The Birth

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It was a rather peaceful back at camp- until the patrol returned.

Chervilfoot, the medicine cat, ran her paw over Nightcloud's stomach. "Should be any day now," she purred. 

"I can barely walk from the nursery to the medecine cat den," Nightcloud huffed good-naturedly.

"Maybe the kits could tell us who their father was," Chervilfoot murmered, and Nightcloud darkened immediately. "It's Deephollow, I already told you," she growled. "Thank you." With that she walked out of the den.

Deephollow trotted up. He was a senior warrior, well respected. He and Nightcloud were mates, though Nightcloud never told him the kits were not his. 

"Nightcloud," he rumbled. He licked her muzzle. "How are you and my kits?"

Nightcloud flinched. "Great. I'm really hungry though."

Deephollow purred, then ran to the fresh-kill pile and dropped a mouse at her paws. 

"Thanks" Nightcloud said. She shifted her belly to the side and painfully crouched down to eat. Deephollow watched her until she was done, then helped her back to the nursery. She curled up and fell asleep. Deephollow left the nursery to go see if Fallpaw, his apprentice, was doing his duties. Later they went out to train. 

Suddenly Adderstream, Rainfoot, Gorgeleap, and his apprentice Heatherpaw shot into camp. 

"FIRE!" they shrieked. "THREE QUARTERS OF THUNDERCLAN TERRITORY IS GONE! CAMP WILL BE NEXT! EVACUATE!!!"

Greenstar charged out of his den. "Calm down!" he ordered. "Rainfoot, how long until camp is in flames?"

"About two mouse-hunts," she gasped. "Our only hope is for us to go to RiverClan, across the river."

"What about ShadowClan? And WindClan? Are they on fire?" Greenstar asked. 

"No," answered Adderstream. "The Twolegs have these little tubes that shoot water. They have completely put out the fire on the ShadowClan border and at Four Trees."

"Very well, then, Heatherpaw, get Stonepaw and Whiskerpelt. Go to the elders den and help them out. Sagemask, check Snake Rocks with Weaselclaw and Juniperstripe. I want Stormbreeze to run with Swiftfoot to Sunningrocks and ask RiverClan if we can shelter there. Steepfeather, go with your apprentice and check out the training hollow and Sandy hollow. Everyone else, look around the forest in pairs. Do not die. Be at Sunningrocks by sunhigh."

Everyone split up to their tasks. 

-_-_-_-

"Fallpaw, shift your weight left and begin to rise, then throw your weight right and go around their counterattack and give a nice blow to the head or shoulder."

Fallpaw crouched across from Deephollow. Deephollow sank down as well. Suddenly Fallpaw darted forward, keeping his weight on his left side for a stable blow. He began to spring and then changed weight. Deephollow flashed up his forepaw but Fallpaw was already around it and slammed his forepaw into Deephollow's shoulder. Deephollow lost his balance but didn't fall. Fallpaw brought his hind leg around kicked Deephollow's flank with the force of a river. Deephollow fell over. Fallpaw continued his spin and landed neatly on his paws and then pinned Deephollow. "Got you," he purred. 

There was a rustle and Dropletpaw leaped into the clearing. "Evacuation- fire- all of ThunderClan territory- Sunhigh- "

"What?" Deehollow said, wriggling away from Fallpaw and staring at Dropletpaw. Fallpaw blinked.

Steepfeather burst into the hollow as well. "Great work Dropletpaw, you found them. There's basically a fire going on in almost all of the territory and we are going to evacuate to RiverClan. We really have to go. Go to Sunningrocks!" he called as he bounded away, Dropletpaw scrambling after him.

Deephollow raced towards Sunningrocks, Fallpaw at his side. It was almost Sunhigh. 

An blood-curling screech pierced the air. It came from... camp.

"Great StarClan, Nightcloud's having my kits!" screeched Deephollow. He bounded into the flaming camp. "DEEPHOLLOW!" Nightcloud cried.

Deephollow rushed into the nursery. Two bundles lay next to Nightcloud. Nightcloud's fur was singed and beginning to spark. The roar of the fire almost drowned out her cries.

"NIGHTCLOUD," he roared. "GET UP. WE WILL BRING THE KITS. GET UP."

Nightcloud moved towards the sound of his voice. Fallpaw grabbed a gray kit and Deephollow picked up the black kit. With Nightcloud leaning heavily against him, they staggered out of camp, towards the river, towards safety. 

They finally made it to Sunningrocks. Three RiverClan warriors were waiting for them. They helped Deephollow, Fallpaw, Nightcloud, and the two kits across the river. ThunderClan rushed to meet them, but Nightcloud was too tired. 

Nightcloud was put into the nursery. The queens gladly accepted the ThunderClan cat.

There were three RiverClan queens, Softlight, Willowstreak, and Clearwind. They were very happy for Nightcloud and made it clear borders did not matter in the nuresery.

"You are so strong," Willowstreak said admiringly. "How?"

Softlight purred. "You'll know, soon," she said, looking at Willowstreak's belly. "Soon."

"What will you call them?" Clearwind asked. 

The three queens cocked their heads at Nightcloud as she thought. Finally she raised her head and blinked at the queens with her leaf-green eyes.

"I'll name the gray one Wildkit, for the wild dance of the flames, and the black one...her name shall be Flamekit."

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