Graystripe was sitting in the RiverClan side of the border with Silverstream just beginning to kit. Her swollen belly was powerfully rippling.
"That's it, Silverstream! I see one coming already!" Graystripe calmed her. The tiny kit fell out. Graystripe carefully picked it up and put it at her belly so the tiny thing could suckle right when it was warmed. It was a silver tabby tom. The second one came out soon, and it was a gray she-kit with a darker stripe down her back.
"Oh, Silverstream, they're beautiful! What should we name them?" Graystripe asked.
"I was thinking about naming the tom Fishkit, and the she-kit Cinderkit," Silverstream replied.
Suddenly, just as Fishkit and Cinderkit began suckling, Silverstream had a great spasm, and blood began pouring out of her birth canal.
"Silverstream? Silverstream! Are you okay?" But then Graystripe saw his two kits become covered in blood, covering their tiny mouths and noses, literally drowning them in blood. It broke his heart. Silverstream began yowling in deep distress. He looked for their kits, but they were camouflaged into the crimson pool.
"Graystripe!" His best friend Fireheart was called his name. Graystripe barely heard. Another spasm traveled down Silverstream, and her legs twitched. She let out another wail that make him shake when crouched beside her, licking her flank to calm her.
"Graystripe!" He heard Fireheart more clearly now, and he looked up.
"Fireheart! It's the kits-the kits are coming, and it's all going wrong. Fetch Yellowfang!" Graystripe felt bad for lying to his closest friend, but no one must know that he already had two kits. Only Silverstream and himself. Fireheart was running fast, faster than Runningwind. He then turned his attention back to Silverstream. He smelt another cat come. Definitely not Fireheart or Yellowfang, but he didn't pay enough attention to figure it out.
It seemed like moons before Fireheart returned, though not with Yellowfang. Graystripe heard Fireheart and the other's voice, but didn't listen to figure it out. He put completely all attention back to Silverstream. The rippling in her body were now weak spasms. She had stopped wailing, and he made a low noise from his chest.
Graystripe smelt yet another cat, who he again didn't pay attention to. He stared straight at Silverstream's face. Fireheart and the newest witness were talking frantically. So even though I mated with a RiverClan cat, they still care about me. Graystripe realized it was Cinderpaw, and she was meowing to him.
"Cinderpaw, are you sure she'll be okay?" Cinderpaw gave him more reassuring words.
A whirl of things were happening around Graystripe all at one time. The other two kits had been born, Tigerclaw knew, Cinderpaw and Fireheart desperately trying to save Silverstream.
"Hold on, Silverstream," Cinderpaw meowed.
"Silverstream!" Graystripe panicked.
His beloved mate had just barely enough strength left to lick him. "Goodbye, Graystripe. I love you. Take care of our kits," she hoarsely whispered, and her head fell back, paws jerked, and lay still. He heard Cinderpaw whisper Silverstream's name.
"No, Silverstream, no. Don't leave me." Graystripe's meow was feather down-soft. He nudged her gently with his muzzle. He expected her to jerk back up and ask him what happened. Is this a dream? A nightmare? No, it's real. Graystripe thought sadly. His mate was dead, and now all four Clans would know about it! But he didn't care. This is my fault. If I hadn't walked out onto the ice that day, I never would've led Silverstream to such a horrible fate! Grief building up inside, Graystripe yowled it out. "Silverstream!" But it hardly let any out. He flung up onto his hind legs and yowled louder. "Silverstream!" It did let grief spill out, but it built back up.
Fireheart and Cinderpaw were talking again. Graystripe didn't bother to listen. He was still moaning. Suddenly, a sharp pain whacked his ear. "Stop that moaning," it was Tigerclaw who spoke.
He fell silent, but only because he was shocked at Silverstream's death.
"Now will some cat tell me what's going on? Graystripe, do you know this RiverClan cat?" Tigerclaw asked.
"I loved her," Graystripe whispered.
"What-these are your kits?"
"Mine and Silverstream's. I know what you'll say, Tigerclaw. Don't bother. I don't care." Graystripe pressed his nose back into her fur and mumbled softly to her body. Fireheart, Cinderpaw, and Tigerclaw began talking again. Fireheart came over to Graystripe.
"Do you want to come with us?" Fireheart asked.
"I have to stay here and bury her. Here, between ThunderClan and RiverClan. After this, not even her own Clan will want to mourn her." Fireheart walked away silently. Fireheart said something, but he didn't bother to listen.
Of all the other things that happened that day, going to sleep was the hardest to Graystripe. He absolutely couldn't. Even though he knew his other two kits were in good paws, and Silverstream was now dwelling in StarClan, sleeping was the most difficult thing. He was too tired to get up and ask Yellowfang for poppy seed. Then he noticed Cinderpaw looming above him.
"Can't sleep?" she asked. Graystripe wondered how she had come without disturbing the other warriors until he remembered he was sleeping outside the nursery.
"Come with poppy seed?" Graystripe mewed back.
"Yes."
"Poppy seed also heals aches and pains, doesn't it?"
"Well, it could, but willow bark works better. Why, do you need some? We have plenty in the stores."
"If it heals an aching heart, then yes, I do."
"Sorry, Graystripe, it doesn't. But if an herb that healed broken hearts existed, both of us would be taking heavy doses." Cinderpaw pushed a couple poppy seeds to Graystripe, who lapped them up with his tongue, and fell asleep quickly. And he dreamed that night.
It was Fishkit and and Cinderkit. They were happily play-fighting by a shallow river, Silverstream watching them with a smile on her face. The kits were splashing in the river, and she didn't do a thing since it didn't have a strong current. It was hot, and she went and sat in the river with them.
Suddenly, the water turned red instead of clear, and it became deeper and faster. The three cats were swept away by the scarlet torrent, and were soon out of sight. Graystripe tried to run after them, but his paws were fastened to the ground. Every moon, on that night, he has that same dream.
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