Truthfully, Whitewing never thought she would have a mate. Brightheart would probably scold her if she knew. The white with ginger patches she-cat had always said Whitewing was the most beautiful cat in the Clan, having her father's white snowy pelt.

Personally, Whitewing disagreed…

And she felt horrible for disagreeing with her mother…

There were great warriors who had snowy white pelt like she did. Like Whitestorm, the deputy before Graystripe, he was a big tom with a white pelt and yellow eyes and he was wise and courageous, well; at least that was what she had heard from others.

And of course, Frostfur, the strong-willed white pelted elder who had volunteered to stay behind when they were leaving the forest in order not to slow others down. Whitewing had heard from other cats, namely Firestar about how Frostfur had convinced Brindleface to take Cloudtail in when he was a kit.

Or Cloudtail, her own father, who came from a Twoleg den but had striven to be one of the best warriors in ThunderClan. Sure, he had flaws that he was not proud of but in the end, he was as loyal as any Clan-born cats.

Or Snowbird from ShadowClan, who was a formidable warrior despite the color of her pelt, from what Whitewing had heard.

Whitewing knew she shouldn't feel ashamed because of the pelt she inherited from her father but every time she was out hunting, the taunting of Spiderleg and Shrewpaw when they were sharing a den came to her mind.

"Your white pelt will scare all the prey before you can spot them, Whitekit." Spiderleg, who had been Spiderkit then, had scowled when she asked to play warrior-and-mouse with him and Shrewkit.

Shrewkit had looked thoughtful but nodded in agreement with his littermate. "He is right, you know. Your pelt makes you more visible to prey and alert them of your presence." He had explained, more gently than his brother.

And Whitewing loathed every moment of it. She stuck out because of her white pelt, never been able to blend into the surroundings, thus she had to work twice or maybe thrice harder than her Clanmates in order to hunt for her Clan.

And then, Shrewpaw died, hit by a monster. Spiderpaw was made a warrior, renamed Spiderleg and moved to the warriors' den.

Whitewing, who was called Whitepaw then, was left alone in the apprentices' den.

Until Birchfall, or Birchpaw back then, came…


At first, she would thought Birchpaw would tease her because of her white pelt but he only regarded her with wide amber eyes with admiration sparkling in them as she caught a plump squirrel on their first hunt together.

"Whitepaw is good, don't you think?" Ashfur had praised her, glancing at his apprentice. "You don't want to lose to her, do you?" He asked Birchpaw who blinked owlishly at his fellow apprentice before curling his tail in delight, whiskers twitching.

"I think she is great!" He had blurred out before sheepishly adverted his eyes, spluttering about spotting a vole and swiftly disappeared into a clump of ferns, leaving Ashfur padding after him, meowing with laughter.

Brackenfur had looked at her with amusement gleaming in his eyes, his paw kneading the ground. "My, seems like you have charmed out newest apprentice." He meowed playfully while Whitepaw flattened her ears to her head embarrassedly.

She had thought it was just a crush back then. Until Birchpaw began sharing tongues with her… She didn't think much about it, thinking that they were denmates, sharing tongues was inevitable.

And somehow, she started falling for Birchpaw. Maybe it was because of the way he was always being nice to her, always reserving the best prey he could find when she was busy taking care of the elders and kits or the way he always eager to help out, to spend time with her. Or maybe it was because they were the only apprentices in the Clan for quite some time until the newer apprentices joined them in the apprentices' den.

She had brought it up with Brightheart, who gently gave her a lick and lovingly explained. "I wouldn't say it is love as you are only an apprentice right now. But feelings are always tricky, my dear kit." Her tail had snaked around Whitepaw and she happily leaned into her mother. "If you are comfortable with it, give it a try. If not, tell him that you are not interested."

Whitepaw had looked at her mother with her huge green eyes. "But what if he becomes sad? Would he hate me? What if I tell him and he won't accept it? I don't think I'm ready for this." She pleaded, wishing she could be back to her younger days without any care except when her next meal was and where her favorite moss-ball was.

Brightheart had meowed with gentle laughter as she rested her head onto her daughter's. "If he is sad, he will learn to get over it. No one can be sad forever." Then, her blue eye sharpened and she looked like a fierce warrior on the battlefield, not the usual gentle Brightheart. "If he won't accept it, your father and I will have a stern talk with him."

With that, the weight in her heart had been eased…

She chose to give it a try and found out it was the best decision she had ever made.


That was until Birchpaw was made a warrior named Birchfall and befriended Berrynose…

To say Berrynose was a bad influence was an understatement…

Birchfall became more hot-headed and eager to fight though in regard of Whitewing, he was as gentle as ever.

Until Whitewing was given an apprentice before him...

He gave her the cold treatment for a dozen sunrises and Whitewing was sad, even heartbroken. Birchfall did everything with Berrynose, sharing tongues, sharing prey, going on patrols together.

Cloudtail had confronted her, asking if she was fine and if she needed some cats clawed. Apparently, he had seen how detached Birchfall and Whitewing were and was afraid his daughter got her heart broken.

"Really, Whitewing, just give me a word and I will claw him." He had muttered when they were sharing tongues in a patch of sunlight and Birchfall and Berrynose passed, carrying moss in their jaws. "I don't mind being demoted to an apprentice as a punishment."

Whitewing truly appreciated her father's concern but she was a grown cat. She could take care of herself. "Cloudtail, if I want, I can claw him myself." She reminded him gently. Her eyes grew sad as she watched Birchfall disappeared into the elders' den with Berrynose. "Just give him time, he will come around."

Brackenfur joined the conversation with a snort. "That one is as stubborn as his father." He warned; eyes flickering to Dustpelt who was deposited his catch onto the fresh-kill pile. "You might want to consider some other tom as your future mate should he not come around." He advised.

Cloudtail flicked him briefly with his tail, whiskers twitching. "Personally, I think Ashfur is a great cat. And he is not tied down at the moment." He suggested, eyes turned to the gray tom who was ready to set out with a patrol.

Wrinkling her nose, Whitewing had pushed away her father's suggestion. "He is as old as you, Cloudtail." She meowed briskly. "And I don't think he is over Squirrelflight."

The conversation was brought to a close at that, when Sorreltail pounced over to her mate side with an affectionate purr.

Suddenly, Whitewing wondered if she would ever have a mate as caring as her old mentor's.


A few sunrises after the conversation with Brackenfur and Cloudtail, Birchfall approached her timidly, which, Whitewing noted was quite out-of-character of him. He invited her on a hunt with him and she had glanced nervously at her parents, who she had been talking with. Brightheart had nodded encouragingly while Cloudtail narrowed his eyes at the brown tabby tom.

"Ok, I will come with you." She had agreed with a sigh, noting how Birchfall lit up with joy.

He had apologized for his behavior and asked for her forgiveness. He sounded truly sincere, making her asked herself that if something big had happened.

Nevertheless, Whitewing had blinked in surprised before a purr rumbling in her throat. Wounding herself around him, she nuzzled him tenderly, drowning in his throaty purr.

"Give me time." He had whispered. "I will prove I am a good mate." He had looked at her with such tender in his eyes that she felt like melting. "Will you take me as your mate then?"

Heart bursting with joy, Whitewing uttered the one thing in her mind.

"Yes."


Since then, Birchfall had tried harder than she had ever seen. He went on patrols, brought back a lot of prey and generally proving he was capable of taking care of her. Even Cloudtail, her grumpy father, was impressed with his devotion.

"He reminds me of your father." Brightheart had said when they were together on patrol with Brackenfur and Icepaw.

"Oh, really?" She had replied with interest and watched as Brightheart sighed dreamily while Brackenfur twitched his whiskers and Icepaw perked up at the thought of a story.

"Yes, dear. Your father is devoted." Her mother had sighed pleasantly. "He is a constant in my life, one that can never truly be replaced. Like you." Suddenly, Brightheart's eye was on her. "Listen to your heart, dear daughter of mine." She advised before they resumed their border patrol.

Whitewing approached Birchfall after the patrol. The tom was helping Ferncloud with the moss in the nursery, nosing a bundle of moss out of the nursery. Heart fluttering, she approached the tabby.

"Oh, Whitewing!" He exclaimed as he saw her and abandoned his job, eagerly pouncing to her side. She greeted him with a small lick and he purred, nuzzling her. "How was the patrol?" He asked tenderly, eyes shining with warmth.

Purring, she replied. "Brightheart gave me good advices." She gently pressed her muzzle to his ear, basking in his comforting scent, one of the only scents beside her parents' that could calm her instantly.

"Oh?" She felt his interest but he didn't pry. A small part of her yowled in childish joy, looking forward to surprise him with her most recent choice.

"Will you walk beside me until the days we join StarClan?" Nuzzling the tom, she murmured softly, momentarily ignored the eyes that rested on them.

She sensed the vibration when Birchfall purred back a reply. His tongue rasped softly over her ear, the tom rumbled a reply. "I would be honor to."

The heart-felt moment was broken by a yowl of joy from Brightheart and Ferncloud. Both had their tail curled up in delight as they purred their happiness out loud.

Whitewing saw Cloudtail giving her a nod and a small glare at Birchfall. His glare lessened when Firestar put his tail on his shoulder, murmuring softly to his kin. Finally, the white tom trudged after Brightheart in order to congratulate their kit.

Sending a grateful look to Firestar, she could tell the ginger leader was stifling a small mrrw of laughter.


Soon, Whitewing found herself in the medicine den with Leafpool hovering nearby, meowing happily about kits and all. To be honest, she didn't listen to a word the medicine cat was saying. She was busy purring with joy at the mere thought of kits, Birchfall's and hers.

News travelled fast as Birchfall came to her side, after his patrol, when she was sharing tongue with Daisy outside the nursery. His pawsteps were light, hurried and filled with joy. He settled down beside her with throaty purrs.

Daisy's eyes lit up with mischief as she got to her paws and bid them farewell, saying she had something to take care of and whisked away, leaving the happy couple behind.

"So, when will you move to the nursery?" Birchfall started the conversation quite awkwardly. His amber eyes gleamed with unsuppressed joy. He was purring non-stop and honestly, Whitewing found that quite endearing.

"I can still do my duties, Birchfall." She meowed gently, brushing her plump tail across his glossy brown tabby pelt. She was thrilled about the thought of being a mother but she would like to enjoy being a warrior until she was ready to move to the nursery.

Birchfall seemed to be pouting but he relented nonetheless. Nuzzling the white she-cat, he murmured. "I will find some soft feathers to line your nest." He mused. "Oh, and I should concentrate on hunting. Whitewing, I will make sure you get the best prey."

With that joyful thought, Birchfall got to his paws and pounced toward where Brambleclaw was speaking with Firestar.

Whitewing had moved to the nursery when she realized she was not fit for warrior duties, being too tired for patrols and too slow to hunt. That and the death of a Clanmate, Ashfur's, weighed heavily on her mind.

Ashfur and her was not close but they were basically kin as Ashfur's mother, Brindleface, had suckled Cloudtail, Whitewing's father when he arrived at ThunderClan as a kit. Cloudtail was saddened at his adopted littermate's death but Brightheart and Whitewing were there to support him.

Ferncloud, Ashfur's littermate did not fare better than her adopted littermate, resulting in her mate, Dustpelt and children, Spiderleg, Birchfall, Icepaw and Foxpaw constantly looking out for her, sharing her sadness.

Cloudtail and Ferncloud did get along better during those days, without Cloudtail snapping at the gray queen. Actually, Whitewing thought her father was so saddened by Ashfur's death that he hadn't snapped much as he used to.


And suddenly, Birchfall was sent on a patrol after Sol, the mysterious cat that had appeared in their territory and warned them about the disappearance of the sun.

Firestar had sat down beside her, a sunrise after Birchfall left. The ginger tabby had rested his tail on her back as they lied in a sunny spot in front of the nursery.

"Whitewing, I know you are not happy about Birchfall's leaving." He began quietly. His leaf green eyes met hers. "I'd rather send another cat but Birchfall needs experiences."

Nodding quietly, Whitewing watched as Jayfeather slid out from the thorn tunnel with marigold leaves in his jaws. "I understand your reasoning, Firestar." She meowed after a moment of silence. "I hope he returns soon, preferably before my kitting."

"I am sure he will return before then." Firestar replied confidently, stroking her flank comfortingly with his ginger tail. "In the worst scenario, you still have your Clanmates. Leafpool and Jayfeather would do their best to deliver your kits. Ferncloud and Daisy would guide you through motherhood. Not mention Brightheart too! She would spoil the little ones rotten." The ginger tom let out a small mrrw of laughter as Whitewing twitched her whiskers in humor.

"Thanks, Firestar." Whitewing meowed gratefully with a small flick of her plump white tail. She had no doubt her kits would be well-loved and well-cared of. With the help of her Clanmates, the kits she would bear would become great cats who would make ThunderClan stronger than ever.

After a small moment of peaceful silent, Whitewing poked Firestar softly with her tail. "I know we don't normally name kits before they are born but what do you think of Dovekit?" She asked curiously, waiting to see how her ginger kin would react.

The tom blinked his leaf green eyes and titled his head in thought. "Dovekit? Are you hoping for your kit to be swift and graceful like a dove?" He meowed after a thoughtful moment. "You hope they could rely on their own wings to lift them, soaring high and grasping any opportunity in life, aren't you?"

Whitewing dipped her head gracefully. "I want the best for my kits." She admitted. "Also, I heard from Brightheart that Cloudtail used to mistake doves for pigeons. I love him but sometimes, the urge to spite him is too much to ignore."

Firestar meowed with laughter, his ears flattened to his head. "Oh, I remember that." His whiskers twitched, tail curled up as he reveled in the memory. "Your father was such a difficult apprentice back then."

Whitewing was about to ask his opinion about another name she thought of but was interrupted by Graystripe returning with his patrol. Her heart sunk as Firestar excused himself and padded over to greet Graystripe and listen to the gray tom's report.

She missed talking to her kin. They were always busy with something. Firestar was the Clan leader so it was quite understandable and Leafpool was a medicine cat so they couldn't talk much as the brown tabby was busy in fetching herbs and dealing with injuries. Whitewing still couldn't believe how alike Leafpool and Princess were.

And then, there was Squirrelflight, who she talked to more often but the ginger she-cat was out on a patrol. Squirrelflight seemed so unsettled recently that Whitewing could have sworn the bushy tail she-cat was in some type of crisis. She had asked Squirrelflight once, a few sunrises ago but the ginger cat had brushed her off before joining a patrol.

Whitewing sighed. It felt like the calm before a terrible storm. Ruefully, she wondered if her kits would be involved. She hoped not…


Thankfully, Birchfall came back before her kitting. Whitewing thanked StarClan silently as the brown tabby returned with no serious wound except sore pads and a few cuts.

They had spent a long time talking in Whitewing's nest in the nursery with purrs and nuzzles. Ferncloud and Daisy didn't mind one bit. They had moved to the warriors' den for the night, Ferncloud curled up next to her mate and Whitewing lent Daisy her nest.

The painful part was the labor. And Whitewing couldn't help but shudder when she thought back of the process of bringing her young kits into the world. It was painful and long but Whitewing was satisfied when two lovely kits were brought to the world by Leafpool and Jayfeather's capable paws.

Birchfall was the first to barge into the nursery after the medicine cats allowed visitors. He had melt at the sight of the newborn kits and purring none stop until Whitewing reminded him that the young ones needed names.

He had looked sheepishly at his paws and muttered. "I haven't thought of any decent name for our kits." His ears flattened to the top of his head but a small purr still escaped from his throat.

"How about Dovekit for the little gray one?" She had suggested. "I want her to be like a dove, graceful and swift and able to grasp any success no matter how far-fetched it is."

Birchfall had purred in agreement before studying the small silver-and-white tabby she-kit. "How about the other one? In my opinion, I think Ivykit suits her." He stopped at that and looked at her embarrassedly. "Or, if you want to name her Silverkit or something like that, feel free to go ahead. I wasn't there when you were nursing them."

Whitewing swiped a sheathed paw at him. "You were away on a patrol for ThunderClan, Birchfall! The Clan comes first. And I was well-cared for. Everyone was really nice." She reminded him quite forcefully. "Now, if we are calling her Ivykit, I would like to know the reasons why you picked that name."

Birchfall averted his eyes and meowed softly. "I wish for her to grow up with determination like ivy clinging stubbornly to a tree. She will need determination to achieve her dreams, whatever they are."

Whitewing brushed her tail along his flank. "It doesn't matter if they choose to be a warrior or a medicine cat." She murmured softly. "I want them to live their lives happily, devoted to their Clan and their mates, if they have any, and die of old age."

"Don't worry, Whitewing…" Birchfall soothed her softly with a small purr. "I will protect you and them. You three are the most precious cats to me." His tail snaked around hers and a small purred escaped her throat.

Twtiching her whiskers, Whitewing rolled her eyes. "Birchfall, I am very happy to hear that but you know I can hold my own well." She meowed before turning to nudge Dovekit, a small gray fluff closer to her belly as the gray kit started mewling.

Birchfall touched his muzzle to her ear, a purr rumbling in her throat. "Of course, Whitewing." He meowed. "But I will be there should you need me. I promised to beside you until we join StarClan." After a moment, he added. "Honestly, I don't think I could even think of a life without you, Whitewing. Even if I am a StarClan cat…"

Whitewing was silent by the confession and after a while, she dipped her head. "I am honor and would like to tell you that your feelings are fully reciprocated." With that, she nuzzled him before murmuring. "I think it is time to announce the kits' name to the Clan, don't you think?"

She watched as Birchfall hastily got to his paws before bidding her a heart-felt farewell, promising he would be back later.


Everything came crashing down when it was revealed that the Dark Forest was invading.

Dovewing and Ivypool had pulled Birchfall and her away after she had conferred with Firestar, to a quieter place to discuss. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Lionblaze and his littermates, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf slipped into the camp with the deputy, Brambleclaw and Firestar's kits, Squirrelflight and Leafpool.

Bile churned in her stomach as she realized Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf hardly talked to their adopted parents and their birth mother except during training sessions or Clan-related things. And she was more sickened when she thought of the coincidence that their daughters wanted to talk to her about something.

She prayed to StarClan that, since they often met up with Lionblaze and Jayfeather in secret, none of them were expecting Lionblaze's or, StarClan forbid, Jayfeather's kits.

"Whitewing, Birchfall, we want to tell you something." Dovewing began with a small touch of fear in her voice as she subconsciously pressed closer to her littermate.

"I will never hate you or abandon you even if you are expecting Jayfeather's kits." Whitewin replied softly. The last thing she wanted was for her daughters to be shunned by the Clan that brought them up. "If that is the case, we will find a way to cover you."

She was shocked when her daughters met her determined green eyes with their own wide ones and Birchfall let out a yelp of surprise. "It is not like that!" Ivypool insisted, looking terrified at the thought. "We are not that mouse-brain!"

Dovewing nodded as she added. "There is something else I want to tell you." With her littermate's tail on her shoulder, she meowed. "There is a prophecy that involves me and Lionblaze and Jayfeather."

"Dovewing, please explain." Whitewing meowed softly as she leaned onto Birchfall who stared wide-eyed at the gray she-cat.

"It is a prophecy about three kits, all of whom are Firestar's kin, who have the powers of Stars in their paws." Dovewing explained. "They are Lionblaze, Jayfeather and I. We are supposed to stop the Dark Forest, which is where evil cats go to, from destroying the Clans, including StarClan."

"Dovewing has powers." Ivypool chimed in helpfully. "So are Lionblaze and Jayfeather. And I am in the Dark Forest to spy." She meowed but from the way she kept glancing at Birchfall, Whitewing had to wonder what happened between her mate and her daughter that she didn't know.

"Powers?" Birchfall asked, his neck fur fluffed up, and he purposefully evading Ivypool's glances.

Dovewing nodded with her head down. "I can hear things from far away." She clarified quietly. "And Jayfeather can slip into dreams. And Lionblaze is kind of invincible." She murmured under her breath.

Taking a deep breath, Whitewing approached her daughters and gave each of them a loving lick as if they were still little kits. "You are too young for this burden." She murmured. With shimmering green eyes, she forced out a purr. "I am so proud of you."


It got worse after the battle…

Firestar died. Ferncloud died. Mousefur also died. And Hollyleaf… All of them died defending their Clans. Sorreltail and Foxleap died after the battle, because of their wounds.

Two of Whitewing's kin died. Firestar died saving his Clan. Hollyleaf died saving Ivypool. The grief Whitewing felt was unimaginable.

Firestar had been a wise and caring leader. ThunderClan had blossomed under his leadership. Hollyleaf was a very talented warrior with a bright future. She was one of the cats who played a major role in the Clan, teaching her Clanmates how to fight underground, thus putting a stop to WindClan's invasion. Also, Whitewing grieved for the black she-cat as, if she hadn't sacrificed herself, Ivypool would have been hunting in StarClan with the other fallen cats.

Also, Birchfall was revealed to have been in the Dark Forest. And every cat was avoiding him and those who trained in the Dark Forest, which also involved Ivypool.

She had forgiven Ivypool but Birchfall didn't tell her. She still found it hard to trust him. The Dark Forest nearly killed her kin, her parents and her siblings and her kits. She couldn't forget that. But she had heard Birchfall's reasoning and she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

"I did it so I could be a better fighter." Birchfall had confessed when she had cornered him. "I wanted to protect you and our kits." His amber eyes were full of sorrow as they met her green ones. "I am so sorry, Whitewing."

She was one of the few cats who hadn't avoided those who trained in the Dark Forest. However, she could feel the hurt they felt, being alienated in their own Clan.

Whitewing sighed as she curled herself next to Birchfall, watching Dovewing did the same for her littermate and Ivypool purred back a reply.

Sending a small prayer to StarClan for Birchfall and Ivypool and all of the cats who were led astray by the Dark Forest to be able to lead their life happily with no cat judging them, Whitewing slipped into a dreamless sleep.