Prologue
Grey clouds hung in the sky, covering it like a blanket. Two cats swam across a raging river, its waves tearing at their limbs. The cats climbed out of the river onto the bank. One cat, a handsome golden tom with a darker gold ringed tail was carrying two tiny mewling kits. The other cat, a pretty grey she-cat with white blotches emerged from the water after the tom. She was only carrying one kit, a small silver tabby she-cat with white speckles.
"Goldensky, she is freezing. Get her back to camp right away.", the white and grey she-cat ordered. The golden tom nodded. He glanced at his daughter, who was shivering from the cold, her entire body shaking.
"Don't worry I will. . .", suddenly the she-cat stopped moving, her breathing also stopped. She lay limp in her mother's jaws. The she-cat gasped, almost dropping her silver kit.
"No! You're almost there!", the she-cat wailed. Tears streaming down her cheeks. She quivered in shock. Goldensky wanted to wail too. His claws digging into the mossy ground.
"Ne-Nettleheart, she has gone to Starclan now.", his voice wavered. It felt like thorns piercing his heart, his throat tightened and his pupils turned to tiny slits.
"I'm going to name her before she leaves to Starclan", Nettleheart sighed. Goldensky nodded. Nettleheart blinked a few times. "Her name will be Moonkit, because she reminds me of Starclan.", Nettleheart explained, her eyes resting on her kit.
Goldensky set down the two kits he had in his mouth. "We should name them too.", he meowed, his voice filled with sorrow.
"I'll name the red mottled tom and you can name the grey tom.", Nettleheart sighed. Goldensky nodded.
"I'll name him... Breezekit.", Goldensky purred, hope filling his heart. Nettleheart thought for a few moments.
"His name will be Reedkit." Nettleheart whispered gently. Goldensky padded closer to Nettleheart, touching her rosy pink nose with his black nose.
"I will always love you." Goldensky meowed, his heart aching. Nettleheart backed away, turning her head.
"You have to go" she sighed. Goldensky felt tears fill his amber eyes.
"I don't want you to go though" he pleaded like a kit.
"No Goldensky, I am loyal to Thunderclan, I have to go" she meowed, slowly padding away towards the river. Goldensky also turned around, picking up the two toms by their scruffs.
Rain started falling hard. Goldensky was racing to Riverclan camp, his paws skidding slightly on the mossy ground. Rain pelted his face like icy shards. Reeds scraped his sides and the kits mewled, but Goldensky kept running. Finally, Goldensky erupted from the reeds into Riverclan camp. There were no cats in the camp that were awake.
It had been a peaceful time with the clans. Not even Shadowclan tried to steal territory, so no cat was guarding the camp that night.
Goldensky's fur was soaked from the rain that still poured. He turned towards the nursery and padded in quietly, making sure not to wake any queens.
Sleeping soundly in a nest made out of moss with swan feathers inside and reeds lining the nest, was a cream tabby she-cat with white paws. Beside the she-cat was another she-cat that was jet black with white speckles. The black she-cat's eyes were closed and her flank was rising and falling softly. Curled up beside her belly, was three little kits.
Goldensky's paws felt numb from exhaustion and coldness. He stumbled over to the cream furred queen. Goldensky prodded her side gently. The she-cat rolled on onto her side.
"Daisyshine, wake up!", he whispered. Daisyshine opened her eyes drowsily, but they immediately fell to the two kits.
"Goldensky, what are those?", Daisyshine meowed, yawning.
"Daisyshine, I need you to take these kits, I found them the border between Riverclan and Thunderclan.", Goldensky explained.
Daisyshine stared at the kits. Finaly she sighed and scooped them up with her white paw, then set them down beside her belly, curling her tail around them. "Well Goldensky, you owe me one, my kits are coming soon and they will be a pawful!" she chuckled.
Goldensky smiled. "She'll take good care of them. I know it, they are in safe paws.", Goldensky thought as he left the nursery. "Even if they feel alone, I'll always love them, always..."