Moonlight dappled the floor of the Featherclan camp as Raspberryswirl slipped out of the warrior's den. Looking around cautiously, the she-cat slipped out of the camp, heading towards the Mistclan border. She knew that it was against the warrior code to meet a tom from another clan, but she didn't see what harm their love would do.
Flicking her tail, she sniffed the air. Flamestripe's scent hung in the air, still fresh. Joy leapt into Raspberryswirl's chest. She hadn't missed him! Pushing her way through the ferns to the riverbank, she spotted Flamestripe's golden pelt shining under the dim light. He raised his tail as he saw her and hurried to the bank. He waded through the water, barely noticing that it was there.
Raspberryswirl purred as Flamestripe pulled himself up beside her, shaking water from his fur. He brushed his muzzle against hers, purring happily as he entwined his tail with hers. "I don't have long " he murmured. "Rainstar has started sending out moonhigh patrols. But I wanted to see you"
Raspberryswirl nodded, gazing at him. "Any time I get with you is enough" she whispered, her heart fluttering as she breathed in his scent. It was sweet for a Mistclan cat. "I should go" Flamestripe murmured, brushing against her once more before heading for the water. "I'm supposed to be hunting"
Raspberryswirl dipped her head. "Hope you catch something " she called to him as he splashed through the river to the Mistclan side. Flamestripe glanced back, his green eyes soft as he gazed at her. Then he turned and plunged into the reeds.
The sun was rising as Raspberryswirl returned to camp, a shrew in her jaws. She was pushing her way through the entrance when her fur snagged on the brambles. She let out a yowl as she became tangled in them and stumbled.
"Raspberryswirl!" a mew sounded by her ear. She looked up to see Fernsong standing over her. The light brown tabby grabbed an end of brambles, tugging at it. With his help, Raspberryswirl managed to pull herself free.
"Are you ok?" Fernsong asked, gazing at her with concern. She stood up carefully, licking at a thin trail of blood on her shoulder. "I don't know what happened " she told him. "The tunnel must be getting narrow" Fernsong frowned, looking her over. "You'd better see Softbreeze" he meowed. "You don't want those scratches getting infected"
Raspberryswirl nodded, trotting over to the medicine den. "Softbreeze?" she called, poking her head in. The white and ginger medicine cat was going through her herbs, and she looked up as she spoke. "Hello Raspberryswirl" she meowed, sitting up. "What can I help you with?"
Raspberryswirl pushed her way into the den, gasping as her flanks brushed against the walls of the den. Softbreeze pricked her ears, watching her. "I got tangled in the thorn barrier" she admitted to the medicine cat. "Fernsong said I should get the scratches treated" Softbreeze nodded, patting the ground. "Lay here and I'll take a look"
Raspberryswirl padded forward, carefully laying on her side. Softbreeze gently pressed her paw to Raspberryswirl's flank, searching for cuts. "I think I know why this happened" she meowed to the she-cat. "You're expecting kits" Raspberryswirl froze, staring at her. 'Kits?!' Softbreeze didn't reply, dabbing marigold on a scratch on her shoulder. Raspberryswirl began to breathe hard. 'Great Starclan, what have I done?!'
Later, after Softbreeze had finished treating her, Raspberryswirl lay outside the warrior's den. Fear flooded through her as she heard the medicine cat's words again. 'You're expecting kits....' Raspberryswirl knew she had to tell someone. She couldn't do this alone.
Glancing around she spotted Jackstar's mate, Dovewing, sunning herself outside the nursery with Frostfur. Taking a deep breath, Raspberryswirl got up and walked over. "Dovewing, Frostfur....can I talk to you?" she asked nervously. Dovewing sat up, gazing at her with warm eyes. "Of course" the queen meowed.
Raspberryswirl sat down beside her, looking down. "I just found out I'm expecting kits" she told them softly. Frostfur let out a purr, looking at her. "Congratulations!" she purred. "Whose kits are they?" Raspberryswirl looked at them. "Flamestripe of Mistclan" she admitted.
She froze as the two queens exchanged looks. Were they going to tell Jackstar? She closed her eyes, then looked up as Dovewing's tongue rasped warmly over ear. "You poor thing" she murmured. Frostfur sat up, gazing at Raspberryswirl with sympathy in her eyes. "What should I do?" she whispered.
Frostfur looked around, waving Fernsong over with a sweep of her bushy tail. Raspberryswirl looked at the tom as he joined them. "Fernsong, Raspberryswirl is in trouble" Frostfur told him, explaining Raspberryswirl's situation to him. Raspberryswirl hunkered down, embarrassment flooding through her. 'Why is Frostfur telling Fernsong?' she wondered.
After hearing everything, Fernsong turned to Raspberryswirl. "I'm sorry this has happened to you " he meowed gently. "Let me help you" Raspberryswirl looked up at him, confused. "How can you help?" she asked. Fernsong flicked his tail. "You can tell the clan that I'm the father" he meowed.
Raspberryswirl's eyes widened in shock. "You'd do that for me?" she breathed. Fernsong nodded. "It's better then watching my clanmate get exiled" he mewed calmly. Raspberryswirl felt a purr rumble in her throat. "You're a good friend" she whispered. Gazing at Frostfur, Dovewing, and Fernsong, she knew that she had their support through all this. She knew everything would now be ok.
