Make~Shift//Prologue- Written Form

Instructions

Graywing was sorting her pile of herbs in the medicine cat den. She had just delivered Mothmoon's three new kits and had too restock her supplies. She mentally counted the herbs in her head: /Marigold for infection and wounds. Yarrow to expel poison. Tansy for whitecough. Need more catmint, Mistwind has greencough.../ Ivystar, the leader of RiverClan, was sitting silently in the corner of the medicine cat den, her tortioseshell-painted tail curled neatly around her front paws as she watched Graywing work. She twitched her tail-tip and cleared her throat after a long moment of silence. Graywing's gaze flicked over to her, and she raised an eyebrow, not moving her head. "Yes, Ivystar?" she asked politely. Ivystar dipped her head, somewhat apologetically. "Mothmoon has kitted, right? A tom and two she-kits?" Graywing nodded and set down her pile of herbs. "That's right," she confirmed, turning towards Ivystar. "You've checked the stars?" Ivystar asked. "Have our warrior ancestors sent us a message about the kits?" Graywing nodded again and squinted up at the sky. "StarClan /did/ actually send me a prophecy," she meowed hesitantly. She turned back to Ivystar and recited the prophecy StarClan had sent her earlier that night. "Lost leaders shun the lost leader, or the forest will bow to menace." Ivystar looked thoughtful for a second, then nodded. "Anything else?" Graywing hesitated, then shook her head. As Ivystar turned to leave, she made up her mind and called back. "Ivystar, wait!" Graywing hesitated again, her tail flicking back and forth. Eventually she stepped over to the reed bank and spread it apart with her paw. "There is actually something I should tell you," she admitted. Ivystar padded over to her with a confused look. "Graywing, what is-" She paused as she spotted the three small scraps of fur that had struggled out of the reed bed, and her expression turned to fear. "Dear StarClan..." "Whoah! Are you really the RiverClan leader?" One of them squeaked excitedly. "She's so big!" meowed another. "I wanna be leader!" "No you don't, I do!" "When I grow up I'ma be the leader!" "Well I'll be a BETTER leader!" "I'll be FOUR HUNDREDY BETTER LEADER THAN YOU! Ha! Take THAT!" "Alright kits, calm down," Graywing meowed, herding them back to the reed bed. "Awh!" Runningkit complained, but did as Graywing asked. Once the kits were gone, Graywing turned back to Ivystar and winced at her expression. "Listen, Ivystar- I'm sorry... I-I know medicine cats aren't allowed to have kits, but I just thought-" "What were you thinking?!" Ivystar snarled, her ears flicked back and hackles raised. "You've just broken the law of StarClan. This is serious. I should exile for this, you know." "I know!" Graywing wailed. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break the medicine cat code. But if you exile me... my kits won't survive. Please, Ivystar..." Ivystar sighed. "I couldn't even exile you if I wanted to," she admitted. "I can't leave RiverClan without a medicine cat. Even I know that's a mouse-brained idea. A Clan without a medicine cat is in perpetual danger; every cat knows that. And I can't leave these kits to die either- not after the most recent addition to the warrior code." Code 12 (no cat must leave a kit in pain or in danger, even if that kit is from another Clan) was added only a few seasons ago, when Graywing had seen three WindClan kits carried away by the river, but had done nothing. That night, she had been sent a visit from StarClan. It was what would have been the kits, all grown up. One was supposed to even be the leader of WindClan... but he hadn't survived. Wolfheart, Runningstorm, and Smallstar. At least it was easy to come up with names for Graywing's kits. Ivystar continued. "So, I'm going to keep you here. But you can't raise your kits. I will split them between Amberash and Mothmoon." Graywing sighed. "I understand, Ivystar," she meowed sorrowfully. She beckoned to the kits with her tail, and they came scampering out again. "What is it, Mother?" Wolfkit asked curiously. Graywing flicked her tail at Ivystar, blinking away tears. "Go with Ivystar," she meowed, her voice breaking a little. "She'll show you your new home." "What! New home?" Runningkit asked. Smallkit's tiny face was filled with dismay. "No! We wanna stay with you!" Wolfkit wailed. Graywing felt a stab of sympathy through her heart. She wanted the exact same, but she knew she couldn't keep her kits if she wanted to stay in this Clan. "You have to," she meowed, nudging Smallkit towards Ivystar with her nose. Ivystar ushered the kits in the general direction of the nursery. She was about to follow the smalls, but she turned back towards Graywing quickly. "What are their names?" she asked. "The one with the yellow eyes is Runningkit," Graywing replied softly. "The light gray and white she-cat is Wolfkit, and the black one is Smallkit."She dipped her head and avoided eye contact with Ivystar. "Please," she whispered. (Continued below)