“I thought Larchkit for the brown tom, Patchkit for his brother, and Petalkit for their sister.” She paused as her tail-tip rested on the tiny she-kit. Mapleshade used her tail to indicate each kit without disturbing them. Her heart pounding, she waited for Oakstar to comment but instead he asked if she had chosen names for them. Birchface had been a dark brown tabby, almost black. Apart from the tom who was patch-furred like her, they were the exact soft brown shade of Appledusk’s fur. Mapleshade glanced at the tiny bodies in the curve of her belly. “I can see Birchface so clearly in each of them!” His scrutiny was making her more and more nervous.įrecklewish turned to Oakstar. She wondered if it would be rude to ask Oakstar to leave. “I took first pick of the fresh-kill pile for you,” she told Mapleshade with pride. There was a rustle of bramble fronds and Frecklewish appeared with a vole in her jaws. “The Clan is honored if his spirit lives on through his kits.” “My son was a great warrior,” Oakstar went on. Beside her, the kits started nuzzling at her belly and fell silent as they began to suck. “I’m sure he’s watching from StarClan,” she murmured.
These cats are my kin.” His eyes clouded with emotion as he stared down at the kits. “I’m not just their leader,” he reminded her. Oakstar gently herded them back to Mapleshade with his paw. But their eyes were still closed and the smell of a different cat was just too much to resist, so all three tottered toward Oakstar with their stubby tails held straight up, mouths open in high-pitched mews. “This is Oakstar, the leader of ThunderClan,” Mapleshade told her kits. Releasing her tiny claws from Mapleshade’s ear, she slithered onto the moss with a thump. The she-kit jumped at the sound of his voice. Oakstar’s broad dark brown face appeared through the branches. At three sunrises old, they astonished Mapleshade with their ability to be all over the nursery at once, while at the same time constantly nuzzling at her belly. “Of course! Come in,” Mapleshade mewed somewhat breathlessly while trying to coax the she-kit off the top of her head. “Are you receiving visitors?” rumbled a voice at the entrance to the nursery. The feud over Sunningrocks will be forgotten when the Clans realize that they share these perfect warriors! “And ThunderClan thanks you,” he meowed.Īs will RiverClan, Mapleshade added silently. The medicine cat touched her lightly with the tip of his tail. “I will thank StarClan for them every day for the rest of my life.” “These kits are my gift to the whole of ThunderClan,” she murmured.
Mapleshade buried her muzzle in the soft, damp fur of her kits. “You have made her feel as if life is worth living again,” he commented.
0 kommentar(er)
