Warriors: A Divided Blood - Kinship

Prologue

"What're we going to do, Snakefang?" a tortoiseshell asked breathlessly, staring down at the three squirming bodies at her belly. The silver tom, Snakefang, looked to his mate, his blue gaze fearful. "I . . . I don't know, Quickbird . . ." he admitted solemnly. His ears were flattened to his head, and his eyes betrayed his distain for the kits they would surely give his and Quickbird's relationship away.
Quickbird noticed this, to her dismay. "Why don't you like them?" she blurted suddenly, her voice quavering. Snakefang blinked at his mate. "Huh?"
"Why don't you like the kits?" the pretty tortoiseshell repeated, her tone sorrowful. "I . . . It's not that . . ." Snakefang fibbed, fidgeting uncomfortably on the cold stone. He felt trapped in the confinement of the moonpool's cave, which they hid in, seeking shelter and help from StarClan.
Quickbird shut her eyes, feeling tears prick at their edges. "I know when you're lying." she murmured softly, opening them and looking down at her kits. They were all she-kits.
The smallest and last born had white fur and tortoiseshell patches speckling her pelt like splashes of mud. The second born was a fluffy white she-kit with a tortoiseshell patch over her muzzle and eye. The firstborn, a beautiful dark tabby, wriggled, opening her tiny jaws in a yawn, revealing pink gums.
Snakefang stared guiltily at his paws. "It's-it's just that, they're ruining our re-" He was cut off by a terrified yowl from Quickbird.
"No!" she wailed. "Oh, StarClan, no!"
Snakefang followed her gaze to the tiny tortoiseshell-patched kit. Her breathing was shallow and rapidly slowing.
Quickbird grasped the tiny kit with her paws, licking her fiercely. The she-kit drew one last shuddering breath, and then went still.
Silence seized both parents as they stared at their dead kit. Even Snakefang felt an unbearable pang of remorse. "No . . ." he whispered. The grieving father slowly reached out a shaking paw, lightly touching the kit, and withdrew sharply. She was as cold as death.
Mother and father bowed their heads in silence, mourning. Pale, gray dawn light managed to seep through the entrance of the moonpool's cave, shining on the tortoiseshell kit's pelt.
The sun's rays also caught the other two kits, shimmering on their fur beautifully. Snakefang closed his eyes briefly, seeing the kits differently. "I do like them," he breathed softly.
Quickbird jerked her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes large and shining with tears. She attempted to smile at him, but she gasped, her body racking with sobs. She pulled her two remaining kits closer, her tongue rasping over them gently.
"What're we going to do?" Quickbird asked again, looking up but avoiding Snakefang's eyes. Snakefang sighed, looking down at his paws. He did not reply.
Quickbird continued, "I'm not going back to ThunderClan." Snakefang whipped his head up to look at her. "What?" he hissed. "But your life is with ThunderClan! You-you can't do that to yourself! I won't allow you! Not for me."
Quickbird smiled sadly. "Snakefang . . . I want to. Please let me." Snakefang hesitated. "I'll come with you."
Quickbird nodded, sighing with relief. "But I want our kits to live as warriors." The wave of panic washed over Snakefang once more. "But, Quickbird, this is our chance to be happy with them! To live as a family." he insisted.
Quickbird blinked. "Don't you remember the excitement of your apprentice ceremony and warrior ceremony, the joy you felt when you caught your first prey, or the exhilaration you felt when you fought your first battle?" she asked calmly, steadily meeting her mate's gaze.
Snakefang nodded slowly, silent. "I don't want to take that away from our kits," Quickbird murmured, her head bowed to gaze lovingly at her daughters.
Snakefang could understand where she was coming from, but he still disagreed. "But they'll live without knowing their parents,"
"It's a small price to pay . . ."
"A small price she says!"
"Please . . ."
"I want to be a father!"
"We'll have more kits, though. We can be-"
"How can you say that?"
Quickbird stared desperately at her mate, hurt evident in her eyes. "Please . . ." she repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper. "The tortoiseshell can go to ThunderClan, and the tabby can live with ShadowClan,"
Snakefang took a deep breath. "Very well," he mewed quietly, his eyes softening. "I just don't want you to do something you'll regret." He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.
"I want to do this," Quickbird whispered back, her narrowed eyes fixed on the kits suckling at her belly.
The pair stayed that way for a long while, eyes closed, breathing in each other's scents. So preoccupied with one another, they did not notice it when a a wave lapped at the side of the moonpool, spilling over the edge and gently soaking the fur of the two surviving kits.