I breathed calmly, as i woke. Bright shafts of sunlight was shinning through the bushes braches.
Two kits, suckled at my belly. One was a dark gray tom while the other was a light she she-kit.
It had passed a week since I fled from the battle and Nightstar was still, nowhere to be found. I would spend every heartbeat looking for him if i could, but i had kits now and could barley leave them long enough to look for fresh kill.
My ribs shown through my hungry stomache. I hadnt eaten in a while since my kits were born, because I couldnt leave them ہوم long enough. And even if i had caught something to eat, it was usually very small and not filling.
I stood, my kits cried as i did, they were hungry but i knew that if I didnt find somthing to eat soon then none of my small family would survive.

As I stalked through the moor, I scented rabbit. My ears prickled and my nose twitched then I saw it. I fat juicy one with short brown فر, سمور and a sniffing گلابی nose.
I lowered myself into a crouch but the moor was مزید open and had no cover like my old ہوم back in the forest. The rabbit soon spotted me and darted away. I dashed after it but my chances of catching the fast moving creature were harfly seable.
Then the rabbit used its long back legs and leaped in the air and over a puddle. The puddle was bigger then usual but still looked jumpable. So I jumped over the puddle as the rabbit had, although the گھاس was مزید soggy then i intended and I slipped straight into the dirty water.
Instead of getting up, I just layed there. I was so weak that my chances of even crawling back to my pups were futal. Also leaf-bare was almost here, so I knew that I wouldnt be able to survive the night without cover and stained with water.
Then I saw a shadow. It looked like the shadow of a cat. I wanted to run away but i couldnt even rise to my paws, I was too weak.
Then as the cat got closer I realized that it was a tom cat and it wasnt a shadow, the cats فر, سمور was black! It was Nightstar.
He rushed over to me, his face was full of worry and concern.
"Storm! What happened?"
But I never got to answer his desperate سوالات because he grabbed my scruff and pulled me out of the dirty puddle. I lay on the گھاس unmoving as Nightstar rasped his comferting tounge over my cold wet fur.
Once my pelt was مزید dry, he bent down and sniffed me. "Storm, آپ smell of milk...........you had kits!" He exclaimed astonished.
I bent my tired head up and our eyes met. "I had YOUR kits, Nightstar."
Nightstar stood riged for a couple heartbeats as if he was to astonished to even speak. Then he bent his head down and licked my ear.
"Well, since there our kits they must be beautiful" he comforted me.
I smiled, I had hoped that Nightstar would have liked to have kits but I never had reason to ask him before.

As he tugged me into the blue-berry bush, I settled down beside our kits. They began to suckle but I knew it was pointless.
I looked at Nightstar with desperation in my
eyes, "there going to die Nightstar" I murmered sadly. Nightstar shook his head, "no Storm, I will save their life, all your lives, and only when I am gone will they be vonerable."
I nodded, "I promise Nightstar." Nightstar dipped his black head and dissopeared out of the den.
That night as I slept, I felt a paw prodding my side. I open my green eyes to see the full moons bright light, shinning on Nightstar. He stood in front of me, a rabbit was in his jaws.
My ears prickled in surprise, it was the same fat juicy rabbit that I had almost died trying to catch.
He dropped it infront of me, "for you" he told me. I nodded and quickly devowered the morsel.
As I finnished eating, I felt my stomache stop growling and my kits began to purr.
Nightstar layed down beside me, blocking the cold winds of the night, from reaching me.
I purred, for the first time in many sunrises I was warm, my kits were purring, and I was stuffed with fresh kill. Nightstar had saved three lives today, and I hoped he would never forget how gratful I was to him.

To Be Continued....................