Blood That Stains The River's eyes opened drearily, only half conscious. A sharp pain in her stomach reminded her of what was happening. Bitter scents of the medicine den flooded her senses, and she slowly became aware of Brokenpath's voice calling to her.

"Blood! Wake up!" She was yowling with desperation. "Please!"

Blood let out a mrrow of confusion before looking down. Her blood was spreading on the muddy forest floor, and she remembered then that she had collapsed while about to give birth, but she remembered it happening in the nursery, not outside the medicine den.

Happiness flooded her. Her kits! She'd had kits!

She shook her head and blinked away the confusion. "Brokenpath, where are my kits?" She meowed excitedly.

Brokenpath's face lit up. "Oh, Blood, you're okay!" She meowed with relief and nuzzled her cheek against Blood's. "I'll get the kits."

A moment later she returned, three kits dangling from her jaws. Blood could feel her tail stand straight up in happiness. She fixed her green gaze on them.

The first, an orange tabby with slightly-opened blue eyes, mewled for milk. A pang of grief hit Blood as she remembered Flame Of Forest Fire, her mate who she'd left behind in the Tribe. She bent her head to the sky and noticed a cloud blocking the sun.

"Cloud That Blocks The Sun" She whispered into the she-kits ear, naming her with the Tribe's tradition.

Another kit, a black-and-orange dappled she-kit, twitched the tip of her tail and mewled, wanting her mother's attention. Their green eyes met, and Blood touched the tiny kit's flank with her nose, feeling the kit's rumbling purr.

The kit's ears suddenly pricked and her head swerved to the side. Instinctively, Blood's gaze followed, to hear the bird making calls in a nearby tree. "Bird Singing In The Trees", she whispered to the kit.

Her last, a tiny tom tried to stand up to nuzzle his mother, but couldn't gather the strength. His appearance worried Blood, as he looked thin and gaunt, his ribs clearly visible through his tortoise-shell pelt. He strained to mew pathetically, and Blood bent down to lick his fur.

The tiny gesture made him topple straight over, and he tried to cry but no sound came out. Blood took a deep breath and straightened him, then wrapped her tail around the three kits protectively. A warm feeling spread through her belly, and her heart practically swelled with love for her kits. She stood, shakily, and gazed at the Fallen Angels camp. A leaf trembled on a tree branch.

Blood bent her head once more to whisper into the tom's ear "Leaf Shaking On Tree".

Brokenpath and Phantomsky padded over, their tails swishing from side to side.

"Hello Brokenpath and Phantomsky," Blood meowed, letting her love shine through her eyes.

Brokenpath nodded, and Phantomsky nearly squealed with excitement. "Oh, we have kits again! I was starting to think the clan would die out!"

Blood's whiskers twitched in amusement, but she felt the ground sway under her paws when Brokenpath glanced at Leaf.

"Oh, uh.. Blood.. That's a tortoise-shell tom.. Uh, right?"

Blood nodded slowly at the younger cat.

Brokenpath's icy eyes widened in fear and her neck fur stood on end. She immediately snatched the sickly kit by it's scruff and pelted through the brambles into her den.