Prologue
A soft night breeze blew across the wet swampland of ShadowClan territory. There were no clouds in the brilliant night sky, and the stars shone down upon two figures on the edge of the Thunderpath.
"You couldn't have chosen a better night, could you?" the larger cat asked. It was a gray tom with luminous green eyes. His muscles rippled as he fidgeted, kneading the ground with his paws and pacing. "With the light of Silverpelt and the moon, any cat can see us if they looked."
"You worry too much," the smaller one answered, purring. Her black coat blended in with her surroundings, in contrast to the tom's pelt, which glowed like liquid mercury.
"No, that would be you, remember? You're the one who won't keep one of the kits."
Indeed, there were two small bundles that mewed and squirmed on the ground beside the adult cats. They looked down on the kits tenderly, as any parents would. When the she-cat raised her head, her eyes were filled to the brim with sorrow. "If I could, I would. But I can't say I lost one kit and not the other. It wouldn't make any logical sense."
"So what are you going to do with the other one?"
"Well, she's hardier than her sister, so I was thinking of taking her to RiverClan."
"RiverClan!" the tom sputtered. "Are you mousebrained?"
"That's actually a very good question. A queen willing to give up her kits has always been mousebrained in my rules."
The gray cat's gaze softened. "You're not willing to give them up; it's out of necessity." He rubbed her cheek. "So tell me again why she's going to RiverClan?"
"Because she can make the journey. And because I don't want her living off rabbits for the rest of her life. WindClan might be fast, but RiverClan is much better fed."
The smaller kit began mewing. They were less than half a moon old, and could barely open their eyes and walk. Her paws searched for her mother belly, and, not finding it, she began crying louder. Her cream tabby coat glinted silver as she struggled on the cold ground.
Her squirming awoke the other kit. She was a cinnamon ticked tabby, but not nearly as fussy as her sister. She looked around with green eyes, yawned, and tucked her head back in to sleep.
Slowly the other kit realized no one was going to feed her and she too closed her pretty blue eyes.
The queen's amber eyes glinted with amusement. The tom looked pointedly at her and asked, "And tell me why I have to take the one with the bad behavior to ThunderClan with me?"
"Because she's not as strong as the other one." The she-cat picked up the larger kit and bounded across the Thunderpath. It was never busy this late at night.
"Not as strong, sure," the tom muttered to himself. "She's doing this to punish me, I know it." When he came across, though, the pained look in the queen's eyes told him otherwise.
He put down the kit and entwined his tail with hers. "I'll take good care of our kits," he promised hoarsely.
She rubbed his cheek. "I know you will."
"I love you," he whispered.
"And I'll always love you, Bramblewhisker."
The two cats took up their precious cargo and traveled their separate ways.