Chapter 16: A New Beginning

Silverstripe woke up not wanting to sleep the day away. He saw that sundown had just finished. He sprang out of his den and rushed to the border. Once he got there, he looked around for Nightmist. As always, he was first. He gave a sigh of relief. He sat down in the middle of the Gathering spot and waited. He was gazing up at the stars. The sky was so clear that every little white speck was shown. He was transfixed by this. Then, he heard a rustle in the bushes behind him. Nightmist appeared from them. Silverstripe walked over to her and rubbed his pelt against her. They started to pur.

"Silverstripe?" Nightmist asked. "I need to ask for a favor"

"What is it?" Silverstipe replied.

"Well, when I was born my mother died. I have no brothers or sisters. And my father just died in battle." She started to sob. "You're the only one I have left." Nightmist leaned on Silverstripe. Silverstripe tried not to cry himself.

"That is why I want to become a WindClan cat. To be with you." Nightmist meowed.

"Um I can try to get Froststar to let you in. I've seen anyone do this before. I will try my best." Silverstripe assured her. Nightmist gave a loving stare at Silverstripe. Then she winced in pain. Silverstripe went to help her but she refused.

"It's just the kits. Do they have to kick so hard?" They both chuckled. She winced again but this time it was in horror. She whispered something that Silverstripe couldn't understand. Nightmist looked at him urgently. She couldn't speak. Silverstripe was confused for a moment. Then he realized. The kits are coming.

"I'm going to get a medicine cat, stay here." Silverstripe meowed. He ran as fast as he could dodging and weaving through branches and rocks until he saw WindClan's camp. He ran through the entrance quietly. He made his way over to the medicine den and found Gingerpad sleeping. He nudged her awake.

"Silverstripe, what are you doing?" She asked wearily.

"Nightmist's kits are coming!" He meowed.

"Who is that?" She asked again.

"It doesn't matter right now come on!" He meowed. Gingerpad got a few herbs in her mouth and followed Silverstripe to the Gathering place. He saw Nightmist on the ground. Gingerpad started giving Nightmist a herb. Silverstripe looked over her shoulder.

"Silverstripe, you need to leave. Go find the father." Gingerpad meowed.

"I am the father." He meowed. Gingerpad didn't react.

"Then go behind the bushes, I will tell you when you can come out." She meowed. Silverstripe walked to the bushes and went inside them. Silverstripe couldn't see a thing. He only heard the screams of Nightmist and Gingerpad encouraging her. Sooner or later, the screams stopped.

"Silverstipe!" Gingerpad meowed. "Congratulations, you are a father. You may come and see your kits." Silverstripe walked slowly out of the bushes and heard the cries of little kits. His heart was pounding.

"I will leave you two alone for a bit." Gingerpad meowed. She walked out of the clearing and gave Silverstripe his first view of his kits.

"2 of them, a boy and a girl." Nightmist meowed. Silverstripe sat down beside her and started to clean the boy.

"What. Should. We. Name. Them?" Silverstripe meowed between licks.

"I think the girl should be Rainkit. She looks like you." Nightmist meowed

"I like it. Maybe the boy should be Darkkit. He looks like you." Silverstripe meowed. Nightmist nodded in agreement. Silverstripe put Darkkit by Nightmist's belly so he could eat. Gingerpad walked back into the clearing.

"Do you need anything Nightmist?" She asked. Nightmist looked at Silverstripe. He nodded. Then she looked back at Gingerpad.

"Well I have no where to stay. I left my Clan." She meowed. Gingerpad sighed.

"Well if you don't belong to a Clan, and the father does, then you have no choice but to become a WindClan cat with your kits." Silverstripe and Nightmist looked at each other in love. Then they looked back to Gingerpad.

"Thank you Gingerpad. For everything." Silverstripe meowed. "We should stay here for the night. Then Froststar can make you a real WindClan cat along with our kits." Gingerpad volunteered to stay and check the kits in the morning. They said their goodnights and settled on the clearing floor for a sleep that Nightmist and Silverstripe would never forget.