I was awakened by a sudden squeal. Sunkit shut up... I moaned, rolling away. Poppyheart's reassuring mew came from just whiskers away and my eyes shot open. Birdfeather's having her kits! No, come on! They'll only attract more flesh-eaters...

I stood up. Whipping around, I saw Poppyheart and Redfur working to help her. A kit was already by her belly.

"Just one more kit to go, Birdfeather," Redfur murmured in her ear. She groaned and glared at the LightClan medicine cat. Just like that, another kit was born. Do I have to name them? I wondered, padding over. I felt a bit happy, seeing two squeaking bundles squirming at Birdfeather's belly.

Their fur was wet and their eyes were closed. One was brown with grey paws, the other was completely black.

"You should name them," Birdfeather puffed. I swallowed. I knew I'd have to.

"The black one is a tom, the brown one is a she-kit," Poppyheart mewed. I nodded, thinking.

"The black one should be Ebonykit. The brown one should be Otterkit." Birdfeather nodded, her eyes glittering with love. "Ebonykit and Otterkit it is." She whispered, licking her kits' pelts. I nodded, my chest warming up as they suckled and pushed at each other.

Cats gathered around her and I was thankful. It was almost awkward. I backed away and bumped into Leopardstar. Her eyes were hard and dark as she towered over me.

"You don't like her, do you?" Leopardstar growled. I shrugged, standing straight and padding around her. "Well you should tell her before her heart gets broken!" I kept padding away and halted at the barrier. It was caving in.

"We need to fix the barrier," I hissed, looking over my shoulder at Leopardstar, "It's caving in."

"Whatever." She muttered, grabbing the last vine hanging from the cracks above.

I watched her as she carefully made her way across the narrow bridge to the barrier. I smirked as I noticed her tail trembling. I jumped as I turned around to see Bluewave. She dipped her head and watched Leopardstar with me.

"Lovely names you chose," Bluewave meowed. I nodded, "I hope they survive this mess."

Silence came after that. All I could hear was moaning and the delighted chatter of the kits. Sunkit, Sootkit and Stormkit were asking Birdfeather questions and trying to get at the two new kits.

Lighteningice guided them gently away with her tail. As the kits left, Whitetooth took their place, chatting up a storm with Birdfeather.

Jealousy crept into my heart and my tail whipped. As much as I had begun to dislike Birdfeather, she was still my mate. Not Whitetooth's.

I growled low and turned away quickly. The two kits came to mind and I started thinking about them. Otterkit seems like she'll be more social and quick, Ebonykit seems like he'll be the kind of cat who jumps into a fight, no questions asked.

If we do get attacked by flesh-eaters, which would I grab? Otterkit is a serious possibility but Ebonykit might be stronger and braver. Otterkit or Ebonykit? I'm sure I will find a way to grab them both. I wondered, narrowing my eyes.

I watched the barrier as it bounced and began to cave in. Leopardstar's new vine wasn't going to hold up much longer, I feared.

A bloody face stuck out to me. The torn up face of it made it hard for me to make out who it was. I narrowed my eyes harder, trying to pin-point whom it was. But no name came to mind. It bugged me greatly that I couldn't make out who it was, or who it used to be anyway. Reluctantly, I pushed it to the back of my mind and stood up.

A paw reached through the brambles and thorns. It was the cat that I couldn't name. It's eyes were bloody and as grey as the moon. It's paws were black and it's fur was grey. It dawned on me; it was Oceantail. I felt a sudden... explosion in my chest. It was guilt and did I ever hate that feeling. I pushed the feeling aside and turned away.

Oceantail's flesh-eating body groaned and was shoved harder into the barrier. Her muzzle grazed the thorns and ripped as easy as a kit were to be scared. She was shoved harder into the barrier and I felt trapped, like her and I were the only ones here. "Help! Help!" A voice said in my head and I twitched, staring harder at her.

Her moaning made me cringe and I bared my teeth. "Why didn't you help me? Skyclaw and I would've been so much help!" She seemed to call. My ear twitched.

"Reedstar! Reedstar!" She hissed and I growled, "Shut up. Shut up!" I felt a shove in my side and I stumbled into the dirt wall. Bluewave and a few others were gathered around, "Reedstar?" Bluewave murmured, "Are you alright?"

They can't know what I saw. If they did, I'd either be killed on the spot for being insane or they'd choose Leopardstar as their final leader. I have to act natural.

I nodded, padding away. "Of course, I just was... growling at them. I don't know, I just despise them." I lied, well it wasn't exactly a lie but it was mostly one.

Bluewave and Cloudjaw exchanged worried and concerned glances. I shrugged it off and padded to the back of the burrow. Thankfully, Birdfeather was talking to Whitetooth. It was only good for one reason: she didn't have to blab on to me.

*****
Three sunrises went by and the barrier was braking more and more. Only StarClan knows why it hasn't collapsed yet. In those few sunrises, I had suggested to go with Leopardstar and a few other strong warriors to kill off some of the roaming flesh-eaters. I had preferred to do the barrier and only the barrier, but Leopardstar took a few others with her to kill the ones around.

Of course, they thought it was such a good idea. I thought, you know, maybe we should save our energy? But no! Leopardstar has the good ideas.

Meanwhile, Ebonykit and Otterkit had opened their eyes. They squeal every night in fear. They weren't really any bigger and they didn't really talk much either, but one things for sure: they ate a lot.

Since the prey had scattered to the only safe place, we got lots of prey. They were better at avoiding thorns, though. Every time we came back from a hunt, our paws and pelts are torn and punctured with small, sharp thorns. It was a wonder that no one had caught an infection; there were no herbs that were worth anything. Though, it wasn't like the only medicine cats we had ever went out to get any. Poppyheart and Redfur only set out once to get medicine. They say there aren't many and they have to wait for more to grow, but really, I think they're cowards.

I stood up, feeling cool and refreshed. The sun had already come up and I felt alarmed. No one woke me? I thought, anger creeping up inside of me. Wow! I'm the true leader, and the smart one! Why didn't they wake me up?

But I soon realized no one else was awake. The moaning was as loud as usual, the sun was blaring into the burrow, yet soft snoring came from Squirreltail and Snowpaw. I twitched an ear and stepped over the bodies.

I stepped over Whitetooth - who was curled up, back to Cloudjaw and a paw-step away from Birdfeather - and he uncurled himself a bit, almost hitting me. I hopped over him and then swerved around Mudpaw - who was cuddled up beside Snowpaw - and he too, moved and almost hit me.

I growled and jumped over Lilypatch, Squirreltail and Sharppaw without getting touched.

I looked over my shoulder at Squirreltail, her red fluffy tail laid over her nose and her tall legs under her chin. I started to walk again. I can actually have some time to myself! I thought and just like that, I stepped on a cats tail. I groaned and shot my paw off of it as quick as a squirrel could climb a tree.

Glancing down, I met eyes with the cat I woke up. Boldfang glared up at me and rolled over, tucking his thick tail over his nose. "Sorry," I muttered, going out the emergency exit. As I made my way up, I heard paw steps padding over the muddy floor.

"Wait," he whispered, running up to me. I sighed but said nothing, sitting just outside the burrow. He sat down and before he could say anything I asked, "Why didn't anyone wake up? It's the middle of the day!" 

Through narrowed eyes, I watched him shrug. "I don't know but I noticed Viperslash and Venomsoul aren't there." Boldfang meowed. He seemed to be growling, but I realized that was his natural voice; it was just that deep.

I nodded but didn't reply, gazing out into the Dead Woods. There were only hunched over skinny trees with few leafless bushes. There was no sign of Venomsoul and Viperslash. "Maybe they woke up together and went out for an early hunt?" Boldfang suggested and I shrugged.

"Hmm... well if they come back with nothing and no real reason for them being gone, I'll lose it." I hissed, keeping my eyes forward. Boldfang tilted his head to the side. I could see him watching me out of the corner of my eyes. 

"Why?" He mewed.

"For one, they didn't tell anyone that they were going out. That's just mouse-brained. For two, why would they be out if their plan wasn't to hunt?" 

Boldfang just nodded and turned his head forward. We sat in silence for only a few moments before a sudden snap came from inside. I whipped around and dashed into the den. I could feel my heart beating faster. As I entered the burrow, my heart lurched into my throat.

The barrier was snapping and bloody, furless paws were reaching for the sleeping cats. Thank StarClan I'm up to save everyone! 

"Wake up!" I screamed and cats jumped in horror. Groggy faces turned to face me, bewildered and frightened. "The barrier is down! Run!" I yelled and I looked toward the flesh-eaters.

By the time I had managed to scream, there was a hole in the barrier. Bloodthirsty creatures stumbled into the hole and I knew, before too long, they would be climbing over each other to get out of the hole.

"Go! Go! Go!" I yowled and cats stumbled out drowsily. Everyone's fur was spiked up and in knots, and I wasn't sure if it was from the rush or from their sleep. "I'll lead them away," I growled to Leopardstar. She seemed to hesitate but dipped her head and pushed them along as I passed cats.

I led the way with cats at my heels. I didn't dare look behind me.

Screeches echoed from inside the burrow and then yells from Leopardstar. Those screams were from she-cats and I felt like I knew who it was but right now, that didn't matter.

Leaving the burrow and not being eaten was all that mattered.