Gorsepaw lifted her head, her mind clouded with sleep. "What is it?" She grumbled, seeing Shadow's frantic face a few mouse-lengths away from hers.

"It's Julie!" The tom exclaimed. "The kits are coming!"

Gorsepaw leapt to her paws. "Already?" She gasped. Shadow nodded.

"Follow me!" He led the way out of the barn and bounded towards the sheep's pen. With a feeling of dread, Gorsepaw followed him into the pen. A loud wail split through the clearing. Sheep were running in all directions, their wooly bodies flopping up and down as they ran. Gorsepaw peered through their legs, hoping to spot Julie's calico pelt.

"There she is!" Gorsepaw cried before breaking into a run towards where the calico she-cat lay in pain. Timber was crouched by his mate, soothing her with gentle words.

"...know your strong, you'll make it, and so will the kits." She heard Timber murmur. Julie screeched as another spasm rippled through her. Shadow ran towards Julie with a stick in his jaws and ordered her to bite down on it. She did as she was told, and as another spasm came, it snapped in half.

"Timber!" The shadowy tom snapped. "Go get more sticks!" Timber nodded, and before he ran off to find the sticks, locked his eyes with Julie's and then ran in search. Shadow gently pressed his paw on Julie's belly. "Two." He murmured. Gorsepaw looked at the tom worriedly.

"Will they all make it?" She whispered, indicating the kits and Julie. Shadow nodded, although concern still shadowed his gaze. Timber arrived a moment later with a bundle of sticks in his jaws. He set them down next to Julie and slid one between her jaws.

"Is that enough?" He murmured quietly so that only Shadow and Gorsepaw could hear.

"Just the right amount." Shadow meowed, before turning back to Julie. "Start pushing." He said quietly. Julie did as she was told at the next spasm and snapped yet another stick with a cry, but, a small kit slid out from underneath her tail. Shadow started licking its fur the opposite way, and as he did so, another kit came. He set the first kit down by Julie's belly and began doing the same thing he did to the first kit. He set the kit down with the other kit, and sat up."Two she-kits." He announced. Gorsepaw peered over to the two, and saw a brown she-kit with lighter flecks and a white-and-reddish-brown she-kit suckling at their mother's belly. A purr rumbled in Julie's throat as she gazed proudly at her two kits. Timber was beaming and looking at the two kits in admiration.

"Come on," Shadow murmured. "Let's get them back to the barn."