Hey all! I am going on vacation tomorrow and I wont be back until Tuesday. I will post a new chapter Wednesday when I return. Enjoy!

Nightfang

My mind was racing faster than my legs as I ran full force back to camp. I couldn't believe the last few hours had even happened, I had a beautiful litter of kits and the most amazing mate a tom could ask for. I was a father, and I was determined to be the best I could be under the circumstances.

Breezepelt wasn't much of a father so much as he was a coach, even though I was deputy of Windclan I still had to endure his criticism. I wouldn't do that to my kits, I wanted to encourage them no matter what they chose to do and I wanted them to feel like they could confide in me even though I was from another clan.

Morningdew and I had discussed how the first meeting was going to happen but since very few things have worked out the way we both planned I was skeptical it would work, but we had to try.

"Nightfang there you are, on one of your morning runs eh?" Hawkberry remarked as I skidded through the entrance, almost running right into him. "Yeah, sorry I must have lost track of time." I gasped, centering my thoughts on todays patrols. "Right, where is Crowfeather, Gorsetail and Graycloud?"

"All here" he gestured to the morning patrol waiting a few tail lengths behind, waiting for me. I swallowed a lump of embarrassment but stood up straight with authority as I led the way to our south border. I enjoyed the cool morning air as it seeped through my fur and calmed my beating heart. Hawkberry stayed at my side while the others followed loosely behind, "Hey, whats up with your fur? It smells a little like Thunderclan?" he whispered low enough for the others not to hear.

I stiffened a bit but I was well practiced with not letting remarks about my scent or appearance disrupt my focus. "I was investigating their border this morning, I had noticed the faint scent of blood. When the trail stopped at their border I decided to sneak a little further to make sure no cat was hurt." Hawkberry let out a faint whistle of surprise, "Did you find anything?"

"The trail continued deeper into the forest and I didn't want to go to far past the border, I am sure they will take care of it."

"Wow, you have the skin of a hedgehog then because I wouldn't have stepped paw in there, Thunderclan is nasty about their borders. I hope you didn't leave any scent behind."

I gave him a disbelieving look, "I havnt been caught yet." He chuckled at that and we continued the border check. The rest of the morning was un eventful besides a small messenger party from Shadoclan led by Littlecloud. "Ah Nightfang, I hate to bother you so early but I was hoping Kestrelflight had some lavender I could barrow. It helps ease the tension in the lungs from coughs and I am completely out."

Tigerheart and Stoatfur where with him both looking alert and ready in case we turned him away. "I am sure he does, come we were just returning to camp. I would be happy to escort you." I stepped aside to let them pass, I could smell tension on the two warriors but Littlecloud seemed pleasantly aloof, not that I was surprised since medicine cats were aloud to communicate with each other despite borders.

Back at camp I could see warriors stiffen at their arrival but with a quick explanation to Onestar they were allowed in. Kestrelflight greeted Littlecloud kindly and they exchanged small talk as he asked Featherpool to gather some lavender. "Do you have another apprentice lined up?" Littlecloud looked thoughtful, "well maybe, Mosspaw seems to be interested in getting to know the herbs better but he is very clumsy and he has the attention span of a sparrow."

Kestrelflight looked sympathetic, all the clans had two medicine cats except Shadowclan and Littlecloud wasn't as young as he used to be, "Well I hope you find one soon." He said, Featherpool poked her head out of the den, "We are almost out of lavender here but I think we still have some growing in a patch not to far from here."

"Ill go help you get it." I burst in, Featherpool looked at me strangely, "Thank you for the offer but I can get it by myself."

"I know, I just wanted to make sure you don't get stuck in the brambles surrounding it. We cant afford to have any injuries so early in leaf bare." I pressed, the lavender patch was close to where Morningdew and I nested, I couldn't risk Featherpool finding anything out of place. "Er, ok if you want." She shrugged and I followed her out of camp while Littlecloud waited.

I pulled ahead of her to 'watch for brambles' while we slunk through the tall grass that was now turning brown and limp. "I can see why Harespring had a hard breathing out here in this jungle." Featherpool joked trying to shoo the grass from her face. I laughed at her quip but I was more focused on the surrounding area, I sniffed the air and could still pick up faint traces of Morningdews kitting,

"Do you smell something?" she asked looking at me, her faint green eyes questioning. "No, I was just keeping watch you know for hawks and stuff." I shrugged, "Well aren't you the precautious deputy, I bet your kits will be safer than an eagles eggs ." I turned to her, surprised by her statement,

"Kits, what do you mean?" I didn't mean to sound so defensive but I was a fool if I thought I could keep a medicine cat from identifying a nearby birth. She laughed at my expression, "I was only kidding Nightfang, every cat knows your true love is the clan." I relaxed and tried to laugh at her joke but couldn't. she picked her way through the brambles I pulled aside for her and she began to delicately pluck the fragrant herbs from the ground.

Soon she had a large pile and gestured for me to help her carry it. The rich scent tickled my nose but I felt relaxed and our walk back to camp was pleasant. Kestrelflight divided up the bundle and gave Littlecloud a healthy bundle which Tigerheart and Stoatfur carried. As I escorted them back to the border Littlecloud sniffed my shoulder curiously,

"is something wrong?" I asked, "Oh nothing lad, I congratulate you on your new litter." My heart thudded in my chest, how did he know?

"I am sure your clan mates are proud." He added as he crossed the border back to Shadowclan without another word. He must have thought my mate was in the nursery I calmed myself but the sudden realization that my morning run didn't get the smell of the birth from my fur made me antsy. How many others could smell Thunderclan or kits on me?

Taking precautions I went back to the lavender patch and rolled in it until even I couldn't stand the smell. Surely this would take care of any left over scent I prayed, I took a quick look at my claws for any other sign of Morningdew when a raven perched on a nearby holly bush. I was surprised at how close he was to me until I realized he must not have seen me, unable to fight the urge to hunt I stalked up close to the bush and was just about to pounce but I got caught in a tight strand of holly leaves. The results rustle startled the raven and it flew off, "Rats" I hissed, I didn't loose prey often but when I did it was because of a sloppy mistake.

A black feather dangled down to the base of the bush where I was pulling myself free. It was long and sleek, no ripples or imperfections, "Odd, that looks like a new feather, how did it fall off so easily?" I wondered aloud but the answer I got was a small breeze through the grass. Then an idea struck me, I didn't know when I could see Morningdew or the kits again so maybe I can leave her a small message, just to let her know I am thinking about them.

I picked up the feather and pulled some lavender stems from the pile, Morningdew liked lavender and the feather could be a present for Ravenkit, I wondered what I could get for Silverkit and Wishkit but didn't have much luck. Nudging the stones over my gift I rolled around to cover them with my scent, I hoped Morningdew would find them soon.

With a longing look into the forest I imagined my family, my kits fuzzy faces and my mates heart stopping gaze. I wished I could go see them, think of any reason to check on them but my paws stayed rooted to the ground, Starclan curse these rules a family should stay together no matter what. I sighed in frustration and headed back to camp, Onestar was going to appoint new apprentices today and I still had a hunting patrol to lead. Luckily my other duties would distract me from the pain I felt.

Morningdew

"Momma, Momma I can see you! I can see you!" Silverkit cheered, jumping on my head, which made me grudgingly open my eyes. "Look Mamma Look!" he squeaked shoving his face into mine, it took me a second to focus my gaze on my son and immediately my heart beat like a humming birds wings, blue his eyes were blue! Just like mine, "They are beautiful dear." I yawned, hoping my son didn't notice my sudden relief.

"Ravenkit, Wishkit wake up, we can see now!" he continued to gush, now focusing his limitless energy on his brother and sister, I turned my head to look at my other two kits, hoping that their eyes were also blue like mine. It hadn't occurred to me how much of their father they had inherited until they started to get bigger, Silverkit was large and had longer fur, just like my father so I could pass him off as Scorchflames son. Ravenkit had long legs and his fur was sleek and polished like Nightfang's, perfect for maneuvering the moors I imagine but hopefully I can teach him to do the same in the trees and my clan will think he got that from me.

"Mamma, look Ravenkit can see too!" Silverkit chirped rolling Ravenkit over who squeaked, "Get off Silverkit." He shifted quickly and stood on shaky paws and soon stumbled back into my side. I purred at his attempt, the kits had begun to try using their legs but so far only Silverkit had begun to stand and walk, "A natural warrior, just like his father." Rosepetal said, she loved to fawn over her grandkits.

Ravenkit let out a frustrated snort and used me as leverage to try standing on his back legs, I saw his eyes and thank star clan they were also blue. Silver and Ravenkits play had woken Wishkit who groaned at the disruption, her white striped paws stretched and her black head swiveled around to hiss at her brothers, "Why do you two have to be so loud? I was dreaming about the forest momma told us about."

"Can you see Wishkit? Look, me and Ravenkit can!" Silverkit asked not deterred by her rudeness. Wishkit rubbed her eyes with a paw and much to her frustration they didn't open. "I cant see, why cant I see?" she began to cry and I had to cradle her in my tail, "Hush my sweet one, its alright." I licked her face but it didn't seem to calm her, "Its not fine, I cant see."

"Not every kit opens their eyes at the same time. I didn't open my eyes until I was over 10 days old." I said reassuringly and that seemed to work a bit, she shoved her face into my fur and I could feel little hiccups as she pouted but they quickly turned to snores as she feel back asleep. I hushed Ravenkit and Silverkit as to not disturb Lilyheart who had just given birth three nights before. Her litter of two, Mudkit who was a light brown and white tom and Sweetkit who was a light ginger tabby she kit.

"Why cant Wishkit see?" Silverkit whispered, "Yeah, what if she cant see!" Ravenkit whispered his tone worried. "Enough of that kits, don't worry your sister. She will open her eyes when Starclan chooses she is ready." I said curling them closer to my belly and they quickly fell into silence as they ate. I looked at Wishkit again and I couldn't help but notice how different she was from her brothers. While Ravenkit was sleek and Silverkit large she was small, lean and skinny despite how much she ate. Leafpool said she was healthy but I hated to see how small she was. She was feisty and kept up with her brothers and that gave me hope that she wouldn't let herself be mocked for her size.

I looked at her fur again and though a black and white cat isn't odd in any clan but her markings were different. Her whole head and back were as black as Nightfangs but once you reached her tail and chest she changed to snow white with light silver stripes on her tail and paws like me, there wasn't anything about her that I could compare to Scorchflame at all. I had only hoped no one would question their lineage as they grew older.

Through out the day we were visited by many cats who wanted to welcome the new kits to Thunderclan. While most of them had already welcomed mine, they continued to pay them attention. "Your father would be so proud of his kits." Berrynose would say every time he stopped by. I knew him and Scorchflame were close friends and he blamed himself for his death as it was him who insisted he follow me into the storm. He must be trying to repay him by watching over his kits, he brought me food everyday and told the kits how wonderful Scorchflame was.

"You'll will be just like him, I can already tell. Your mother will teach you how to be cunning but I will teach you how to be strong." Berrynose boasted, and Ravenkit and Silverkits eyes widened with anticipation. "What did Scorchflame do?" they would ask and Berrynose would regale them with his many accomplishments as if he had accomplished them all on his own. "The whole clan worked together to support him Berrynose, he didn't do them single pawed." I cut in,

"Yeah but Scorchflame thought them up! I don't think any cat could come up with a strategy quite like him." I rolled my eyes but didn't try to argue. Wishkit listened intently, her little ears straining toward Berrynose and while she couldn't see him her face was angled right at him.

As the kits slept I crept out of the nursery to stretch my legs. Lilyheart didn't mind keeping an eye on them so I decided to go out of camp. The wind blew through the trees, rustling the fallen leaves in a flurry of colors. The trees were mostly bare now and I could almost see my breath despite the setting sun, my limbs felt stiff and unused as I walked a small circle around our camp. I didn't want to stray to far from my kits, not that I was worried about them but because some instinct inside told me to stay close, no matter what.

I stopped at the trail I usually took to meet Nightfang and my heart beat loudly in my ears. I missed him, it had been more than a week since our kits were born and it hurt to think about how he must feel being so far from us. My paws took me a little further down the path and I could see the border on the horizon, my eye sight strained to see the vast plain of Windclan territory and more importantly the familiar black shadow of my mate and his burning amber gaze. The wind blew their scent and I could tell that they had been by recently to re mark their border. I searched the scents and I located the familiar heather on Nightfang's pelt. There was also another scent I knew well, lavender. I walked a bit further and saw several steams of the herb lying slightly exposed under the stones we used to signal our meetings.

I pushed the pebbles aside and found a black ravens feather, and two steams of lavender both in perfect condition. I could smell Nightfang on the stones and on the tokens, he must have left these for my nest and as a gift for our kits. My eyes welled with tears at the beautiful gesture, "Oh Nightfang." I whimpered.

I searched the nearby woods and was able to find a leaf that was beginning to glaze with a silver frost, a late blooming dandelion and several pigeon feathers that I rolled in to cover with my scent. I wanted to take them back to camp so the kits could roll in them too, Nightfang would love that. I carried the bundle in my teeth and paced quickly back to camp, when I returned I found my father, mother, Leafpool and Snowbush surrounding the nursery,

"Whats going on?" I asked, my voice muffled by the feathers. They all turned to me,

"Oh my, that is an odd color." Fleetwhisker said.

"I don't remember Scorchflame looking like that." Frostfeather said.

"Maybe they will lighten up, all kits eyes change over time." Snowbush added,

I pushed passed them to see what they were talking about and saw Leafpool looking intently at Wishkit, she turned at my approach and squeaked cheerfully, "Mama my eyes opened are they pretty?"

My heart froze and the feathers fell from my open jaws, amber her eyes were the same deep amber as Nightfang, her true father.