Mapleclaw awoke to a bright morning, it had rained the night before and she shook some dew off her thick fur. It had been a moon since she had last seen Reedpelt and felt an urge to see him one last time before her kits were born, Mapleclaw heaved herself to her paws. She began to pad out when Oakclaw came in with a plump vole, she gave his ears a lick.
"Thank you Oakclaw," she meowed taking a bite of the juicy vole, Oakclaw purred.
"Anything for you," Oakclaw purred, he turned and left Mapleclaw to eat in peace. Mapleclaw soon finished the vole off and began to pad towards the entrance of camp, she needed the fresh air anyways so she went into the forest and went straight to the riverclan border. She soon arrived at sunning rocks to see Reedpelt perched on top of them, his gaze soon met Mapleclaws gaze and he jumped down to greet her.
"Mapleclaw what are you doing here, your far too close to kitting to leave camp," Reedpelt meowed his gaze filled with worry, Mapleclaw purred.
"I had to see you one last time before I would be stuck in the nursery," Mapleclaw murmured, Reedpelt was about to say something when a hiss sounded behind him.
"Sharing secrets with a Thunderclan queen eh?" Came a hiss from behind Reedpelt, the cat who had hissed was no other then Lillyclaw riverclan deputy.
"N-no lillyclaw I was just worried she was too far from her clan," Reedpelt meowed half lieing to the deputy, Mapleclaw felt uneasy about this.
"Well then come the heck on Minnowflights kits are being born you should be with her after all she is your mate," Lillyclaw hissed before bounding off, Reedpelt turned to Mapleclaw.
"I am so sorry I never told you, I was stupid to lead you on but I loved you both," Reedpelt meowed, Mapleclaw was furious.
"You know what I will never tell the clan of my kits true father, if they figure out that Oakclaw isn't the father I will say it was a rouge you piece of fox dung, don't even speak to me again or I will personally rip out your tongue!" Mapleclaw spat before bounding off back to camp, she meant every word she had said. She never looked back to see Reedpelt face of horror, she padded through the entrance to camp and went straight to the nursery. She lay in a heap in her nest, Reedpelt had lied to her the whole time she thought it was only them. Mapleclaw looked up to see Oakclaw padding in, his face that of worry.
"What's the matter you seem upset?" Oakclaw questioned, Mapleclaw sighed.
"It's nothing, on my walk I came across a riverclan cat who hissed and spat at me for being near the border when I was well on our side," Mapleclaw lied, Oakclaw nodded.
"Those fish eaters always did have a thing for lieing and tricks, but now they have hurt my mate which hurts me," Oakclaw murmured, Mapleclaw had grown a connection with the tom over the past moon or so. She pushed her muzzle into his shoulder, he began to groom her fur.
A howl split the air and cats flooded the camp, from the stench it was defiantly riverclan. Oakclaw stood just outside fighting any warrior who dared try to enter the nursery, while Oakclaw was fighting a riverclan she-cat Reedpelt who had been with the cats snuck into the nursery.
"Mapleclaw look I am sorry for breaking your heart trust me," Reedpelt meowed quickly, Mapleclaw hissed.
"I will never forgive you now leave me alone!" She spat scratching his muzzle, this obviously ticked him off because he began to scratch at her. She was soon on her back with him holding her down, she struggled to free herself but the more she moved the deeper his claws went into her chest.
"Too bad I was going to invite you to join me in riverclan but turns out you are too stubborn to understand," Reedpelt hissed in her ear, he held up a paw to strike her threat when Oakclaw rammed into his side knocking him off Mapleclaw.
"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU FOX DUNG!" Oakclaw spat lunging at Reedpelt, Reedpelt dodged and bit down on Oakclaw threat until he moved no more. Mapleclaw was quivering with fear as Reedpelt came closer and closer towards her blood dripping from his muzzle, Brightfang bolted in and slammed Reedpelt to the ground.
"HOW DARE YOU KILL MY BROTHER NOW YOUR GOING TO PAY!" Brightfang spat at Reedpelt who struggled to free himself of the strong she-cats grip, she swiped a paw along his threat not deep enough to kill but very close. Reedpelt turned and fled leaving a large trail of blood behind him, Brightfang looked at the trembling Mapleclaw.
"H-he killed him," Mapleclaw murmured her eyes round with fear, Brightfang gave her ears a lick.
"Your kits will remember their father and how heroic he was," Brightfang meowed sweetly, the riverclan cats had fled by now and Oakclaws body lay in the centre of camp. Mapleclaw sat her vigil for about half the night when she knew by instinct her kits were coming, she began to painfully make her way towards the nursery and collapsed in her nest. Hazelfang one of the newer queens heard Mapleclaws hissing and spitting and awoke, she saw the queen in pain and went straight to get Leafheart. Mapleclaw was close to the first kit being born when Hazelfang returned with Leafheart who quickly got to work comforting the kitting queen, Mapleclaw bit down on a stick as the first kit slid out.
"H-how many are there?" She managed to hiss between contractions, Leafheart glanced at her.
"Maybe two or three more," she meowed softly, Mapleclaw bit down hard as the second kit slid out. Both tiny kits were mewling their jaws gapped as Leafheart put them next to Mapleclaws belly, thankfully Reedpelt and Oakclaw were almost the same black and white coloured fur so the clan would never know Reedpelt had been the father. She yowled with pain as yet another tiny kit slid out, she rested her head exhausted.
"I-is that it?" She managed to meowed between breaths, the wise medicine cat nodded.
"Yes that's it, Oakclaw would be very proud of these kits and of you," Leafheart meowed cleaning the third tiny kit and placing it by Mapleclaws side, Mapleclaw looked at the kits carefully.
"The ginger tom shall be known as Blazekit his fur matches the sun that blazes through all seasons, the black and white she-kit will be Whisperkit for I know she will be silent and a feared enemy, the last and tiniest she-kit shall be Tawnykit for although she may be small she shall have the power of starclan on her side," Mapleclaw purred softly, Leafheart nodded.
"Wise names Mapleclaw," Leafheart meowed before picking up her remaining herbs and turning to leave, Mapleclaw gave a sigh.
"I wish he were still here Leafheart," Mapleclaw murmured softly meaning Reedpelt, Leafheart thought she meant Oakclaw.
"We all do dear he was a brave and noble cat," Leafheart whispered half to herself before leaving the exhausted queen to rest, Mapleclaw looked at Whisperkit noticing how closely she resembled Reedpelt. Luckily Oakclaw looked similar to Reedpelt, she gave a sigh before curling around her kits to sleep.