"Mouse dung!" Leafshine spat furiously as the mouse she was stalking vanished into a thick clump of bracken.
Leafshine sighed, she hadn't caught anything all day so far. I'm too distracted.
Drizzlepaw bounced up to her, a thin shrew dangling in her jaws, "I'm sorry," she mumbled, dropping her catch, "It was all I could find."
Leafshine nodded, "It's okay, the Twoleg monsters are scaring off all the prey. I didn't catch anything either," she added, seeing Drizzlepaw's dejected look, "So you did better than me."
Drizzlepaw brightened up slightly, she kneaded her paws into the dirt, "Can we go back now?" she asked, "I'm tired."
It had been three moons since the first monsters had invaded ThunderClan territory, their progress was slow, but consistent. Prey, although it was greenleaf, was scarce, and any prey that was caught was usually scrawny.
Robinwing's kits were far overdue, probably from the lack of proper prey. Although Robinwing was the most pampered cat the in clan, all her ribs still showed.
"Yes," Leafshine meowed, "Give that shrew to Robinwing, then you can eat something." If there is anything. Leafshine thought grimly.
Drizzlepaw dipped her head and darted off.
Leafshine felt a surge of pride towards the young apprentice. Drizzlepaw was much more accomplished and skilled than she was three moons before.
Leafshine stifled a purr as she recalled the scared cat she had been when she first set paw into the forest. She's come a long way.
A shriek split the quiet air, "StarClan help me!"
Leafshine whipped around. Robinwing! She raced off in the direction of the cry, her paws sending leaves flying.
The ginger tabby writhed on the floor, her eyes glazed in pain. A small thrush lay beside her.
"Leafshine!" she panted, "Thank StarClan, I—" She broke off with another wail, "The kits," she gasped, "They're coming!"
"What?" Leafshine stood, rigid in shock.
"Help, help me," Robinwing moaned as another convulsion shook her scrawny body.
Leafshine snapped out of her daze, she snatched up a relatively thick stick.
"Bite down when the pain comes," Leafshine meowed, remembering what Rainfeather had done with Heatherpelt's kit.
Robinwing took the stick in her jaws, her eyes flashing in fear, "Am I going to die?" she whimpered.
"I won't let you," Leafshine meowed determinedly. I'm no medicine cat, I'll just have to trust that Robinwing's body knows what to do.
"Robinwing's kitting!" Leafshine yowled as loudly as she could, hoping a clanmate nearby could hear her.
Robinwing wailed in agony as a strong convulsion rippled over her belly. Leafshine placed a paw gently onto Robinwing's stomach.
Robinwing screeched and a wet bundle of fur slid out. "A kit!" Leafshine gasped. What am I supposed to do?
Robinwing twisted her head to look at her kit, "It's not breathing!" she whimpered, "What's wrong?"
StarClan help me! Leafshine bent her head and nipped the cord connecting the kit to its mother. Then she rasped her tongue over the kit's fur, forcing it to ruffle the wrong way. The kit spluttered, then wailed. It's alive!
Leafshine nudged the kit gently towards its mother. Its squeals cut off as it began to suckle.
Robinwing curled her body protectively around the kit, her eyes shining in love.
The patter of paws alerted Leafshine, and she looked up.
Vinepool and Pebblefur burst out of the branches. Both toms gasped, "The kits!" Vinepool breathed.
"One of you, get Rainfeather," Leafshine ordered, feeling awkward to be telling older warriors what to do.
Vinepool dipped his head and darted off.
Pebblefur knelt beside Leafshine, "What can I do?" he asked.
"Wait for it," Leafshine murmured, watching the convulsions.
Robinwing shrieked, as a strong convulsion gripped her, and the second kit slid out.
"Bite the cord!" Leafshine ordered. Pebblefur bent down and bit the connection cord.
"Now what?" Panic lit in Pebblefur's gaze.
"Lick!" Leafshine ordered, "Hurry!"
Robinwing screeched again and another kit slipped onto the ground.
Swiftly, Leafshine broke the cord and licked the kit furiously. Pebblefur's kit began to wail.
Pebblefur shoved the kit towards its mother. "Careful!" Robinwing meowed, giving her kit a comforting lick.
Leafshine nudged her kit gently, and the tiny kit blundered blindly towards its mother.
Robinwing was panting with exhaustion now, she groaned once, and the last kit slipped out.
Leafshine nipped the cord and licked the kit. It didn't move. Leafshine licked it with more urgency. Come on little one, wake up!
But the kit lay still, Leafshine shivered, the tiny body was so cold.
"It's dead," Pebble breathed in horror.
Robinwing's eyes widened, "No!" she cried, dislodging herself from the rest of her kits to see her dead kit.
"Stop!" Pebblefur meowed, gently nudging Robinwing back into position for her kits, "Your other kits need you too."
"He's dead," Robinwing wailed, "He never got to open his eyes and see the wonders of the world."
Pebblefur gave his clanmate a comforting lick, "It's okay, Rainfeather will be here soon. She can fix this."
On cue, the gray medicine cat burst out of the bushes, a large wad of herbs in her jaws. Stoneclaw was right behind her.
"Robinwing!" he meowed in shock, trying to get to his mate.
Rainfeather held him back with her tail, "Stop, don't stress her out any more."
"He's dead, my son's gone," Robinwing sobbed brokenly, her eyes fixed on the limp body of her kit.
"No…" Stoneclaw whispered hoarsely, "My son… my poor little son…"
"It's my fault," Leafshine meowed miserably, "I couldn't save him."
"No," Robinwing meowed suddenly, "You saved all my other kits. Without you, they would have all died."
"Why were you out of the camp anyways?" Rainfeather asked, forcing Robinwing to eat some herbs.
Robinwing winced as if the herbs were bitter, "I was hunting because the clan needed me, but then… oh StarClan it was horrible!"
Stoneclaw pressed his muzzle into Robinwing's fur, "You were very brave." Then the gray tom turned to Leafshine, his eyes were shining with gratitude, "Thank you."
"It was nothing," Leafshine meowed awkwardly, "I just did what any other cat would do."
"We must bury the kit," Rainfeather meowed as soon as Robinwing swallowed the last of her herbs.
"No, not yet," Robinwing's mew was cracked with grief, "I must give him a name. He can't go to StarClan nameless."
"StarClan will give him a name," Rainfeather meowed.
"No!" Robinwing meowed firmly, "I want to name my son."
Rainfeather nodded, "Then do."
"Sunkit," Robinwing meowed, "You'll shine brightly like the sun, my son. I'm sorry you never got to live."
"Sunkit," Stoneclaw repeated, touching his muzzle to his son's cold pelt, "I hope you thrive in StarClan."
Rainfeather stepped back, "Let them grieve," she murmured to Leafshine.
Robinwing let out a wail of grief that was cut off as Stoneclaw pressed his pelt against hers.
Then Stoneclaw stepped away and began to scrape a hole in the ground with his claws. Rainfeather joined him.
Robinwing began to stand, but Pebblefur nosed her down, "Stay," he meowed gently, "Your other kits need you."
Leafshine moved slowly, dreamlike and began digging.
When the hole was deep enough, Stoneclaw grabbed his kit by the scruff. The gray tom kit swung limply, and Leafshine felt a pang of loss.
Robinwing looked away as Stoneclaw dropped Sunkit into the grave.
Robinwing stretched her neck closer to the grave, "Good bye," she whispered.
Stoneclaw poured dirt over the grave and after a few moments, the hole was covered. "Wait," Leafshine meowed, spotting some beautiful golden wildflowers.
She bent down and nipped the stems, then she weaved the flowers over Sunkit's grave. Rainfeather gave her an approving nod and bent down to help.
Once they were done, a lush ring of golden flowers surrounded where Sunkit lay.
"Thank you," Robinwing choked.
Stoneclaw said nothing, but his eyes glistened in loss and grief.
"What are the other kits' names?" Pebblefur asked gently.
Robinwing blinked, as if she had forgotten the other kits were there. She was silent for a few moments, then she parted her jaws to speak.
"The light gray tabby will be Wingkit," she decided, "And the little gray and white tom, Birchkit."
She paused, eying the last kit, a fluffy ginger tom. "Would you like to name your son?" she asked Stoneclaw.
The gray tom looked flustered for a moment, then he took a deep breath, "Flamekit," he meowed, "All our kits will shine, bright as a flame."
Robinwing purred, "That's perfect, Wingkit, Birchkit, and Flamekit."
Stoneclaw nudged Wingkit closer to her mother, as the tabby had strayed farther and could not find her way back.
Leafshine's heart glowed in joy as she watched the three newborn kits suckle contently from their mother. Their fur were drying already, and their bodies looked big and healthy.
Not like Sunkit. Leafshine realized with a jab of grief. The little tom was half the size of his littermates.
"We should head back now," Pebblefur meowed, glancing at the setting sun, "We can't risk the kits getting cold."
Rainfeather nodded briskly, "Right. Stoneclaw, help Robinwing. Leafshine, take Flamekit, Pebblefur carry Wingkit, and I'll hold Birchkit."
Robinwing struggled to her paws, dislodging the kits, "I don't need help," she hissed, stumbling into Stoneclaw.
The usually snappy tom nosed her gently, "Yes you do. Nothing can happen to you, you have kits to look after."
Robinwing blinked gratefully at her mate as she blundered away.
Leafshine grabbed Flamekit lightly in her jaws. The little tom flailed wildly, squeaking in protest.
Leafshine stifled a purr as she took the wiggling tom back to camp.
"Can I play with them?" Whitekit mewed, looking at his new denmates curiously.
"No, they're too little," his mother, Heatherpelt meowed, "Just watch."
"Where'd they come from?" Whitekit meowed, bewildered, "Did StarClan make them?"
Heatherpelt purred, "They're Robinwing's kits."
"Oh!" Whitekit mewed, understanding flooding his golden gaze, "So Robinwing made them?"
Heatherpelt glanced at Leafshine, amusement lighting in her gaze, "Sort of."
Leafshine purred. The new kits were settling in well, three nights had passed since Robinwing had screeched for help in the woods.
Stoneclaw made sure Robinwing was well pampered, although prey was scarce.
Drizzlepaw came, bounding into camp, Petalpaw on her tail. Both apprentices held prey.
"Well done!" Leafshine praised, seeing Drizzlepaw's squirrel. "You too," she added to Petalpaw.
Petalpaw dropped her mouse into the prey pile, "Drizzlepaw was awesome!" she meowed excitedly, bouncing around, "She set a trap for the mouse, and it came back, right into my paws!"
Drizzlepaw glanced at her paws modestly, "It was nothing," she mumbled.
"You're far too humble!" Dovecloud meowed, coming up from behind, "That'll be able to stifle Haretail's complains for sure!"
Drizzlepaw's eyes gleamed at the praise, "Okay," she mewed happily, "Come on Petalpaw, I can't wait to see Haretail's face when he sees this!"
The two apprentices bounded away side by side.
Dovecloud purred, "Remember the trembling little apprentice she was a few moons back? She's come a long way, and she must have an amazing mentor."
Leafshine gave her ruffled chest fur a few licks in embarrassment.
"I wonder why the Twolegs are cutting down the trees, they've never been off the Thunderpath before," Dovecloud continued, "It's weird, I'll never get Twolegs."
Leafshine nodded, "Let's hope they move on, they're scaring off half the prey!"
"ShadowClan must be feeling the worst of it," Dovecloud meowed, "The monsters are right at the heart of their territory."
"Is it near their camp?" Leafshine asked.
"I think so," Dovecloud cocked her head to one side, "Based on what I'm hearing when I patrol our boundary with them."
"They have kits there," Leafshine meowed, recalling what Dawnstar had announced last Gathering, "Oh, StarClan, that's terrible!"
Leafshine imagined Flamekit, Wingkit, and Birchkit curled up in their mossy den, unaware that in enemy territory, other kits were suffering.
StarClan help ShadowClan.