Sparkwhisker saw Firestripe and Poppyfur carry Darkfur's dead body into camp.

"Darkfur!" Mistypaw cried, rushing to her dead mentor's side.

Icepaw and Rainpaw stood at Mistypaw's side while she shared tongues with her mentor for the last time.

"Oh!" Sparkwhisker mewed as she saw Frostfern pad unsteadily into camp with Hollowpelt.

"Can I see her kits?" she asked Hollowpelt. "When she returns to the nursery?"

Those kits are half-RiverClan! They'll never know! she remembered.

Hollowpelt nodded and together, they walked Frostfern to the nursery.

When Frostfern was lying down, suckling her kits, she named them.

"I think Featherkit and Hawkkit would be good names for them," mewed Frostfern weakly.

The she-kits snuggled closer to their mother.

Frostfern eyed them watchfully. "I would die to protect these two," she meowed. "I love them."

Snowfur padded up to the silver she-cat. "They're beautiful," assured Snowfur, licking Frostfern's ears gently.

Featherkit's silver pelt shimmered beside her sister's identical one.

"In a quarter moon they'll speak and play," said Littlefeather, peering over the side of her nest.

"Crystalkit's is six moons now," remembered Fernwhisker.

"So is Dustkit!" added Bluefox. "He's been helping me with Seedkit and Flamekit."

Fernwhisker nodded. "I should ask Cinderstar who will be my kits' mentors."

Littlefeather moved closer to Sparkwhisker's sister.

Frostfern nuzzled her kits. "They're so little!" she mewed.

Sparkwhisker turned to leave the nursery. She padded out and over to the fresh-kill pile. She pulled out a vole and sat down to eat.

Frostfern's kits are so cute! They'll be apprentices in no time!

<Sorry for the short chapter, but hey! Sparky's an aunt now! And one that is completely unfazed at knowledge of a Clanmate's death. Oh, well. -The Author >