Brookshadow felt someone brush her fur. She curled into herself, covering her nose with her tail, and giving a small groan of complaint. After a few more seconds, Brookshadow drifted back into the dream she was having.

Bluestar blinked her blue eyes, smiling at Brookshadow. "Now that you finally understand, we can actually talk about it."

Brookshadow sat with her tail curled neatly around herself, her paws just in front of her growing belly that she surprisingly still had when dreaming of StarClan. "It sure took me long enough." She chuckled.

"That it did. But it seems with first time queens, it always does. I myself didn't realize it until others pointed it out to me."

"You had kits, Bluestar?" Brookshadow blinked, surprised. She'd never heard of a she-cat leader raising kits before. Although it's not exactly forbidden by the Warrior Code, Brookshadow thought.

The ThunderClan leader nodded, giving a sigh. "Oh yes, a long, long time ago. Back in the old forest."

"The old forest? I've heard of it, but not many cats these days know or care how to describe it."

Bluestar nodded and motioned her closer. Brookshadow stood beside the ThunderClan leader as a small puddle of clear water formed on the ground near them. Bluestar pointed to the water with her muzzle, then gently gave it a tap with one of her claws. "It's better to see and hear than to envision."

Brookshadow looked into the water. An image was slowly being brought by ripples that seemed to come out of nowhere. A forest, a moor, a swampland, and a river-ridden forest. At the center, four tall, strong, massive oak trees. Brookshadow breathed out a quiet, "Wow," as she saw all this.

Bluestar pointed with her tail at the four trees, then each of the territories in turn. "This was Fourtrees, where the Clans had the Gathering, and then ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan."

Brookshadow saw a patch of large slabs of rock near a river, on the ThunderClan and RiverClan border. "What was that?"

Bluestar smiled. "Sunningrocks. RiverClan and ThunderClan used to fight over them all the time." Her smile faded a bit and was replaced by a look of somber respect. "Those rocks were tainted by many noble warriors' blood. It is good that they are gone now."

Brookshadow looked at Sunningrocks for a few moments, then looked at Bluestar. "A long time ago? As in, when you were leader?"

Bluestar shook her head. "No, when I was a warrior." After a few seconds, she sighed and nodded at the water. "Watch."

Brookshadow saw the scene change to a battle, in between WindClan and, she assumed, ThunderClan.

"I was only an apprentice in this battle. My mother..."

Brookshadow pulled her ears back as she saw a cat fall and another run to her, screaming. She knew that must have been Bluestar and her mother. Another white cat came running as well.

"My sister, Snowpaw at the time." Bluestar mewed softly.

The scene changed. Bluestar was with a tom, but she was glaring at him, her fangs bared.

"He was my sister's mate. At the time, our deputy was old and was going to retire soon. If I wasn't made deputy, he would. And if he became leader... ThunderClan would have had a dark path to walk."

Brookshadow blinked at Bluestar. "But then, who fathered your kits? How were you made deputy?"

Bluestar nodded. "Patience."

The scene again changed and Bluestar was hunting along the RiverClan border. She caught a mouse, and then folded her ears back bashfully as a tom across the border complimented her.

"His name was Oakheart." Bluestar mewed gently, her eyes on the tom. "We were together one night. We both knew it wouldn't have been able to work out. I gave birth in leaf-bare. I knew that no one would choose a queen as a deputy." She spoke as the scenes unfolded before them now. "And I couldn't let him become deputy."

She fell silent as the puddle revealed her secret. Bluestar woke her three kits up and took them out for the RiverClan border. She dug hole for the kits so that they would be blocked from the cold, snowy wind as Bluestar transferred them to the border. One kit didn't make it. She froze to death, in the hole that her mother had dug for her. Bluestar took out her live kit from the hole, then gently pushed snow over her dead one.

Bluestar got two of her kits to the border. Oakheart was there and took them from her, his eyes sad. Bluestar went home, much faster than she'd been able to take the kits, and silently dug a fox-sized hole in the back of the nursery. She laid down in her nest for a few seconds, then opened her mouth to give an ear splitting shriek that would come from a queen who couldn't find her kits. However this queen knew where her kits were. She just couldn't get to them.

The scene changed again. Bluestar was being made deputy.

The real Bluestar touched her paw to the water, and the image faded. She sat with her head and ears lowered in silent grief.

"I had no choice." She mewed, regaining her posture. "He would have destroyed ThunderClan."

Brookshadow nodded. "I understand... I can't even see my kits, and I love them so much. It must have been so hard to act like they had been killed when really they were in RiverClan."

"It was hard." Bluestar mewed, sitting in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Brookshadow meowed softly.

"No, I'm glad you did," Bluestar replied, clearing her throat. "Because StarClan has voted. We have decided that we will give you a choice. If you want to keep the kits, you may. But if you don't want them... Then we will either take them or give them to someone else."

Brookshadow pulled her ears back, astonished and slightly afraid.

Bluestar watched her carefully. "Whatever you decide, we will deal with. But after it is done, you cannot take it back. We would prefer you to decide by tomorrow.."

"I-... I need to ask Dewfur. Making this decision without him... it's unfair."

Bluestar dipped her head. "I will ask you tomorrow. We will send signs to Leafpool, let her know what is going on. If you decide you do not want them, you will need to go to the Moonpool to have it done."

Brookshadow watched as Bluestar faded. Her vision blurred.

Brookshadow woke to Dewfur and Leafpool prodding her. She grunted and pushed their paws away. "I'm up! What are you doing?"

"We've been trying to get you to wake up for almost half the morning! What in the name of StarClan were you dreaming about?" Leafpool asked.

Brookshadow sighed. "About that... You'll know later Leafpool. Dewfur, come on. I need to talk to you about something."

Dewfur exchanged glances with Leafpool as Brookshadow stood up and stretched. Brookshadow headed out of the ivy curtain and out of camp, knowing that Dewfur was following.

After padding along in silence, Dewfur looked at her, concerned. "Are you alright? Are the kits okay?"

"Yes, we're fine." Brookshadow mewed, sitting down and looking at Dewfur. "StarClan has told me something... They said I have a choice. I can keep the kits if I want, or I can give them to StarClan."

Dewfur blinked a few times. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, yet. Only that I wanted to discuss with you."

Dewfur sat in silence for a few moments. "I see. Brookshadow, if you don't want these kits, then by all means go ahead. It won't change the way I feel about you."

"But what about you?"

"It's not my place to keep you from getting rid of the kits. It's not my place to make you give them up, either. Whatever you decide, and we will go from there." Dewfur gave her a few licks on the cheek. "Come on. We may as well go hunting."

Brookshadow padded into camp, carrying a squirrel that Dewfur had caught. She'd been to distracted to hunt. Thinking about her kits... She loved them. Maybe she loved them so much, and that was why she would give them away. Or maybe she loved them so much that she wouldn't let them go.

She'd be a liar if she said that she hadn't though long and hard about this decision.

As she curled up on her nest later that day, she felt Dewfur's gaze on her. She lifted her head to see Dewfur, half inside the medicine den. After hesitating, he came in and sat down next to her. "What are you thinking?"

Brookshadow looked down at her paws. "I'm thinking... I, ah, I'm thinking-"

A yowl sounded outside of the medicine den. Leafpool looked up from her herbs, which she'd been slowly counting, and trotted outside. Jayfeather scooped the herbs into small piles and tucked them to the side, then followed her. Brookshadow exchanged a concerned glance with Dewfur and headed outside. It was starting to get dark, and Brookshadow blinked in the half-light.

She looked around camp, feeling Dewfur standing beside her. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were standing on either side of Millie, who sputtered. Brookshadow let out a gasp as she saw blood running from a wound on her side. Leafpool and Jayfeather were already assesing it. After a few seconds of murmuring to each other, Jayfeather headed into the medicine den.

Brookshadow padded forward until she could properly hear what Millie was saying.

"ShadowClan," The gray tabby panted. "They attacked our patrol. We were just asking why they were tresspassing- there were more fresh scents. I mean, I suppose that Foxleap was more t-threatening than anything..."

Bramblestar let out a growl. "Alright, that's enough. Who wants to come and teach these ShadowClan mouse brains a lesson?"

Cinderheart started to step forward, but Lionblaze gently held her back, then stepped forward himself. "I'll go."

Rosepetal and Spiderleg also stepped forward. "We'll come, too."

Brookshadow started to take a step forward, then felt something tug at her tail. She looked back and saw that Dewfur had his jaws clamped gingerly around it. She yanked it out of his mouth with a hiss.

"Don't go, Brookshadow."

"I'll be fine, Dewfur." Brookshadow practically growled.

Dewfur hesitated, then dipped his head. "Alright. Be safe."

Brookshadow cleared her throat. "I'll go too, Bramblestar."

Dovewing eyes her suspiciously and stepped to her side. "Me and Ivypool will go."

Ivypool blinked, her eyes flashing confusion. "Wait, we wi-"

"Yes, we will." Dovewing mewed forcefully to her sister.

Ivypool looked at her for a moment before looking at Bramblestar and nodded vigorously. "Mhmm. That's right. We will."

Bramblestar nodded to each of them. "We have enough cats. Let's go. Squirrelflight, you're in charge until we get back."

Squirrelflight made a face and sighed, then nodded. "Fine. Be careful, all of you."

Bramblestar nodded and led the patrol out to the ShadowClan border. Brookshadow realized that all their pelts were puffed up in anger. She pulled her ears back, a growl attempting to escape her throat.

They heard the battle before they saw it. As the came within view of the border, Brookshadow caught sight of wresting cats, from ThunderClan and ShadowClan. But mostly ShadowClan.

Bramblestar growled and unsheathed his claws. "ThunderClan, attack!"

Brookshadow fixed her eyes on a gray tom who had Brightheart pinned down and raced forward. She leaped, knocking the tom off of Brightheart, who took in a gasp of air. Brookshadow snarled above the tom, digging her claws into his fur. The tom struggled underneath her, and Brookshadow felt a flash of triumph.

Liking the extra weight, huh, buddy? She thought smugly, rolling over so that she was right next to him. She swiped her claws across his face, and he screeched and tried to push away from her. Brookshadow let him go and scrambled to her feet, following him as he stumbled blindly around the clearing. She swiped at him whenever he got too close to other wrestling cats or too close to her, and he kept stumbling away, thinkign hhe was running into different cats. He blinked, and Brooksahdow knew he could see again properly because he lunged for her. She leapt back to dodge him, but he caught her foreleg and bit down hard. She screeched and lunged forward, sinking her teeth deep into his scruff. He growled and tried to back away, her foreleg still clamped painfully in his mouth. Brookshadow resisted, pulling back against him, his scruff still in her jaws. She tasted blood as she tightened her grip. The tom's growl grew into a pained yowl, but he still didn't let go. Brookshadow thrashed her head back and forth, then heard a sickening ripping sound as she fell backwards. She quickly checked her forleg, her stomach clamping in fear. But oher than a bleeding bite mark, there was no damage.

There was a loud scream of pain from the tom, and Brookshadow realized she was holding part of his scruff in her mouth. She dropped it, gasping a bit. she was barrelled over two seconds later by a broan tabby tom, and she quickly recognized him: Tigerheart. He clawed at her mercilessly, and she screeched in pain. She stood and swiped her claw across his nose. He hissed in pain, then snarled at her, his fangs bared. She was panting, and she knew she couldn't throw him off if he leaped on top of her, and couldn't wrestle him down. She turned and started off towards her nearest available member, which was Ivypool, who was watching her sister's back as she pummelled a ShadowClan she-cat.

She was knocked over again as Tigerheart leaped on top of her, holding her down and clawed at her stomach. He kicked her in the wrong place and she screamed in pain. Ivypool's eyes flashed; she ran over and knocked Tigerheart away. Ivypool returned to Brookshadow, who hadn't gotten up but instead curled into her stomach until the pain numbed.

"Are you okay, Brookshadow?" Ivypool asked, scanning for injuries.

Brooksahdow nodded, catching her breath. "I'm fi- ow!" She screeched and kicked at Tigerheart, who had caught her back paw in his mouth and was tugging her. He grunted when he got her in the face, and Ivypool slashed at him.

Brookshadow kicked at him again, then swiped at his face with her claws. Tigerheart hissed and thrashed his head side to side. Brookshadow kicked his again, hard, and Tigerheart flinched, then he stumbled and let go out her as Ivypool knocked into his side. He lay gasping for breath and Brookshadow stood. Ivypool stood by her side, her claws digging into the ground.

Tigerheart stood and was about to snarl and leap at them when a call went up- "ShadowClan, retreat!"

Tigerheart glanced at his deputy, Rowanclaw, then spat at the two she-cats. Brookshadow hissed at him, arching her back threateningly. Tigerheart narrowed his eyes and rushed back to his side of the border with the rest of ShadowClan.

Brookshadow relaxed and stood panting. Ivypool was also panting, but a lot less than Brookshadow. The silver she-cat blinked at Brooksahdow. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Brookshadow took a deep breath to calm her hammering heart and nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking."

Ivypool nodded and flinched as she looked at Brookshadow's pelt. "Leafpool is going to be really mad at you."

Brookshadow glanced at her pelt and saw visible scratch marks all along it, and felt the stinging of them. She let out a small sigh and nodded. "Yeah... That's not going to be fun."

Ivypool chuckled and they headed back to camp with their leader. Dewfur rushed to Brookshadow, gasping fretfully at all of her wounds, but she wasn't in the mood for him fussing. She kindly but firmly reminded him to give her space and went to the Medicine Den, where she got another verbal beating from Leafpool while she dressed her wounds: "You should have been more careful. Or better yet, not gone at all!"

Brookshadow was glad when she was finished, as she was yawning by the end. Exsaustion hung at the back of her mind like fog, and she curled into her nest and was asleep before Dewfur could even come in to say goodnight.

The next morning when she awoke, she groaned as she remembered that she had to make her decision today- give up her kits, or keep them?

Leafpool had been waiting for her to wake up. "StarClan told me everything... What is your decision, Brookshadow?"

Brooksahdow looked at Leafpool and sighed. "I don't..."

"You have to decide today, Brookshadow." Leafpool mewed softly.

Brookshadow took a breath and looked up at Leafpool. "...I don't want to keep my kits."