Leafpool awoke from a light troubled sleep. The moon had come up six times since she talked to Crowfeather and she hadn't had much sleep since. She was also scared that the signs of her being pregnant would show through soon. Brambleclaw and Firestar were overjoyed at the fact that Squirrelflight was pregnant and although Leafpool couldn't see it Sandstorm had commented that she did look plumper. Squirrelflight was already in the nursery and Sorreltail was always talking to her about having kits. Leafpool tried to visit as regularly as she could, even though every time she set eyes upon kits she trembled uncontrollably.

Inside her head she had been coming up with as many ways as she could to go through with this unnoticed, and the only one she could think of was to run away. But she couldn't, she didn't have Cinderpelt to hold up Thunderclan, she was the only medicine cat. She had to stay with the clan. She had tried to tell Squirrelflight once, but her sister was under too much strain from her kits. She didn't need another secret. Leafpool could never get some time alone with her mother. Sorreltail was too busy taking care of her kits. She had even once in complete desperation, approached her father, but that was soon cut short because he started speaking to Brambleclaw about Squirrelflight.

She sat up in the twilight and gazed around. She had taken to sleeping at day and working at night to avoid direct confrontations about her weight, even though it was barely visible she was certain Fireheart or Brambleclaw would notice after spending most of their time with Squirrelflight. The sky was stained red with dark clouds lining the horizon. Could this be a sign from StarClan of bloodshed to come? Most of the camp had settled down, sharing tongues and eating their share of the fresh kill. Leafpool would eat later in the night, if she felt like it. Leafpool lost herself to her own wonders. How could she hide the kits? Would they be safe if the clan found out? Was there anyone she could talk to who knew about this? But she knew that these questions couldn't be answered until their time comes.

"Leafpool!" A voice came from out side her den jolting her to life. "Leafpool are you OK I've called three times!"

"Come in Sorreltail. What do you need?" Leafpool forced herself to stay calm as Sorreltail and two of her kits padded their way into the nursery. Sorreltail was caring Cinderkit and Honeykit was limping slightly.

"These two troublesome kits were playing out side when they fell into the brambles guarding the nursery. Dustpelt is patching it up but they have scratches all over them!" Sorreltail sighed "They are such a handful. I've got Squirrelflight keeping an eye on the other two while I'm here. Honestly you tell them to behave and they do the opposite!

Leafpool bent over Honeykit as Sorreltail talked. She put cobwebs on her scratched and rubbed some marigold in to prevent any infection or itching. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was shaking.

"Are you OK? You look sick Leafpool. Have you been getting enough sleep?" Sorreltail mewed eying her strangely.

"YeahI'm fine just tired. I have a lot to do." Leafpool replied not meeting Sorreltail's gaze. What Sorreltail had just said had made her see that there was no way she could bring up these kits without someone in the clan knowing. They'd only get into trouble anyway.

Sorreltail seemed to sense something was wrong but didn't bring it up again. Leafpool sniffed Honeykit and meowed "I think she's OK now she seems to be fine."

Honeykit scrambled up and scampered towards her mother and sat close, shaken from her earlier experience. Cinderkit looked up at Leafpool with bright, round unmistakably familiar blue eyes. Cinderpelt? Leafpool bent over and licked a scratch on her ear. Apart from that everything seemed fine so she told Sorreltail that they shouldn't play until their wounds stopped hurting. She then sat down and pondered her new information. Cinderkit bore and unsual likeness to Cinderpelt. Could it be that Cinderpelt had never really left them? Leafpool concluded that she would ask StarClan soon at the half moon which wasn't too far away.

But right now there were more pressing matters. She had to tell someone about her pregnancy. Crowfeather wouldn't listen. Nightcloud would stop him anyway. She was afraid of what Firestar and Sandstorm would say. She couldn't tell another medicine cat. Or maybe she could. Mothwing had trusted her with all her secrets, not believing in StarClan she wouldn't judge Leafpool for going against their way. Mothwing was the perfect cat to tell. Plus she could tell her in just a few days when they were coming back from the Moonpool. Mothwing was clever so she'd know what to do.

Whitepaw bounded in with a shrew and placed it at her paws.

"Brambleclaw told me to bring you this Leafpool." She meowed happily

"Thank you very much Whitepaw" Leafpool replied absently

"What's the matter Leafpool?" Whitepaw asked

"Oh, nothing" she snapped her attention back to Whitepaw

"Have you had a sign from StarClan?" Whitepaw inquired curiously

"I don't know Whitepaw. I'm not quite sure" Leafpool sighed heavily as the apprentice left. Would StarClan ever give her a sign if she had kits?