Chapter Three

Dovewing started walking back to camp. Bumblestripe had insisted on hurrying to get help, but she felt much better now. She had almost reached the tunnel when she ran into Bumblestripe and Jayfeather.

"Dovewing!" Bumblestripe meowed, "Are you feeing better?"

"Yeah. You didn't need to get Jayfeather. I'm fine." She insisted. Jayfeather turned his blind gaze on her.

"What happened?" he asked. "Bumblestripe told me you collapsed while you were hunting." Dovewing didn't know what to say.

"I just had a pain in my belly. I think I'm fine though. Maybe just some bad fresh-kill?" Dovewing suggested. Jayfeather seemed to contemplate this idea.

"Possibly. I should still check you out though."

"No, no. Really I'm fine." Dovewing knew Millie was really close to kitting, and she didn't want Jayfeather to be spending time with her when he could be helping Millie, plus, she had a sneaking suspicion what the pain really was.

"You should go check on Millie."

"Well, if you're sure that you're okay," Jayfeather began. She nodded rapidly. "Alright, I'll go. But if it gets worse, make sure to get me."

Jayfeather padded away and she was left alone with Bumblestripe, who looked confused.

"Why didn't you want Jayfeather to help you?" he mewed.

"I just didn't want to waste his time. I'm fine. Want to get back to hunting?" He purred in way of acceptance.

"Of course. Look-" he signaled with his tail, "there's a thrush over there. If you circled around there, we would have it trapped." Dovewing nodded.

"Great plan. Let's do this." She slunk around the tree and waited for Bumblestripe's signal. At the flick of his tail, she yowled and lunged at the tree. The thrush let out an alarm cry that was cut off as Bumblestripe snapped its neck between his jaws.

"Nice!" purred Dovewing. She rubbed her cheek against Bumblestripe's flank and twined her tail with his. "Come on," she mewed, "let's go back to camp."

Ivypool trudged out of camp. She wished Squirrelflight had chosen her for a patrol or something, and then she would at least have something to do. Something other then thinking about the dark forest, with it's slimy moss and dark sky. Ivypool shivered just thinking about it.

She ran through the woods, trying to escape her thoughts and fears, and darted right by Dovewing and Bumblestripe, who were carrying some juicy looking fresh-kill.

"Hi!" she mewed breathlessly, adrenaline still pulsing through her from her dash through the woods.

"Ivypool!" exclaimed Dovewing. "Hi!" Bumblestripe nodded in greeting, but Ivypool looked away. "We were just heading back to camp," said Dovewing, "are you coming?"

"Okay," Ivypool didn't know what else to do. She didn't feel like hunting by herself. She followed Dovewing and Bumblestripe, feeling very much like a third wheel. When they reached camp, she was very pleased to find out that Squirrelflight wanted Bumblestripe for a patrol, but not Dovewing.

"Want to visit Cinderheart in the Nursery?" Dovewing asked. Ivypool didn't really want to; after all, she'd just been in the Nursery. But she did want to spend time with her sister, and if her sister wanted to spend time in the Nursery, so be it. Ivypool sighed.

"Fine, let's go." Muttered Ivypool. She didn't know what her sister's sudden fascination with the Nursery was, but she didn't care.

They pushed into the Nursery. Cinderheart was curled up in the corner, her gray flanks rising and falling. Daisy was helping Brightheart groom Snowkit while Dewkit and Amberkit played mossball. Mille was grooming her striped tabby pelt. She glanced up as they entered the den.

"Hello again, Ivypool. Dovewing, it's nice to see you." Dovewing flicked in ear in greeting. Ivypool nodded, still pleased that Bumblestripe wasn't here.

"We were here to see Cinderheart, but I can see she's sleeping." Dovewing added, waving her tail in Cinderheart's direction. Millie nodded.

"She went out hunting and it really tired her out," She mewed thoughtfully.

Just then, Graystripe's head poked through the entrance to the nursery.

"Millie," he purred, "I brought you a couple of shrews." He dropped them in front of her swollen belly. She purred in response. The gray warrior dipped his head to Ivypool and Dovewing and ducked out of the nursery.

"Want to share?" offered Millie, when the young she-cats shook their heads, she replied with a sigh, "I feel like all I do these days is eat and sleep."

Jayfeather walked back to camp lost in thought. Why did I even bother going with Bumblestripe? Dovewing was fine. And if she wasn't fine, she would come see him. He had better things to do then chase after young warriors who had eaten some bad fresh-kill.

Jayfeather stalked into the clearing. He paused at the fresh-kill pile and tasted the air.

"Cinderheart! Come to my den please."

"Oh. Okay." She sounded a bit surprised, but she followed him into his den and sat down on the sandy floor.

"I just wanted to give you some borage leaves. They'll help your milk come." Cinderheart nosed the pile of leaves Jayfeather had set in front of her.

"What are they again? And my milk won't have to come for a while yet."

"They're borage, and eat them." She pointedly licked her stomach, which had just begun to swell since she found out she was expecting kits. Still, it was good to know what the herbs tasted like so she could get used to them.

Mouse dung! He'd forgotten to check on Millie. As close to kitting as she was, Jayfeather had to check on her at least twice a day.

"Just eat them." He snapped, grabbing some herbs and folding them in an oak leaf. "I'm going to check on Millie."

Jayfeather felt like he was spending all day in the Nursery. He padded inside. He opened his mouth to scent the air. He padded over to where Millie was eating for what seemed like the tenth time that day. She was devouring a couple of shrews in ravenous mouthfuls.

"Jayfeather!" she mewed, her mouth full of fresh-kill. "I was just going into the clearing to catch the last of the sunlight."

"Okay," Jayfeather meowed, "just remember to eat these herbs." She flicked her tail in acknowledgement.

Lionblaze padded into camp to see Cinderheart appear from inside the medicine den.

"Hey Cinderheart, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Jayfeather was giving me some herbs," that didn't sound very convincing to Lionblaze, but he nodded.

"So, I guess you'll be going back to the Nursery now." He meowed; slightly disappointed she didn't sleep next to him anymore. She nodded.

"I guess I'll go see if Squirrelflight needs me for any patrols." Lionblaze Cinderheart flicked her ears and mewed uncertainly,

"You could come visit me in the Nursery," Lionblaze didn't want to tell her, but he didn't feel comfortable in the Nursery.

"Uh, maybe later, okay? I should go." He turned and padded across the clearing. "Hey, Squirrelflight, are there any patrols I can go on?" Squirrelflight scanned the patrol that was leaving the camp.

"That's a hunting patrol," she murmured half to herself. "And you've already been hunting today, maybe a border patrol?" Squirrelflight glanced up at him self-consciously and meowed, "Sorry, it just seems like there's so much work to do. Can you take Icecloud and Blossomfall to the ShadowClan border?" Lionblaze twitched his whiskers in agreement. He Icecloud and Blossomfall. Blossomfall exited the Warrior's Den with a yawn.

"But I just went hunting at sun-high!" she complained.

"Sorry," said Lionblaze, "but someone has to check the border. Come on." He led the way out of camp and towards the border. He raised his tail,

"Stop!" he hissed, "Fresh ShadowClan scent!" he jumped back as a tawny shape hurtled out of the bushed and flung itself at him. It yowled in rage, but he batted it aside effortlessly. He peered more closely at what had attacked him. It was a young tom, probably a recently made apprentice. He stunk of ShadowClan scent, and he had crossed from the border. However, he was now, over the border.

"Why are you in ThunderClan territory?" Lionblaze mewed sharply.

Cliffhanger! Hope you enjoyed.