"But Clawface-" The tiny brown tabb tom had stopped again to gain his breath, setting down his precious cargo- a mewling kit. "Why do we have to steal these kits?" Littlepaw panted, the golden tabby kit at his paws not much smaller than himself.

Clawface had been struggling with his own kits and set them down, glancing them over.
One was ashy gray and was silent, trying to make her way towards Littlepaw and her brother before Clawface stopped her with one large paw. One was similar to his brother, but a much darker tabby. He too, was silent, staring up at Clawface with distinct distrust- and was that annoyance in this tiny kit?- while he stood over his ginger and white sister.
"Let us go!" The gray kit squeaked, her fluffy tail straight in the air. She bit down on Clawface's paw, her tiny kit teeth barely affecting his weathered paws. Clawface grunted. ThunderClan wasn't as soft as he thought.
"It's ok little ones." Littlepaw crouched and the kits turned to him, curious. "What are your names?"
"We don't have time for this, Littlepaw." Clawface growled, but deep within, was pleased at his apprentice's kindness.
"Cinderkit!" The gray kit piped up, trotting up to Littlepaw and settling beside her brother. "This is Brackenkit."
"I'm Thornkit. That's Brightkit." The dark tabby tom squeaked. Clawface almost laughed- the tom's voice did not match his serious expression.
But the laughter died in his throat when he remembered the look of fear in the medicine cat's eyes as he slashed her throat to get to these kits.
He knew her, distantly, like every cat knew everyone. Spottedleaf, medicine cat of ThunderClan. They had spoken once, at a gathering. A gentle purr to wonder about his scars. A short retort, something about an angry rabbit.
He had laughed then.
Now his thoughts were filled with the thought of ThunderClan cats surely on their trail, and the fact that he had the blood of a medicine cat on his claws.
Starclan was no option for him now. He was damned to go wherever Brokenstar would be for forcing these kits into battle.
At the thought, he looked over at Littlepaw, who had sufficiently calmed the kits. Cinderkit in particular seemed to have taken a particular shine to him.
"Come on, Littlepaw." Clawface growled, firmer this time. Littlepaw nodded, gathering Cinderkit in his jaws. Her pink paw pads dragged on the ground, Littlepaw's height hardly a difference. Clawface bent to scoop up the other three kits, Thornkit giving a displeased thrashed as it happened.
"Where are we going?" Cinderkit wondered loudly. Clawface looked at her harshly, hoping she would be quiet. It seemed the work, her blue eyes widening in surprise and fear.
"What happened to your face?" She asked, quieter this time.
"Annoyed a badger." Clawface muttered around the fur he was carrying. "I like them. A real warrior has scars." He glanced back at her. She seemed less fearful now, instead interested.
Sliding into the tunnel under the thunderpath, the kits began to cry in fear of the unknown.
"Don't worry, it's not so scary." Littlepaw tried to assure them around the bundle in his mouth. "We're safe from monsters under here."
Emerging on to Shadowclan territory gave Clawface the greatest relief he had felt in a long time. He paused again, jaw sore from carrying the heavy kits. They were nearly apprentice age, he was sure.
"I want to go home." The ginger and white kit, Brightkit, mewled, tucking her paws under herself and sliding closer to Thornkit, who put his chin protectively on her head.
"Don't worry. I'm... sure you'll go home soon." Littlepaw assured them with that quiet voice of his. Clawface sighed, licking his paw and drawing it over his face as his apprentice assured the kits again.
He was awashed with Spottedleaf's sweet scent again and he shuddered, realizing her fur was still stuck in tufts in his claws. He immediately chewed it out, spitting it out with distaste. Littlepaw looked at him curiously, but said nothing.
"You have eyes like mine." Littlepaw told Cinderkit, his fluffy tail twitching. Cinderkit puffed out her chest proudly, turning to her siblings. Clawface was reminded so painfully of just how young his apprentice still was.
"Where are we?" Brackenkit wondered, his first words spoken. "This doesn't smell like ThunderClan."
"I want Mama." Brightkit sniffed.
"Don't worry. You'll see your mama again." Littlepaw told effortless lies. He had asked, Clawface mused, but he knew why they were stealing the kits. Brokenstar wanted more warriors, and wanted the other clans to have less.
"More kit warriors?" The wheezing voice was unmistakeable. Clawface felt his body stiffen in surprise, then relax with relief- and maybe joy?
Littlepaw leapt to his paws and growled, earning a clout from his mentor. The kits scrambled under Littlepaw's belly, squeezing to fit under the tiny apprentice.
Clawface turned to meet Nightpelt, his eyes glinting.
"Brother." Clawface breathed, dipping his head gently.
"Don't lower your head to me, brother." Nightpelt approached, still looking young and surprisingly strong despite his status as an elder. Clawface hesitated before touching his nose to Nightpelt's, who recipricated with a long purr.
"You have an apprentice." Nightpelt turned to Littlepaw, who was still bristling.
"Yes. Littlepaw." Nightpelt snorted at the name, causing Clawface to heat up with embarrassment at his undersized apprentice.
"Fitting." Clawface turned so they could sit and observe the kits together.
"Littlepaw. Take the kits and show them some fighting moves." Clawface instructed, directing his nose to the nearest fir tree, far enough that they would not be heard, but that Littlepaw could be observed.
Littlepaw nodded and ushered the kits forward with a sweet tone in his voice, still glancing back cautiously at Nightpelt.
"Don't you feel sick, brother?" Nightpelt coughed, thanking Clawface for licking his ribs with a flick of his tail.
"I could ask you the same." Clawface chuckled, but it was hollow.
"I may be ill in my body, but my spirit is pure. Can you say the same?" Nightpelt turned to Clawface, his eyes squinted. Clawface snorted, looking away, his pelt burning with shame.
"You're starting to sound like a real elder now." He muttered, staring at his paws. There was silence between the pair of brothers. They looked up, hearing the squeals of the kits as they practiced the moves Littlepaw was showing them.
"I'm going to be the greatest warrior!" Cinderkit boasted loudly, biting down on Littlepaw's tail and making him yelp.
"Oh, Cinderstar, make us warriors!" Brackenkit mewled, bouncing on his toes. Cinderkit gathered herself, her small tail rising straight into the air. She closed her eyes and cleared her throat.
"I, Cinderstar, declare you all to be warriors. Brackenkit, you shall be Brackennose, because of your big nose!" The kits began to laugh, even Brackenkit. "Thornkit, you will be Thornfrost! Your bad words will freeze prey in their tracks!" Thornkit lowered himself into a clumsy hunter's crouch, tail thrashing as he lashed at his fake prey. "And you, Brightkit! You will be Brightmoss! Because you give the best cuddles and are very soft like moss!" Brightkit giggled and shook out her thick fur at this. "You are all my warriors! And Littlepaw can be my deputy!" Cinderkit turned to the apprentice, who jumped in surprise.
"O-Oh, uh, well, alright." Littlepaw smiled at this, a genuine one, one Clawface hadn't seen in a long time.
"At first I didn't want him." Clawface murmured. Nightpelt turned to him. "He was so small, smaller than all the kits in the nursery. But then... he started to remind me of you." He admitted, finally looking to his brother. Nightpelt met his gaze evenly. Clawface hesitated, his voice shaking. "I've done something horrible today, Nightpelt."
"Speak to me, my brother."
"I've murdered a medicine cat in cold blood." The words tumbled from Clawface like a horrid torrent of poison. He watched Nightpelt's eyes widen. "There's no room for me in StarClan now." Another silence enveloped them, punctuated by excited kit noises.
"I was hoping I would see you there when we passed on." Nightpelt sounded choked, and Clawface worried his cough was getting the best of him, but he realized it was only grief in his throat this time. "But now my only brother will be with our horrid leader when he dies." Clawface looked away in shame, knowing what he said was true.
"Bring the kits back. Redeem yourself." Nightpelt insisted suddenly. Clawface look up in surprise, his spine tingling. "We can still share the sky after this. Bring them back to their home. Do not subject them to this." He whispered. Clawface squeezed his eyes shut and looked away again, the guilt overwhelming him. He heard Nightpelt sigh.
"I'm sorry." Clawface choked out, digging his claws into the damp earth, as if rooting him to this moment. Nightpelt said nothing, and Clawface was too frightened to see the look of disgust in his brother's eyes. Instead, he felt him lean his chin on the back of his neck, a gentle purr in his throat.
"You will always be my brother." Nightpelt whispered. Both were silent after this, moons of sibling love rolling over them in great waves.
Finally, Clawface got to his paws, touching his nose to Nightpelt's cheek.
"Stay healthy, brother." He murmured. Nightpelt blinked slowly.
"Stay safe." The darker of the pair retorted. Another empty chuckle. They hesitated to seperate, though they knew they had little time left.
"Nightpelt." Saying his name scared Clawface, as if it would be the last time he would be around to say it. "Help ThunderClan." The words surprised him as much as they surprised Nightpelt, who visibly flinched in shock.
"What?"
"They will come here for their kits. Help them. Save ShadowClan." Clawface urged.
"They'll attack you." Nightpelt seemed disgusted at the idea. "My nephews. Your sons."
"Think of ShadowClan." Clawface flicked his ears back. "Think of.. the kits of now, and of the future." They turned to look at the playing kits, who seemed to be growing weary, their movements slowing.
"Alright." Nightpelt nodded after a little thought. "I will help any ThunderClan cat that comes to me." He turned and smiled at Clawface, entwining their tails. "I'm sure we will see each other again, Clawface." Clawface looked at his brother skeptically, one ear back. "You are good in your heart. You always have been."

Cinderpaw was still bristling from the excitement of the battle when she saw Swiftpaw dragging a body away. Glancing at Yellowfang, she flicked the medicine cat with her tail, and slowly hobbled after her old denmate. She could hear Yellowfang's heavy pawsteps behind her, muttering with annoyance under her breath.
Swiftpaw jumped when he realized he was being follow, bicolour fur bristling, still on edge from the battle.
"Oh, it's you, Cinderpaw." Swiftpaw relaxed, then glanced at the body. He sniffed with disgust and without another word, got up and left.
"Do you recognize this cat, Cinderpaw?" Yellowfang had stopped her annoyed mutterings, and came to sit next to her new apprentice. Cinderpaw reached out, rolling over the lifeless tom to reveal his ravaged face. His yellow eyes were no longer gleaming but staring blankly ahead. They had a distinct look of sadness, left over from his last moments.
"Yes..." Cinderpaw breathed in the tom's scent, answering hesitantly.
"His name is Clawface. He kidnapped you and your sibling when you were just kits." Yellowfang growled. "And he killed the medicine cat before me, Spottedleaf." Cinderpaw nodded slowly.
"Did you know him?" Cinderpaw wondered. Yellowfang's scarred nose twitched, nodding.
"He was always a boisterous cat. Aggressive, but... he cared for his brother." Yellowfang admitted. Cinderpaw's ears flicked back, and then forward as she struggled to remember. Before she could say any more, Yellowfang had rolled Clawface into a shallow grave, covering him with deft flicks of her back paws.
"Not that it matters now. He will rot in the Place of No Stars." Cinderpelt watched as the dirt covered the brown tom, hiding him from view. She wondered what it was like to die alone, with no elders to bury you, and no friends to grieve for you.

And yet, a distance away, the ShadowClan leader was gasping, burying his nose in his deputy's fur, his throat tight not from his constant cough, but from the loss of his brother. And the knowledge he would never share the same sky with him.