Kits

A bur of orange hurled down the ravine, from the entrance to the medicine den.

"Was that Fireheart?" asked Willowpelt.

"I'm pretty sure there's only one orange cat in this clan."

Moments later, Fireheart padded back into the clearing. "Where's Yellowfang?" Fireheart panted.

"Yellowfang?" The warriors suddenly grew more serious as they sensed Fireheart's desperation. "She went over to Snakerocks. She said it's the best place to find yarrow. What's the matter?"

"There's a cat—Silverstream—by the Sunningrocks. She's having her kits, but something's gone wrong."

Willowpelt got up. "I'll go help. I was a queen after all."

Nightfrost stood as well. "And I'll get Yellowfang from the Snakerocks."

The three parts at the end of the tunnel. Fireheart and Willowpelt to Sunningrocks and Nightfrost to Snakerocks.

"Yellowfang!" Nightfrost yowled as soon as he reached Snakerocks. The medicine cat turn up from the rocks with some yarrow.

"Nightfrost? Why are-"

"No time! There's a queen kitting at the Sunningrocks!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?! Let's go!" Yellowfang rushed past the black tom and Nightfrost quickly followed behind her. They reached the river to see no one.

"Over here!" yowled out Fireheart, from a gully. Yellowfang and Nightfrost reached there to see Greystripe whispering to a silver, tabby queen. Yellowfang headed down quickly as a kit slided out. Willowpelt licked the kit as Yellowfang tended the queen. Tigerclaw was standing there angrily as he watched.

"Nightfrost, do you know anything about this?" asked the deputy.

"No, all I heard of was a queen kitting near Sunningrocks," Nightfrost replied as the second kit slided out. Yellowfang passed the kit to Fireheart as she turned back to the queen. Willowpelt's kit mewed as she smiled and continued licking the kit. Fireheart licked his as well, the kit showing small signs of life.

Graystripe let out a louder, panicky meow. "Silverstream!"

Fireheart turned to his friend just as the queen, Silverstream, raise her head and feebly lick Graystripe's face. "Good-bye, Graystripe," she whispered. "I love you. Take care of our kits."

Then the silver tabby's body gave a massive shudder. Her head fell back, her paws jerked, and she was still.

"Silverstream!" Graystripe reared up and flung back his head. His wails of grief split the quiet air. "Silverstream!" The rocks were echoed to Graystripe's dreadful wailing.

Yellowfang crouched over the body for a few moments more, nudging at Silverstream's fur, but at last she admitted defeat. Tigerclaw scrambled past the other cats, and reached out a massive paw to cuff the gray warrior behind the ear. "Stop that moaning."

Greystripe fell silent, his face in shock.

Tigerclaw glared around at all of them. "Now will some cat tell me what's going on? Graystripe, do you know this Riverclan cat?"

Graystripe looked up. His eyes had gone dull and cold, like pebbles. "I loved her," he whispered.

"What—these are your kits?" Tigerclaw seemed stunned.

"Mine and Silverstream's." A faint spark of defiance kindled in Graystripe. "I know what you'll say, Tigerclaw. Don't bother. I don't care." He turned back to Silverstream, pressing his nose against her fur and murmuring softly to her.

Yellowfang roused to examine the kits. "I think they'll live," she mewed. "We need to get them back to camp, to find a queen to suckle them."

Tigerclaw spun around to face her. "Are you mad? Why should ThunderClan raise them? They're half-breeds. No Clan will want them."

Yellowfang ignored him. "Fireheart, you take that one," she ordered. "I'll carry the other."

Fireheart's whiskers in agreement, but before he picked up the kit he walked over to Graystripe and pressed his body against his friend's broad gray shoulder. "Do you want to come with us?"

Graystripe shook his head. "I have to stay here and bury her," he whispered. "Here, between Riverclan and Thunderclan. After this, not even her own Clan will want to mourn her."

Fireheart looked like a part of him broke for his friend. "I'll come back soon," he promised and mewed something softly to his friend. Fireheart picked up the kit and followed Yellowfang. Nightfrost padded alongside them when Tigerclaw had already went ahead.

"Nightfrost, you're here!" Red mewed happily and nuzzled him as he padded to her. The red loner stopped when she noticed her mate did not share her enthusiasm.

"What's wrong, Nightfrost?"

"Nothing, just that my brother's friend had kits with a she-kit in another clan."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No...actually yes, he broke the warrior code with that. A clan cat cannot have a mate in another clan."

"What about having a mate outside the clans?"

Nightfrost shook his head. "I honestly don't know."

Red only licked his ear. Nightfrost turn to her.

"So...why were you looking for me in Thunderclan territory?"

Red perk her ears. "I'm having kits!"

Two sunrises had passed since the Riverclan queen's death and their allowing the kits into the clan when Bluestar yowled out a meeting.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Bluestar began from on top of the Highrock. "I've called you here for what you all know happened a few days ago, when Silverstream of Riverclan died, and we gave shelter to her kits by Graystripe."

A hostile mutter swept through the crowd of cats. Graystripe crouched down, flinching, and Fireheart pressed comfortingly against him.

"Many cats have asked me what Graystripe's punishment will be," Bluestar went on. "I have thought carefully on this, and I have decided that Silverstream's death is punishment enough. What could any cat do to him that is worse than what he has already suffered?"

Her challenge led to outraged meows of protest. Longtail called out, "We don't want him in the Clan! He's a traitor!"

"If you become Clan leader, Longtail, these decisions will be yours," Bluestar meowed coldly. "Until then, you will respect mine. I say there will be no punishment. However, Graystripe, for three moons you will not attend Gatherings. This is not to punish you, but to make sure there is no risk to you from angry RiverClan cats who might be tempted to break the truce because of what you have done."

Graystripe bowed his head. "I understand, Bluestar. Thank you."

"Don't thank me," meowed the Clan leader. "But work hard and fight well for your Clan from now on. One day you will be a fine mentor for those kits."

Graystripe brightened a little at that, as something to hope for. Tigerclaw, however, scowled even more fiercely. Nightfrost narrowed his eyes. It seems like the tabby dislike half-clan cats as with kittypets.

Drakstripe let out a disgusted, deliberately loud meow as Bluestar leap off the Highrock. "Traitors and kittypets! Is there no decent cat left in this Clan?"

Frostflight4, I know Cinderpaw was to be Fireheart's first apprentice who got caught in Tigerclaw's setup and later became Yellowfang's apprentice in the original series but in this story, it's different. You'll have to read some of the previous chapters to know.