The she-cat screamed in agony as her body was wracked with a spasm. "When will it be over?" She begged the tabby standing over her. "Not much longer," he said softly. "You're doing fine."
"You'll take care of them?" she asked, her breathing labored. "I know my time is short."
"Yes," the tom said. "Our tribe will take care of them, until your Clans pass through. Will you tell their father?"
"I will try," the tabby hissed between clenched teeth. "But my time is short, nearly up. I must find the right moment."
"Do not worry, we will tell him if we must," he said.
The she-cat hissed in pain again, as spasms racked her body and she screamed in pain as her belly rippled.
"The first is coming," the tom said.
The she-cat, her pelt silvery in the dawn, grit her teeth. "What do I do?"
"Push when I say," the tom said. "Ready, one, two,"
The she-cat clenched her teeth, preparing for the pain.
"Three!" he said, and the silver tabby pushed hard, feeling a kit tumble onto the nest. "Is it breathing?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, a little she-cat," he said, placing the silver tabby at her belly. "One more to go."
The she-cat clenched her teeth again, and this time she didn't need the tom to count down. She knew when to push. She pushed hard, and a gray-black kit fell onto the moss in the shallow den, dug out of the cave floor.
"Another she-cat," the tom said. "You did well."
The silver tabby licked the kit. "She looks like her father. I'll keep them close to my heart always. It pains me to leave them so early," she said softly.
"What will you name them?" The tom asked. "We will give them to the Clans when they pass through. They will still be young then, too young to remember their names, or where they came from."
The she-cat nodded. "The silver one will be Willowkit, and the gray-black one will be Ravenkit."
"We will tell them who they are, one will go to one Clan, and one to the other, yes?" the tom queried.
"Yes," the tabby mewed. "Ravenkit shall go with her father and Willowkit to my Clan."
"Very well, rest well with your kits, savior of our tribe." The tom mewed, as he padded off into the darkness.
The silver tabby looked down at her kits. "I'm so sorry, I don't want to leave you, but you understand that I must, right?" she asked, knowing they couldn't respond. The gray/black kit, Ravenkit, mewed loudly in response, and the tabby purred. "Oh, my precious kits, how can I leave you so soon? This breaks my heart in two!" she cried. She nuzzled Ravenkit. "Do not worry, my darling, your father will take good care of you. He'll fill my place. I just wish I had time to tell him before….." she trailed off, seeing two starry cats, one was a sleek silver tabby, and the other was a skinny white she-cat. The young queen lifted her head. "Is it time?" she asked. The starry tabby nodded. "It is, my precious daughter. I'm so sorry." The queen nodded. "It's fine. I don't regret anything. My kits are beautiful, and the tribe and their father will take care of them. I can entrust them into these paws." The white cat nodded. "The tribe will take care of them, I can promise you that. They would take care of the kits of our savior, it is not nearly enough to repay you for what you are doing." The queen shook her head. "This was my destiny. I wish I had time to tell him, but I don't." She touched noses with the two cats. "You'll watch over them will you?" she whispered to the silver StarClan cat. "They are my grandchildren. I will watch over them as if they were my own." She said. The queen nodded, satisfied. "Thank you. I'll see you soon." She turned toward the tunnel leading to the main cave. "It is time for me to fulfill my destiny."