Prologue
Goldenthorn struggled her way into the nursery, chest heaving as she lay on the cool moss. A whimper escaped her as her belly tightened, her claws ripping into the ground as she moved to the softest spot she could find before she relaxed, allowing her labor to continue as before.
"Are you sure you'll be okay without Sharpstone?" Sagefire had followed her into the nursery. She blinked at him lovingly, always appreciating the care he took with her.
"It's alright. It's instinct, and besides, Spiderheart promised she'd come and help. She just needed to go fetch some herb."
"Spiderheart's not a medicine cat." Sagefire worried.
A black shape loomed in the nursery entrance. "But I have given birth before, and I know a thing or two about complications." The lanky frame of the older queen slipped into the den. "If you're going to worry yourself to death you may wait outside. I'll let you know as soon as they're all born."
Sagefire hesitated, his mouth opening to voice another opinion. Spiderheart cut him off. "No. Get out of the way, she's going to be absolutely fine." Spiderheart settled by Goldenthorn, resting a bundle of leaves between her legs, framed by a white patch of chest fur. "Hopefully you won't need these, but preparedness typically pays off, particularly when health is on the line." She eyed Goldenthorn. "I'm not worried. You've had an easy pregnancy."
Goldenthorn, panting, nodded in agreement as she bit back a whine of pain. No need to make Sagefire more worried, she thought. She glanced around the nursery, glad that the other queens and kits were fast asleep and not waking up. She could do this quietly, she was determined to.
By the river, Clovermask sat staring at the water intently. Several minutes went by before he even moved. His paw darted and a flash of silver arced onto the bank. He trapped and killed the fish quickly and continued staring at the water. After several more minutes the same motion was repeated, the wriggling silver fish slapping the bank once before he killed it. He picked up his catch and took his time walking back to camp.
When he did enter camp, though, he ignored the fresh-kill pile and went straight to the den farthest from the entrance, where a she-cat could be heard whimpering. He dropped his kills and poked his head inside. "I brought you something." he muttered.
A white she-cat approached the entrance, her belly heavy with kits of her own. "Thanks, Clovermask. You should eat something too." she said, pawing the fish into the den. "Sparkheart's just taking a while, it happens sometimes. She'll be fine."
"Lightningstreak!" the moaning she-cat yelped from the dark of the den. Lightningstreak turned to attend to the other queen.
Clovermask continued to stand outside. "Yeah." he murmured. "I just wish a medicine cat were here to say the same." He glanced hatefully up at the half-moon- but the glance was short-lived, as he soon curled up in front of the nursery, his tail twitching nervously.
Hazelfern twined his tail with Apple-eye's. "It's a beautiful night," he purred, nuzzling his mate happily.
Apple-eye nodded. "The moor is beautiful." she replied, green eyes shining out, tiny half-moons reflected in them. She shifted slightly and sighed, wishing she could still race out over the long grasses- well, she could, but it was uncomfortable.
Hazelfern gently nudged Apple-eye. "Come on, soon enough you'll be able to go out again. I'll bring you the biggest rabbit I can find every day."
Apple-eye started to purr a reply but instead shut her eyes tight and tensed, skipping a breath as Hazelfern's heart skipped a beat. "Apple-eye?" He asked softly.
"They're coming." Apple-eye replied, gasping. "Help me get back to the nursery."
Hazelfern was already guiding her to her paws.
When they entered the nursery Apple-eye lay down with a whimper against another contraction. A tiny voice rose from beside another furry form.
"Apple-eye? Are you okay? You sound hurt-y." the tiny she-kit mewed, scrambling over her mother to trot over to the queen.
"I'll be fine, but can you wake up your mother? She'll be able to help me." Apple-eye suggested in a strained voice.
Bronzekit nodded cheerfully, bounding back to her mother and working to wake her up- not very hard, since she had only just drifted off. In the meantime, Hazelfern settled by Apple-eye's head, providing soothing licks.
Brownleaf padded over, blinking tiredness from her eyes. "Apple-eye? What's the matter? Oh, Hello Hazelfern, are the-" her eyes widened. "Oh. Bronzekit, can you move some of the moss to make Apple-eye's nest more comfortable? I need to go check Mudfoot's supplies for anything useful. And triple-check that the moss is completely clean with no thorns or rocks or anything. New kits are delicate."
Bronzekit gasped. "New kits!" she squealed, scrambling to find the best moss in the den.
"Quietly." Brownleaf scolded. "Cats are sleeping."
Bronzekit nodded, still gleeful as she pushed over wads of moss nearly as large as herself.
Lilywhisper nervously tore at the moss she lay on. "Are you sure it'll be alright? Even though Brighteye and Sedgepaw have gone to the Moonstone?"
Shiningpool chuckled softly. "Trust me, you'll be fine. You haven't had any problems, you're healthy, and I've helped birth kits more than I've given birth myself. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Would you like me to go wake Squirrelclaw now or fetch him afterwards?"
Lilywhisper squeaked. "Don't leave!" she gasped out. "I might start bleeding or something worse-"
"Alright, calm down, I'll go get him once they're born." Shiningpool laughed gently. She proceeded to sit close to Lilywhisper's head, her enlarged belly making her movements just a tad unwieldy. "They'll be strong like you and Squirrelclaw. It's very rare for families with histories of easy births to have problems. Now you shouldn't panic if there's a little blood, that's normal, and if you like I'll bite the kits free of their sacs for you. Would you like a stick to bite down on? Many mothers find that helpful when they're birthing." Shiningpool suggested.
After a moment's thought, Lilywhisper nodded. "I don't want to wake up the whole camp." she muttered.
"I'll be right back." Shiningpool promised smoothly.
Lilywhisper felt her heart racing and began counting the beats as Shiningpool left. She grew only more terrified, whimpering involuntarily around 100, though she soon heard Shiningpool's pawsteps once more and relaxed a little as Shiningpool lay a relatively smooth, strong stick by her head. "You're going to do fine." Shiningpool repeated gently. "Just relax."
Goldenthorn curled around her two newborn kits, dark, fluffy and slowly drying, guiding them to her belly. "Please let Sagefire in." she requested of Spiderheart- but the black she-cat wasn't paying attention.
"Goldenthorn, look." she whispered, breathless all of a sudden. "The she-kit."
"What about her?" Goldenthorn asked defensively, examining her kit more closely. She pulled back with a jerk. "No…" she murmured "Are those-" She looked up at Spiderheart, astonished.
Sagefire looked into the den. Seeing the dark bundled by his mate he padded over to greet the new kits, purring as he bent down to sniff them. He started, jerking back from the she-kit. "What?" he hissed in shock. "Wings?"
Lightningstreak appeared in the nursery opening. "Come in and meet your kits, Clovermask." she purred, stepping aside.
Clovermask pushed himself quickly to his paws, slipping by and settling beside Sparkheart, purring hard as he watched his kits suckle. Two toms and a she-kit. He nosed each in turn, learning their scents happily. Suddenly his eyes widened and he began examining his daughter more thoroughly. Sparkheart stopped purring- very little made Clovermask nervous. "What's the matter?" she mewed anxiously.
"Can you… would you take a close look at our daughter?" he asked in a strained voice. Sparkheart looked closer, nosing her. She jumped, upsetting the kits. The pair quickly guided them back to Sparkheart's belly, quieting the beginnings of wailing, then looked at each other.
"You saw them?" Clovermask asked tensely.
Sparkheart nodded. "She has wings. Somehow. It's impossible."
"You're kidding." Lightningstreak interrupted from eating her own fish, brought earlier by Clovermask. "Wings?"
Hazelfern finished licking his daughter warm and gently nudged her on unsteady legs to her mother's belly. "They're gorgeous." he murmured, admiring them and purring hard.
Bronzekit bounced impatiently. "Can I come look yet?" she asked- though she didn't wait for an answer before racing over to look at the three tiny kits suckling from Apple-eye. "They're so small. How come their eyes are closed?" she asked.
"Everyone is born with closed eyes. When they're ready they'll open them, and then you can play with them." Hazelfern explained.
"But if you're very, very careful and gentle you can come take a closer look at them." Apple-eye added kindly.
Bronzekit nodded. "Mama said, new kits are delicate." she replied, padding close and examining each kit in turn while their parents looked on, proudly but ready to protect their kits from accidents.
As Bronzekit was examining one of the toms, she looked up at Apple-eye. "How'd you give him wings?" she asked curiously. Apple-eye blinked, taken aback.
"Wings? Don't be silly, Bronzekit, no cats have wings. Birds have wings." Apple-eye replied.
"He has wings." she said, gently touching one of the toms with a paw. "Real small ones but they're there."
Hazelfern bent to examine the small greyish kit more closely. He looked up at Apple-eye in surprise. "Great StarClan, she's right."
"Impossible." Apple-eye breathed, bending down to look herself. "What does it mean?"
"What does what mean? Bronzekit, are you being good?" Brownleaf asked, padding closer.
"Yes mama!" Bronzekit raced around Hazelfern to go to Brownleaf. "But you'll never believe it, one of the new kits has wings!"
"Squirrelclaw! Squirrelclaw!" Shiningpool hissed into the warrior's ear, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up!"
Squirrelclaw groggily pushed himself up. "I'm awake, am I on dawn patrol?" he asked uncertainly.
"Your mate has given birth." Shiningpool informed him. "But…" she trailed off, lost for words.
"What's the matter?" Squirrelclaw asked, snapping awake in a moment.
"You should really just come and see." Shiningpool said uncertainly.
"Is Lilywhisper alright? Are the kits?" he asked, getting to his paws and pushing out of the den. Shiningpool followed quickly, padding to his side.
"Yes, yes, they're fine…" Shiningpool mewed. "It's just… Well, you'll see in a moment."
Squirrelclaw raced ahead, entering the nursery and padding over to thoroughly examine his mate and kits.
"Squirrelclaw." Lilywhisper rasped. "The tom, he-" her voice failed her and Shiningpool mewed something about getting water as she left.
Squirrelclaw sniffed his kits, identifying the tom and examining him thoroughly- though he quickly found what had thrown his mate and Shiningpool- cool unflappable Shiningpool. He struggled with his voice, looking from his son to his mate in confusion. Finally he managed to choke out one word-
"Wings?"
As one, the medicine cats awoke. Sedgepaw scrambled to his paws, the others just a touch slower, particularly Brighteye, the eldest. They stared at each other uncertainly as the faint flat light of early dawn filtered in the cave roof. They all stood for a while watching each other. Finally Sedgepaw broke the silence.
"You were all there, right? We can talk about this!"
"No. We spoke a little in the dream and it will be enough." Mudfoot put in.
"It will have to do." Blacknose agreed. "You've been apprenticed quite a while now, you know the taboos."
Sedgepaw lowered his head slightly. "Yeah, I have to interpret it and let Brighteye decide what we're going to tell who until she-" he cut off, swallowing. "Sorry. That was bad. I mean, it's frustrating not talking about something everyone knows about!" He flexed his claws angrily.
Brighteye nudged her apprentice. "Come on, then, youngster." She mewed. "We're holding up our fellow medicine cats. We all have to get home, but we'll see them all at the Gathering and you can chat then." She headed for the exit, the cold making her even slower than usual.
Sharpstone glanced at Sedgepaw. "It may be frustrating but it's for the greater good, Sedgepaw. Sometimes what a Clan- or a cat- doesn't know is just as important as what they do."
Sedgepaw nodded and sighed, trotting after Brighteye, who was warming up and already partway up the passage.
Four must join in the only neutral place and be beacons hope in the darkest days; on the wings of the sun and the moon, light will always come, and the gentle rain will cool their fires as the sky binds all together.
