User blog:Bluestripe the Wild/The Forest Runs Red

Prologue
The heavily pregnant queen ran, her heart pounding as she bounded towards the clearing not too far ahead. She had to get there before her kitting began! The she-cat charged into the clearing and saw several cats, who crouched as she entered the camp, ready to pounce upon her.

Two she-cats poked their heads out from a large hollow log. One of them noticed the newcomer's swollen belly and her hard breathing and rushed out to her side. She called back to the nearest cat. "She's about to begin her kitting! Hurry up and fetch help!"

The queen who had come to the strange she-cat's side tapped her shoulder soothingly with the tip of her tail. Soon, a tabby she-cat with nearly black fur appeared with a small leaf in her mouth. She placed the leaf down and began to instruct the she-cat what to do.

The other queen stayed back to watch the kits in the nursery, who tried to sneak past her in an attempt to see what was going on. Shortly after it started, the kitting was done. The she-cat looked down at her kits and purred happily. The medicine cat was licking the newborn kits while the queen who had first spotted the stranger narrowed her eyes questioningly as she spoke to the new mother. "I've never seen you around here before. You're not a Clan cat, are you?"

The she-cat shook her head slowly. "No. I live near the Twolegplace, but I don't live with them."

The Clan queen studied her carefully as the medicine cat curled her tail and spoke to the rogue queen. "You probably won't be able to leave for a few days, but I'll see if our leader will allow you to stay here until you can leave."

The rogue nodded gratefully to the medicine cat. "Thank you." Her gaze traveled to her single kit, who snuggled close to its mother's belly. Her eyes gleamed with pleasure at the sight of her kit.

The medicine cat gazed down at the kit and watched him with her bright green eyes. Something told her that this small newborn kit's destiny would be greater than she could imagine. She raised her head to the sky and spoke a silent prayer to StarClan. "What do you hold in this kit's future?"