"I think it's time you meet your kits," he said. The excitement in the tom's steps as they headed back to camp was as palpable as the rock beneath their paws.
                          
	//
                          
	Three sunrises later, Shademask could hardly believe that the shaking, worried Stormfall ever existed. He was the most doting father and mate ever, according to Oakshade, and having a conversation with him without hearing about Rainheart or the kits was impossible.
                          
	There were two of them: grey toms, one lighter and the other darker with faint stripes, who mewled through the night and woke Shademask from his sleep. Though others grumbled about it, Minkfur in particular, Shademask didn't care. In fact, he welcomed being woken from his reoccurring nightmares.
                          
	As dusk fell, painting the sky with swaths of indigo and violet, the warrior found his way towards the nursery, where he knew he would find Stormfall. Poking his head in, he found the tom sharing tongues with his mate.
                          
	"We're getting ready to head out to the Gathering," he said. Stormfall flicked his tail in acknowledgement.
                          
	Before Shademask could turn to leave, however, Rainheart called him back. "Would you like to see them?"
                          
	The black tom halted, surprised. On the night of the kits' birth, he had left Stormfall and Rainheart to fawn over their newborn kits; in the days after, he had avoided the nursery. The image of his flashing claws and the pained mewling of his dreams flashed through his mind briefly.
                          
	Rainheart continued to look at him warmly out of her single eye and, finally, Shademask nodded. The queen shifted ever so slightly, revealing two tiny bundles of grey, both sound asleep. Their sides rose and fell in unison, paws still against their mother's belly as if they'd slipped into their dreams while suckling.
                          
	"We named the darker tabby one Sootkit," Stormfall said proudly. "The smaller grey one we named Owlkit."
                          
	Sootstar and Owlstar. Two leaders of Old, leaders of two very different Clans. Shademask stared down at the kits, unsure what to say.
                          
	"We'd like you to mentor one of them, when the time comes," Rainheart continued, brushing her tailtip over the kits' backs. "If you're willing of course," she added quickly.
                          
	The warrior felt a hardness in his throat. He glanced at the queen's marred face – an injury she would carry forever, an injury he could have prevented. How was it that she trusted him enough to offer him mentorship of one of her kits? Gazing at the little toms his nightmares flashed through his mind once more but, this time, he pushed them down along with the lump in his throat.
                          
	"I'd love to," he said. "But for now, I believe Stormfall and I are going to be late for the Gathering."
                          
	Rainheart nodded happily, bidding her mate goodbye, and the two headed out to the gathering RockClan party.
                          
	"There you are!" Lightchaser teased. "I was beginning to think you two weren't coming."
                          
	"And miss the Gathering where Sprucestar announces the birth of my kits?" Stormfall replied indignantly. "Absolutely not!"
                          
	Purring, Lightchaser flicked her littermate's nose with her tail. Then, they were off for High Rocks.
                          
	RockClan filtered in through the old DarkClan entrance just as SeaClan arrived from the direction of the old truth-teller's den. Sprucestar and Mothpelt headed straight for the Speaking Rock, where Gannetstar and Lilyfeather already waited. Shademask felt Lightchaser press her nose to his cheek before going off to find her SeaClan friends.
                          
	"Shademask. Good to see you." The black tom turned to see a battle-scarred ginger warrior.
                          
	"Flamestrike," he greeted. "How are you?"