PROLOGUE

"Mothflower! Come quick!" Cherryheart's terrified yowl made my eyes flicker open and I jumped out of my nest.

Grabbing some random herbs I raced out of my den and into the dark camp where the moon was sinking slowly but the cold air made me go faster until I was in the nursery.

"What happened?" I asked quickly, setting my herbs down and gazing at the two she-cats that were moaning.

Cherryheart's voice squeaked, "They're both kitting!"

I felt my heart skip a beat and I turned to the non-kitting she-cat. "Fetch Dawnpool. She must help me!"

When the queen slipped out I looked at the two and then sighed, putted my paw on Flowerwhisker's stomach I could tell she is ready to push, as well as Whitefoot.

"Push, both of you!" I commanded and both of them began groaning, their faces lite up in terror.

Dawnpool entered the nursery and looked at the two with a concerned face. "They're pushing right?"

I nodded quickly and then turned to see a kit slip out of Flowerwhisker and I nipped the sac until it broke.

He is a ginger-and-white tom and as soon as he was free he bravely went to suckle and I could see a kit from Whitefoot but Dawnpool was already there so I focused on Flowerwhisker.

Another slipped out and I quickly nipped the sac and a gray tabby tom struggled to crawl to his mother's milk, his eyes closed just like his brother's.

The last one came out. She is a beautiful white she-kit. When she was out of the sac the kit stood on her paws and opened her tiny green eyes and stumbled to her mother's stomach and began to suckle.

"Mothflower, look." Dawnpool flicked her tail at two lifeless bodies. Both of them were dead, their throats cut and there was another kit: a black tom with one gold and one blue eye. He was suckling already.

Whitefoot glanced down and let out a screech. "He killed them!" she gasped. "Why?!"

My tail flicked unknowingly. "He's a kit, he couldn't have known. Love him for what he is now."

"Deathkit is his name," she purred softly, her tail wrapping around the large black tom-kit.

Flowerwhisker looked at her kits and purred loudly, "Icekit." She flicked her tail at the white she-kit. "Jaykit." She flicked her tail at the gray tabby. "And Wildkit."

I smiled and pawed them each a little bit of Borage Leaves. "Eat them," I commanded and slipped out of the den, Firelily was ordering patrol and I raced to Russetstar where he sat outside his den.

"Six kits total but two died," I explained with a twitched of my tail. "Both of them are fine," I reassured him.

He nodded and then sighed, obviously relieved. "Good, good. Their names?"

"Deathkit, Wildkit, Jaykit, and Icekit," I purred softly. "Cherryheart is due in at least a moon."

Russetstar smiled. "We're blessed with kits this Greenleaf. Though Cherryheart might decide to retire after her kits are apprenticed," he stated, looking at the nursery.

I padded away, not wanting to talk any longer I slipped into the medicine den and put the herbs I grabbed randomly away. Glancing around I realized it was rather empty in here-not that I wanted a patient.

"M-Mothflower?" I heard Graypaw enter, glancing around. "Are they kits alright?" He'd obviously remembered his sister, Spiritkit.

My teeth grinded, debating on whether or not to tell him about the deaths of the two kits. "Two died," I admitted, "but they're going to be alright." I smiled down at him and then turned around, feeling his stare after me but soon he left the den, leaving me alone once again.

Dawnpool's scent filled my nose. "They're all just fine," she purred. "But I do believe that Jaykit is… blind."

Her words echoed around the cave and I turned to look at her. "D-Does that mean he'll have to become my apprentice?"

"I'm afraid so," she mewed bitterly. "I'll see you later." Then she padded out of the den.

My heart pounded. Blind? I've never heard of it… I glanced around again, rather bored now. What about the Three? Could that small helpless kit in there be part of that?