Okay, so if you havn't read Sunrise in the Power of Three series by Erin Hunter, I suggest not reading this because it gives away big secrets revealed at the end of Sunrise.
Leafpool sifted through her piles of herbs to check her supplies. Leafbare had set in, bringing with it the dangers of whitecough, and worse, the dreaded greencough. Several moons had passed since the day she watched as Brambleclaw killed his half-brother Hawkfrost beside the lake to save Firestar. Leafpool’s mind should have been at rest. StarClan had promised peace in the prophesy. She wasn’t at rest though. Each day now she lived in fear; fear that her secret would be revealed.
“Leafpool, are you alright?”
Leafpool looked up from her herbs to see Squirrelflight pushing her way through the bramble screen. Squirrelflight’s green eyes were sparkling with worry as she padded over to Leafpool and touched noses with her sister.
"Yes, I’m fine,” Leafpool lied, feeling a twinge of guilt within her. Squirrelflight narrowed her eyes skeptically, and Leafpool couldn’t help but be reminded of their father, Firestar. The bond. Leafpool groaned inwardly. She often forgot that her sister could feel her emotions and vice versa. StarClan themselves had forged the bond, knowing that Squirrelflight would be going on the journey to the sun-drown-place in search of Midnight, the stargazing badger.
“Leafpool, what’s wrong?” Squirrelflight pressed.
“I…” Leafpool averted her gaze from Squirrelflight, looking instead at her flanks. Already she could see the swelling along her tabby-striped belly. “I’m expecting kits…”
Leafpool’s mind flashed back to the night of the badger attack, on the moorlands just outside of WindClan’s territory. I’ll take care of you. Crowfeather had promised her.
Try to take care of me now, Leafpool thought to herself. She looked up to see Squirrelflight staring at her in astonishment.
“But, you can’t! It’s against the Warrior Code!” Squirrelflight sputtered in disbelief.
“You think I don’t know that?” Leafpool snapped, amber eyes flashing with annoyance.
“What are you going to do?” Squirrelflight asked fearfully.
“I don’t know.” Leafpool’s voice quivered as she answered.
“I could say they are my kits. When they are born I mean,” Squirrelflight offered.
“You would do that for me?” Leafpool met her sister’s gaze hopefully.
“Of course! You’re my sister, Leafpool. I’d do anything for you.” Squirrelflight buried her nose deep into the winter-thick fur of Leafpool’s shoulder. “We will get through this. Together,” she promised.
“Will you tell Brambleclaw?” Leafpool asked hesitantly.
Not if you don’t want me to,” replied Squirrelflight.
“The less cats who know, the better.” Leafpool nodded for emphasis, though she hated having her Squirrelflight keep secrets from her mate.
“We will get through this,” Squirrelflight repeated her earlier promise for reassurance.
The snows of Leafbare had finally set in, and Leafpool was busier than ever. The elders were complaining of aching joints. The cats of her Clan were starving while all the prey hid away in underground burrows. Leafpool’s belly had swelled considerably since her conversation with Squirrelflight a moon and a half ago. Her kitting time would be any time now.
“A wonderful time for it too,” Leafpool muttered to herself.
“A wonderful time for what?” Sorreltail inquired as she brushed past the brambles and into the medicine den.
“For the snow to set in,” Leafpool improvised quickly. “What can I do for you?”
“Molekit’s cough is back. I was wondering if you had any herbs to give him.” Sorreltail flicked her tortoiseshell tail worriedly, her eyes bright with fear. “I would have sent Brackenfur to fetch the herbs, but he’s out of patrol. You don’t think it’s greencough do you?”
I don’t know,” Leafpool admitted while she scraped together the last few leaves of tansy in her store. “Give this to him, and if his cough doesn’t seem to improve by tomorrow, I’ll come look at him.”
“Thanks, Leafpool,” Sorreltail purred, picking the tansy up in her jaws and trotted out into the snow.
Leafpool flinched at a sudden pain in her belly. She gritted her teeth, her claws digging into the frozen dirt until the sharp twinge subsided. No, not now! Please not now! Leafpool begged silently. She tried to deny it, but Leafpool knew it was time for the kitting.
With a fearful hiss, Leafpool slid past the brambles and began plowing her way through the snow towards the Warrior’s den. The going was slow, and Leafpool had several more pains in the way, but at long last she reached the sheltering bush of the Warrior’s den. She poked her head inside in search of Squirrelflight. When her eyes had adjusted to the gloom, Leafpool spotted her sister curled up in a nest near the heart of the bush.
“Squirrelflight!” Leafpool hissed quietly, doing her best not to wake Cloudtail and Brightheart who were sleeping nearby. “Squirrelflight, wake up!” Leafpool meowed a bit louder when her sister didn’t stir.
Squirrelflight opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to focus on who had called her name. “Wha—“
“Squirrelflight, it’s time!” Leafpool mewed urgently, watching Cloudtail and Brightheart to make sure they didn’t wake.
Squirrelflight looked confused for a moment, then realization dawned on her and she scrambled out of her nest. “I’m coming,” she gasped.
“Be quiet!” Leafpool hissed before backing out of the den. Squirrelflight followed her out, shaking her sleep rumpled fur. “We’ll go to the abandoned twoleg den. That will be out of the way of patrols and it’s sheltered.”
Leafpool led the way out of the barrier and into the woods. Ashfur was on guard by the entrance. He nodded politely as Leafpool passed by, but his stare hardened as Squirrelflight shouldered her way out of the thorns and into view. Squirrelflight met his glare, her lips twitching in the beginnings of a snarl.
“We don’t have time for this,” Leafpool growled as yet another contraction gripped her belly. “We have herbs to collect.”
At the mention of herbs, Leafpool couldn’t help but wonder if she should have brought some herbs with her. She couldn’t go back now. It would look too suspicious. Squirrelflight held Ashfur’s unwavering glare for a moment longer before nodding and following Leafpool. The brown tabby led her sister deeper into the undergrowth, heading for the abandoned den.
Leafpool’s paws were frozen by time the ragged form of the old twoleg den came into view. By now, the contractions were almost constant and Squirrelflight was supporting most of Leafpool’s weight as they struggled through the snow.
“Just a little farther,” Squirrelflight encouraged, her fiery orange fur bristling against the cold.
Squirrelflight guided her sister up the steps and out of snow. The temperature increased several degrees as the two she-cats crept into the den. Leafpool all but collapsed onto the bare wooden floor, trembling furiously. Her stomach rippled as her body tried to push the kits out. Squirrelflight crouched by her sister’s head, rasping her tongue over Leafpool’s ear.
Leafpool threw her head back and shrieked in agony. Her claws dug into the rotting wood of the floor as the first kit slid out onto the ground. Squirrelflight bounded over to the kit and nipped the kitting sack, freeing the kit. She rasped her tongue several times over the orange tabby kit to get it warm and breathing before placing at Leafpool’s belly.
Leafpool barely had time to look at the kit when the second wave of contractions hit. “Here comes the second one,” Leafpool gasped, her eyes bight with pain.
Her claws scored the wood as Leafpool strained to push the second kit into the world. She clenched her jaws and gave a final heave, forcing the second kit to come tumbling out. Squirrelflight ripped the birthing sack and licked the kit’s grey tabby fur.
“Another tom,” Squirrelflight reported, nudging the kit closer to Leafpool’s belly.
“There’s one more.” By then, Leafpool was panting with exhaustion.
“Come on, you can do it,” Squirrelflight encouraged. Too tired to answer, Leafpool only moaned.
Leafpool threw her head back once more and her muscles strained. “I can’t do it!” Leafpool hissed through clenched teeth.
“Yes you can,” Squirrelflight reassured her. She placed her paw on Leafpool’s belly. She felt the kit moving towards the birth canal. Leafpool gave another groan, her eyes half closed. “Almost there. Just a little bit longer.”
Leafpool snarled and gave one last push, using the rest of the strength and energy she had stored up. The final kit plopped onto the wood floor. Squirrelflight ripped the sack with a claw, careful not to hit the kit concealed inside. The third kit had fur as black as night. Leafpool twisted around and pulled the kit closer.
“This one is Lionkit,” Leafpool announced, remembering the stories of the old ThunderClan deputy when her father, Firestar, was still an apprentice. “And this is Jaykit,” she continued. The second kit had already opened his eyes. They were blue as the bird he was named after.
“What about this one?” asked Squirrelflight as she nudged the black she-kit with her nose.
“You can name her,” Leafpool meowed.
“How about… Hollykit?” Squirrelflight suggested. Leafpool studied the black kit, nodding in approval at her dark green eyes, the color of holly leaves.
“Lionkit, Hollykit, and Jaykit,” Leafpool purred, licking her kits. “I know you’ll take very good care of them.”
“They will grow into fine Warriors,” Squirrelflight remarked.
“Yes,” Leafpool whispered, gazing sadly at the kits she was about to give up. “Yes they will.”
Firestar woke with a start. Skywatcher’s prophesy rang in his ears: “There will be three kin of your kin who hold the power of the stars in their paws.” There was a cold stone in his belly as Firestar padded out of his den, blinking as the harsh light of a winter sun reflected off the snow.
“The Three have come,” Firestar whispered aloud to himself. He didn’t know how he knew, but Firestar felt in his very soul that the Three had just arrived.
He saw the tip of Leafpool’s tail disappearing into the nursery. Brambleclaw was bounding across the snowy clearing to join her while the rest of the ThunderClan Warriors gathered curiously around the thick bramble walls of the nursery. Sandstorm came bounding up the rock fall to join her mate.
“Squirrelflight gave birth to three kits while out collecting herbs with Leafpool!” she panted, her pale orange fur bristling with excitement.
“Three?” Firestar asked hesitantly, trying to hide his fear. What would happen when those three kits were given more power than StarClan themselves?
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful? Come see them!”
Sandstorm didn’t give Firestar any time to reply before she was scrambling back down the rocks and through the snow towards the nursery. Firestar followed more slowly, feeling as each paw step lead him closer to the demise of the Clan he loved.
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