Whiteheart's birth was not going well. She was losing too much blood, and Creamleaf and Horsepaw couldn't help it.
   
"Here comes the last kit!" Creamleaf's meow knocked Horsepaw out of her thoughts.
   
A little kit joined it's sister in the world. "Lick, Eagleeye," instructed Creamleaf.
   
Eagleeye, the little she-kit's father, dried it off.
   
"Whiteheart, look," Came Creamleaf's worried meow. "You have two beautiful she-kits. One's a tortoiseshell and the other's a brown one with white paws and a white tail. What are you going to name them?" Her voice shook as she told her sister what her kits looked like.
   
"Horsepaw..." Whiteheart's fading meow called to her. Horsepaw looked at the queen, her close friend. "Name one of my kits..."
   
Horsepaw couldn't suppress a gasp. In WindClan, it was a great honor to get to name another queen's kits. That meant you were a close friend. I'm her friend... Horsepaw thought happily.
   
"This one will be named... Splotchkit." Horsepaw mouthed. "She's beautiful..."
   
Whiteheart nodded. "Splotchkit..." she repeated. "Eagleeye, name the other,"
   
Eagleeye nodded wryly. The other kit was the brown kit with the white paws and tail. "Her name will be Applekit." He whispered. He drew Applekit close to his paws.
   
"Good names." Whiteheart rapsed. "Let them drink from their mother one last time..."
   
"No!" Horsepaw mouthed. She wished she could talk so bad right then. "Don't go!"
   
Whiteheart looked dead at Horsepaw. "Horsepaw, we all have our destiny to fulfill. Mine ends today. We all have to accept our fate. StarClan made our fate like this because they knew we would be able to live it..." she gasped, and her eyes closed. Then they fluttered back open, to Horsepaw's relief. "We cannot change our destiny. But our destiny can change us if you allow it. Horsepaw, you're destiny changed your life forever. Being mute, you would have never been as close to me now if you could talk. And Redkit wouldn't be dead." Horsepaw flinched sadly. "And you would not be here right now helping me through this. Please watch over my kits with Eagleeye as I watch over you... Goodbye, Horsepaw. And goodbye Sister and Eagleeye. I will always be watching over you in StarClan..." Her shallow breaths ceased, and her flanks stopped moving.
   
Creamleaf wailed, and Eagleeye bowed his head. Horsepaw stood motionless, crying, and watching the kits nurse at their mother's motionless body.
   
"Goodbye, dear friend. Walk in StarClan as a fantastic mother and warrior. Now, run with the warriors of WindClan, Whiteheart, now and forever." Horsepaw mouthed. Creamleaf and Eagleeye didn't see her sorrow-filled goodbye to her friend.
   
Creamleaf collapsed, and Eagleeye still had his head bowed. Horsepaw heard him sniff. He looked up, eyes glistening. "We must do as she said: To watch over her kits. Me and you, Horsepaw. I think Honeypelt is very close to kitting, so she can nurse them." He turned back to his kits. "Now, let's go meet your foster mother, my kits." He grabbed them both gently by their scruffs, and hauled them into the Nursery, their pink mouths wailing pitifully for milk.
   
Horsepaw turned to Creamleaf, who was standing up shakily. "We need the Elder's to prepare her body for burial." She spun out of the den, and into the center of camp, and sulked towards Stormstar's den. Apparently, it was up to Horsepaw to tell the old cats that Whiteheart was dead.
   
She trudged our the den, and towards the Elder's den. She walked in, and saw the Elders talking in hushed voices.
   
Horsepaw tried to clear her throat, but there was no sound, so she scrapped the floor with her claws. The Elders turned to her, surprised.
   
"What is it, Horsepaw?" Flowerpetal's sweet meow asked. She retired to the Elder's den as soon as her kits were made apprentices.

Horsepaw made sure to speak mutely extra slowly. "Whiteheart has died giving birth. We need you to prepare her for burial."

The Elder's bowed their heads in respect for the queen. "We will come," Soilnose rasped to the apprentice. Horsepaw nodded and padded out the den and into the medicine den. She needed sleep. She tried not to look at Whiteheart's dead body as she plopped into her nest without the queen's comforting words.