“How do I look?” Cranefeather shifted on his paws, anxiously glancing out of the den.
“Like a cat,” Yarrowleaf responded, not even sparing his friend a glance. Cranefeather didn’t mind – Yarrowleaf had a good soul, but he was pretty sure he’d already exhausted the medicine cat’s patience.
“She’s not here yet, should I be worried?” Cranefeather fidgeted more.
Yarrowleaf shot the brown tabby an annoyed look. “You should be worried if all your squirming gets my herbs messed up!” His tail swatted Cranfeather’s face.
Shaking his friend away, Cranefeather snorted. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop wiggling around.”
“And you’ll stop asking questions?” Yarrowleaf scoffed, his voice full of disbelief. “I doubt it! If you were any more impatient, I’d think you were a kit waiting to be an apprentice!”
Cranefeather shook his head. “You don’t understand! Robintail told me that Snowfur is definitely expecting. I’m having kits, Yarrowleaf!”
“I know. You’ve only told me a couple of dozen times!” Yarrowleaf growled in mock annoyance. In truth, he was just as thrilled as Cranefeather and the tabby cat knew it. His friend just had a hard time expressing his emotions.
Cranefeather headbutted Yarrowleaf. “You’re just excited as I am. Lighten up a little… hey! There she is!” The tabby jumped to his paws and darted out of the den, sending Yarrowleaf’s herbs flying. The tom suppressed a growl and began sorting the berries and leaves once more.
Heart soaring, Cranefeather bounced into the camp clearing just as Snowfur strolled in. As always, his breath caught when he saw his beautiful mate. Her fur was the color of undisturbed snow, long and glossy, and her body was graceful and lithe. The most beautiful part of the she-cat was her eyes – somewhere between green and blue, both and neither all at once.
Yet it wasn’t the beauty that captivated Cranefeather – it was Snowfur’s earnest demeanor and hardworking nature that drew him towards her. He loved her more than the earth and sky put together and the mere sight of her filled him with joy.
“Cranefeather,” Snowfur purred, her eyes bright. “I was hoping to see you when I finished with my patrol.”
Heart pounding, Cranefeather brushed against his mate. Despite his raging excitement, he tried to keep his voice even and steady. “Oh? Do you have something to tell me? Something I should know about?”
Snowfur purred again. “Maybe. Come on, let’s find somewhere quieter. I don’t want everyone overhearing.”
Cranefeather nodded and followed after Snowfur as she led him towards a more secluded area of the camp. When they settled down, Cranefeather thought his chest would burst with impatience. “What’s up?”
Eyes shining, Snowfur leaned into Cranefeather’s muscular shoulders. “Cranefeather… we’re having kits!”
“We are!” It came out as a statement, not a question, but Snowfur nodded enthusiastically anyways.
“Yes, we are! Yarrowleaf said they should be coming by greenleaf. They’ll be happy and well-fed!”
“And they’ll be the strongest warriors in the whole swamp.” Cranefeather purred harder, his heart pounding. It seemed like everything, at last, was finally coming together.
“I love you, Snowfur. And I can’t wait to see our kits.”