Chapter 2
It has been two moons since Bright Stream came to stay with the cats of the hidden valley, she was now in the nursery cave with a new litter of three kits and Moss Flower was also in the nursery expecting Swift River's kits. Moss Flower woke up in her nest in the nursery to see her sister Bright Flower and her four moon old kits asleep in their nest and her new friend Bright Stream with her kits also asleep. Moss Flower stretched and then did a yawn before she left the nursery and walked into the main cave.
Moss Flower walked to the cave enterans, she sat down at the cave opening and looked out at the valley, then she saw a group of cats in the valley heading for the cave where she and her group lived, she wandered if it was Ruby's group coming for a visit but then she noticed the black pelt of the rouge leader Black Wing. Black Wing wasn't part of their group but his mother had been friends with them when she was alive and named her kits with names like theirs. Moss Flower turned and ran back into the cave, "Clear Water, Lion's Fur wake up the rogues are here." she meowed as she ran to the leaders den cave. She was running so fast she nearly ran into Clear Water, "Clear Water Black Wing and his rogues are in the valley and heading this way." she meowed.
"Lion's Fur organize the warriors and prepare for battle." Clear Water meowed to Lion's Fur in the warriors cave, then she turned to Moss Flower, "Get back to the nursery and help with the kits." Clear Water told her, Moss Flower nodded and headed to the nursery.
"Moss Flower what's going on?" Bright Flower asked, with Bright Stream and the kits behind her.
"It's Black Wing and his rogues." Moss Flower meowed, a moment after she said this they heard the sound of screeching cats and the sounds of battle. Moss Flower and Bright Flower went to the tunnel that lead to the main cave to stop any rogue who tried to get to the kits. Bright Stream stayed with the kits to keep them calm. A few moments later they heard claws scraping the rock floor of the tunnel and the two sisters readied themselves for a fight, when two cats came out of the tunnel Moss Flower and her sister attacked. Moss Flower went for a ginger and white tom while her sister went for a light grey she-cat. The tom pinned Moss Flower down, "You and your cats will pay for taking our land." the tom hissed.
"We wanted to live in peace, you choose to fight and kill our friends and kin." Moss Flower hissed back and then bit down on the toms leg then she pulled him to the side causing him to hit his head against the side of the cave. While he was recovering Moss Flower got to her paws and slashed her paw with claws out at the toms face, he gave a cry and then turned and ran out of the cave. Moss Flower looked over to the kits when she heard a screech to see Cloud Pelt, Twisted Tree, Dewy Nose and Snowy Sky's fighting a young she-cat and Twisted Tree had her jaws clamped at the base of the rogues tail and the rogue was trying to nock her off but then Dewy Nose bit down on the cats muzzle and Cloud Pelt bit one of her legs while Snowy Sky's was on her back with his claws out holing on tit.
The rogue she-cat lashed out with one paw and ran towards the cave entertains and the four kits jumped off as the rogue left the cave. Moss Flower waked over to them to check them out to see they only had miner scratches, she then looked over to see Bright Stream with a long gash on her for leg.
"What happened?" her sister asked.
"That rogue snuck by you two and Bright Stream tried to fight her but got hit in the leg and then me and the others jumped on the rogue and fought her off." Cloud Pelt meowed.
"You four were really brave and lucky that the cat was young and not fully grown or fully trained." Moss Flower meowed to her sisters kits. Bright Flower nodded in aggrement. Moss Flower walked over to Bright Stream and took a closer look at her wound, "It dosen't look to bad, but we should have a healer treat it so it dosen't get infected." Moss Flower meowed.
Bright Flower nodded, "I'll go find one." she meowed and headed to the tunnel that lead to the main cave, Moss Flower laid down next to Bright Stream and helped her to keep the wound clean. A few moments later Bright Flower returned with Owl's Screech, Owl's Screech quickly got to work fixing up Bright Stream's wound. Then Moss Flower heard grieve strecon yells, "How many did we lose?" she asked Owl's Screech.
"Two, Shadow Chaser and Yellow Leaf." he told her, Moss Flower closed her eyes and toke a deep breath then let it out, "Storm Cloud and Whirl Pool will more then likely be the most affected by this." she meowed, Storm Cloud had lost her father to the rogues when she was just a kit and now she lost her mother too, and Shadow Chaser was Whirl Pool's mate. "Lion's Fur will also be grieving over his sister's death." she meowed after a moment. "Why don't you go check on your friends Moss Flower, I can handle things here." Owl's Screech told her. Moss Flower nodded and headed for the main cave.
She found Storm Cloud over by the body of her mother with her head down and her shoulder shaking. "Storm Cloud." Moss Flower meowed.
"First my father and now my mother, when will this stop?" she asked.
"At least you still have Lion's Fur, don't forget he lost a sister today." Moss Flower reminded her friend. Moss Flower looked up to see Lion's Fur walking over to his sister and Storm Cloud, deciding to give the two cats some space she walked over to Whirl Pool who had her muzzle buried in Shadow Chasers fur. "Whirl Pool, are you ok?" Moss Flower asked quietly. Whirl Pool looked up at her.
"Moss Flower how could this have happened, and why now?" Whirl Pool asked.
"What do you mean?" Moss Flower asked her. "I just found out yesterday that I'm expecting kits, Shadow Chaser's kits." Whirl Pool meowed. Moss Flower just stared at her for a moment, she thought about what she could say to her friend but in the end she just moved closer to her and placed her tail over Whirl Pool.
Around sun high Clear Water walked over to the grieving cats, "It's time to lay them to rest." she meowed. The elders along with the kin of the fallen warriors carried them out of the cave and down to the valley floor to be buried.
"Where are they taking them?" came a voice beside Moss Flower, she looked to see Bright Stream. "Their taking them to be buried in the valley." she replied. "You'll learn more about that tradshion later but for now lets let them grieve." Bright Stream nodded and the two she-cats walked back to the nursery cave. A few moments after they got to the cave and Moss Flower laid down she felt a pain rip through her. Moss Flower gave a small cry, Bright Stream and Bright Flower turned to her, "Are you ok Moss Flower?" her sister asked. Moss Flower could bealy talk, "Pain." She meowed. Bright Stream walked up to Moss Flower and placed a paw on her swollen belly.
"Go get your brother." she told Bright Flower. Bright Flower nodded and ran to the main cave. Bright Stream than walked around Moss Flower and laid down behind her, "It's going to be ok Moss Flower, from what I felt you are having your kits now." she meowed, "When the pain comes you need to push." she told Moss Flower.
A few moments later Crooked Tail entered the cave alone with his apprentice Owl's Screech. "How is she?" Crooked Tail asked Bright Stream.
"I thing she kittening." Bright Stream told Crooked Tail. Crooked Tail nodded and placed his paw on his sisters belly, "Your right Bright Stream she is having her kits." he replied, "Ok Moss Flower when the pain comes,,,"
"Bright Steam already told me that." Moss Flower hissed.
"Ok," Crooked Tail meowed, then Bright Flower rushed in with a stick in her mouth, she gave the stick to her sister, "Bit down on the stick when you fell the pain." Crooked Tail told her.
Moss Flower took the stick in her jaws. When the pain rippeled though her again she bit down hard. "The first one's out." Crooked Tail meowed. Moss Flower looked over to see a white kit. Crooked Tail gave the kit to Owl's Screech who started to lick the kit the wrong way to dry it off. Just then Swift River entered the den, "Moss Flower are you ok?" he asked.
"She's fine Swift River, she's just having her kits." Crooked Tail replied to Swift River.
"Swift River." Bright Stream meowed as she got up and flick her tail at Moss Flower, Swift River nodded and toke her place beside Moss Flower. Swift River then started to lick Moss Flowers head, a ripple passed through her.
"Another kit is coming." Crooked Tail meowed, and a moment later a kit slipped on to the stone floor of the cave, Crooked Tail licked the kit and placed it beside the other and then after a short while two more kits where born and placed beside the other two.
"You now have four beutiful kits." Crooked Tail meowed.
"What should we name them?" Swift River asked Moss Flower.
"Who about Starless Night for the black she-cat." Moss Flower meowed.
"I like it," Swift River meowed, "And for the white she-cat we could call her Fallen Snow."
"What about the other two?" Asked Bright Flower.
Moss Flower then heard a soft cry from the light grey tom. "How about Quiet Song." Moss Flower meowed. "I think it's a good name for him." Swift River meowed then rubbed his head against Moss Flower.
"Now for the tortoiseshell," Moss Flower looked at the last kit, "Is the tortoiseshell a tom?" she asked. "I though only she-cats could be tortoiseshell."
"Toms can be tortoiseshell but it is really rare." Crooked Tail told her.
"His tail is as black as night or a bat." Swift River meowed
"A bat, that's it Screeching Bat." Moss Flower meowed.
"So Starless Night, Fallen Snow, Quiet Song and Screeching Bat. I'll go let Clear Water know." Crooked Tail tolled them then he and Owl's Screech left the nursery cave.
Moss Flower curled around her four new born kits and fell asleep, her mate Swift River looked down at then with love before he lift the cave to give his mate and kits some peace and quite to rest.
A.N. thanks to snowshadow for the names, and Wyatt for the advice. Sorry for the long time between chapters, it sometimes takes a while for me to write what's in my head down on paper, or type it on a computer.