Squirrelflight placed her newly caught thrush on the fresh kill pile. She looked around the clearing happily—No cat in ThunderClan would ever again have to suffer the terrible hunger that had gripped the forest. Birchkit was practicing his hunter's crouch—It would not be long until his apprentice ceremony now. Every cat was occupied, it seemed to Squirrelflight, and so she slipped out of the gorse tunnel, looking around to see if any cat had spotted her. All was quiet, so Squirrelflight carefully continued to the lakeshore.
Crack! A twig snapped. Squirrelflight's pelt bristled. She was only at the Sky Oak now. She quickened her pace, nonetheless. The noises, though small like a twig snapping or a leaf being stepped on now seemed earsplitting to Squirrelflight as she hurried to the Lakeshore, running now. Squirrelflight's pursuer also quickened the pace. Squirrelflight's pelt felt pain—her attacker had leaped and landed squarely on her back. Squirrelflight unsheathed her claws and felt them sink into her unexpecting assailant. The cat let out a yowl of shock and pain, before leaping back to face her.
"I'll fight you and tear more than fur, if you'd like!" Squirrelflight threatened, and then recognized Whitepaw. "What're you doing here?" Whitepaw began licking her wound, while giving Squirrelflight a glare.
"I was hunting and got bored so I thought I'd try my luck…that is before I was attacked!" She finished her little review with another fierce look at Squirrelflight.
"What a minute, when did you leave camp?" Squirrelflight asked.
"Just when you guys got back, I saw you returning through the trees as soon as I left." This surprised Squirrelflight. Whitepaw's mentor was Brackenfur, an experienced warrior who had been mentored by Graystripe. Her hunting patrol hadn't fully restocked the fresh kill pile, which had been almost full in the first place. Why would Brackenfur send Whitepaw hunting whilst there was a hunting patrol? As though she could read Squirrelflight's thoughts Whitepaw answered,
"He went by the lakeshore because Brackenfur thought he smelled RiverClan in farther than two tail-lengths."
"Yes, well, ah, you might want to work on your hunting crouch and stalking." Squirrelflight replied hurriedly as she left as fast as she could for the lakeshore.
Stormfur headed to the lakeshore anxiously—he hoped he hadn't kept Squirrelflight waiting. The thought of meeting the fiery she-cat made Stormfur's heart skip and his duties seemed to fly by. Blackclaw and a few other warriors had questioned him, and he had simply said it was their new territory, which made sense to the others. Stormfur waited patiently on the lakeshore for the green-eyed she-cat, and thought fondly of their last meeting on ThunderClan territory.
Stormfur?
Yes, my dear?
I, I don't how to say this…
Stormfur had purred and pressed his muzzle into her fur.
You can tell me anything, my green-eyed angel.
I'm pregnant…with kits…our kits…Stormfur?
That's wonderful!
Yes, but we have a problem.
How could there possibly be a problem?
I don't have a ThunderClan mate.
So? Queens don't have to say who their mate is.
But what if one is gray furred like…you? They must have seen how close we've gotten on the Great Journey…
Say that they're Ashfur's.
Squirrelflight had given him an incredulous look.
Are you sure?
Yes, after all he couldn't say no to his Clan leader's daughter.
Squirrelflight had once again purred, making Stormfur's heart do back flips.
But what about Brambleclaw?
What about him, Stormfur?
I, well I think he loves you…and he's a good friend of mine…I wouldn't want you to hurt him.
He will find love, my dear.
Are you sure?
Yes, maybe with oh, I don't know…Mousefur…
Mousefur?
Stormfur had chuckled thinking of the dusky brown she-cat.
Oh, you know…some ThunderClan she-cat.
ThunderClan, what makes you so sure?
Brambleclaw has been and is fighting for loyalty he wouldn't lose all of it for some dopey she-cat
I guess you're right, my lovely.
Well, I should get back to camp, dear.
And I around the lake…good night, Squirrelflight.
Good night, my dear.
Stormfur purred as he remembered watching Squirrelflight's green eyes fade, and longed to once again press his muzzle in her warm fur and breathe in her sweet, sweet scent.
A sudden tackle from behind snapped him out of his daydream. He opened his mouth to yowl but a paw clamped down on it.
"What's this?" The cat meowed. "The great Stormfur caught off guard?"
"Squirrelflight," Stormfur mewed, wriggling out of her tight grasp. "You scared the fur off me!" He made his neck fur go down as he rubbed himself against her warm fur and breathed in her sweet scent.
"Heh, heh." Squirrelflight chuckled as she broke away.
"Well?" Stormfur asked.
"What?"
"What did Ashfur say?"
"Well, I haven't had time to ask him…"
"Squirrelflight, she-cats can tell when you're pregnant…it won't be long now."
"Yes, it won't…Leafpool says that kits could come early."
"Does she know?"
"I'm not sure, but she's pretty busy…she had to go to WindClan to help an elder."
"Yes."
"Oh, but Stormfur, it's more than that…she's in a daze…confused. She almost gave an elder a stinging nettle!"
"Oh my…"
"That was Goldenflower's reaction, too." Squirrelflight chuckled, as she seemed to remember this moment.
"I'm worried, Stormfur…"
"Don't worry my green-eyed angel, things will turn out fine…"
"Stormfur?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"I'm glad you didn't stay with the Tribe."
"So am I."
Squirrelflight hurried back to the ThunderClan camp, hoping no cat had noticed her disappearance, not even Leafpool. As soon as she headed back into the camp, Brambleclaw ran to her and pressed his muzzle into her fur.
Just like Stormfur. Squirrelflight thought with a pang of guilt.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Squirrelflight said, backing away. "Where's Ashfur?" Sadness covered Brambleclaw like a fox's stench.
"He's in the warriors' den…I'll get him." The brown tabby trotted away, as Leafpool appeared from her den, blinking sleep from her amber eyes.
"I was wondering when you'd get back." She yawned.
"Well, I'm back now." Squirrelflight greeted her sister.
"What took you so long?"
"I was thinking." Squirrelflight said, feeling a lump form in her throat. She felt terrible lying to her sister, but she couldn't possibly tell her the truth. Leafpool opened her mouth, but Ashfur was already approaching.
"You wanted to see me, Squirrelflight?" Tiredness was wrapped around him like a blanket, but interest still sparked in his blue eyes.
"Oh Ashfur!" Squirrelflight forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat and made herself rush into Ashfur and bury her nose in his fur as if he was Stormfur.
"I-I…can we talk about this outside of camp?"
"Oh, uh, sure Squirrelflight." The gray warrior followed her out of the clearing without hesitation.
"Oh, Ashfur…" Squirrelflight began, her legs trembling. She had talked to Ashfur, after her and Brambleclaw's argument, but they hadn't been that close.
"I'm pregnant." She was careful not to say who the father was so she wouldn't have to lie.
"I assume I'm the father?" Oh StarClan. Squirrelflight nodded.
"That's wonderful! I can't wait to tell the Clan!"
"…Yea…"
"Is anything wrong?"
"No…it's just, the kits are kicking."
"They're already strong fighters!" Ashfur remarked, pressing his nose into her fur.
"Come on, let's head back to camp." He said, nudging Squirrelflight to her paws. The next few days were a blur. Her meeting with Stormfur had been forfeited when Ashfur learned of her pregnancy, refusing to let her take even the smallest of walks.
"Ashfur," Squirrelflight, annoyed with him, finally spoke up. "I need fresh air…outside of camp!" Ashfur blinked, as if this had just occurred to him.
"Really?" He asked. Squirrelflight felt ready to explode.
"Yes." She said through gritted fangs. "Let's go."
Squirrelflight headed down to the lake for a drink, Ashfur at her side.
"It's such a beautiful day!" Ashfur commented as Squirrelflight drank in the sunlight. It dappled on her fur, and she felt energy return to her limbs.
"Come on!" She told him, running ahead.
"Hey!" Ashfur yelled, with a mrrow of laughter. Squirrelflight was almost to lake, when a sharp pain stopped her sprinting.
"O-o-o-o-o!" She moaned.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Ashfur meowed urgently. Squirrelflight turned to him.
"The kits are coming."