PROLOGUE
Wind blew across the barren land, causing the trees to shiver and shake as it roared past. What was once a vivid green terrain was now hidden underneath a cold white sheet of snow, snowflakes seeming to endlessly make there descent to the ground. The air was cold and crisp, and the sun was slowly beginning to rise, marking the start of a new day. It was often peaceful this time as the dawn broke, most of the small critters hidden in their dens and nests. A loud shrill broke the silence, a robin singing it's beautiful song to the world. More joined in, to create a chorus of sounds, awaking the creatures of the forest.
"Why do they have to be so loud..." a small feline groaned, her cream colored pelt safely nestled in her moss nest as the she-cat drowsily fluttered open her deep green eyes. The sound of birds ringing throughout the forest had awoken the medicine cat, although she wasn't very happy about it. Deciding that it would be better to start the day now instead of falling back asleep, the she-cat rose to her paws, her maw opening to let out a loud yawn. Stretching out her neck, she lent over to stick out her salmon colored tongue to begin grooming her messy fur from last nights sleep. Bits of moss and dirt clung to her pelt, however after a few heart-beats her pelt was clean and soft.
Deciding she was clean enough now, the medicine cat padded towards the back of the den, where she stashed most of her herbal remedies and useful plants. Making sure everything was in it's correct place, she began to count how much she had left in each pile. This was a morning routine for the she-cat, as she always liked to be tidy and well informed. catmint, tansy, hmm... I seem to be running out of coltsfoot. These herbs were most important to her this leafbare, due to there cure in green-cough. Fortunately StarClan seemed to be looking out for her clan-mates, as no cat had caught anything yet or succumbed to a cough. It would be difficult to find Coltsfoot now, due to the frost killing off most plant life that resided in ShadowClan.
Mallownose might have some coltsfoot... The she-cat suddenly thought, the RiverClan medicine cat popping up into her mind. They were on rather friendly terms at the moment, she guessed Mallownose wouldn't be too annoyed if she politely asked the tom for some. If I had an apprentice, things would be much easier. She let out a sigh, her vivid green eyes glancing towards the dens entrance. The she-cat wouldn't describe herself as old, however she wasn't as young as she used to be.
Before she could go back to sorting herbs, an ear splitting screech reached her ears, causing her eyes to grow wide in surprise. Are we under attack?! She couldn't smell any enemies, and there didn't seem to be any commotion outside. Suddenly the sound of pawsteps thudding against the snow covered ground got closer, and a gray and white tom barged into the den, his amber eyes wide. "Hazelpool, Darkclaw's kitting!" He rumbled, pacing nervously.
"Are you sure? Her kits aren't suppose to be due yet!" Hazelpool remarked, feeling a wave of dread rush over her. If Darkclaw gave birth to her kits now, there was a chance of either the queen dying, or the kits being stillborn. Turning away from the warrior, Hazelpool stumbled towards her stash, frantically picking out herbs that would be useful in making the kitting easier for the queen. Another yowl of pain erupted from the nursery, and the medicine cat turned towards the tom standing at the den. "Badgerfang, go and search for a stick, try and be quick" She ordered as the warrior dipped his head and bounded out of the den. With a bundle of herbs in her mouth, Hazelpool strode outside, flinching as raging snow hit her. There seemed to be a snowstorm raging across camp, however it didn't detour Hazelpool as she trekked across the camp.
"Darkclaw, I'm here!" Hazelpool's muffled meow rung out through the herbs in her mouth, ducking under the bramble thicket into the nursery. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out Darkclaw splayed out in the corner, panting heavily. The queen's face scrunched into a pained grimace, and she let out a hiss. Hazelpool carefully approached the other she-cat, the medicine cat had dealt with queens before and knew that they were possible at lashing out. "It's okay Darkclaw, I'm here to help you" She soothed, which seemed to make the queen relax slightly. Laying down the herbs in front of her, she picked out the mixture of ragwort and raspberry leaves she had brought, pushing it towards Darkclaw. "Chew them, the juice will help the pain and bleeding" Hazelpool explained gently, watching the queen sniff the leaves hesitantly, then lapped them up.
"I brought the stick!" A voice meowed by the entrance, Badgerfang's head poking inside. As the tom walked in, Darkclaw let out a snarl. "Get out!" She spat, baring her teeth angrily. Badgerfang seemed hurt at this, although Hazelpool gave him a soft nudge. "She doesn't mean it. It's best to wait outside for now, I promise you'll see the kits later" Hazelpool encouraged, grabbing the stick from the warrior who retreated from the nursery.
"I want you to hold this in your mouth, and whenever a contraction comes I want you to bite down on the stick as hard as you can" Hazelpool instructed, as Darkclaw grabbed the stick in her mouth tightly. "I swear by StarClan, I'm never having kits agai-" The queens voice was cut off as pain etched onto her face, her teeth splintering into the stick as the contractions began to start again.
There was a few minutes of waiting until Hazelpool spotted the first kit to emerge, the medicine cat nipping the sac, allowing the kit to breathe. The kitten let out a small gasp, then started mewling loudly. Hazelpool twitched her whiskers in amusement, pushing the kitten towards Darkclaw's belly as she quickly helped the second kit to be born, then the third. "Is it over?" Darkclaw complained, the queens amber eyes full of tiredness. "Yes. Congratulations Darkclaw, StarClan has blessed you with three toms" The medicine cat purred, as Darkclaw lovingly glanced down at her newborn sons.
"Would you like Badgerfang to come inside?" Hazelpool questioned, however that resulted in Darkclaw whipping her head over angrily, frowning. "No. He has nothing to do with my kits. Where not even mates!" She hissed. This surprised Hazelpool greatly. The medicine cat often noticed Badgerfang and Darkclaw spending time together and sharing tongues. Badgerfang was the only warrior that Hazelpool guessed who was the father of the kits. Then who is their father...? She shook the thought away. It was none of her business, and she had heard of queens who refuse to state the father of their kittens. "What are you going to name them?" The she-cat asked, hoping to change the topic.
Darkclaw paused for a heart-beat, as if she hadn't thought of that yet. Glancing down to look at her kits again, she brushed her tail against the biggest tom, a dark brown tabby. He let out a growl, pushing one of his litter-mates away to suckle at his mothers belly. "Sparrowkit" Darkclaw stated, and Hazelpool gave a nod. The queen then brushed her tail against the one laying beside Sparrowkit, another tabby but more lighter then his larger brother, with a white tail-tip and small white paws. "Shrewkit" Darkclaw meowed, her tail brushing against the last one, the smallest that had been pushed away by Sparrowkit. His pelt was a pitch black, similar to his mothers but a shade darker. His muzzle, chest, belly, paws, and tail-tip were all white. With a jolt Hazelpool realized how small the tom was compared to his two brothers, and how he didn't seem to be suckling. He was curled up against his mothers belly, unmoving. Darkclaw seemed to notice this too, as her amber eyes looked up at the medicine cat worryingly. "Will he be alright?" The queen asked gently, and Hazelpool's expression turned grim. "Darkclaw, I'm not a liar. Leafbare isn't the best time to be kitting, and with his sickly appearance, I'm unsure if he'll manage to survive the night. If he does, it's a high possibility he'll contract greencough" The medicine cat replied sadly, her ears lowered. Darkclaw's gaze suddenly turned intense, staring at the small kitten. "He'll make it. I wont let Crowkit die" The queen stated bravely.
Hazelpool suddenly felt a rush of breath escape her, her fur beginning to bristle as the world around her collapsed. Battle cries split the air, as Hazelpool watched warriors clash with each other, marking the ground red with blood. Ripped and tattered bodies lined the floor, as a large cat stood on top, his muzzle stained with the blood of the fallen. He didn't seem to care as he ripped apart the cats before him, seeming to never tire as bones being broken were heard during the onslaught. There was a screech, and a large, black bird dove towards Hazelpool, it's talons aiming to kill.
"Hazelpool!" Darkclaw's meow snapped Hazelpool out of her dream like state, confusion welling up inside her. "Are you alright? You weren't answering me" The queen exclaimed with a hint of annoyance. "Sorry, just a bit tired. I'll be leaving now, however remember if there is anything wrong, tell me" Hazelpool explained as Darkclaw dipped her head, leaving the queen to rest. As the medicine cat left the nursery, the snowstorm seemed to have past. What was that vision about...? Was it a message from StarClan?