NightClan's Threat

Prologue: The Kitting

"Night is kitting!" Daisy yowled from the nursery. The leader's mother popped her head in the nursery to check on the pained Night. It was midnight, and most of the NightClan cats were sound asleep. Scratch, Night's mate rushed out from the warriors' den, and into the medicine cat den. 

  "I'm coming!" Silver, the medicine cat, called sleepily. "I'm just getting some herbs." She picked up some herbs with her jaw, but dropped them when she collided into Scratch.

  "Oh, Scratch!" Silver snapped crossly. "Will she be okay?" He asked. 

  "Yes! Trust me. Now stop disturbing me and get Night a stick." She ordered, grabbing the dropped herbs again and hurried to the nursery. Scratch rushed to find a stick.

  Silver felt Night's belly, and Scratch dropped a long stick beside her. "Good. Now get some water for your mate." She commanded, and the tom dashed off frantically. More gently, she told Night, "Here. Bite down on this when the pain comes. Your kits will arrive soon." 

  The stick splintered as a spasm ripped through the queen's body, and she let out a muffled cry. Soon, a kit slid out.

  "Quick. Bite the sac and lick it to warm it up." Silver nudged the kit to Dasiy, who obeyed hastily. 

  "Here!" Scratch dropped a soaked ball of moss beside Night. 

  "Good. Now get out and just sleep. Your mate will be fine. We'll do better without your franticness.' Night huffed. Scratch reluctantly padded out. 

  "Why isn't the second kit coming?" Night muttered. "What?" Daisy mewed, still licking the kit. 

  All of a sudden, a distant thumping was heard. "What was that?" Daisy whispered, terror in her mew. 

  "I don't know." Silver began gently massaging Night's belly, and the black she-cat yowled in pain again. 

  The ferns hiding the nursery were lifted up, and cool air flowed in. "Scratch!" Silver hissed. "Get. Out." 

  'It's.. not.. Scratch.." Daisy let out a small growl, and quickly placed the kit carefully close to Night. Silver, glanced back, and let out a gasp as she saw the striped head of a badger. 

  "Protect Night!" Silver cried. Night bit down on the stick, and more spasms started rippling her body. "Come on, now, Night. You can do it." Silver mewed, trying to be calm. Daisy snarled and leaped, but the badger threw her aside. 

  Stunned, Daisy stagged up again, determination to protect her daughter and her kits clear in her eyes. "Help!" Silver screamed, as loud as she could. She could only hope that the other NightClan cats could hear. 

  Daisy swiped at the badger's arm, and blood splattered on the soft floor. The badger roared, and picked Daisy up and threw her on the ground with much force. Daisy landed on her neck and didn't move again. 

  The badger advanced, and a kit started sliding out of Night. Silver cried for help again, and braced herself, protecting Night with her body, as the badger brought up its paw. 

  The badger yowled, as Scratch, Russell and Tiger leapt on its back. It turned its back on Silver and Night. "Drive it out!" Silver screamed. More warriors rushed out to help. 

  "It's okay, Night. Remember to bite down and push!" Silver told her as calmly as she could manage. She quickly licked the second kit, trying to shush its terrified cries. "They're both she-kits." 

  The badger and several warriors yowled outside, determined to destroy one another. 

  As the badger was chased out of the camp, a third and final kit came out from Night and let out a weak cry. "Daisy..." Night mewed weakly, exhaustion and grief on her face. The kits nuzzled closer to their mother, wanting milk. 

  The kits fed, and Scratch came into the nursery, panicked. "Night?" "She's fine. Congratulations, you have three healthy she-kits." Silver informed him. The delight on his face vanished when he saw Daisy's limp body. 

  "She died." Silver told him with a ragged voice. "She died protecting Night from the badger." 

  The news soon spreaded around NightClan like wildfire, and Russell, Daisy's mate and Night's father, yowled his grief to StarClan. Daisy's cold body was placed in the middle of camp, cats mourning her with admiration and respect. 

 A few sunrises later, Night stepped up onto the Nightrock, addressing the Clan. 

  "I have lost my mother to a badger. We will not lose any cat to any predator in camp. We must reinforce the camp. Midnight." She addressed her deputy. "Take some cats to hide the camp. Make sure that we are well hidden. We will not lose another cat. Also, the kits are named Misty, Spots and Daisy, in honor of my mother and their grandmother." 

  Night stepped off the Nightrock, and groomed her sleeping kits, vowing to not let any NightClan come to harm because of her leadership.