SC- Silver and Blaze

It was a cold leaf-bare evening. Two ShadowClan warriors, Flamepool and Rainberry, were patrolling the border they shared with no Clan. Not far to the distance was a Twolegplace.

“I can’t wait to be back in my nest,” Rainberry grumbled, her paws stiff in the snow.

Flamepool, the deputy, flicked her over the ear. “We have to patrol. It’s part of our duty to ShadowClan.”

Rainberry didn’t reply, and they walked farther down the border to the next scent mark, a hollowed out tree.

“Run ahead,” Flamepool advised the younger warrior. “It’ll warm up your paws.” Rainberry bounded over to the tree, but she skidded to a stop next to it.

“Flamepool! Come quick!” the young gray she-cat yowled. The deputy hurried to her side. Inside the hollow tree was a kitting she-cat, her eyes wild with pain and a tom bending over her.

The tom raised his head. “Please help us. My mate is dying, and there are many kits to be born.”

Immediately, Rainberry raced back to camp, and Flamepool went to find a stick for the ailing she-cat to bite on.

Soon, Rainberry returned with the ShadowClan medicine cat, Honeydrop. The golden she-cat raced over to the tree, gasping when she felt the queen’s belly. “Five kits!” she murmured. “I can’t do this alone.”

She whipped her head around. “Flamepool,” she ordered the deputy. “Go and get Ambershine.”

After a second of registering what she wanted, Flamepool hared into the trees towards ThunderClan.

A yowl from the queen snapped Honeydrop back into focus. She grabbed some of the fennel she had taken from camp. “Eat this,” she said calmly. The spasms were growing stronger. “The kits are coming,” Honeydrop said, looking up to the she-cat’s mate.

“You need to breathe,” the golden cat told the queen. “Breathe deeply, and the kits will come easier.”

The black and white she-cat gasped for air, and a brown bundle slid out. “Quickly!” Honeydrop yowled. “Lick it!” The ginger tom began firecely licking.

“It’s a she-cat,” he said without taking his eyes off his first daughter. Honeydrop turned around and before she realized, a black tom kit came into the world. This queen is overwhelmed. She’ll die soon if Ambershine doesn’t come.

As of answering her prayers, a yowl sounded outside the tree. “Honeydrop! I’m here!” A small ginger she-cat leaped inside. The golden tabby felt a sigh of relief. Ambershine was the senior medicine cat of the Clans and had developed a way to calm queens down during their kitting. It was going to be okay.

Ambershine immediately rushed to the queen’s side. “This is not good,” she murmured, so softly that only Honeydrop could hear. “She can make it,” she said louder. “But she’ll have to be strong.”

The tom’s eyes darkened. He bent over his mate and said softly in her ear. “These cats will help you. You have to be strong, for the kits.”

He lifted his head. “Do what you must, but please, if it comes to a choice, save Silver’s life.”

The two medicine cats nodded and quickly got back to work, Honeydrop gently massaging the queen, Silver, to calm her down, and Ambershine checking on the kits.

Soon, Silver let out another cry of pain, and stronger contractions rippled through her body. “The rest of the kits are coming,” Honeydrop announced to her friend and Silver’s mate.

“Push,” Ambershine ordered the queen. “Push as hard as possible, but don’t forget to breathe, or the kits cannot come.”

Honeydrop sat at the base of Silver’s tail, ready to care for any kit that was due to come and put it beside its littermates, that Flamepool was licking. Silver shrieked, and a black and white kit tumbled into the hollow tree.

The golden medicine cat pushed him to Rainberry, who began to lick him like crazy.

After what seemed like moons, Silver delivered two more kits, and all five nestled against her belly. “It’s too cold here,” Flamepool announced anxiously. We must take them to camp, or they’ll die of cold.”

And so the six cats, supporting Silver and carrying the kits, arrived at ShadowClan camp, where they quickly found Silver a warm nest in the nursery. “Rest,” Ambershine said. “You need strength.” Her mate, Blaze curled around her and the kits, and soon all were asleep.

“I have an announcement to make,” Blaze called the ShadowClan cats. He and Silver were rested and soon they would leave ShadowClan, to many cats’ disappointment. They had all hoped he and Silver would stay and raise their kits in ShadowClan. But they shook their heads. They would always be rogues.

“Silver and I will be leaving soon, but only with three of our kits.” Blaze declared. “We would like ShadowClan and ThunderClan to each take one kit and raise them as warriors, to thank them for taking care of us. Without you, Silver and the kits would’ve died.”

Maplestar thought for a second. “If that’s really what you want,” she murmured. “Honeydrop, please choose for ShadowClan, and Ambershine, you for ThunderClan.”

Honeydrop dipped her head and walked over to where Silver stood with her kits. She gently drew her tail over the tiny tortoiseshell and led her a tail length away.

Next, Ambershine, who had stayed to care for the kits, chose a fluffy black and white tom-kit, the mirror image of Silver. “We will always remember you,” she said to her friend.

Silver bent her head to touch noses with both her kits. “Good-bye, my precious kits,” she whispered. “Be the best warriors you can be, and I will see you again.”

She led her kits over to Blaze, and they walked out of the camp, disappearing back into the forest.