AN: This is the prequel to "CherryClan's Origins" and details Carppelt's backstory. By this time, though inter-Clan mating has declined to the point of rarity, these cases occasionally come up, as shown by Partridgestream and Loachheart, and their parents. Generally the kits will go to the mother's Clan unless the cats switch Clans. However, the father might attempt to convince the mother to switch Clans and though I don't mention this in the story, Loachheart's mother, who was born to ThunderClan, joined WindClan to be with her mate. Partridgestream's parents' fling was a one-night thing that resulted in Partridgestream and Bitternclaw. The dream is the prophecy about Carpkit (Carppelt) who later destroys the Clans.
Partridgestream was carrying kits. Loachheart's kits. Their kits would be the first kits carrying blood from all four Clans. Partridgestream's parents were from RiverClan and ShadowClan, while Loachheart's parents were from ThunderClan and WindClan. It had never happened before and the Clans were even more desperate to keep their warriors apart. But now, how would RiverClan react?
"Are you okay, Partridgestream?" asked her sister, Bitternclaw. The distinctive brown tabby nudged her in the shoulder. "For a moment, you seemed as if you were up in StarClan!"
"I was," muttered Partridgestream. She licked her belly, her heart fluttering as she felt the tiny bodies that would soon become living. In less than four moons, she would give birth and the Lake Clans would have their first kits with blood from all four Clans.
"Well, we need to go on our patrol," replied Bitternclaw, sharp as ever. "Let's go."
The patrol never seemed so long to Partridgestream; as she neared WindClan's territory, she wondered if she would come across Loachheart, and how she could tell him that she was carrying his kits. She knew that he would want her and the kits to join WindClan, but the open moors weren't for her. She loved the river of her Clan, and the forest that seemed so right. Finally, they returned to RiverClan's camp, and Partridgestream muttered something about needing rest. She collapsed in her nest and fell asleep. And as she slept, she dreamed.
In her dream, there was a voice. And the voice said, "The tiny carp will lead the great birds to its home. The great birds will trap the carp, its family, and the other fish. Few will escape, but the carp has one chance at redemption."
And Partridgestream awoke.
Partridgestream was nearing the end of her pregnancy and at one Gathering, told Loachheart.
"Loachheart," she said, "I'm having your kits."
Loachheart glowed with pride but in his eyes shone with worry. "Where will the kits go?"
"To RiverClan, of course."
"But, they also belong with me. I'm their father."
"Do you have any nursing queens?" asked Partridgestream sharply but quietly.
Loachheart ducked his head. "No."
"Then they'd die!" she whispered harshly. "And they can't go to WindClan once I wean them because they will have been used to me and RiverClan their entire lives!"
"I know," muttered Loachheart. "But would you join WindClan?"
Partridgestream shook her head with regret. "My heart belongs to the river, and I know that yours belongs to the moors. We can't join each other's Clans."
"And if we leave? Just...left our Clans in search of a home together?"
Partridgestream closed her eyes in pain. The thought of leaving Bitternclaw behind was unbearable. No, that wasn't an option either. "I can't."
Loachheart sighed, shuddering. The first part of the Gathering-the mingling-was almost over and they would soon have to listen to the Clan leaders speak. "Fine, then," he said. "You'll stay in RiverClan and with the kits. But when they're born, can you bring them to me just once, so that I can see them and so that they can know me?"
Partridgestream nodded. This was easy. "I will," she promised. "But I might have to take a RiverClan mate to help me raise the kits. Would you mind?"
"Not at all," assured Loachheart. "At least they would have a father." His voice cracked and Partridgestream nuzzled him, wishing with all her might that they could be together. But mixed-Clan relations rarely lasted long, like with her parents. She and her sister had been mistakes, but the best mistakes of her life, their mother, Oakflower, had said.
"Let's listen to the leaders and see what lies they have for us tonight," murmured Partridgestream to get their mind off of her kits. Their kits.
Loachheart nodded and they sat together in the shadows, listening to the leaders speak.
The birthing had been hard but in the end, Partridgestream had given birth to four kits. One was a she-kit, a tiny golden-brown tabby. The other three were tom-kits. One had her gray-brown pelt, and was surprisingly solid, as both she and Loachheart were tabbies. The other two were dark brown tabbies with spotted pelts, the only reminder of Loachheart.
"What do you want to name them?" asked Bouldercloud, Partridgestream's mate. As an apprentice, she had once had a crush on him and now thought that he would be a good mate. He had confronted her a few days ago and asked if she had mated with a cat from a different Clan. He had said that he didn't mind and that he was honored that she wanted to raise her kits with him.
"The she-kit," muttered Partridgestream, "will be Carpkit."
"A suitable name," replied Bouldercloud with a smile.
"The solid tom will be Jaykit. This little one-" she nudged the spotted brown kit on Jaykit's left, "will be Lizardkit, and that one-" she nudged the other tom on Carpkit's right, "will be Rabbitkit."
Bouldercloud smiled. He had also said that Partridgestream was admirable for being able to love two toms without reserve. "May Rabbitkit run like the wind and flow like the river," he murmured.
Partridgestream laughed.
"Let me see you," said Loachheart with a light tone. His affair with Partridgestream had come out but instead of outrage and a battle over the kits, the Clans had agreed to this meeting in RiverClan's camp so that Loachheart would see his kits. As the pair had already agreed on where the kits would live, WindClan and RiverClan had no problem concerning who had control.
"Is that Papa from WindClan?" asked Carpkit, now four moons old like her littermates.
"It is," agreed Partridgestream. She had been restricted from Gatherings for the past few moons but it only gave her more time to spend with her wonderful kits.
"Why Loachheart," said Bouldercloud jovially, "you almost look like a RiverClan cat!"
Loachheart sniffed playfully. "We've had good fortune these past moons. My my, you four are the best-looking cats in all the four Clans!" Carpkit, Jaykit, Rabbitkit, and Lizardkit had emerged from the nursery and were now looking at their biological father for the first time.
"He smells funny," said Rabbitkit, wrinkling his nose.
"That's the moors you can smell," said Partridgestream. "Loachheart lives in the open wind. Remember what Ryeface told you? WindClan is in the moors, ThunderClan is in the forest, ShadowClan is in the marsh, and RiverClan is by the river."
"I like Papa from WindClan," declared Carpkit. "He's funny."
"I like you too," confided Loachheart. "Will I see them at Gatherings?" he asked Heronstar, RiverClan's leader who was hovering in the background.
"If they behave and do well, then yes," said Heronstar calmly. "I would not deprive them of such an important event just because their half-Clan. And I think that them seeing you would be good so that they don't have any wish to sneak out of the Clan." He glanced at Partridgestream and gave her a wry smile.
"They already tried to sneak out of camp once," said Partridgestream, "before Bitternclaw and I caught up. Carpkit said that they wanted to fish. And Jaykit said that he wanted to hunt."
"Such ambitious kits!" laughed Loachheart. "Even in WindClan," he said sternly, "kits can't go outside of camp without a warrior beside them because the wind might blow them away. But in RiverClan, you have the river which can sweep you away."
The four kits nodded, a serious expression on all of their faces. "Okay, Papa from WindClan" said Lizardkit.
Boulderheart whispered something to Loachheart and the dark brown tabby smirked.
Heronstar stepped up. "Loachheart, we must now return you to your Clan."
Loachheart nodded, all traces of his smile gone.
"Say goodbye to Papa from WindClan," urged Partridgestream to her kits.
"Bye-bye Papa from WindClan!" chorused the four kits.
Loachheart said his goodbyes and left with Ivyfang of WindClan who had come to observe and ensure that no one got hurt.
Partridgestream sighed.
"Do you miss him?" asked Boulderheart, nuzzling his mate.
"Always, but I know that you're the tom for me," she replied. "I make this promise to you, StarClan, and myself, that I will be your mate always, and will be a loyal RiverClan warrior."
"You already are," said Heronstar. "You've proved that time and time again, and even though your kits may be half-Clan, I can see that they will be good warriors of RiverClan."