Song of the Forest

Prolouge

"Nicole, this way! We can find shelter under this tree before the storm gets worse!" The yowl came from a broad-shoulder black tomcat as he fought his way to his mate in a rustling wind. The she-cat had two kits at her side; she was a thin black she-cat with white flecks. Her kits were both white with silver-tipped fur and blue eyes. They wailed as the wind blew against their fur and rain flew into their eyes.

"I know, Coal, just help me with out kits," wailed Nicole, her kits still wrapping themselves pittifully around her paws. The tom came and aided both his mate and kits along into the willow's sheltering branches.

When settled inside, Nicole wrapped her body around her sweet kits while Coal watched them. Grooming each kit fairly, the queen murmuring comfortingly to them, "There, it will be fine, Joey, Racheal... Nothing will ever happen to you... You are safe."

There was silence beneath the willow as Nicole, shivering, looked at her kits. Sadness was flooded into her eyes as she realized that she and her mate would never be able to give these kits a good home and have them survive. Oh, how she loved her kits... but she would never be able to raise them properly. She was too young and she and Coal were too alone and vulnerable to the badgers, foxes, and wolves that could terrorize the health and survival of her kits.

"Coal, we can never keep them," Nicole murmured, her eyes full of love as she touched Joey and Racheal on their noses with her tail. "We will have to give them up if we want them to grow strong."

"But where?" asked Coal, his eyes troubled and confused. When Nicole shook her head, he sighed and went on. "We have nobody to give these kits too. We'll have to try and raise them-"

"But that is not an option!" spat Nicole, eyes flashing. She slid her claws out and dug them into the ground. "I grew up abused and treated unfairly by my mother. I have not forgotten and you have not forgotten the day you rescued me." There was a flash of lightning which illuminated the inside of the willow revealing Nicole's face and body covered with terrible scars that would never heal. Another flash showed one long scratch on Coal showing how he had rescued the cat he loved from her family. "I know we would never treat our kits badly but they cannot grow up knowing starvation. We have to give them away but I need to find where..."

"Twolegs are out of the question," Coal added and Nicole nodded in agreement. "What about another family of rogues or farmcats or the Tribe?"

Nicole shook her head, her eyes gazing at the stars. Suddenly, star-furred cats filled her mind and seemed to lead her to a place in her dreams where she would take her kits. "ThunderClan..." spoke a very pretty star-furred she-cat.

"ThunderClan," repeated Nicole and she turned to her mate. "ThunderClan, that is where."

"A Clan?" Coal asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," Nicole mewed, her voice soft. "Our kits will grow up there. We will take them there tomorrow when the storm has ceased and Joey and Racheal will live their lives how they deserve."

"Very well. We leave tomorrow."

---

"Who are you?" gasped Nicole, her voice tight and her teeth bared. Two cats faced her, her mate, and her kits. Racheal and Joey wailed in terror.

"Our names are Nightmare and this is Crystal..." Nightmare spoke icily. "We are here to... do you a small favor. We can take your kits off your hands, yes we can."

Nicole scrambled to her feet and Coal lept onto Crystal. It seemed the rivals had met again but this time Nightmare and Nicole would be weaker from the kits.

Then the fight broke out and thunder scratched at the willow's outside. Nicole tried to trip Nightmare and Coal circled Crystal. Teeth bared, the cats lept. Nicole managed to block the kits barely and Coal avoided a deathly attack from Crystal. Lightning crackled and the rain swirled.

"N-No!" gasped Nicole as she grabbed Joey by the scruff and stuffed him in the crook of the willow to avoid the flooding ground to get him wet. Coal bit Crystal and tried to do the same for Racheal but slipped. All of the sudden lightning struck again to show a ginger-tan she-cat with amber eyes. At once Coal and Nicole turned to the with gratitude. In that moment, Crystal snagged Racheal who was flying in the mud.

"Delilah, help us!" Nicole finally cried.

"Don't worry," Delilah gasped as she unstuck Racheal from the mud. "I will take this one to ThunderClan." When Nicole opened her mouth, Delilah continued. "I overheard you last night and I know where ThunderClan is. Follow with Joey!"

"Oh no you won't!" Crystal lunged for Delilah, scraping the tan she-cat and fulling grabbed Racheal. The small kit squealed quietly in a soft voice. Then the kit hissed, and it was sharper and crisp and clear. Coal grabbeed Crystal but Nightmare was faster as he then jammed his claws into Racheal's right eye. It was horrible; blood flowed from the small kits eye. It was ruined.

"No!" Delilah snapped and she grabbed Racheal and took off running. She knew that ThunderClan would have something called a medicine cat.

Nicole gave a sorrowful wail and Delilah couldn't look back. Was Joey ok? Was Nicole wailing about Coal or herself? Or was she sad that Racheal was leaving her.

Delilah ran faster. ThunderClan... oh, she knew the Clan only too well. This time, this time she would probably join with Racheal. The former leader had talked to her before. And it just made Delilah shiver to think back about that memory.

"Almost here," mouthed Delilah to the screaming kit in her jaws. It would be so hard for Racheal.

"Delilah? What are you doing here?" A sandy tom was standing beside her with a silver she-cat.

"Oh my StarClan, Sandfur, Rainpaw!" gasped Delilah. She dropped the kit beside Sandfur and gulped for air. "This kit, Racheal, was attacked and her brother and parents are still out there but her parents want her to live in ThunderClan so could you take her back and I really have to go back and help them, Sandfur, and I-"

"Delilah, calm down," he mewed sharply. "We will get you and this kit back to our camp and maybe send a patrol back for your rogue friends." He sighed. "Are you here to stay this time? I miss seeing you."

Delilah hesitated before she mewed quietly, "Probably. I want Racheal and Joey to grow up here. Nicole and Coal love their kits but you see they cannot take care of them." Sandfur nodded.

"Let's go."

---

"We will call her by a Clan name..." breathed the medicine cat, Bluewhisker, to Delilah. The former rogue hesitated once again.

"Name her... Songkit."

"Songkit it is then."