Graindancer exited her denn, leaving behind three kittens all curled up around one another in a tight, sleeping ball of mostly golden fur. They should be out for a good couple of hours, and that would give her plenty of time to feed herself before having to worry about feeding them again. It was a lot of work being a mother. But it was worth it. She had never been so happy, and if her name was any indication, she'd had many happy moments in her own kittenhood.      Her younger half-sister, Sunwarmth, waited just outside the entrance to her denn, and smiled just as warmly as her name would predict. The two quietly left, but as soon as they were a safe enough distance away from the sleeping kittens, Grain suddenly could contain her glee no longer, and let out a whoop, prancing around her sister. Sun grinned, and joined in the frolicking, almost as happy for Grain as she would have been if it was her own litter they celebrated.      After a moment, the elder of the two sisters stopped and flopped over in a patch of soft grass, purring to herself. The younger sibling was soon to follow, though she lowered herself gracefully to the ground. That was one thing that Grain envied; Sun was the most graceful creature living, she just knew it. It was only chance that one was blessed with kittens before the other. Or perhaps Sun hadn't wanted a litter before her sister. It would be like her.      Grain smiled broadly. She couldn't believe how lucky she was.      "Oh Sun, I never would have dreamed being a mother was so intense!" At her sister's puzzled expression, she explained herself. "I mean, the work is harder and the sorrow more painful, but the joy is so much more powerful that it makes up for both of those others. It's like my emotions are doubled for every one of my kittens." She sighed.      Sun smiled, but remained silent for a long while. Then, nudging her almost-drowsing sibling, spoke softly, amusement coloring her voice. "And here I thought we were going for some fresh fruit."      Grain turned over and sat up. "Oops, see, this is why it was a good thing that you came with me to this Denn; I never would have lasted a moment without you to remember things for me!"      The two giggled and continued on their way, talking idly about this and that.      Theirs was a small Denn, only the two of them and the kitten's father. But Mountbuilder was a strong buck who had high hopes for his little troop. Grain would have felt safer with a larger group (more eyes and ears looking out for trouble), but the area seemed safe enough, and secure, and Mount was fiercely proud and protective of his firstlings, so Grain really didn't fear for their safety during her short trek to the nearby berry bushes. She would need all of that energy-rich food if she was to properly care for her kittens. Nuts and succulent leaves could be brought to her, but she was picky when it came to fruits and berries.      Back at home, things were not so secure as they might have seemed. Mount lay before the entrance to Grain's denn, breathing in the warm scent of his firstborn kittens. He was quite the proud father, and fully intended to protect these three, along with their mother and aunt, with his very life.      Unfortunately, that turned out not being his own decision. He barely felt the prick on his hide, and his only reaction to it was a flick of his ear. And then he began to drift off, warm feelings of fatherhood putting him right to sleep.      When Grain and Sun returned, he was nowhere to be seen. And when they sniffed the air, a definite scent of humans, more specifically mage humans was evident. There were other smells with them, almost K'd or Runner in nature, but nothing either doe could identify.      Immediately, Grain ran to the denn she had hollowed out herself. The scent of humans was all around the entrance.      Her heart pounding, she almost couldn't bring herself to enter. She knew, as did many of her kind, that mages would take kittens when they found them, regardless of age.      She crept down the short tunnel, and closed her eyes as she neared the end, holding her breath and sending a short prayer to the earth mother. Hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't find an empty nest.      Sun stood outside, senses keen for any sign of lingering danger, and ears pricked for any sound from the denn.      A cry from within brought her to the entrance immediately, and she knew that the worst had happened. All there was left now was comforting her sister and moving on.      However, as she reached the end of the tunnel, she was surprised to see three small furry bundles of kitten crawling around their nest. Happily surprised. Grain looked up at her sibling's appearance, tears in her eyes, and then bent low and bathed her son's little ears. Relief flooded both does, and they slept together that night, keeping the kittens from exploring, or making much sound, for that matter. Just in case the mages returned.      The next morning, Sun cautiously poked her head out of the denn and sniffed the air. All she could smell was forest, and some small furry animals that had passed through their clearing before dawn. No sign of either mages or Mount. She was sad about that, but at least she could look at it as him having given his all for his kittens. She sent a quick thought for him, and wished their kind had been blessed with the sira's gift of telepathy. Or maybe not. She shuddered to think what he might be feeling right now, and if he were able to send that...      Sun shuddered again and retreated back into the nest.      "All clear," she said softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but you need to keep the entrance closed, alright? I know you'd fight to your last breath to protect those little ones, but I don't want to loose you or the kittens. Got it?" She could see Grain's weak smile in the near pitch darkness of the tunnel, thanks to her kind's excellent night vision, and nuzzled her sister briefly before exiting. She took a moment to pull up a large tuft of grass and transplant it over the mouth of the denn, leaving just a little hole for air.      And then she was off, running as fast as she possibly could, pushing herself into a long distance marathon, hoping to find the impossible.