Isabel's Journal: 8-1-16 to 8-14-16

August 1, 1916

Today, Ivyheart came back!  And guess who she had with her?  Three adorable kittens!  I will name them Hollykit, Leafkit, and Flowerkit.  Now, I shall have many more things to worry about and take care of!

August 5, 1916

The kittens are getting along well.  They’ve already opened their eyes, and Leafkit has also tottered a few steps.  And guess what?  There are only ten more days until my birthday!

August 15, 1916

Today is my birthday, so now, I’m eleven!  Da bought a cake and a dress for me.  I have included a photo of both of them in my photo album.  Abbey and her family came over to celebrate, and we had a fine feast.  I only wish every day could be like today!

September 31, 1916

Today, Abbey visited my shop!  She bought a hat and a dress.  And even though she does not know, I gave her the half price.  Then I invited her to my house and showed her the new kittens.  Abbey taught me how to train them to go to the bathroom outside, because if she didn’t, Da and I would have to get used to repeatedly cleaning up after them!  Abbey invited us to eat at her tenement, and that chicken soup was good!  I was sad to see her leave, but I know that she will visit me again!

Lynx Story- 2: The Kittens Learn to Hunt

Part Two:The Kittens

Two moons later...

The male lynx watched worriedly as the female lynx whimpered in pain. Her babies were coming! A ripple passed along the female’s belly as she struggled to bring her kittens to life. Come on! Thought the male lynx. Your mother needs to rest! As if to answer him, five kittens, three females and two males, slithered out, one by one. The male had gone hunting earlier, but he knew the female didn’t have any strength to eat. The male lynx watched fondly as each kitten mewed for milk. The mother lynx gathered her kittens to her belly and they began suck on the milk she provided. Exhausted, the female closed her eyes and listened as the kittens' mews turned into purrs, and purrs ceased as the kittens fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, the male lynx had disappeared. Straining to see as far as she could without waking her kittens, the mother lynx saw the male lynx' tail swish around a tree and disappear into the forest. Though she knew he had gone for good, the mother leaned out farther and she woke the youngest of her litter, Star, who started mewling. Hearing Star's mews for warmth, the other kittens, Sky, River, Wind, and Shadow started mewling too. Trying to calm her kittens down, the mother lynx started grooming them one by one. When that didn't work, she cuffed them each gently around their ears and swept them gently closer to her belly. That did the trick. The kittens stopped complaining instantly and began to suck on their mothers' milk again. Soon after, Star, Sky, River, Wind, and Shadow drifted off to sleep.

One moon later...

The mother lynx was proud to say that all of her kittens had opened their eyes. Except for Star, of course. Star was the smallest and the weakest of the litter. Still, the mother lynx loved Star dearly and would do anything to do anything to help her grow bigger and stronger. "Has Star opened her eyes yet?" Asked Shadow, the biggest, quickest, and sneakiest of the litter. "I bet you just want to show that you're the fasted of all of us." Wind panted. "Right mother?" Wind had just ran a race with Shadow, who had bragged that he was the biggest and the quickest of the litter. Wind, who was ready to show Shadow he was faster, had offered to race him. Wind could have won, but when River nipped his ear, Wind, who figured a tick had crawled into his ear, started to scratch them and wasted a lot of time. Wind had never suspected River, his sweet but cunning sister. "You'd better not start an argument." Warned Sky, the oldest of the female kittens. Sky hated arguments. "Right." Agreed their mother. "And Star will open her eyes when she's ready."Star,who had been listening all this time decided to open her eyes. With the most energy she could muster, Star forced her eyes to open in the darkness of the night. Slowly, Star's eyes adjusted to the darkness. "Hello! I've decided that I was ready to open my eyes!" Star mewed cheerfully as she turned to look at each of her litter mates. Sky, River, Wind, and...Shadow. Star's mouth fell open when she realized Shadow wasn't lying when he said he was the biggest. Shadow was at least two times Star's size! Shadow twitched his whiskers through the darkness. Clearly he was amused. "I'm big, aren't I?" Meowed Shadow. Star nodded, unable to speak. "But, this big body isn't useful for fitting through small spaces." Continued Shadow, pointing his tail at River, who had wandered off to explore a small, hollowed log near the opening of the den.

Star didn't know what happened next, but soon she had fell asleep. When Star woke up at night, her litter mates were already tumbling in the dirt. It took Star a while before she realized that they were fighting for a small bone. Star wanted to play too. She stepped into the ball of tumbling fur just as Shadow cried, "I've got it!" "And Shadow wins again." Muttered Wind. Then Wind spotted a rabbit. He quickly darted after it, but didn't catch it. "Mother!" Complained Wind. When are you going to teach us how to hunt?" "Soon I will." Promised their mother. "One moon later I will." Star couldn't wait. Neither could her litter mates. The rest of the moon continued like this: Wake up, play fight, Shadow wins, grooming, suck milk, explore, grooming, suck milk, sleep, wake up...The next moon passed slowly. Finally, it was over. "Teach us how to hunt!" Chorused the kittens excitedly. "Teach us! Teach us!" "Okay! Okay!" Sighed their mother. She yawned. "First, open your mouth and..." "Like yawning?" Interrupted Star. "Yes." Agreed her mother. "Open your mouth and taste the air." The kittens did what they were told. "What do you smell?" Asked their mother. "I..I smell the leaves and grass. "Meowed Star uncertainly. "Wait! There's something else...Rabbits! And squirrels!" "What?" Asked Shadow. "How come I don't smell anything?" "Use your mouth, not your nose." Advised Sky." I can also smell birds. Blue jays!" She told Star. "Birds are harder to catch." Their mother told them. "But you can always try." "I smell rabbits!" Wind meowed, excited. "I smell fish!" Meowed River. "Me too!" Added Shadow, not wanting to be left out. "Okay." Meowed the mother. "First you stalk your prey, then you..." Wind shot off like a rocket. "Follow me!" He meowed. "Darn!" The other kittens heard the muffled meow of Wind. "Now you've scared off all the prey twenty tail lengths from here!" Complained Sky. "As I was saying." Meowed the mother lynx. "First you stalk your prey, then you crouch into the hunting crouch..." Their mother demonstrated, and her kittens copied her. "Next, you move as close as you can without rustling the dry leaves." Continued their mother in a low voice, looking around. "And finally...you...POUNCE!!!" The mother lynx pounced on a snowshoe hare that was listening curiously to cat-talk. She killed it with one clean bite on the neck. Star shuddered. Still, she knew she had to eat. She approached the meal with the other kittens. It smelled like a good meal. Though Shadow ate most of it, Star still enjoyed every meaty bite. Suddenly, Wind appeared. "Hey guess what?" He asked. "I CAUGHT A RABBIT!!!" "Wow!" Star admired her brother. The other kits set out almost immediately. Sky caught two birds, River caught three fish, Wind ate his rabbit, and Shadow found carrion. For Star, hunting came naturally. It felt great! Star caught a snowshoe hare, a fish, a meadow vole, and even three birds! Star's mother was very proud. "You make a great hunter." She said fondly. "We'll have a feast!" Meowed Shadow happily, who wasn't quite satisfied with his carrion. "Lynx don't share their prey. That's the way of life for us." Meowed their mother. Shadow's face fell. "But." Continued his mother as her face broke into a cat smile. "If Star wants to share with us, she will." Shadow looked at Star expectantly. "Yes." Decided Star. "I will share." And so they had a feast.

HeatherClan Book: Chapter 12

Chapter 12: New Kits

Fernleaf was doing fine, though Willowshine often saw her slip out to meet Sparrowtalon. She was also aware that Berrypaw was keeping a very close watch on Fernleaf.

Once, Willowpaw caught up Fernleaf and hissed, "You've got to be more careful! At least five warriors saw you leave, and so did Dovepaw and Berrypaw! They all know that Spottedpelt told you to stay in the camp."

"I'll just tell them that I was stretching my legs," she meowed indifferently.

"All the way to the border?" meowed Willowshine, raising her voice incredulously.

Suddenly, Graynose appeared from a bush with a squirrel and a pigeon.

He dropped his fresh kill and mewed,"Willowshine's right." He lowered his voice. "I think Berrypaw knows something."

"What's it mean to you?" meowed Fernleaf suspiciously.

"Fernleaf!" mewed Graynose, shocked. "I'm supposed to be your mate!"

Fernleaf just shrugged. "You're only supposed to be. My real mate is Sparrowtalon."

"You know," meowed Graynose in a rough voice Willowshine and Fernleaf both hadn't heard before. "I could tell Silverstar if I wanted."

Willowshine sprang to her feet. "You can't!" she gasped.

"Oh yes, I can," he meowed. "Just watch me." He started to pad away.

"I'm sorry," meowed Fernleaf. She sighed and hung her head. "I guess I just haven't been myself since I started meeting Sparrowtalon."

Graynose came back and nudged her gently. "It's alright," he mewed softly. "Even though your mate is Sparrowtalon, I will always love you."

He licked her flank, picked up his fresh kill, and padded away.

Fernleaf stared after him.

"Shall we go back?" asked Willowshine.

Fernleaf nodded silently.

Then, pelts brushing, the two friends headed back toward camp.

A few weeks later...

"Fernleaf, can you come here for a moment?" asked Spottedleaf.

"Of course," replied Fernleaf, whose belly had grown quite large over the days.

"I just want to give you some thyme because I know you must be very worried about your kits," said Spottedleaf.

"Alright," mewed Fernleaf. "Thanks!"

"I also want to let you know that your kits will come in about a week. You'll have to be ready."

"Okay!" Fernleaf padded over to the fresh kill pile to share a thrush with Willowshine.

Then she headed to the nursery, where she shared tongues with Graynose, who was waiting for her there.

She did not notice that Berrypaw was watching her with his eyes narrowed. She did not see him turn and pad toward the leader's den...

The next week...

Swanfeather walked into the nursery to check on her kits.

When she arrived she found Fernleaf on the floor next to Spottedpelt, Graynose and three small kits.

"Aren't they adorable?" asked Fernleaf.

"Yes, they're beautiful," purred Moonflower.

"What are their names?" asked Swanfeather.

"Smallkit, Sweetkit and Riverkit." Fernleaf answered. "Two she-cats and a tom."

"We aren't the youngest anymore!" squeaked Harekit.

"When will we become apprentices?" asked Thistlekit.

"You're only three moons old!" scoffed Honeykit.

"Yeah, we're already six moons old." chimed Foxkit. Goldenfur and Willowshine bounded in.

"You've got to be more careful!" scolded Spottedpelt when Goldenfur almost stepped on Riverkit's tail.

"Sorry," she meowed apologetically.

"Wow! They're so cute!" exclaimed Willlowshine.

"They'll make great warriors," purred Goldenfur. Fernleaf swept Smallkit, who was trying to escape, closer to her with her tail.

"And to think, you're barely a warrior yourself!" Graynose let out an amused purr.

"You know, your first kits could become apprentices now," meowed Moonflower thoughtfully, addressing Goldenfur.

"They are already six moons old," agreed Swanfeather.

"Hmmm..." meowed Goldenfur. "I'll go ask Silverstar." Just as Goldenfur was about to leave, Silverstar ran into the nursery with Berrypaw on her tail. Goldenfur meowed,"Silverstar, I was just about to ask you..."

She was cut off as Silverstar meowed, "Not now. I need to speak to Fernleaf. Moonflower, Swanfeather, and Goldenfur, take your kits and go out into the clearing. Spottedpelt, Jaywing, you may stay. You too, Graynose."

"Can't I stay?" begged Willowshine. She wanted to know what was going on, and why Berrypaw was sneering like he had won a battle all by himself and was taunting the other warriors. Silverstar thought for a moment.

"Okay," she finally meowed. Then she turned to Fernleaf. "Is it true that you've mated with a StormClan cat?"

Willowshine willed Fernleaf to not give herself away.

"No," she meowed with a note of disbelief in her voice. "Why would I mate with a StormClan cat? My mate is Graynose!"

Graynose, however, gasped, giving himself away.

Then, hurriedly, he meowed,"Fernleaf! You mated with a StormClan cat? Not me?" He sounded shocked.

"Of course not!" meowed Fernleaf crossly. "Who gave you that idea?" she added, turning to Silverstar.

"I saw you telling Graynose!" accused Berrypaw. "I saw you telling him that you wanted him to pretend that he was your mate, while your real mate is Sparrowtalon!"

"That's enough," meowed Silverstar. "Berrypaw, you may leave." He left with a scowl. Then Silverstar turned back to Fernleaf. "It's alright," she meowed. "I already know."

Graynose's eyes widened. "What...How? But..But then why didn't you banish us from the Clan?" he stammered.

"Because Silverstar is kind," meowed Jaywing, sounding stunned.

"I will keep a close watch on Berrypaw, and make sure he does not tell anyone else," promised Silverstar. "But you have to stop meeting Sparrowtalon, Fernleaf." Then she added, "You know, I think that I'm going to have kits soon. Their father will be Moonrain." Spottedpelt nodded briskly. Silverstar turned around and left, leaving Willowshine, Fernleaf, and Graynose's mouth's hanging wide open in shock.

"Well," meowed Spottedpelt. "At least that's settled. Would you like some poppy seed to relieve the pain?" she asked Fernleaf.

Fernleaf closed her mouth. "Well...um, sure!" Spottedpelt busied herself doing that, and Graynose and Willowshine left the nursery.

"You can go back in now," Graynose told the queens. All three cats ushered their kits into the nursery.

Then, Goldenfur came out again and asked,"What was that about?"

Graynose shrugged. "I can't tell you," he meowed steadily.

Then he turned toward the camp entrance. "I'm going hunting!" he called over his shoulder.

Goldenfur stared after him, bewildered.

Meanwhile, Willowshine curled up in the warriors den.

At least that's settled, she repeated Spottedpelt's words in her mind. At least that's settled.