Back in camp, Ashflight could tell from the returning cats' ex
pression that all had not gone well. Darkleaf had stormed in only minutes earlier and quite moody-looking, not speaking even to poor Wingpaw. Now with Gladestar, Blackpaw, Flareblink and the newly named Cricketcomet, Ashflight only had to wait for the inevitabley terrible news to come.

Gladestar shook out her fur and jumped up onto the HighCliff, settling neatly before calling out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their prey gather beneath the highcliff for a clan meeting," she meowed. It was only a moment before al the cats had gathered, "I have grave news," Gladestar began, "the rumors are true, and a feirce new clan is trying to encroach on our territory. They are Crimsonclan, and their leader, Crimsonstar, has been blessed by Starclan already, and he adopts strange policies, deformities of our warrior code. They seized the meadow we abandoned all those years ago, and indeed chased the fox into our terriotry that harmed Sageburn and Thunderbird. We must increase patrols around our territory, and among the medicine trail in case they try to use that to gain entry to our camp."

((Okay))

"It's not like we don't have warriors," Gladestar snapped, "We are not all as helpless as queens and kits, even the elders still have a good fighting claw," She glared at her audience challengingly, before continuing, "From now on, there will be a constant guard at every entrance to our camp, even through the night. First shift will be Cricketcomet and Fatepaw, and you may both wake a second cat of your choice at moon high, including myself, Winterfrost, or the medicine cats."

"Goldstream!" Flareblink was in the nursery withing seconds of the shriek, his fur puffed and claws unsheathed, "Is someone hurting you?!"

Darkleaf rolled his eyes and shoved Flareblink out of the way, "Good," he mumbled, sniffing the heavily pregnant queen, "I was wondering when she would kit, she was almost overdue there." Darkleaf paused. "Wingpaw!" He yowled.

Flareblink trotted further into the spacey nursery and sat next to Goldstream for comfort.

"Remain calm, Wingpaw," Darkleaf said, trying not to stress the queen, "Go and fetch some water and some fresh moss."

--faileth-- 

((Sounds good to me. It's your queen. *tries to invent a pair of flirtatious sisters* TiemSKeep~))

Finally, four kits were born, clean, and nursing from their exhausted mother healthily. Darkleaf put some poppy seeds for Goldstream. "You two may name them. Three she-cats and one tom. Congratgulations." Darkleaf said with a smile. "After they're named, Goldstream, you will want to eat those and get some rest, and Flareblink, you should probably relax from your warrior duties for a day or two and spend time with your new family." Darkleaf paused for a moment and then turned to leave with Wingpaw at his heels. "That was very nicely done today Wingpaw, you are proving to be a promising apprentice."

"These two look so similar, it's hard to choose," Flareblink purred nosing the twin she-cats. Each one was creamy white with fiery ginger boots, muzzle and tail; very charming. "We should call them Foxkit and Wolfkit. Those are cute names."

Darkleaf purred at his apprentice. "You were an only kit if I recall correctly; I was a warrior apprentice when you were born, so I can only guess that you were a bit larger than Goldstream's four." 

Flareblink nodded and stood up. "You should rest, my love. I'll see you in the morning, first thing," the warrior promised.

Fatepaw sat at the entrance of camp, guarding with Cricketcomet. She was a very pretty she-cat, he could tell, but she seemed uneasy. Since there wasn't much else to do with the whole camp either asleep or heading to sleep, he figured it'd be best to start a conversation to keep them both from dozing. "So, what do you think of Mountainclan so far?"