Receiving RiverHeart's kits

RiverHeart lay alone in a dark corner of the nursery. She had rolled around in some of RavenFang's loose hairs so that she smelled of WindClan and no-one would suspect her. She waited patiently for ShadowStar to bring her her kits. She was scared of the future. They're going to find out sooner or later. She thought. She was thinking about the other RiverClan and WindClan cats. She huddled into a ball, breathing hotly onto her long tail.

ShadowStar hissed at WindClan warriors as she stalked through the camp, lead by an apprentice. Three of the kits plodded wearily at her feet, and the smallest one was carried in Shadow's surprisingly gentle mouth. "Right in there." said the grey-pelted apprentice.

"Thank you, Cloudpaw." muttered ShadowStar. It would do her no good to be mean to a WindClan cat while in the midst of their territory. She entered the nursery and laid the kits down at Riverheart's stomach.

Sitting in front of her former Deputy, ShadowStar said, "You'll be missed by the Clan. However," she added with a sharper tone, "Don't prove disloyalty to this one by going easy on us if there is ever a war."

RiverHeart licked her kits gently and looked up at ShadowStar. "I'll do what I can to prevent that situation from ever happening." she mewed. She cleaned herself calmly and lay down beside her four kits. "I'm sorry it led to this, Shadow, but..." she paused. "But it was the ony way."

ShadowStar nodded and nudged a kitten closer to its mother. "I know." she said softly, "I understand." her eyes clouded with several different emotions, but she blinked it away and flicked her tail. She looked towards the exit of the nursery.

"I should be going soon." she murmured to her friend. "We'll see each other at the next gathering, and that's pretty soon." it would be the third gathering she had been leader at in a few dawns.

RiverHeart looked at her paws. She nodded slowly and rested her head on her paws. "I'll see you then." she mewed almost inaudibly. She closed her eyes, but felt her kits climbing over her back and trying to hide under her belly. She murmured irritatedly and settled down into a light sleep, but her active kits kept her awake throughout most of the night.