The tabby looked up to see the wind blowing fiercely and she tasted the scent of snow on the air. She glanced around nervously. She needed to find shelter.

She dragged herself to a small twoleg nest. It was old and abandoned, smelly with rotting moss. She cringed as she felt her first kit coming.

She soon had four small kits wriggling next to her. There was a small white she-kit, whose fur puffed out on all sides, and then there was a tiny black and white tom, and a little black and white she-kit. The fourth was much bigger, and his pelt revealed his father's muscles. He had ginger fur with a white belly, and smooth black stripes. She looked down at the tiny black and white she-kit. The kit was struggling for breath. She bent down and started licking.

She licked as much as possible, her tongue raw and bleeding, but she couldn't keep up with the she-kit's breath. It just kept getting shallower and shallower until it stopped all together.

Will StarClan accept her? The she-cat thought. She was after all, a kit that never should have been born.

StarClan would accept her, she was an innocent kit, but still, the she-cat sent a prayer anyway.

StarClan, it was not her fault. If you must blame anyone, blame me. Accept her in my place if you must.

The tabby shivered, but despite the cold, she felt a warm rush of pride. Her Clanmates hadn't even noticed her slipping off to see the warrior. They all thought the kits were another cat's.

For a moment, the she-cat's eyes paused on the biggest tom. She had named him Stripekit.

He cannot stay with me. He will give away my secret. There is only one other cat that looks like that.

He would have to go to his father.

She despised the thought. She had told the father that she would raise them as pure CaveClan. He said if she ever changed her mind, that she could let him have them.

He got lucky.

Three sunrises later, she set off to meet him. She knew he promise to go on all the patrols he could at dawn, so he could catch her if she needed to. She saw his thick tabby muscles. He was leading a patrol.

She felt a rush of anger. The deputy of MoonClan had recently joined StarClan. He was the obvious choice, but Stormstar apparently thought different and appointed Leaffall instead.

Her thoughts drifted to the cat her Clan thought was her mate. He was so worried after she insisted on keeping on her warrior duties. Her kits came early.

The tom's ears pricked up, as the three other members of his patrol bristled.

"You guys go ahead," he said. "I can take care of her."

"What?" A black and white tom hissed. "She's trespassing!"

The she-cat recognized the black and white tom. She dug around for his name.

Badgerclaw, she thought.

"She's a queen obviously, she just got lost, now go on, unless you want me to report you to Stormstar."

The she-cat felt a rush of pride for her mate. He was so brave.

As soon as the other cats had left, he whirled around and faced her.

"How many are there? Are they okay? Can I see them?"

The tabby blinked. She debated whether or not to tell him about the black and white she-kit.

"Three, they're fine, and you can see them now. There's one I can't keep."

"Only one?" he eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"

"He would give the secret away, now come on!"

She led the tom to the twoleg nest where her kits were. The tom nodded when he saw Stripekit.

"I see," he commented. "I'll take him."

The she-cat nodded. "His name is Stripekit."

The tom nodded yet again. "The others?" he asked, indicating the other two.

"I named the white one Snowkit, I left the other for you."

"Berrykit," the tom mewed at once. The tabby she-cat suppressed a mrrow of laughter.

"Great StarClan, that was fast."

"I need to get going, the patrol's going to be anxious."

"I'm going back to my Clan."

"Okay, will you give the kits to another she-cat?"

"Yes, I will. Featherfall recently lost her kits. I can say I had my kits and lost them all. Only Nightstream knows, she will take them home for me."

"Good, make sure you eat parsley."

"Don't worry. I will."

The tom pressed her nose deep into the she-cat's fur. "Good-bye."

"You're acting like we're saying good-bye forever. I'll see you at the next gathering."

"It won't be the same. It could arouse suspicion."

The tabby sighed. He was correct.

"Won't they talk about your kits?"

"No, they haven't spoken about Featherfall's kits since she lost them. They will not speak of them."

The tabby nodded. Without saying anything else, he padded toward the entrance and walked away, Stripekit in his jaws.

The she-cat sighed. She would never watch Stripekit play mossball, or see him at his apprentice ceremony. She would never see him display his battle moves to the Clan, or watch him sulk while cleaning out the elders' den. She would never get to comfort him when he was upset about something, or never get to watch him fight in his first battle. Most of all, she would never see him become a warrior, get a mate. She would never see his kits.

She shook her head. It wasn't time for that. She padded out the entrance, and walked out toward her territory. She soon caught scent of a patrol.

Good, she thought. Nightstream is in there.

"Nightstream!" she hissed.

The black she-cat pricked her ears.

"I think I heard something! I'll be right back."

The dusky she-cat poked her head in the bush. "Where have you been?" she growled.

"I had my kits. I need you to take them to the Clan."

The black she-cat shook her head. "I don't agree with this."

"Please!" the tabby pleaded.

"Very well, take me to them."

The she-cat led Nightstream to the twoleg nest, and helped carry the kits until they found a patrol. Then Nightstream showed the patrol the kits, and they carried them home.

The tabby waited awhile.

Oh well, she thought. I can watch them from across the clearing.

And with that, she padded off toward home.