Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 10

Bearheart dragged herself around the camp, feeling more and more tired each day.

"Who's the father?" Minnie asked.

"What?" Bearheart took a step back, startled.

"The kits!" Minnie pushed.

"Oh, I, uh...." Bearheart stumbled with words.

"You didn't know, did you? Well, thank Starclan I told you! But really, who is the father?" Minnie laughed.

"Pineclaw..." Bearheart guessed.

"I knew it. You should go tell him!" Minnie padded away.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

Bearheart began stumbling out of camp, feeling as loud as a badger.

I'll never be able to accomplish anything with kits!

Bearheart thought sourly.

She stumbled across the paths and winding trails and realized she was going toward the border where she and Riverscar had met.

She sat down when she arrived there, her ears pricked for patrols.

"Bearheart? Is that you?" A voice called from the other side of the border.

"Yes, Riverscar. It's me." Bearheart laughed.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's a good question. I need to tell you something."

"Okay. I'll listen."

"Riverscar, I'm expecting kits." Bearheart rolled over to face him.

"That's great! Oh, Bearheart!" Riverscar nuzzled into Bearheart's fur, his eyes alight with joy.

"But you know that I can't tell my clan that they're yours?" Bearheart questioned him.

He nodded, pain showing in his eyes. "I wish you could, but it would hurt us both."

"You're so understanding, Riverscar." Bearheart smiled.

"But Bearheart, what clan will we raise them in?" Riverscar's eyes darkened.

"While they're young, we'll raise them in Thornclan. Then we'll decide what to do." Bearheart said with certainty.

"Okay. I knew you would know what to do." Riverscar laughed into her ear.

"Quit it!" Bearheart rolled over, laughing. "I should go back. I have to talk to someone."

"You do that. It's going to take a while by the looks of it." He glanced at Bearheart's stomach and she swiped a paw playfully over his ear.

"I'd better get going." Bearheart hoisted herself up off the ground and began wobbling away.

"Bearheart?" Riverscar called.

"Yes?" She turned around.

"I love you." He said, and ran off into the undergrowth

Bearheart stood, paws shaking among the trees.

"I love you too." She whispered.

Bearheart knew that Riverscar couldn't hear her, but she knew, that somehow, he would know.

When Bearheart returned to camp, she looked around for Pineclaw.

There was a lie she had to tell.

"Pineclaw!" She called as soon as she saw him.

The ginger tom was picking his prey from the fresh kill pile while his apprentice, Daisypaw, ran around beside him.

Pineclaw looked up when Bearheart called his name.