Prologue
"Hey, Jayfeather!" A voice called Jayfeather.
"What, Cinderheart?" Jayfeather mewed in annoyance. Ever since Cinderheart had bared Lionblaze's kits she had acted weird. It was only a moon ago, but still.
"What has four legs, two ears, and looks like Bramblestar?" Cinderheart asked.
"Bramblestar?" Jayfeather guessed quietly. Unfortunately, Cinderheart heard him.
"YES! How did you know?" Cinderheart's tail was fluffed out in excitement.
"I guessed." Jayfeather growled. "Why don't you go to your kits and rest?"
"Ok!" Cinderheart bounded across the camp to the nursery.
Jayfeather rolled his eyes. He decided that Cinderheart was still recovering from giving birth, and that was why she was acting like that.
"Jayfeather!" A new voice made him turn.
"What?" Thornclaw was standing in front of him, looking worried.
"I can't find Blossomfall! She's going to have kits soon, and…" Thornclaw was cut off as Dovewing skidded over.
"We found Blossomfall! She's by the lake. She's giving birth!" Dovewing burst out.
"Blossomfall!" Thornclaw raced out of camp.
"Dovewing, help me get the right herbs." Jayfeather ordered.
"Okay." Dovewing followed as Jayfeather ran into the medicine den.
Briarlight was already getting the right herbs. "I heard everything. Here you go." She pushed the herbs to Jayfeather.
Jayfeather grabbed them and raced out of camp. "Dovewing, get some moss or ferns. Blossomfall will need them when the kits are out."
Dovewing raced away. Jayfeather left the trees behind. He heard yowls come from near the lake, and he knew it was Blossomfall.
"It's ok, Blossomfall. Jayfeather is here." Thornclaw mewed soothingly. Dustpelt was also there.
Pretty soon it was over. Three kits were at Blossomfall's belly. Dovewing returned and placed some ferns under Blossomfall and the kits.
Then Blossomfall looked up from her kits. "Thornclaw?"
"Yeah?" Thornclaw looked at his mate.
"What is slippery, and has scales?" Blossomfall mewed.
"What?" Thornclaw sounded confused.
"What is slippery, and has scales?" Blossomfall asked again.
"A fish?" Thornclaw scraped his claws against the pebbly shore.
"You're right!" Blossomfall mewed cheerily.
Jayfeather stopped listening after that. Something was wrong, he knew. He just didn't know what.