Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 11

The next day, Bearheart stretched and began searching for Lilyflower, only to remember she had stayed in the apprentices den while the white she-cat gave birth.

"Bearheart?" Sprucepaw muttered sleepily.

"Go back to sleep." She told him.

"Hmm." Sprucepaw grunted and turned over, tail whisking over his nose.

Bearheart crept out of the den, relishing the warmth of the weak leaf-fall sun.

Sunstripe raced up to her.

"Lilyflower's asking for you. She has been since last night." Sunstripe said to her urgently, shifting his paws as he spoke.

"I'll go see her now." Bearheart nodded.

The gray and black she-cat padded across camp, excited to see her denmate.

"Lilyflower?" She called gently into the dim light of the nursery.

"Bearheart!" A weak voice responded. "Come in, please."

When Bearheart slunk into the den, the first thing she noticed was the mass of writhing kits at Lilyflower's stomach.

"Will you help me name them?" Lilyflower asked, more of a plea than a question.

"I will." Bearheart promised.

"There are six. Sunstripe and I named two of them already."

"Which ones?" Bearheart asked eagerly.

Lilyflower gestured to a small golden she-cat, almost identical to Sunstripe. "Hopekit. She's the weakest."

The white she-cat's voice sounded distraught, as if she hated herself for giving birth to a weak kit. "Antwhisker says she'll survive. I don't know."

"Antwhisker is the medicine cat. You trust him, don't you?"

Lilyflower nodded reluctantly.

"She'll survive. Now what about the other kit?"

Lilyflower moved her tail the slightest bit, exposing a strong white tom with light ginger splotches. "This is Ryekit. I think he's the strongest."

"You should be very proud, Lilyflower. Six kits! That's about four too many for me." Bearheart exclaimed.

Lilyflower laughed.

Bearheart gently picked up a small white she-kit with a golden muzzle, laying her in the crook of her own stomach.

"What about her?"

Lilyflower shook her head. "I don't know."

Bearheart studied the kit, noticing every curve in her back, every jagged turn of her tail. "Quailkit?"

Lilyflower's eyes lit up, clearly liking the choice. "That's perfect. I love it."

Bearheart placed Quailkit back in her mother's warmth, and picked up a wriggling tom, returning to her earlier position.

"He's perfectly ginger. Hazelkit?"

Lilyflower laughed. "Hazel has never been a name for a tom. Why should it be now?"

Bearheart stiffened. "Hazelkit is perfect. I can't explain it. It's just... perfect."

Luckily, Sunstripe came in right at that moment, becoming the voice of reason.

"It's perfect, Lily! Don't you see?"

Finally, Lilyflower gave in, admitting the name was perfect.