Prologue
The moon was high in the sky by the time the light gray tom padded into a clearing in which the border of his clan and his mate's clan separated. Both of which knew it was against the warrior code to be mates, or to mate for that matter. But it wasn't until he found out his mate was going to have kits that the consequences of their actions dawned on him.
However, this night he still currently stood in the small clearing where they would always meet, waiting for her, the bluish-white she-cat he had fallen in love with.
Hearing the pad of paw-steps he looked over to the Lostclan side of the border to see a larger shape and a smaller one in front of it. Bounding over, he found the she-cat carrying a silver she-kit and a white she-kit in her jaw while a white tom-kit stumbled in front of her.
"Lakestar." He breathed as his mate put down the kits and the two rubbed her cheeks against the others. "I'm glad you bought our kits along…"
It was the first time the tom had meet them and as he looked down at them, he noticed them shivering.
"They won't last long in the night air Stonestar…" The clan leader of Lostclan told him as they looked each other in the eye. "You will take them like you promised…?"
"Of course I will." Stonestar nodded and being pushed his nose against the kits. "I will ask one of the queens to nurse them until their apprentice years."
"Thank you…" The queen sighed in relief as she leaned down and gave each of her kit a lick on the head. "I need to return to my clan before they realise I'm gone. But take care of them and be safe on the journey home alright…?"
"I will." The gray tom nodded and gently picked up his daughters by their scruff before he watched the she-cat quickly dash away.
Moving back towards the camp of Streamclan, he kept a hold of the two she-kits in his jaw and pushed the tom-kit along with them who quietly meowed each time he stumbled or slipped.
Stonestar pushed his way into the nursery and over to a corner, still pushing along the white tom-kit who scented the scent of milk and meowed quietly. Placing the two she-kits down, he stopped in front of a stripy black and white she-cat who stirred at the sound of kits.
Noticing him, she slowly rose so she was sitting up her swollen belly evident that she was fairly close to kitting herself.
"Stonestar… What is it?" The queen asked. "It is the middle of the night."
"I'm sorry to wake you Stripefrost… But I couldn't sleep and went walking outside of camp." Stonestar explained and nosed the kits towards her. "I found these three by the Lostclan border… Cold and hungry… You won't mind nursing them would you…? I understand your kitting so—"
"That doesn't mean I wouldnt help these poor little kits…" Stripefrost sniffled them before the silver she-kit stumbled over, meowing quietly and set herself next to the queens warm belly her siblings following quickly. "Who would leave them out in the cold…"
"Thank you Stripefrost… I will ask the apprentices to bring you extra fresh-kill in the morning." Stonestar dipped his head, padding over to the entrance before turning and watching Stripefrost lie back down and wrap her tail around her new adoptive kits. Sighing in relief, he made his way outside and back up to his den.
Meanwhile, the black and white she-cat watched the kits curl up close to her and each other. "You all need names don't you…" She muttered, not wanting to wake the other queens before she gently nudged the silver she-kit who moved slightly. "Silverkit… You're sister looks like a Icekit and your brother is Whitekit…"
Moving her head down, so her nose touched the tip of her tail, she closed her green eyes and drifted off to sleep protecting the kits she had just named.
-To be Continued-