Prologue
"Keep running!" the ThunderClan leader shouted as her clan ran from other cats in the shady forest. Running as fast as she could, Nightshade, a gray tabby queen, could barely keep up due to her bulging belly.
"Squirrelstar!" she screamed as she collapsed on the ground. The ginger she-cat turned around and ran towards Nightshade. The enemy cats were right in front of them, ready to attack.
"This was your last chance Squirrelstar. Now it's time you pay the price. It looks like this she-cat is about to kit, and when she does, you must give us the first cat that comes out or else we will destroy ThunderClan" the scarred tortoiseshell leader of the enemy cats growled.
"Never Badgerstar! You can fight Thunderclan, but we will never give up one of our kits!" Squirrelstar hissed. Nightshade looked up at her noble leader. It's been hard for her ever since her mate, Bramblestar, passed away. I can't let ThunderClan suffer because of me. But I can't bear the thought of giving up one of my kits... Oh, Starclan, What should I do? Nightshade started to get up but fell under the weight of her belly. Then, all of a sudden, she gave out a huge yowl.
"My kits! They're coming!" she yowled in pain. Almost immediately, the ThunderClan medicine cat, Jayfeather, a usually grumpy blind gray tabby, ran up to her with a bundle of herbs and a stick. He pushed the stick to the kitting queen.
"Clench this stick in your mouth, so that if you feel pain, you can bite into it," Jayfeather told her. Nightshade nodded and took hold of the stick. Then she started to clinch it as hard as she could. The first kit was coming. Nightshade yowled through the stick as a she-cat came out and plopped onto the grassy earth. "It's a she-cat Nightshade. Squirrelstar, start licking the kit, Nightshade isn't done." Jayfeather told his leader.
"Wait a minute," Badgerstar said as he stepped forward. "this black she-cat belongs to RiverClan. Give her to us now!" Growled the fierce tortoiseshell.
"We already told you that giving you one of our kits is not an option!" Squirrelstar spat. Nightshade admired her leader's bravery. She wished she could have her courage.
"If you won't give us her peacefully, we'll take her by force!" the RiverClan leader snarled. Nightshade forgot the stick and yowled in pain.
"The next one is coming." Jayfeather spoke. Nightshade felt like she was dying, but no matter how much it hurt, she had to survive for her kits. She took the stick again and clenched it with all her might. Kitting was more painful than she thought. "It's a tom Nightshade," Jayfeather said with no emotion.
Nightshade sighed with relief, she now had two beautiful kits. She looked at her black she-cat. She had a single white spot on her chest and white paws. She turned to see her light gray tom, he looked exactly like a tiny pebble.
As the Riverclan leader came forward, Nightshade wrapped her tail around her kits and hissed. I've made up my mind. These kits are mine and I will never let them go! As the kits drank her milk, Nightshade lifted the fur on her neck and bushed up her tail.
"These kits are mine! You shall never have them!" Nightshade hissed, repeating her thoughts while arching up her back. Squirrelstar padded up to the RiverClan leader. She looked him fiercely in the eye and flicked her tail to signal two warriors to her side, just in case they had to fight. What seemed like a whole leaf-bare, Squirrelstar walked away and gestured Jayfeather and her deputy, Berrynose, a cream-colored tom, with a flick of her tail. One of Nightshade's clanmates named Fireblaze picked up one of her kits and helped her walk away towards their territory.
"Do not underestimate the strength of RiverClan, Squirrelstar! We will have that kit!" Badgerstar declared. Nightshade picked up the other kit and walked away, never wanting to see Badgerstar again. Please protect my kit Starclan. I cannot bear letting her go.
It's been a moon since her kits, Blackkit and Pebblekit, were born. Nightshade had assumed that Badgerstar gave up the idea of taking a kit from another clan. As the sun set, she nudged her kits to the nursery. Nightshade laid down in her nest. She wrapped her tail around her two beautiful kits, and she fell asleep.
Nightshade awoke from her peaceful dream as the rising sun hit her face. She carefully stood up, not wanting to wake her kits. All of a sudden, she felt a tiny paw poke at her fur.
"Nightshade, where's Blackkit?" Pebblekit asked confused. Nightshade turned around, wondering what Pebblekit meant. She looked around the nursery but Blackkit was nowhere to be seen.
"Blackkit?!" Nightshade yelled, hoping that she had just wandered off. "Blackkit! Come out this instant!" she yowled. But Blackkit did not appear. She ran out of the nursery and wailed. All the cats came out from their dens, wondering what Nightshade was doing. "My kit! My kit is gone!"