SilverClan, ATTACK!" Ashstar hollered, and threw herself at the battle patrol made out of MarbleClan and GoldenClan cats. Riverstorm leaped after her, pinning a GoldenClan tom to the ground with a mighty swipe. The tom rolled over, crushing Riverstorm. He couldn't breathe! He thrashed wildly with no luck. Suddenly the weight on him vanished; Riverstorm looked up and saw Lightningheart battling with the tom, tripping him and driving him to the ground again. Once the tom had run away, Riverstorm came up to his brother.

"Thanks! Lightningheart, you fight really well!"

The tom gave a nod and leaped back into the fray. 

Riverstorm found Bluetail fighting a tortishell she-cat, and Riverstorm flew over to help. After she ran away, Riverstorm found Smallfoot trapped under two GoldenClan warriors, while another creeped torwards her. They were all much bigger than her.

"Mouse-dung!" he muttered and slammed one of them back.

"You've never fought fair!" he growled. "Pick on someone your own size!"

He leaped at the second one, then planted his hind-legs firmly down and reared up to rain blows on the other. Smallfoot got to her paws and went for their legs. Riverstorm turned and saw Lilyheart struggling against a ginger-she cat who had pinned her to the ground.

Riverstorm leaped in to help, and bowled the cat over. She turned, and Riverstorm recognized the face of Sundance. Usually she looked kind, but now her teeth were bared, her claws were unsheathed, and her eyes were sparking with anger.

"SilverClan stole my daughter!" Sundance yowled, fighting him and Lilyheart at the same time, sending furious blows that Riverstorm dodged effortlessly.

"No, we didn't!" Lilyheart hissed, finally pinning the leader down with a paw to the neck. "She came on her own!"

Sundance snorted. In her anger she easily threw Lilyheart off, and the calico she-cat was flung into the bushes. Riverstorm was left on his own.

"We didn't steal her," Riverstorm began, backing away. "She's my mate now, she came because she loved me!"

The ginger leader prowled after him. "No daughter of mine would go after a SilverClan tom!" she said it as if it was disgusting. Riverstorm flinched as she bared her teeth, but still stood his ground.

"Stormheart did," he insisted. "I swear."

Both cats stood still for a split second. Sundance faltered. "Are you sure?" she whispered, her claws sliding back in.

Riverstorm met her gaze. "Positive," he mewed.

Sundance straightened up and took a deep breath. "MarbleClan, retreat!" she yowled, and took off running. Riverstorm stood still as pelts swooped past. He found another GoldenClan cat easily, but now they were outnumbered. He sent the cat running with a few well aimed blows and turned to find another cat to fight. Suddenly, the cats hushed and stopped fighting. They parted, and Riverstorm saw Ashstar and Rootleap. The GoldenClan leader had Ashstar pinned and twitching feebly.

Then she stopped moving all together. Rootleap let out a yowl of victory and made to strike the killing blow, but Ashstar pushed off with surprising strength, bucked him off, and landed on him in the same move. Rootleap fell hard, and Ashstar looked around, her claws at his throat.

"SilverClan has won!" she yowled. "Rootleap, go back to your camp. This war is over!" She released him, sprang off, and gathered SilverClan to her.

"Good job, SilverClan!" she purred, then they all went back to camp.

As soon as the camp came into Riverstorm's sight view, he hared away from the rest of the cats, and sped into the nursery.

"Are you okay?" he asked Stormheart.

Stormheart purred. "I'm perfectly fine. How was the battle?"

"Ashstar ended the war and declared herself the winner!"

Stormheart stood up. "You're hurt!" she exclaimed, running her tail tip down his flank, where there was a long scratch.

Riverstorm dismissed it with a twitch of his ears. "I'll get that treated later, it doesn't hurt much, and other cats need herbs more."

Stormheart looked worried. "Okay...." she mewed.

Ashstar's P.O.V

Silver light wreathed around Ashstar and she heard Silverblaze's voice.

The sun and moon will work together for the worst in times of trouble. 

Smoke will heal, it will know things you don't.

Holly will protect the ones you care about most. 

United, they will help you when you're lost.

*many sunrises later*

Riverstorm sniffed the air, his ears pricked. He picked up the scent of a squirrel and stealthily crept up to it, making sure the wind was blowing in the right direction. He was soon close enough to leap, so he brought his paws together, crouching for a spring.

Crack!

He had stepped on a dry stick, and it broke cleanly in half. The squirrel bolted for the nearest tree, which was a tail length away. Riverstorm let out a hiss of annoyance, and making up his mind, ran after it. He pulled himself onto the first branch, and saw the squirrel leaping from the tree he was in, to the neighboring one. Riverstorm gave up and slithered down the tree to the ground. Soon he had caught a rabbit to make up for the squirrel, and tracked down a mouse as well. Riverstorm carried his prey back to camp, feeling incredibly proud of himself. He deposited the rabbit and mouse on the fresh kill pile and went into the nursery.

"Hi, Stormheart," he greeted the black she-cat.

Stormheart looked up at him warmly. "Hello, Riversto-" Her words were cut off as she yowled.

"What's wrong?" Riverstorm mewed in alarm, frozen with shock.

Stormheart's breaths came hard and fast and she curled around her belly. She yowled again. Riverstorm raced out and into the medicine den.

"Willownose! Goldenstripe!" he panted. "Come quick! I think Stormheart is having her kits!"

Willownose looked up, startled. Then she quickly grabbed some herbs and hurried out of the den, Goldenstripe padding quickly behind her. Riverstorm walked after the she-cats quickly, and after asking if there was anything he could do to help, started pacing up and down the length of the clearing. He couldn't help but purr as Ashstar's kits, one month old, came tumbling out of her den, and started running around camp. Emeraldkit was sniffing the air, Blazekit was wrestling with his sister, Mistykit, and Maplekit was exploring the apprentices' den.

He resumed pacing as a screech came from the nursery. Bristlelight came up to him.

"Is Stormheart kitting?"

Riverstorm gave a tense nod.

"When did she start?"

"A little while ago," Riverstorm replied shakily, and kept on pacing with long, agitated breaths.

It was already after sunhigh when the yowls ended. Riverstorm pricked his ears hopefully as Willownose came out of the den and spoke to Ashstar.

"Willownose, are Stormheart and the kits okay?" the tabby leader asked.

Willownose's eyes were bleak. "Stormheart is in the paws of StarClan now." she began, just loud enough that Riverstorm could hear. "One of the kits was born dead, and the remaining two are very weak. It is StarClan's decision if they should live or not."

Riverstorm's heart dropped. After a little while, he hurried forward.

"Willownose, can I see them?"

Willownose nodded. "You may."

He padded into the den to see Stormheart, breathing weakly, curled around two tiny kits. One of them was black-furred, and the other had a gray pelt.

"Stormheart?" he asked, his voice breaking.

She stirred, slowly.

"Riverstorm?" the black she-cat asked, eyelids fluttering.

Riverstorm dropped down beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"I don't know, I was in StarClan for a little bit."

"You were?"

"Yes," Stormheart purred weakly. "But I'm back now, love."

Riverstorm purred back, embracing her tightly.

"Do you want to name these kits?" he asked, hope burning in his voice.

Stormheart smiled. "I want to name this one Blackkit," she mewed, pointing her tail to the black-furred kit.

Riverstorm tilted his head. "Wait, is it a female or a male?"

Stormheart's brows furrowed. "That's a good question- Willonose!" she called.

Willownose stuck her head in. "yes?"

"Are they males or females?"

"They're both females!" she purred, then drew back.

Riverstorm looked down at his kits. "So not Blackkit then," he mewed. "What about Hollykit?"

"That works," Stormheart purred.

Riverstorm studied the other kit.

"Maybe....Graykit?"

Stormheart shook her head. "No, I don't like Graykit. What about Silverkit, after Silverfang?" she asked, looking down at the little kit.

Riverstorm shook his head. "I'm not against honoring Silverfang, but I don't want that....how about Smokekit?" he suggested.

Stormheart agreed at last. They dozed off in the nest, feeling life couldn't be better. Riverstorm's heart nearly broke in half as he thought about his third kit.

"Wherever you are," he whispered. "I hope you know I love you."

Riverstorm was resting in the shade of some ferns as the sun set, watching the kits play. Emeraldkit was racing Mistykit around the camp, and Maplekit and Blazekit were setting up a game of hide and seek.

"Emeraldkit! Mistykit!" Maplekit called. "Come play with us!"

The other two kits came over and Blazekit turned around to give the other kits time to hide.

"Go, go, go!" Mistykit squeaked as she raced away.

Maplekit found Riverstorm and gazed up at him.

"Can I hide here?" she asked, her hazel eyes twinkling.

Riverstorm purred and shifted over so that the little kit could wiggle through. Then he closed the gap to make sure no one would see her.

Soon enough, Blazekit came running up to Riverstorm, the other kits in tow.

"Have you seen Maplekit?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," Riverstorm purred, trying not to laugh.

Blazekit's eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air.

"Are you sure?" he drawled.

Riverstorm nodded.

"How come I smell her, then?"

Riverstorm turned his head.

"Maplekit, go! Looks like they found you!"

Maplekit made a break for it, dashing away from her littermates. Blazekit growled and chased after her. Mistykit streaked past him and pinned her sister down, purring.

Riverstrom purred as he got to his paws and ducked into the nursery. There was Stormheart, and their two kits.

"Hi," they both purred at the same time.

Riverstorm settled down beside his mate.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Hollykit and Smokekit opened their eyes!" Stormheart mewed. "Hollykit has green eyes, and Smokekit has amber eyes!"

Riverstorm smiled. "Well, that means that they're ready to come out of the den!"

Stormheart gazed down at the she-kits.

"I suppose you're right."

Just in time, the kits started to stir, and Hollykit stretched, knocking Smokekit over.

Stormheart helped her daughter get to her paws, then crouched to face them.

"Okay, listen up!"

Both she-kits looked at her attentively.

"Now that you both opened your eyes, you are allowed to come out of the den and explore the camp. Make sure you're on your best behavior, and stay together, okay? And stay near other cats, don't come out of camp!"

Smokekit nodded and Hollykit launched herself out of the nursery.

"Yay!" she called as her tail whipped around the corner.

Smokekit dipped her head and padded away from her parents.

Stormheart gazed after her daughters, regret in her eyes.

"Hey, hey," Riverstorm soothed. "They're going to be okay!"

Stormheart nodded and pulled herself together.

"Want to go on a walk?"

"Sure!"

They padded out of the camp, tails intertwined and pelts brushing. And although they didn't notice, a pair of amber eyes were watching them hatefully out of the shadows of some bushes, and the setting sun caught on some white and black fur.

Riverstorm walked along the forest with his mate, breathing in her warm scent and listening to the birdsong.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Stormheart mewed as she came to a halt. Riverstorm nodded. "SilverClan territory is so peaceful!"

Stormheart settled down, wrapping her fluffy tail around her black paws neatly.

Riverstorm touched muzzles with her, and they sat together, watching the sunset. Suddenly there was a rustle in the bushes behind them. Riverstorm whipped around, almost knocking his mate off her paws. Stormheart righted herself and sniffed the air.

"What was that?" she mewed, glancing around.

Riverstorm frowned. "Only SilverClan scent," he mewed.

Stormheart took a pace forward.

"Who's ther-" she began, but didnt get to finish her sentence as a black and white blur knocked her off her paws in a whirlwind of teeth and claws.

😬😶🤫 what will happen to Stormheart?! anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter