Nightfall soon drifted away to be replaced by warming morning sun. Sunpaw yawned and stretched, and waited until Straypaw and the kits were up. "Ok, Straypaw, we have to start traveling because right now, the only hope for the kits is my clan" she mewed. "Could...Could I stay too?" Straypaw asked nervously. "Of course! I think they'll like you because you already have some training, an apprentice name, and you are related to a clan cat" Sunpaw reassured her. Straypaw smiled and herded the kits outside. "I'm gonna walk!" the biggest kit told them, determined. He began moving a few steps, but then looked back waiting for them. Straypaw picked up a she-cat and Sunpaw picked up a tom. They made slow progress, and the kits got even hungrier. At sunhigh they reached a clearing, and the kit who had walked collapsed. Sunpaw bounded over to him, Straypaw followed. They set the other kits down gently. "We can't go on Straypaw..." Sunpaw whispered. "We can't leave him, but they others will die as well" she said downcast, weariness overcame all of them and they weakly sat.
It was not until Sunpaw noticed how dark it was that she realized she had dozed off. The wailing of a cat could be heard from the other end of the clearing. Looking over, she saw that Straypaw and the kits were still asleep. She warily approached a steep rock, where the noise was strongest. "Hello?" Sunpaw called. It stoped and a wiry she-cat slunk from the rock. "Yes, what?" she mewed, voice quivering. "What's wrong?" Sunpaw asked. "My...my kits, they fell over a cli..." her voice caught in her throat and she whispered the word sadly "cliff..." Sunpaw padded over to the cat and put her tail on the cats shoulder. "I'm so sorry...and I could never replace your kits, but..." Sunpaw mewed. "Yes?" croaked the she-cat. "You see, we found these three young kits all alone, and they need milk, badly." Sunpaw explained. The she-cat nodded and with out a word walked with Sunpaw to where the kits slept. The she-cat took a look at the three sleeping kits and her gaze softened with love. "Yes, I will care for them" she mewed. Sunpaw thankfully nodded, and woke the kits. "Is it time to walk again?" a tom groaned. "No little one, this nice she-cat is here to take care of you and give you milk." Sunpaw told him. "Really?" the bigger tom exclaimed. Then his eyes dimmed and he said "We are going to miss you though" she nuzzled him and Straypaw did too. "Just remember us, and, our clan, Roseclan" Straypaw mewed. They nodded and padded to the wiry she-cat who nodded and led the kits to a nice safe cave. "Wait!" Sunpaw called. The cat turned. "What is your name?" Straypaw asked. "It's Bliss" the she-cat mewed loudly. "Oh, and Bliss, have you seen a large group of cats?" Sunpaw added. Bliss nodded and yowled "Over those hills" pointing the direction with her tail. "I know those hills! I know where we are! We're almost home!" Sunpaw cried out. The two travelers exchanged happy glances and waved good-bye to Bliss.











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