Characters:
ThunderClan:
Leader: Spiritstar- Brown she-cat with a chestnut underbelly, white paws, and white tail-tip. Stormy blue eyes. Distinctive moon-shaped markings on her forehead. Stagtail's mate. Lost her first litter.
Deputy: Bluefoot- White short-hair with blue/gray paws. She-cat. Green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Mossyfoot- Brown tom with light green eyes.
Warriors: Pricklypelt- Brown long haired tom with a prickly pelt. Orange eyes. Streamglider's mate.
Falconheart- Chestnut, black, and white calico tom. Spiritstar's littermate. Sky blue eyes.
Owleyes- White she-cat brown forehead, spots, and tail-tip with distinctively large yellow eyes. Pricklypelt's littermate.
Autumnleaf- Brown and orange long-haired tom with bright green eyes. Snowstorm's mate.
Stagtail- Chestnut tom with white spots. Green eyes. Spiritstar's mate.
Moonclaw- Gray tom with white paws, chest, and tail-tip. Bluefoot's mate. Orange eyes.
Queens: Snowstorm- Gray shorthair with white flecks. She-cat with light blue eyes. Spiritstar and Falconheart's littermate. Autumnleaf's mate.
Streamglider- Orange and black tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. Pricklypelt's mate.
Apprentices: Rainpaw- Blue long-haired tom. Bright blue eyes. Bluefoot's kit.
Eaglepaw- White, brown, and orange calico she-cat with a white face. Blue eyes. Spiritstar's kit.
Shrewpaw- Chestnut she-cat with white tail-tip. Spiritstar's kit.
Rapidpaw- White and gray tom with a single blue paw. Green eyes. Bluefoot's kit.
Pebblepaw- Blue/gray she-cat with gray paws. Blue eyes. Blue foot's kit.
Elders: Shortlegs- Black elder tom with a few scars and relatively short legs. Green eyes.
Dawnfur- Chestnut she-cat with white flecked fur. Orange-yellow eyes.
RiverClan:
Leader: Fernstar- White tom with bright green eyes.
Deputy: Rabbitwhiskers- Brown and chestnut she-cat with blue eyes.
Medicine Cat: Rootheart- Yellow and brown she-cat with orange eyes.
Warriors: Trouttail- Black tom with green eyes. Excellent at fishing.
Sunbeam- Yellow she-cat with orange spots. Yellow eyes.
Tricklepelt- Gray/blue she-cat with white tail-tip. Blue eyes.
Queens: Flowerfoot- White, orange, brown, and black calico she-cat with green eyes.
Apprentices: Cricketpaw- Gray tom with green eyes.
Opalpaw- White and gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Apprentices: Gravelpaw- Light gray tom with orange eyes.
Heatherpaw- Black and white she-cat with yellow eyes.
Elders: Quickstripe- Chestnut tabby tom with yellow eyes.
Sapfur- White she-cat with brown patches of fur. Yellow eyes.
ShadowClan:
Leader: Thornstar- Black tom with piercing yellow eyes.
Deputy: Cobbleheart- Dark gray shorthair tabby tom with green eyes. Has a large battle scar on his face.
Medicine Cat: Mothfur- White and gray she-cat with blue eyes.
Warriors: Stealthpelt- Black and gray tom with yellow eyes.
Badgerclaw- Black and white tom with battle scars and blue eyes.
Ravenfang- Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Has extremely sharp fangs.
Queens: Ambereyes- Orange she-cat with orange-yellow eyes.
Apprentices: Coalpaw- Black/gray tom with blue eyes.
Bristlepaw- Chestnut she-cat with orange eyes.
Darkpaw- White tom with a black forepaw and foot. Blue eyes.
Elders: Scrawnytoes- White and chestnut fur. Green eyes.
WindClan:
Leader: Cedarstar- Dark brown and chestnut tom with orange eyes.
Deputy: Swiftfoot- Yellow and white tom with green eyes.
Medicine Cat: Addertail- Orange, white, black, and brown calico tom with yellow eyes.
Warriors: Longshank- Long legged brown-and-cream tabby tom.
Moorblaze- Swift-footed tabby with chestnut fur.
Leafbelly- Dark cream tabby tomcat with dark green eyes.
Apprentices: Blackpaw- Pretty black and gray tabby she-cat with green eyes.
Blazepaw- Orange tom with fiery amber eyes.
Queens: Sagewing- Heavily pregnant white she-cat.
Elders: Wingwhisper- Once black-furred tom with a totally gray pelt.
Prologue
It was a cold day in Leaf-bare. The wind howled and snow fluttered from the sky. "Stagtail…" Spiritclaw moaned in pain. "They're coming…"
Stagtail stared at his mate in dismay. "Today? Now?!" he cried out. "The kits are coming!" Stagtail yelped to his clanmates. They all helped move Spiritclaw into the Nursery. "Mossyfoot! HURRY!" Stagtail exclaimed as Spiritclaw lay on the floor of the Nursery, breathing heavily. Mossyfoot scampered into the Nursery with borage leaves, chamomile, chervil, cobwebs, dandelion leaves, fennel, feverfew, and juniper berries.
Mossyfoot sat next to Spiritclaw, helping her keep calm. "Here," he said soothingly, nudging chervil roots to her. Spiritclaw took the roots graciously and chewed them. She uttered a gasp of pain as the first kit came. When all was over, she yelped in agony. Mossyfoot ran to the kits to tend to them.
"Can I see the kits…" Spiritclaw asked, almost in tears. Mossyfoot glanced at the kits, and gasped.
"The kits… They…" Mossyfoot muttered. Spiritclaw looked at her two little kits, motionless and frozen.
"My kits!" she sobbed. Stagtail bursted into the Nursery.
"Spiritclaw! What is wrong?" he exclaimed.
"The kits…" Spiritclaw whispered, crying. Stagtail looked at his kits, their eyes glazed over and snow on their fur.
"No… No!" Stagtail stuttered. "Spiritclaw… Oh, Spiritclaw!" Stagtail sobbed, rushing to his mate. He laid next to her as she sobbed with her head rested on his shoulder. The two cats laid their all night, comforting each other with the body of their kits laying in the snow covered Nursery.
At sunrise the bodies of the kits were moved to the middle of the Clearing. Every cat of the clan paid their respects, sharing tongues with the kits. Spiritclaw and Stagtail hung their heads in sorrow as they carried the bodies of their kits to bury them. "This one is Foxkit…" Spiritclaw whispered, nudging the little orange and white calico kitten with black paws. "... And this one is Duskkit," she said quietly, nudging the chestnut kitten. Stagtail nodded solemnly, bowing his head.
"May Starclan protect our kits," he said, tears rolling down his face. Spiritclaw and Stagtail buried their kits, tails entwined, and sat beside their graves in a silent vigil.