A lovely young white she-cat appeared at the entrance of the rocky den, looking shy and slightly panicked.
"Jayfeather?"
"Yes, Half Moon?"
Half Moon padded into the den and sat down slowly, almost hesitantly.
"Are you okay?" asked Jayfeather, nosing her carefully.
"My belly hurts," groaned Half Moon.
Jayfeather pressed his paws down, hard, on her stomach and Half Moon shrieked in protest.
"You're expecting three kits," announced Jayfeather.
"What?! Are they yours?" Half Moon exclaimed.
"Of course they are!" Anger flashed in her mate's blind blue eyes.
"Calm down!" she meowed, alarmed.
"I'm fine, but come with me."
The she-cat followed her mate as he padded over the grass on the moors and stopped at a slit on a boulder, he squeezed inside and Half Moon followed after a moment of hesitation.
The tunnel sloped down then slowly curved upwards into a dazzling world of trees, bushes and leaves.
A small group of cats sat waiting for them: a huge golden tabby tom, a lithe she-cat with dark ginger fur and green eyes, a broad dark brown tabby tom with clear amber eyes, a light brown tabby she-cat with a white chest, a lean, tall fox-red tom and a small white she-cat with startling amber eyes and silver splotches, as though silver paint was thrown over her.