Return- Hawkfrost x Ivypool

Chapter Six

It was no secret that Ivystar was worried about something in ThunderClan. Now, besides the Dark Forest, she had to wonder... Why hadn't Ravenwhisper seemed bothered by her mentioning the Dark Forest? Sure, Ravenwhisper hadn't yet been born, but she still had to take it somewhat seriously. So how did she know?

So Ivystar confronted her before the moonrise of the next day and learned that Ravenwhisper had just heard them meowing. That was fine, wasn't it?

Before they had been able to talk more, Tigersky had had her kits, thus ending the conversation. Darkkit and Specklekit were so far healthy, and they had made Rosepool a little less anxious about her own kitting.

The ThunderClan leader had been talking to Ravenwhisper about the Dark Forest (quietly, of course) and watching the smirk on the she-cat's face gradually grow bigger. Ivystar was about to tell her about her dreams when a yelp split the air.

The two whirled and saw Rosepool padding hurriedly to the nursery, wincing continuously. Palmsun padded next to her, and she leaned on his shoulder. She's having her kits, Ivystar realized. She padded toward the nursery as Sorrelfern ran in, carrying a bundle of leaves. A moment later, Palmsun hared out and sprinted toward the medicine den, terror bright in his eyes.

It was better to leave Sorrelfern alone, Ivystar decided as Jayfeather padded quickly towards the nursery, dripping moss in his jaws. Rosepool began to shriek as all of her Clanmates watched.

"Lightningleaf!" Jayfeather yowled. He grabbed Birdkit's scruff and dropped him outside so his mother could take him. "We can't have him in here!"

"I know," she told him, ushering Birdkit away. The kit's eyes were still closed.

Palmsun returned from the den carrying leaves in his mouth and returned to the nursery as Sorrelfern pounded back out and went straight for the medicine den, pulling out a swath of cobwebs. Cobwebs? Ivystar thought. I'm no medicine cat, but aren't those for bleeding? 

"How is she getting those scratches?" Palmsun meowed over the chaos. No reply came, and Ivystar imagined that the medicine cats were trying to put cobwebs over the queen.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Ivystar padded towards the den and stuck her head inside. Rosepool lay on her bed of moss, lapping feebly at wet moss as Palmsun, Sorrelfern and Jayfeather fretted. Across her pelt, another long cut appeared.

"Come on, Rosepool!" Jayfeather urged.

Sorrelfern added, "There's a kit coming!"

Ivystar pulled away. "It doesn't look good," she reported to her distressed Clanmates. Thistlefur looked the worst of all- she was Sorrelfern and Rosepool's littermate, after all.

"Why? What's wrong?" Meowed the spiky-furred warrior.

All Ivystar could do was shake her head helplessly. Thistlefur moved forward, but Ravenwhisper blocked her. "You can't help her," she meowed to the distraught she-cat. "You'll only get in the way. The medicine cats are doing all they can."

Thistlefur hesitated, then stood still

Rosepool's shrieks cut off, replaced by harsh panting. "Hang on, Rosepool," mewed one voice.

The panting stopped. There was a long wail, and Palmsun pushed his way out of the nursery, grief shadowing his features. "Gone," he said exhaustedly to his Clanmates. With that, he padded emptily away to the warrior's den.

Jayfeather came out, sadness clear on his face. "The kits are still alive," he rasped. Thistlefur ran in, and Ivystar winced at her terrible yowl.

Sorrelfern and Thistlefur came out, pulling Rosepool's body together. The cream she-cat's eyes were glazed with agony, but they were still dull. Hollow. A stench of death clung to her already.

There was a weak mew in the nursery, and as Ivystar rushed forward to help her Clanmate, Sorrelfern returned to the nursery and pulled out three kits, one by one. "Will someone get Palmsun?" Sorrelfern asked. "He should be the ones to name his kits."

Ravenwhisper padded off towards the warrior's den. There were a few meows inside, and then the haggard tom followed her out.

He paused at the sight of his kits, and then came hurrying over. "Are these my kits? Rosepool's-" His voice broke. "Hello, little ones."

"What will you name them?" Sorrelfern asked gently. Ivystar set Rosepool down by the Highledge and Thistlefur sat down to groom her pelt.

Palmsun stared blankly at his kits. "This one's Poolkit," he said, jabbing his paw at a grey tabby kit. "Acornkit and Brightkit." Palmsun put his paw by the brown tom and then the cream kit.

The medicine cat gave him a nod. "I'm so sorry." Indeed, Sorrelfern looked stricken. She hadn't been old enough to witness the Great Battle, so this could be her first loss.

Ivystar could hear the Dark Forest's cheers in her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Congratulations on a job well done," Tigerstar told Mapleshade, his eyes gleaming with faint triumph.

Mapleshade flicked her tail. "It was so easy," she said. "And also so fun!"

Hawkfrost rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to slam his head into the nearest tree. The cats around him were so unbelievably annoying. 

"Are you going to do it next time?" A cat meowed from beside him.

Jumping, he turned to see a silver and black she-cat staring at him. "Are you?" She prompted.

"Uh, who in the name of Tigerstar are you?" Hawkfrost asked. Maybe she was one of those cats that had rebelled after the Dark Forest's attack. After all, time passed slower in the Dark Forest.

The she-cat flicked her grey tail. "I'm Splashclaw, of course!" Her bright blue eyes gleamed.

"Oh... yeah.... Splashclaw, the cat who..." 

"I was born a little after you lost your battle," she began. "Mapleshade convinced me that the Dark Forest was right, so I've started coming here!"

Her gaze grew darker. "But I DIED in a STUPID river! My name is Splashclaw- StarClan must really hate me. I even know how to swim, so they obviously killed me on purpose. But anyway, now Ravenwhisper and I are friends when she visits."

"Okay," Hawkfrost said. She looks kind of like Ivystar, just black instead of white! And-

"So, are you going to kill the next kits?" Splashclaw asked.

Hawkfrost thought for a second. "Wouldn't it be better to take them to the Dark Forest instead?"

Splashclaw shrugged. "I never thought about that," she said. "Let me go ask Tigerstar."

The she-cat padded over to the amber-eyed tom by the pool. Hawkfrost watched her meow.

Oh, StarClan! If we do that, the Dark Forest will have an army by the time we attack!

I must tell Ivystar.