Mouse lay under a hollow stump and groomed her squeaking kits.
She never ment for Honey to find her, but she did. Now her secret was out. Mouse was relieved to have found a mate. She didn't, however, expect to have his kits so soon.
On the night Mouse had first saw her mate, Toby, she heard the murmurs of her warrior ancestors whispering in her ears.
"No," They would say. "Medicine cat spirit is within you."
But Mouse could feel no harm in Toby's presence. They met up for a few sunrises, but Mouse could see the dependant looks Toby's stray cat friends gave him and knew they needed him, so she left.
Mouse couldn't help but feel guilty that she had disobeyed her ancestors.
Toby had said of a group of cats lived down by the river, Mouse guessed that was a clan Dryleaf had talked about before she was killed.
Honey stood outside growling in annoyance. Mouse still didn't tell why she was leaving her kits behind, but it was a long story for her ears only.
"Why, why are you doing this!" Honey suddenly spat. Mouse could see flames in her green eyes.
"I can't say..." Mouse mumbled.
"Yes you can, why!" Honey hissed. Her smushed in face curled in what looked like a snarl.
The tabby she-kit mewled as her brother scratched her out of the way of Mouse's milk.
"These kits need a mother, Mouse...," Honey said in a calmer tone. "they need you."
Mouse looked at her two kits for a long moment and sighed.
They did need her, but what if the family distrusted her after she broke the medicine cat code?
Whait! Mouse blinked. We don't live in a clan...but why did the spirits warn me?
"I-I know, but when I met their father the spirits warned me to leave him alone."
Honey tilted her head and purred, wrapping her extended belly around Mouse's body.
"Just ask Dryleaf, she'll know what to do," Honey mewed. "now, lets get these kits home."
"Wait, what id Dryleaf doesn't answere me?"
Honey rolled her eyes and picked up the tabby she-kit.
"C'mon wrry pawss." She mumbled through the kits fur.
Mouse reluctantly rabbed the tom kit and carred him back home.
When they returned home, Mouse's brother Smoke was tossing snow in Sandtail's face.
The golden tom cat reared back and snarled playfully to his son.
The scent of blood flooded over Mouse's tounge sending shivers down her spine.
Sandtail had become a fawn colored wolf and was suddenly tearing Oscar to shreds.
The black and white tom spat in protest, but his sloppy swings where weak and feeble.
Smoke jumped on the wolf, tearing at it's ear, only to be ripped off by a white she-wolf with a gut renching snap.
Smoke's body lay limp as the two wolves ran after other blurry objects.
Mouse ran over to her brother and sniffed his fowl smelling pelt.
His eyes where glazed and unfocused. Blood pulsed from the open wound on his lower back.
Mouse searched frantickly for any sign of herbs but before she could fetch any she was snapped back into the real world.
Smoke and Sandtail now stared at Mouse and Honey in disbelief as two kits dangled from their jaws.
"Your kits came!" Sandtail rasped, the long scar from the bears claws ran down his side.
Oscar poked his head out of a makeshift den and gasped.
"Honey they came?" He howeld.
Honey just purred and laid the kit down away from the snow.
"No Oscar, they're Mouse's."
Silence fell on all of the cats as they stared at the silver-grey she-cat.
Smoke was first to speak.
"You had kits?" He whispered, sniffing the grey bundle.
Mouse lashed out at Smoke, suddenly protective of the two frail kits.
Don't worry, i'll take care of you.