Erin Hunter owns Warriors, I do not claim ownership of Warriors, but the words are mine
This is the answer to the challenge "Forbidden Love" Hope you enjoy :D.
Grasstail knew he was coming, she felt it in her heart, she knew what he wanted, and that she wanted it to. Guilt swept through her fur another time as she was reminded of what she was doing. 'I can't do this; it's against the warrior code!' She thought to herself. She couldn't go back now, she had come too far, and so had he. Grasstail sent thanks to StarClan that their Clans bordered each other. Her fur was flattened to her side from the strong wind of her home, WindClan territory. She stopped at the border, near an old tree, and waited for her ShadowClan love. Shrewfur appeared a moment later, tail high with delight and eyes filled with love. "You came," He mewed, and for Grasstail it was the only sound she could hear. Twining her tail with his, she pressed herself to him, purring.
Grasstail awoke in the warriors den the next morning, the previous night's memories flashing through her mind. "He was so kind.' She thought fondly. Brightclaw looked at her, "Who's got you in a moony mood?" He asked teasingly. Grasstail blinked fondly at her littermate. "Oh, no-one," She meowed, "No one you would know." Brightclaw let out a low, playful growl, "Well he'd better not be from another Clan." Grasstail purred slightly, "No no, don't worry," knowing fully that she never said that he wasn't. She hated lying to her brother, so she didn't tell him the whole truth. Grasstail leapt up out of the den and made her way to the fresh-kill pile, hoping for a squirrel. Most cats didn't like squirrel but whenever the patrols brought them in, she made a point to have one.
Crunching down on the squirrel, she thought of Shrewfur, all alone in the ShadowClan camp, without any littermates or mates to keep him company. She found herself thoroughly looking forward to seeing him at the gathering tonight, if she was chosen to go. Finishing off the squirrel, she asked Wolfstar if she could go hunting by herself. When his permission was given, Grasstail headed out of the camp entrance, moving to the RiverClan border. Scenting a rabbit almost immediately, she pressed her body to the ground, silently stalking the young animal. Pouncing, she landed squarely on the rabbits back, and the rabbit gave a start. Quickly, Grasstail delivered the kill-bite to its spine. Happily curling her tail at her kill, she headed home to WindClan.
Padding into the camp with her rabbit in her jaws, she felt a rush of pride in her catch; it was the biggest rabbit that had been brought in. Accepting the praises of her clanmates, she placed her fresh-kill on the pile and padded up to Wolfstar, "My leader, may I go to the gathering tonight?" She asked, a pleading look in her eyes. Wolfstar looked thoughtful for a moment, and then meowed, "With a rabbit that big, of course you can come." Grasstail dipped her head in respect, and then pelted over to her brother, dust stirring in her wake. "Brightclaw, Brightclaw, I'm going to the gathering!" she yowled excitedly. Her brother executed the perfect eye-roll and laughed, "Even after being a warrior for 8 moons you still act like a new apprentice." Grasstail purred, rubbing up to her brother.
At the gathering, Grasstail immediately sought out Shrewfur, searching the ShadowClan cats faces urgently. A tail brushed her shoulder, and she spun around to lively blue eyes, "Looking for me?" Shrewfur meowed. Light green eyes dancing, but remembering she was at a gathering, she sat next to the tom, but not touching him. Gazing up at Fourtrees, Grasstail listened idly to what the leaders were saying, but she was more focused on Shrewfur, the colour of his fur, the glow of his eyes, the warmth of his fur. She was just about to nuzzle him when Froststar, leader of RiverClan, yowled an end to the meeting. This broke Grasstail out of her trance-like state and she was swept away from her beloved by a tide of her clanmates heading home, away from Fourtrees.
On the way home, Grasstail felt unusually tired, as if she were suddenly old. Rippleflower, a WindClan queen, blinked sympathetically at her, "It's tough having kits, I know, but it gets easier, I won't ask who the father is, if a queen doesn't wish to tell, she doesn't have to." She meowed. Grasstail's mind was reeling, 'Kits?!' she couldn't begin to comprehend what this would mean for her. Purring weakly, she made the travel home in shock, she had to meet Shrewfur tonight, to tell him the news. The idea burned in her mind, and stayed with her as her clanmates went to sleep, and she slipped out of the camp, slinking towards the ShadowClan border.
She crossed into their marshy territory, her mind full of what was to come. She scented a ShadowClan patrol ahead, and pushed herself to the ground, trying to hide herself in the ground. The three cats passed overhead, one of them stopped, "I smell WindClan," The voice growled. The cat started towards her hiding place when a mew saved her, "I'll check it out, we are close to the border anyways, don't worry, I'll catch up," It was Shrewfur. The cat stopped, and then turned back to his other clanmate and the two padded off into the bushes, leaving Grasstail alone with Shrewfur. "I can smell you Grasstail, what are you doing here?" He meowed urgently, his voice tinted with concern. Grasstail padded out into the open, "I'm expecting our kits Shrewfur!" She mewed happily. Shrewfur's face was overcome with joy, "They'll be the most beautiful kits in the world," He promised her. "I know, I know." Grasstail murmured, feeling as though nothing in the world could touch her.
Gazing up into Shrewfur's eyes, she knew that when the kits were born, she would have to chose, WindClan, or Shrewfur. She cringed at the thought of making that choice, every cat knew that WindClan cats were the most loyal of the Clan cats. "You should leave, run and yowl, as though I were driving you out." Shrewfur told her. Nodding, Grasstail took off running, flying over the grass like the wind. her kits weighed her down, but she was WindClan, and no cat could catch a fit WindClan warrior. Shrewfur's yowls died away as she put more and more distance between herself and her mate. Sneaking back into camp, she curled into her nest, and excitedly awaited the day when her kits would see sunshine.
Tiny paws poked Grasstail in her side and her eyes flew open. Greenkit drew her paw back for another poke when Grasstail moved her tail over the kits mouth. Greenkit's eyes filled with laughter as she bounded away to sit next to her sister, Amberkit. "Mother said you would watch us while she went hunting." Greenkit mewed sweetly. Grasstail groaned, Fallowflower's kits could be such a pawful, and at times, two. Her own kits were close to being born, and Shrewfur had been excited last time she had met him. There was a time when she would have enjoyed looking after the 3 month old kits, but now she just felt annoyed. Gorsefur said it was normal for a queen to get crabby the closer to kitting she got. Grasstail sighed, "I'm sorry, but I cant watch you two today, I feel too tired." She huffed. The kits let out mewed of protest when the pain started.
"Breathe deeply, you're going to be fine." Gorsefur meowed encouragingly. Grasstail gunted as another wave of pain swept through her, it was just after sunhigh and she had been kitting since the kits had woken her. There had been a time where she would have made jokes with her brother about how much fuss the queens put up during kitting, now she realised what they were going through. Gorsefur stuffed a herb into her mouth, "Eat this!" he growled. Grasstail gulped down the herbs. A shudder racked her body as a kit slid out, "A black she-cat with a tortioseshell patch on her chest!" Gorsetail mewed triumphantly. Grasstail gasped as pain shook her again as another kit arrived, "A tom, looks like you Grasstail." Gorsetail murmured. Grasstail shot him a warm and exasperated look. "What are their names?" Fallowflower prompted.
Grasstail looked at the she-cat, "This one will be called Spottedkit." "A good name" Gorsefur mused. Grasstail turned to the tom, "He will be called Patchkit" Fallowtail touched her shoulder with her tail, warmth and happiness brimming in her eyes for her friend. "Congratulations," she meowed. Grasstail settled down to sleep, her new kits nuzzling at her belly, kneading it with their tiny paws. She woke the next morning to two sets of piercing blue-green eyes gazing at her. A purr filled her body as the two kits jumped on her flank, nuzzling up to her, "Your awake!" Spottedkit exclaimed, her fluffy fur sticking out all over the place. Patchkit looked the same as his sister, with his fur sticking out, "Can we go outside?" He asked sweetly. Both kits' gazes were filled with a pleading look. "Oh alright," Grasstail meowed, knowing she would never be able to argue with her kits. Greenkit and Amberkit wasted no time in joining Spottedkit and Patchkit as they headed out of the nursery.
Four moons had passed since her kits were born, Shrewfur had been over the moon when she told him the news and what their kits looked like. She watched her kits play, throwing the ball of moss between them, they were the only kits now that Amberpaw and Greenpaw had become apprentices a moon before. A warning yowl came from the entrance, "ShadowClan!" Brightclaw yowled. Wolfstar bounded out of his den to see what the warning was about. "A ShadowClan cat just came to the camp" Brightclaw growled. The new WindClan deputy gestured with his tail to the cat that was being held to the ground by the WindClan cats, it was Shrewfur, with fresh wounds showing on his pelt.
Wolfstar padded up to the captured cat, "What are you doing here Shrewfur?" Shrewfur struggled to his paws, throwing the WindClan cats off him, and he stood before Wolfstar, "Wolfstar, I have come to be with my kits, and my love." He gazed lovingly at Grasstail. Wolfstar followed his gaze, "Your kits?" Wolfstar's face was overcome with shock, which slowly turned to understanding. "If you'll have me, that is." Shrewfur added. Wolfstar huffed, then turned to his deputy, "What do you think?" Brightclaw looked once at Grasstail before mewing, "If Grasstail felt him a worthy mate, then he must be a decent cat, I think we should take him, Its clear that he has nowhere else to go." Indicating the wounds, "ShadowClan probably drove him out.
Wolfstar nodded thoughtfully, "He can stay." he decided. Grasstail rushed up to her mate, pressing her nose into his fur, "These are your kits," she mewed, indicating Spottedkit and Patchkit, who were currently hiding behind their mother. She nudged them out, presenting them to Shrewfur, "W-W-Who is this?" Spottedkit mewed nervously. "This is your father, and he's very happy to see you." Grasstail mewed. Spotted kit rushed forward, touching noses with her father, and Shrewfur was overcome by a purr that racked his body. Patchkit followed a moment later bowling over his father. "I'm glad your finally here, and that were together." Grasstail meowed.