Hellos and goodgyes



Smoketail ran towards Mists den. He went to see her every day he could get away. She seemed to be getting plumper this Greenleaf. He loved her. He could see that now, and he knew they had to be together. Somehow. Maybe he’d leave the clan. It had never really been perfect for him, anyway. He really enjoyed the quiet solitary of Mist’s den, and the forest around it, with no cat around for miles. He saw her light grey shape poking out of the den. He hurried in and shook his pelt out of the early morning dew. It was just before dawn the day after Riverclans battle with Windclan. Curling around Mist he said “I missed you, Mist.” “Its only been two days.” She protested. “But I missed you, too.” She sat down, Smoketail lay down against her. “I have some news to tell you, Smoketail. I had Willow over yesterday. She’s the rogue who lives downstream aways. She told me… she told me I was going to have kits!” Smoketail was shocked. “Willow said I was pretty far along already… Your pleased, arent’ you? ” she asked, trying to gauge his facial expression. Smoketail, shocked out of his surprise, “Oh! Of course I am. Our kits will be beautiful. They’ll be misty grey, just like you, my beautiful.” “Or maybe Smoky grey, just like you” she paused, staring at him. “I’ll stay with you, just until the kits come. And maybe after that, too.” He said. He couldn’t leave her like this! “Just let me go back and tell my sisters. They should know, and they won’t tell any cat.” Mist smiled, tears in her eyes. “You don’t have to do this, you know. Willow offered to stay with me until my kitting.” She said. Smoketail turned to her. “Oh, but I do. For you. And our kits.”



   Smoketail walked with Dawnsky, Ambereye and Moonleaf. He was glad he could catch them all at once. This would be hard enough the first time. “What did you want to drag us out here to tell us, Smoketail? I’m tired.” He shrugged. Now was a good a time as any. “What would you say if I told you I’d found the love of my life.” Smiles were growing on the faces of Ambereye and Dawnsky, but Moonleaf was still looking at him scepticaly. “Ohh who!” Ambereye asked. “What if I told you, she wasn’t in Skyclan.” Their faces fell. “In another clan?!” Dawnsky asked, shocked “Not Windclan!” “No, no. what if I told you… no clan at all.” Dawnsky and Ambereye let out shocked yowls. Moonleaf, though, looked thoughtful. “I can’t say I saw this coming, but all that matters is that your happy. She’s having your kits, I expect.” Smoketail looked at her, stunned. “How did you know?” he asked “When you don’t spend your days hunting and patrolling, you pick things up.” His other two siblings stared at him, their mouths open. “just till the kits come, right?” Ambereye asked. Smoketail shook his head. “I think I’ll stay with her. I won’t mind living as a loner, I think.” Dawnsky started to cry. “I’ll miss you, Smoketail.” Ambereye just nodded, to choked to speak. Moonleaf walked forward and touched noses with him. “Come and fetch me for Mists kitting. I don’t want anything happening.” Dawnsky and Ambereye followed her lead, touching noses with their brother. He backed up, “Call me Smoke, now, I guess. If I’m a loner, I don’t get a clan name.” He told them “I’ll miss you.” He vanished up into the trees.



   The three of them slipped into camp. Moonleaf went strait to Silverwing. She knew Smoke had said not to tell, but Silverwing would need to know. “Silverwing?” she asked. “Yes, Moonleaf?” she answered. “Smoketail’s gone.” She said. “Gone! What do you mean!?” she yowled, panicked. “He-he left. He fell in love with a rogue named Mist. She’s bearing his kits. He’s left for good.” She said, holding back tears. “No! he can’t of left! It’s all gone wrong!” she sat down. Then gasped, her eyes wide, staring behind Moonleaf. “wha-“ She asked, turning around. “Sweetbrook! Nuttail!” She hadn’t seen the two of them since they had warned her about Mist and Smoketail. Sweetbrook looked strait at Silverwing “All is well. This is part of the plan. Do not fear.” Nuttail stepped forward from his place a taillenght behind Sweetbrook, where he always stood. “It is coming time soon.” He looked at Moonleaf. “She must know. But don’t speak to the others.” The two starclan cats faded, until all that was left was the scent of starlite, and frost on fur.

   “What did he mean. Say what to me.” Silverwing sighed. “long ago, when you and your littermates were firstborn, I reiceived a prophecy form starclan. It said “Moon at first, shining at dawn. Amber to come, fighting for life. But smoke and mist together save. And dawn again peace to end the day.” She explained to a shocked Moonleaf. “I never told you what Smoke’s mates name was, did I?” she said in a whisper so quiet, Silverwing almost had to read her lips

“It was Mist.”



Dawnsky squeezed out of the bushes. The brambles snagged her pelt. She grumbled. She must be eating too much, she thought to herself. Greenleaf was slowly coming to a close, she could tell. It had been a moon since Smoke had left. Cloverpelt and Poppystripe, her former mentor, sat over by the fresh kill pile. “Hi.” She walked up to them, plucking a thrush out of the pile. “Hey, Dawnsky. We were just talking about how Cloverpelts moving to the nursery soon!” she said excitedly, her voice rising. Cloverpelt looked down. “Its no big deal” She said. “Who’s the father?” Dawnsky asked, jumping seamlessly into the gossip. “Sunfall” Cloverpelt answered dreamily. Dawnsky smiled, giggling. “he is  handsome, isn’t he?” “Are you kidding!?” Poppystripe burst in. “Dawnsky, every cat in this camp knows that Ashclaw is one of the most dreamiest, handsomest toms here! Your lucky he’s fallen so hard for you!” she smiled shyly. Ashclaw was very handsome. “Yes, but since he’s my brother, I had to make do. Speaking of which” Cloverpelt giggled, flicking her tail at Poppystripe, who snickered into her fur “When are you going to tell him, Dawnsky?” She asked cryptically. “What? Tell who what?” she asked, befuddled. Cloverpelt snickered, then said “You’re expecting kits!”



   Mist felt a painful contraction shove through her belly. She groaned. The pains had just started, but she didn’t know how it would get worse. Smoke scurried around the den, trying to help. She knew something was going wrong. She could feel it. She lay on her side, watching blood seep into the nest. There was far to much. It ran in pools down the den floor. The pain was nothing like she had ever felt before. “Uggg” she groaned “Smoke!” she yowled “Somethings gone wrong!” she groaned again. “I’ll fetch Moonleaf!” yowled, panicked. “It won’t take long, my love! Hang on!” he bounded out of the den as she yowled in pain.



   Smoke pelted through the tree tops. He had to get Moonleaf to Mist! He stopped at the entrance to camp. It was late at night. The cats would be asleep. He crept to the medicine den and prodded his sister in the side. “Moonleaf!” he hissed “Wake up! Please wake up! Hurry!” his sister woke groggily. “Hurry, Moonleaf! Mist’s having her kits, and somethings gone wrong!” She snapped up and scrabbled to her paws “What kind of wrong?” she questioned “Theres blood all over the den floor, she yowling in pain, but her labours barely started.” The cream she-cat nodded, then disappeared into the store. She reapered with a bundle of herbs in her mouth. “Okay. Take me to her.”



   Back in Mist’s den, Moonleaf pushed the herbs to Mist. “Please eat, Mist, these will make you feel better, I promise.” Mist just yowled again. Smoke paced around the den worriedly, repeatedly asking to help. Finaly, Moonleaf snapped “If you want to help, go outside and stop tripping over my paws!” As he left, he whispered in her ear “If you have to choose which life to save, save hers.”



<p class="MsoBodyText">   Smoke waited outside for most of the night. At dawn, he heard his mates screeches stop for a moment. He poked his head in side to see Moonleaf shaking her head. “this one didn’t make it.” She said. Mist screeched again, a blood curdling cry that would have sent the birds from their nests, followed by a tiny, hiccupping cry signaling a newborn kit “Smoke! Come in her!” Moonleaf called him. “Here. Lick against the lie of the fur to get it warm. Smoke did as he was told. Mist’s screeches climbed again, ending in a scream not unlike the first. Another kit plopped into the moss, just as another cat barged into the now crowded den. “I heard screams! Is Mist alright?” She asked Smoke, who had brought the kit he was licking outside. He nodded. “My sisters with her now. She’s a medicine cat.” He knew the words probably didn’t mean anything to the loner. He wold explain later. “Smoke! Come in and meet your family!” the grey tom leapt up and took his kit inside.

<p class="MsoBodyText">   Mist was stretched out on her side, one small kit nuzzling at her belly. He placed his beside it and asked “What should we name them?” Mist thought for a bit. She motioned to the light and dark grey tabby “the dead one can be Black.” Smoke deidided. “That one will be Cloud. He looks just like a raincloud.” Mist said. “And this one…” she looked up at Moonleaf. “Moon”

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