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Blurb
At dawn's first call, the rain shall fall, and dust will be charred black. Beware thunder's first crack.
Rainspeckle is your average, fiesty she-cat. She's an avid hunter and a clever fighter, but could care less about taking on a mate. Dustflight is the son of the Clan leader. He could have any she-cat he wants, but he's been crushing on Rainspeckle ever since the two were kits.
But when the two get captured by Twolegs...everything they know, every opinion they have, is about to change.
Note: Rainspeckle's point of view is written by Nighty, and Dustflight's is written by Red.
Prologue
A loud shriek came from the nursery, matched by a low moan. A cream-colored she-cat carrying assorted herbs hurried into the small, cramped den and dropped the leaves at the sight of the two queens. One, a black and white patched she-cat named Blossomflight, was breathing heavily. Next to her, in a nest of moss and bracken, a queen whose name was Icewing was was mumbling incoherently to the sandy-gold tom next to her, her ice-blue eyes glazed with pain.
Dawnpaw, the cream she-cat, bustled between the two, depositing a few herbs here and there and persuading the toms beside either she-cat to keep their mates calm. "It won't do her any good," Dawnpaw said reproachfully to Sunstar, Icewing's mate. She directed her attention to the small tabby tom crouched beside Blossomflight. "Snowpatch, make sure she eats that borage!"
"Yes, Dawnpaw," Sunstar replied hurriedly, running his tail along his mate's swollen flank and giving her a comforting lick on the ear. Snowpatch did the same, murmuring in quiet tones to Blossomflight, putting a bit of borage on his paw and bringing it closer to his mate's mouth.
Blossomflight let out a yowl. "Her kits are coming!" Snowpatch cried.
"You think I can't tell when my own mother is giving birth?" snapped Dawnpaw irritably, racing over to Blossomflight. She rested a small paw on the queen's flank, then nodded. "You're right, though, Snowpatch. They are coming, so just--oh, great StarClan, really?"
The apprentice tore back across the den to Icewing. The white queen was panting heavily as well, and a screech had just torn itself from her throat. Both she-cats moaned simultaneously, in pain, while Dawnpaw stood at the center of the den, torn between her mother and the other kitting she-cat.
"Oh, great StarClan!" Dawnpaw muttered to herself. She raised her voice, still shuffling in the middle of the den. "On the next spasm--Blossomflight, Icewing, the both of you--push!"
There were soft coos from both of the she-cats' mates, Sunstar poking cautiously at his tiny newborn kit, while Snowpatch expertly nipped open the sac and released the minute little kit - a speckled gray she-cat, from the looks of her. Sunstar and Icewing's kit was a tom, with dusty brown tabby fur and a long tail fluffier than a squirrel's. Both pairs of mates purred at their new children.
Blindly, the tom kit stumbled away from his mother, drawn by the stronger scent of Blossomflight's milk. As soon as the small kit got close to the queen, however, the female kit swatted him away with a powerful paw and a tiny hiss.
The tom mewled.
Sunstar plucked his son up and dropped him by Icewing, where he proceeded to drink his fill of milk before falling asleep, eyes never opening, tail curled around his tiny pink muzzle. Likewise, the she-cat had fallen asleep in the soft belly fur of her mother.
"What about Sandkit?" Icewing suggested tiredly, her eyes already drooping half-closed. Sunstar shrugged, and eyed Snowpatch and Blossomflight's kit.
"You know...Snowpatch, Rainkit would be a nice name for her," he told them.
Snowpatch perked up. "Thanks, Sunstar! Rainkit it is." He bent his muzzle to lick his small but strong daughter on the head, and purred. He refocused his gaze on Sunstar. "Yours looks like a perfect Dustkit."
"Dustkit it is then," Sunstar replied, jokingly copying his friend. He gave his snoozing mate a lick on the head, then padded out into the camp, stretching at the sudden release and ample room to move. Picking up a small piece of fresh-kill, he padded into the medicine den. Dawnpaw was sorting through herbs, her eyes already drooping, and he tossed the plump shrew to her. She looked up.
"Thanks," Sunstar said brightly. He frowned after Dawnpaw refrained from replying, and let out a mew of shock when her body went rigid.
"At dawn's first call, the rain shall fall, and dust will be charred black. Beware thunder's first crack."
"I-I'm sorry?" Sunstar asked, eying his medicine cat with apprehension. She shook herself suddenly, body relaxing and eyes losing their strange glint.
"I don't...I don't know what happened," Dawnpaw replied, blinking. "I'm sorry, Sunstar, what were we saying?"
"Nothing," Sunstar mewed. "Nothing."
He turned to leave, her words - a prophecy, he was sure of it! - still ringing in his ears.
At dawn's first call, the rains hall fall, and dust will be charred black. Beware thunder's first crack.
Chapter One - Rain
Coming Soon!