents. Wolfheart had decided Cloudkit would be the first blind warrior ever, and Rainfeather had agreed with him.

"I'm going to be a warrior," Cloudkit growled. His hearing and sense of smell were sharper than the rest of his Clanmates. Spicefur nodded, though a little disbelievingly, and Wolfheart called the rest of his kits over. Moonkit came first, shaking out her silver-blue pelt. Featherkit was right behind her, licking down a stray piece of fur on her white chest. Owlkit and Wildkit ran after them, batting at each other. Wildkit's mismatched eyes glowed and Owlkit flicked his white tail tip.

Spicefur watched the kits with wide eyes. Her orange fur glowed in the sunlight. She touched noses to each kit in turn. "Hi, kits," she said softly.

"Hi," Rainfeather's kits chorused back. Petalkit left Rainfeather's side and walked up to Cloudkit, letting him smell her fur before placing her tiny tail over his shoulders to guide him into line with the rest of the kits.

"Rainfeather!" Torrentshade trotted out of the warriors den to touch his muzzle to his sister's ear. His eyes wandered over the kits, pausing at Petalkit, and continued around the group of cats, stopping on Spicefur. He stared at her with his blue eyes, obviously shocked that his kit's mother was here. Rainfeather had not told her brother that Spicefur was coming today.

"Torrentshade, we were just showing Spicefur our kits," Wolfheart said cautiously. Rainfeather had told her mate where Petalkit came from.

"That's nice," Torrentshade meowed quietly. He so obviously wanted to rub his fur against Spicefur's pelt that it broke Rainfeather's heart. She knew she was lucky to have found her perfect mate in her own Clan.