Icenose stares at me as if I just turned into a badger. I stare back, dreading what she'll say next. Will she tell Firestar that I have to go back to camp? But Icenose just purrs,"I thought you've been acting strange lately. Now I know why. But how? Who is it?"
"Well..."
"Well?"
"His name is Thornflight."
"Oh, Thorn...WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????"
"Yeah."
"From WindClan?"
"Yup."
"I can't believe you!"
"This is why I didn't want to tell you! I knew you'd get all spastic!"
"But everyone's gonna notice!"
"So?"
"So! They're gonna ask how you got pregnant again and start wondering who the father is!"
"Now you know who Shadowpaw got his looks from."
"Stop trying to change the subject!"
"Ok, ok! Great StarClan!"
"But why?"
"'Cause I love him."
"How did you two even meet?"
"I don't remember."
Icenose is fuming now. I brace myself for hurting words, but instead, Icenose lets out a mrrooow of amusement. "I always knew that you would keep on breakin' the rules!"
I breathe a sigh of relief. "Well, they're due soon."
"How soon?"
"I think tomorrow."
"TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????"
"Yeah."
Icenose suddenly gives me a puzzled look. "How do you know?"
"'Cuz."
"'Cuz...what?"
"Leafpool told me."
"Leafpool knows about this!?"
"Yup. She's the one who told me I was pregnant in the first place!"
"Well, I hope it all goes smoothly!"
I'm about to reply when Ferntalon whispers in my ear,"We're here."
I stop abrubtly and help my kits across the log. Spottedpaw almost slips off, but Swiftnose keeps her on. Soon we're over, and Firestar gives us the signal to go. I immediately run off to find Thornflight.
"No!"
It's Icenose's voice. "Are you crazy?"
"What do you mean?" I reply.
"People'll start suspecting something!"
"No they won't!"
I run off toward the thick throng of cats and soon see a black cat with green eyes talking to Nightcloud.
Thornflight.
I yowl above the other cats and soon he turns his head and yowls back. My heart soars. I want to run to him, but Nightcloud won't stop runnin' her mouth. Thornflight mews something to her, and Nightcloud nods and goes to talk to Mistyfoot. I run up to him and touch noses with him. I whisper,"Don't act like we're mated. I've got something to tell you."
"What is it?" His voice is water running smoothly over pebbles in river, and his eyes are warm and bright.
"I'm having kits."
"You are?!"
"Yeah! They're due tomorrow!"
"But I can't just look at you and tell that you are. Are you sure?"
I decide not to tell him about Leafpool knowing. "I'm positive. It must be a gift from StarClan that no one except my sister noticed."
"You're sister noticed?"
"Yeah, but she decided to keep it a secret, too."
Thornflight's about to reply, but suddenly Leopardstar's yowl rings through the clearing.
"Gotta go", Thornflight meows.
"OK."
I run to Swiftnose and Icenose. I settle down between them with my kits lined up in front of me.
Leopardstar meows,"RiverClan is almost done rebuilding their camp, so we will be able to move back in soon."
A ripple of approval runs through the crowd of cats.
Leopardstar turns to Blackstar. Blackstar nods and steps forward. "All is well. The prey is running smoothly."
"Do you think Firestar will mention the battle with ShadowClan?" I hear Dustpelt whisper to Sandstorm.
"Doubt it", she replies.
Blackstar steps back and Firestar steps forward. "We have been doing well this moon. We have three new apprentices. Shadowpaw, Spottedpaw, and Snowpaw."
The cats all begin to chant,"Shadowpaw! Spottedpaw! Snowpaw!"
Firestar waves his tail for silence. "Prey has been running well here, too."
Firestar nods to Onestar. Onestar mews,"All is well in WindClan."
"Then the Gathering is over," Blackstar says, and he jumps down from the branch and gathers his Clan around him to leave.
As I go to join my Clan, I catch Thornflight's eye. He mews something, but I'm too far away to hear. I break away from my Clan, and he does, too.
"Meet me tomorrow by the island at twilight", he mews.
"Ok", I reply.
As I walk back to my Clan, I think about how I'll be able to leave my kits to go and meet him. Bring them. I decide to let he and I discuss their names tomorrow when I go to meet him with the kits.