Secrets Chapter 1
It was a dark evening and the wind rustled the leaves the trees. A dark gray tom cat made his way through the dark forest, making sure he didn't make too much noise. The sound of the wind normally calmed him, but not tonight. He found his way to a hidden place where a beautiful silver she-cat lie, three tiny bundles of fur pressed to her stomach. The queen had given birth only the day the before. The Clan had sent out search parties to find the missing queen but she had hidden herself well.
"Silverpetal, are you sure you want to do this?" the tom cat meowed in concern.
"I know what I'm doing! Just give me the herbs and be on your way please!" Silverpetal snapped at the tom.
The cat sighed and heaved a bundle of herbs in her direction. "You don't need to do this you know. Your Clan needs you, and the kits. Why would you leave?"
"This must be done. I will miss you terribly." The queen looked at the tom with sympathy and gently stood up and ate the herbs. She nodded her farewells and pressed her nose to the toms affectionately. "May StarClan be with you no matter always. I love you."
With that, she picked up her kits, waved her tail at the tom and ran off. Nothing had ever been that hard for her. She had lost her mother in the claws of an enemy Clan. She had caught greencough many seasons ago when she was only a kit. Nothing was as painful as when she had to say goodbye to the only tom she had ever loved. She ran straight ahead to the border of her territory and her best friend's. This was the best thing for her precious kits. Two beautiful she-kits and a strong tom. She was so proud of them, and she had only known them a day. She knew if her friend came through for her, the she-kits would have a normal life, though their mother would miss them horribly. The tom had to go with her. He looked too much like his father to be able to stay. He wouldn't be loved with the Clans. No, she couldn't do that to him.
An orange she-cat stepped forward at that moment, slowly and sadly. She must have had her kits. Oh she is bringing one with her! I'll get to see them before leave! Silverpetal was happy to be able to see her best friend's kits, but as her friend got closer, she noticed her friend was only carrying one tiny tom kit.
"Dearest, is all well?" Silverpetal meowed.
The other queen just shook her head and laid the young tom down. "Oh Silverpetal! I delivered my kits this morning in the forest, not far from here. That's the only reason I made it this far. I gave birth to two she-kits and one tom. But, my poor she-kits…." she broke off at this and laid on the ground.
"Oh dear. I am so sorry for your loss. They are in StarClan now, looking down on you with love."
"Thank you Silverpetal. I see you have had your kits. All well then. What did you want to meet me here for?"
"I'm leaving the Clans for good. I can't stay here. I have broken the warrior code when I mated with their father and having these kits. I love them with my whole heart but I can't let them suffer at the claws of our cruel leader. Ratstar is bloodthirsty lately. He would kill my kits if I stayed. To make things worse, I told him I never loved him and even though I told him I would be his mate, the kits I was carrying were not his. They were the kits of the tom I love. He clawed at me and I ran for it. I can't ever come back. You must take my she-kits. I want them to live a normal life, like their father. The tom kit will have to come with me. He looks so much like his father to stay here. I would only trust my kits to you, and I know you have the extra milk to share with them. Will you please take them, raise them as your own, and don't tell them where they come from. I don't want them to hate me or their father."
"I promise you Silverpetal. These kits will be loved. I will tell everyone that they are my kits. I promise you they will never be treated as outcasts."
Silverpetal licked her she-kits motherly and nosed them over to her friend. "This one," she indicated the smaller of the two she-kits with a flick of her tail, "looks like me but a bit darker. She will be called Ivykit. The other she-kit will be called Moonkit. You will raise them well, I'm sure of it. StarClan watches over you and the kits. Farewell Orangewhisker." Silverpetal pressed herself against her friend and took her remaining kit, Stonekit, and headed away, towards the mountains, hoping the Tribe cats still remembered the kindness that Clan cats brought to them several seasons ago, long before her time.
Orangewhisker watched her leave, picked up the mewling kits and found a safe place to sleep until she could make it back to the RiverClan camp. She just hoped her best friend would make it safely to the mountains and she could fulfill her promise to raise the kits right.