Allegiance time! Just so you know, this is a large jump from the last two chapters.
Leader: Dark Tiger- dark brown tom
Healer: Pain(Rosepetal)- ginger and white she-cat, formerly of WaterClan
Warriors: Night Wind- black tom with ice blue eyes
Black Raven- pregnant black she-cat with a white underbelly, mother of Star Stripes' kits
Forbidden Love-white and tan she-cat, mother of Night Wind's kits Dusty Snow and Ginger Moon
Quick Run- brown tabby tom
Star Stripes- silver tabby tom
Phantom Wolf- gray and white tom
White Stalker- black and white tom
Bright Starlight- ginger she-cat with yellow eyes
Twilight Sun- black she-cat with yellow eyes
Winged Squirrel- pregnant white she-cat, mother of White Stalker's kits Snow Stalker, Black Spots and Night Walker
Fire Wind- ginger tom
Crow Wing- white she-cat with black front paws
Kits: Dusty Snow- tan and white tom
Ginger moon- pale ginger she-cat
Snow Stalker- white she-cat
Black Spots- white tom with black spots
Night Walker- black she-cat
Slaves: Carrion(Breezestream)- pregnant calico she-cat, former WindClan cat, to-be mother of Star Stripes' kits
Crowfood(Echopaw)- pregnant calico she-cat with blue eyes, to-be mother of Star Stripes' kits
Melt(Snowpelt)- white tom, formerly of WaterClan
Fall(Fallingwing)- ginger she-cat
Trip(Amberthorn)- gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of EarthClan
Kittypet(Cory)-long-furred brown and white tabby tom, former kittypet
Dirt(Sandi)- ginger and white she-cat, former kittypet, to-be mother of Fire Wind's kits
Plain(Morningsong)- white she-cat, formerly of WaterClan, mother of Quick Run's kits Hurt and Scab
Dead(Goldenpaw)- golden brown and white tabby tom with green eyes, formerly of WaterClan
Pit(Dreampaw)- calico and white she-cat, formerly of WaterClan, to-be mother of Quick Run's kits
Maggot(Lilykit)- silver she-cat
Rotten(Smokekit)- gray tom
Broken(Brokenkit)- white she-cat
Slave kits: Bitten- black and white tom
Drown- white she-cat
Hurt- brown and white she-cat
Scab- light brown tabby she-cat
Dreampaw licked her swollen stomach with mews of protest from Hurt and Scab, who were sleeping beside her. She was due to kit any day, and therefore was forced to stay inside the den until they were born. Goldenpaw purred comfortingly as she relaxed again. He had been allowed to stay later in the day as long as he got his duty done. He had taken back the duty of picking off BloodClan's ticks while Morningsong had gone back to hunting. Dreampaw glanced at the two older kits and the other soon-to-kit queens. Tired as they were, they had been working at a tunnel since the night Dreampaw had been given the burden of Quick Run's kits. At the point they were at, Sandi was almost beyond the territory of BloodClan. She lived up to both her names, being a great digger. It wouldn't be long before Dreampaw, Goldenpaw, the kits and the others going with them would be able to go into the tunnel as well and follow it out of BloodClan's grasp. Morningsong entered the den just as Sandi's scent reappeared in the tunnel.
"How are you?" The white queen asked.
"Could be better." Dreampaw replied dully. It hurt her throat to talk. She hadn't been doing too much of it since she became pregnant. Morningsong flicked her tail comfortingly across her ear. Something seemed wrong with the queen. She licked both her kits head as if saying goodbye to them. Sandi stepped out of the tunnel.
"Good news! I broke ground! The tunnel leads into my garden, and right behind my garden is a Clan territory, though which I am not quite sure. I think it belongs to my sister." She mewed proudly. Low cheers broke out from the surrounding cats.
"Dreampaw, Goldenpaw, tonight after the sacrifice ceremony take as many cats as possible and the kits." Morningsong ordered. Dreampaw nodded.
"Who is going?" Goldenpaw asked. Sandi, Breezestream, Echopaw, Brokenkit, Lilykit, and Smokekit all meowed to signal they were going. Bitten and Drown signaled with their dirty tails. Dreampaw nodded.
"What about the others?" She asked, realizing mostly older cats were staying.
"We have been here too long to leave. We have gotten used to eating crowfood or nothing at all. Fresh food could make us dangerously sick or kill us because our stomachs are no longer used to it." Fallingwing admitted sadly. Dreampaw turned her head to Morningsong. The WaterClan she-cat was about to explain when the familiar call rose from above the Slavehole. Morningsong and the others led Dreampaw out of the den and they all gathered at the top. The moon above was half its size, signaling that a single cat would be sacrificed instead of a queen and her kit. Dark Tiger looked over all of the slaves.
"Tigerstar, this half moon we give you a queen. Unlike the full moon sacrifice, this queen will be alone without her kit. I am sure this slave will serve you well." Dark Tiger called to the sky. Star Stripes and Phantom Wolf moved forward and led Plain to the edge. Pit held back a gasp, and by the look of his surprised face, Dead was as stunned as she was. Squirming away from the toms, Plain turned to face all of the cats.
"Tonight I die, leaving my kits and Clanmates, but I say one thing. I do not die under the name you call me. I am not Plain. I am Morningsong, cat of WaterClan!" She yowled. With a hiss the toms pushed her over the edge. Pit struggled not to run and try and save her. She was in a bad enough spot. Pit's heart was stuck in her throat. Dead rested his tail on her own as a signal of comfort. Dark tiger dismissed the cats and all the slaves bounded into the Slavehole. As was tradition for them, they buried the sacrificed she-cat. Carrion and Crowfood padded over, their paws covered in dirt.
"We should leave in waves. We will meet in Sandi's garden and go from there." Carrion meowed. The apprentices nodded.
"Breezestream will go with Dreampaw and Goldenpaw last. I will take the kits in the second wave. Sandi will lead with the other three. The tunnels are built so any cat at the entrance can hear a thump on the wall up to the first checkpoint, where we will signal to the next group they can start forward. Dreampaw's group, be as quiet as possible. By that time we are expecting a search party from BloodClan to start chasing us. Move as quickly as possible. We will collapse the tunnel when we are all safely in Sandi's garden, that way a search party can't find us. Hide the entrance as good as you can when you leave." Echopaw explained. All cats agreed and Sandi led the three younger cats into the tunnel.
It was a while before they heard the second thump.
"Goodbye." Amberthorn breathed to Breezestream. She touched his nose and led the apprentices into the tunnel. The second group had left long ago. Darkness engulfed them as Amberthorn and the others sealed the entrance with a large boulder. Panic spread throughout Dreampaw's body as she followed Breezestream's scent. Behind her, Goldenpaw's breath was hot on her tail. It gave her some comfort.
"We are at the checkpoint." Breezestream meowed. Sandi's scent was stronger then it was in the rest of the tunnel. That had been the signal of the first checkpoint, just like a border marking.
Occasionally, the tunnel had already collapsed some, and the roof let in pale starlight and fresh-air. Dreampaw was grateful for the occasional chance to make her throat feel less constricted. They were approaching a small one as Dreampaw noticed something different. Unlike the larger holes, it let in much light and the air wasn't tainted with the scent of BloodClan. It had no particular scent, but many different cats'. She perked her ears as a young cat's voice shrieked in delight.
"Another group of cats Jen! This is the fifth one since this hole opened up in our garden!" It mewed.
"Mouse-brain! The first two times was the same cat, and then she was also in the first real group." Another she-cat commented.
"Whatever!" the first snapped.
"Touchy, aren't we Ruby?" The second, who Dreampaw guessed was the one called Jen, mewed.
"Sorry! It is your turn to tell them they are a day away from their destination." The first snapped. Her pawsteps disappeared. The three cats stepped into the light. Dreampaw realized it was sunhigh. Half the day had gone by since the last hole.
"Hi! My name is Jen, and I was ordered by that Sandi cat to tell you that this hole is a days walk away from your destination, without sleep. She said to tell you to sleep well tonight and move again in the morning." The small cat meowed. Her face was ginger and black with a white ear.
"Thank you." Breezestream meowed. Jen nodded and turned around. Her shadow disappeared from the hole.
The group passed a dark hole, signaling it was night.
"Lets stop to sleep." Breezestream decided. Dreampaw and Goldenpaw nodded. Dreampaw was happy to sit down, until a jolt of pain shot through her body. She bit her lip to stop herself from calling out. Breezestream glanced at her, obviously noting her discomfort.
"Are you alright?" Goldenpaw asked, also noticing her pain. Dreampaw nodded uncertainly. Breezestream blinked.
"You sure?" She asked. Her eyes betrayed her worry. Dreampaw began to nod, but another jolt of pain made her shake her head. Breezestream moved forward and looked her up and down.
"Your kits are coming." The queen meowed, trying to sound as calm as possible. Dreampaw's eyes widened, but she winced as more pain coursed through her. She could feel the kits coming now, pain shooting through her more and more frequently. She felt as if she could barely stand it.
Three kits laid at Dreampaw's stomach, suckling. In the dim light, she could barely tell their colors, but she knew all three were she-cats. Goldenpaw pushed closer to her. The pale starlight turned his fur more of a silver then a gold. His green eyes were almost black. He licked her head comfortingly.
"You are alright?" He asked as Dreampaw breathed hard and rested her head. She moved her head in a weak nod.
"She will be weak for a couple of days, but she should be able to make it out of the tunnel. We should be at Sandi's garden by sunhigh. Hopefully it won't be long before we can get into WaterClan's territory and get her some borage. For now, she just needs to rest." Breezestream ordered. Both cats nodded and Dreampaw was soon asleep with her kits at her belly.