Chapter 22
Yellowfang had arrived before long, and as Tinyclaw and Bluefur carried Silverstream into the camp behind her the whole Clan knew something was up. The scent of blood and kits had brought them out, and the scent of RiverClan sent them whispering. Graystripe and Brackenpaw followed behind, each with a kit in their mouths. Graystripe's pawsteps were sullen, grief for his lost son on his shoulders.
Tigerstar met them, and exchanged a few words with Yellowfang. With his nod, Bluefur and Tinyclaw carried Silverstream into the medicine cat's den, the others following. Tigerstar brought up the rear, his tail low as the Clan whispered up a storm behind him.
"Here," Yellowfang offered, gesturing to a spare nest. Tinyclaw and Bluefur gingerly set down Silverstream, who shifted and moaned in pain. Graystripe let out a whimper – but with a kit in his mouth there wasn't much he could say otherwise.
"Will she be all right?" Tinyclaw asked.
"The birth was early," Yellowfang replied. She turned to Tigerstar and finished, "She'll live, but she can't nurse her kits right now. They'll need a surrogate if they're to survive."
Fear pierced Tinyclaw's heart, seeing Tigerstar's eyes flashing. Would he turn away these kits, born to a cat from another Clan? Born from a broken warrior code? The kits were mewling, squirming; both hungry and loud about it.
"Bluefur," Tigerstar said. Bluefur's ears pricked in shock. Tigerstar asked, "Your kits are eating fresh-kill, aren't they?"
"Y-Yes," Bluefur admitted, her blue eyes stunned. She narrowed them and insisted, "Tigerstar, you can't ask me to -"
"It would be temporary," Tigerstar interrupted. "You're the only queen with milk to spare – Brindleface's dried up days ago now that her kits are solely on solid food. Will you take them?"
Tinyclaw's stomach was a pit. Tigerstar seemed willing to take in the kits, but Tigerstar had a kind streak to his imposing presence. Bluefur didn't have a kind bone in her body – which shocked Tinyclaw all the more when she simply nodded.
"I'll do it," she decided.
"Good," Tigerstar affirmed.
"These kits, though," Bluefur went on. "They're half-Clan, Tigerstar! You can't intend to keep them here!"
Tigerstar's eyes flashed. "We'll see to that when Silverstream recovers," he decided. "For now, nurse the kits. They need it."
Bluefur swallowed, still clearly uncomfortable. But she flicked her tail and padded out of the den. Brackenpaw followed, and Graystripe soon after. The kits dangled from their mouths, mewling pitifully.
Yellowfang stared after them. "We lost a kit," she rasped, "but he was dead before he had a chance to breathe. Brackenpaw did well despite it all – we could have lost Silverstream if he'd tarried any longer."
Tinyclaw recalled Brackenpaw's urgency in Tinyclaw getting there with the herbs before him, and Redtail's warning that things would be different because of Tinyclaw's interference. Did that mean that if Tinyclaw had stayed with Brackenpaw, Silverstream would have died?
"He did do well," Tigerstar agreed. "But the Clan will be furious for this, once word gets around."
"What about Graystripe?" Tinyclaw wondered. "What will happen to him?"
Tigerstar looked at Tinyclaw for a long moment. Finally, he flicked his tail and decided, "Come."
Confused, Tinyclaw nodded good-bye to Yellowfang and followed Tigerstar out of the den. The Clan was clamoring with questions, but they left their leader alone as he crossed the camp to the Highrock. Tinyclaw followed him into his den, the budding lichen scraping along his spine as they entered the quiet.
Tigerstar settled in his nest and meowed, "I cannot say what will happen to Graystripe, Tinyclaw. I must discuss it with the other warriors first."
"But he -"
"Couldn't help himself?" Tigerstar guessed. Tinyclaw shut his jaws. Tigerstar rumbled, "No, I suppose he couldn't – one doesn't always choose who they fall in love with. But they can choose whether or not it's right to act on those feelings… and the both of them chose wrongly."
Tigerstar's shoulders were rigid. "I had hoped they would see the error of their way," he mumbled, "especially with you there to tell them. But…"
"How can the warrior code punish us for who we love?" Tinyclaw wondered. His spine was bristling in defense of his friend. Graystripe loved Silverstream just as Tinyclaw loved Sandstorm – why was there a difference? "What gives it the right?"
Tigerstar did not answer. He turned his head away – again, unable to meet Tinyclaw's eyes. Memories stormed behind his amber eyes, and suddenly Tinyclaw realized that he had been right all along.
"You've asked that yourself, haven't you?" Tinyclaw accused. "Because this happened to you."
Tigerstar slowly, slowly, turned to look at Tinyclaw. For the first time in what felt like moons, his leader looked him in the eye. Burning amber eyes bored into ice-blue.
"Yes, Tinyclaw," Tigerstar meowed. "I'm sure you've managed to guess by now – Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt… are my kits."