Sorry I haven't updated this story for a while! I was very behind in a few of my subjects at school but now that I've caught up with my assignments, I can start writing again. I really like writing this and I hope I will have more time to write more chapters in the future. We're nearly at thirty thousand words as well, this story has come so far in so little time!

Peaklog3727- yep, I know I'm being cruel, don't worry! But it'll get better, I promise. And for your question, the answer… will be revealed soon. Yes, I'm that evil.

Kuroimori- yes, I know… but I've been feeling particularly evil recently, so I can guarantee Graydust's death will not be the last.

Brambleflower- Well, sorry I killed him off then! But this won't be his last appearance in the story, though the next time he pops up you might be surprised. Spoiler!

Anyway, onto the story…

Willowfeather looked up at the sky despairingly. Four days after Graydust's death, the clan was struggling more than ever. Redpaw and Cinderpaw we're nearing their warrior ceremony, but Sweetbreeze now had to train her dead brother's apprentice, struggled under the weight of two apprentices at two different levels of experience and to make things worse, Finchcry never left her alone. All in all, Willowfeather thought the young warrior was doing quite well.

"Hurry up!" Snowcloud barked at Wildwind, while Dustfoot screamed for Redpaw and Cinderpaw to hurry up and take prey to Dawnflower. Warriors were running low and tempers were running very, very high.

"Where did Shadestar go?" Willowfeather asked to Sweetbreeze, who was getting ready to take Lilypaw out for training.

"I think she went into her den," Sweetbreeze muttered, warming up her leg muscles.

"Dustfoot, Snowcloud and Finchcry, go on a hunting patrol. Apprentices, come with me and Sweetbreeze," Willowfeather mewed bossily.

"Can I go with you two instead of Dustfoot and Snowcloud?" Finchcry asked hopefully. Dustfoot swelled, no doubt getting ready to yell at Finchcry for abandoning his father for a she-cat.

"Sorry, but we can't spare warriors at the moment," Willowfeather said hastily, before Dustfoot could murder his naive, love-sick son. "Sunheart, Wildwind, stay in camp until we return, then go on a border patrol and keep an eye out for Breezefur or Mousetail's scent especially. Kestrelwing's, too. But we also need to keep an eye on ShadowClan and WindClan. And Dustfoot, could I talk to you for a moment?"

The dark brown tom padded over to Willowfeather. "What?" He asked. "We really don't have time to waste-"

"This will be a quick talk," Willowfeather interrupted. "This is about Finchcry. Surely you acted the same way with Wildwind? So you have to stop getting so angry at Finchcry. It's completely natural."

"Exactly," Said Wildwind from behind them, padding up. "I'll talk some sense into him. You can go if you'd like, Willowfeather."

After Graydust's death, there had been a fragile peace between the two sides, as if terror had driven them together. Ambereye, Graydust, Leafkit, Darkshadow, Goldberry and more… they had lost so many cats recently. If they continued losing cats at the pace they were, the clan would soon die out, especially under Shadestar's weak leadership.

Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing… and then something!

"Tuck in your paws, Lilypaw!" Willowfeather instructed. She was teaching the younger apprentices how to climb trees on the edge of the training clearing, while Sweetbreeze and the older apprentices did advanced battle training in the middle. It was too risky to be wandering the territory alone, so they were sticking together.

We can't walk through our territory without freaking out, Willowfeather thought. We can feel the pressure from the ShadowClan border, the whole clan is too nervous to walk through our own territory, our leader is the weakest in history and we have too few cats. We don't even have kits. And without kits, there is no future for the clan, especially considering we are losing so many cats.

As Willowfeather taught Lilypaw how to balance even without a tail, she realised that there weren't even any cats who wanted kits in the clan. Finchcry was too clingy for Sweetbreeze to even consider kits, and Wildwind didn't want any more kits.

"Let's get back to camp," Willowfeather said, her voice more panicked then she wanted it to be.

"Yes," Sweetbreeze meowed, as if she knew something would happen.

When they reach the camp…

"The hunting patrol got back already?" Willowfeather asked in shock.

"We went to the WindClan border to hunt, assuming that was the safest area of the territory, and we found a WindClan cat, saying she wanted to talk to Willowfeather. Her name was Waterwish," Finchcry said lazily, cozying up to Sweetbreeze, who immediately pretended to be nursing Cinderpaw's non-existent scratch.

"Waterwish?" Willowfeather asked, thinking mournfully about her WindClan friend. "Did she have kits with her?"

"Yes, just two," Sunheart replied this time. "But she said she had them early and she was weak. She said that her medicine cat had given up on her. And she needed to see Willowfeather. So I would go and see her if I were you. Who are you taking with you?"

"Snowcloud, is this true?" Willowfeather turned to the only cat on the patrol she could really trust. The tom nodded solemnly.

"I'll go with you because I'm the best warrior in the clan," Finchcry boasted, giving Sweetbreeze what he clearly thought was a winning smile. Sweetbreeze grimaced at him in return.

"Maybe Wildwind and Snowcloud, could you come with me instead." Willowfeather had chosen the two warriors carefully.

Snowcloud had gone on the patrol himself and he had seen Waterwish, while Wildwind, no matter how bitter she was, was the only warrior left who knew the pain that came with kits.

Waterwish's Point of View

Willowfeather had to come. Waterwish twitched at the border, itching to jump across the stones in the stream to get to Willowfeather.

No. Waterwish would never get through that.

It had been a struggle to even get out of the camp. Her kits no matter how beautiful they were, had left her weaker than a blind mouse. Surely, Willowfeather would arrive in time.

Yes! Willowfeather and two other cats came into view, Willowfeather breaking into a run when she spotted her.

"Willowfeather," Waterwish croaked. "Please, send those two away. I need to tell you something. In private."

"No, they are for the protection for both us and your kits. What do you want?" Willowfeather asked. "And are they your kits?" She nodded to Waterwish's two newborn kits, born only yesterday.

"Yes, they are my kits. But Willowfeather. I need you to take them," Waterwish begged. "I am weak now. Birdwing said it's only a matter of time before I join StarClan. But I will only be able to rest knowing my kits are safe."

Willowfeather looked at her sadly.

"As much as I want to have the kits, my lovely kits, near me when I die, I need to make the right decision for them," Waterwish said, every word a struggle. "And I want you to take them to ThunderClan."

Back to Willowfeather!

Snowcloud let out a gasp, while Wildwind took a few steps back. Willowfeather herself couldn't breathe.

"Take your kits? But they are WindClan!" She managed. "Surely there is a queen who will take them."

"I want them to grow up in ThunderClan," Waterwish pleaded, lifting up the two kits. One was frosty white, while the other was a pale, dappled grey. "The white is Frostkit. And the grey is Dapplekit- I am too tired to think of any other names. Please, Willowfeather. One last favour for your dying friend."

"N-no," Willowfeather stuttered. What will my clan-mates say? I bet Wildwind is scornfully judging the kits right now. And the kits will never fully fit in.

"Please," Waterwish said, clearly fighting for air.

"I say we take them," Said a voice, and Willowfeather turned to Wildwind in surprise.

"I don't know Waterwish very well but we can't let her die knowing her kits don't have a proper home. And these kits- we can't leave them without their mother," Wildwind said softly. "I'm a mother too, Willowfeather. I know that's why you chose me for this patrol. And if I were dying, I would have given Finchcry the next best home in a heartbeat."

I'm going to leave this on a cliffhanger… I know I'm evil… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have been slowing down in writing because of school but hopefully, you will see the next chapter very soon, and you won't ave to wait too long to find out whether Willowfeather will take Dapplekit and Frostkit!

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to…

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