Allegiances

Leader: Bluestar a blue-gray she-cat

Deputy: Redtail a red tortoiseshell tom brother of Willowpelt, Patchpelt. Spottedleaf, and Leopardfoot

Medicine Cat: Spottedleaf a dark tortoiseshell she-cat

Warriors:

Dappletail: a light brown tabby she-cat with beautiful dapples

White-eye: an all white she-cat with one eye

Patchpelt: a black and white tom

Leopardfoot: a dark brown she-cat

Thrushpelt: a light gray tom

Tigerclaw: a dark tabby with mean amber eyes

Lionheart: a golden tom, brother of Goldenflower

Goldenflower: a pale ginger she-cat

Fuzzypelt: a spiky black tom

Whitestorm: a white tom

Mousefur: a dusky brown she-cat

Runningwind: a black and white tom

Queens:

Willowpelt: a silver tabby she-cat mother of Patchpelt's kits

Brindleface: a dappled brown she-cat mother of Redtail's kits

Frostfur: a white she-cat

Speckletail: a silver tabby with darker flecks

Robinwing: a brown red she-cat mother of Fuzzypelt's kits Dustkit and Ravenkit

Prologue

Brindleface felt a horrible pain coming from her belly. She let out a low moan as she flopped to the ground. Spottedleaf rushed over, along with Frostfur, her sister.

"Shh…" Spottedleaf soothed as she yowled to Frostfur to go get soaked moss and raspberry leaves.

"Here." Frostfur whispered as she dropped the herbs to the ground.

"Get Redtail. He'll want to be here." Brindleface feebly murmured.

Gently Spottedleaf started rubbing her swollen belly. Waves of pain radiated off Brindleface, and it felt like a badger had clawed her belly. Moans escaped her as she went deeper into her kitting and the kits inside her moved. "Get a thick twig!" Brindleface muttered sharply through gritted teeth. Carefully her mate, Redtail, set a medium sized twig beside her. She was in too much pain to utter a word of thanks as she bent her head to snatch the measly twig between her teeth. As another tsunami of pain swept across her, she clenched her teeth hard. With a sickening crack her twig exploded into a million pieces. Redtail rushed out to get another stick for his laboring mate.

"Here you go." Redtail murmured with strained love in his meow.

Grunting she adjusted her clumsy body to the right position to grasp her second twig. Again just as the twig made it into her yowling mouth. Another hurricane of pain crashed down on her. She let out a yowl of pain, as Spottedleaf stopped cold.

"A kit is coming!", she meowed either jubilantly or anxiously. It was seeming that Brindleface's kitting was not going well.

Just then Spottedleaf told her to push, to push with all her strength. She did. The next second a kit slid out. This kit did not start mewling feebly like kits were supposed to. As Spottedleaf nipped open the sac that encased it, this kit was greeted with low moans.

"The kit was stillborn, but I feel one more." Spottedleaf sorrowfully spoke.

Gently massaging her loosened belly, once more Spottedleaf firmly told her to push. And push she did. Unlike the other kit, this kit felt like it wanted to come out. As quick as a flash, the kit slid out. Speedily Spottedleaf nipped the sac to be greeted by an ear piercing yowl. A tired Brindleface flopped to the ground with a plop. Spottedleaf nudged the newborn kit over into the curve of Brindleface's fluffy belly, and the kit let out a contented sigh as she began to suckle.

"She's beautiful." Redtail said to his mate.

"What should we name her?", Brindleface asked.

"Whatever you want." Redtail retorted back.

"Sunkit?" Brindleface spouted names.

"No. How about Sandkit?" Redtail compromised.

"How lovely." Brindleface agreed.

Chapter I

It was a crisp leaf-bare morning with few birds chirping and chuttering. Whitestorm stood at the entrance of the peaceful camp, watching for intruders.