Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 12

Bearheart awoke to the sound of hushed voices, some hostile, some sympathetic.

"We can't keep her here!" A voice was saying. The voice was gravelly and hoarse. "She's from a different clan!"

"Stonespeck, she's injured! Her leg is broken! She can't travel!" A calmer voice retorted.

"Hmm." Stonespeck grunted.

A white she-cat with a berry of a nose hurried into the den, eyes wide when she realised Bearheart was awake.

"Oh, you're awake!" The white she-cat exclaimed. "I'm Lilystream. And you are?"

"Bearheart. Where am I?" Bearheart asked.

"Moonclan's camp, silly. Last night, Riverscar was doing a lone border patrol, and he saw you just in time. You were practically dead on your paws!"

Riverscar. Of course!

"My leg. You mentioned outside that my leg is broken." Bearheart queried.

"Yes. It is." Lilystream meowed solemnly. "But, you're expecting kits, right?"

"Yes." Bearheart nodded slowly.

"All the more reason to fix you up! By the way, Streamstar sent a patrol to your camp, telling them that you're here."

"Great." Bearheart muttered.

She was in Moonclan's camp, cut off from her own clan, and, being treated by the peppiest medicine cat she'd ever met.

Perfect.

"Do you want to meet the clan?" Lilystream asked.

Bearheart nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Alright. Just, hmm... here!" Lilystream hurried over to Bearheart and nudged one of her hind legs in the air.

"Don't move that leg." The white she-cat instructed, then ushered her out of the den.

When Bearheart sat at the mouth of the den, she noticed how water based the camp was.

There was a flood of water surrounding the camp. The dens were on land, but Bearheart noticed exits at the back of all the dens. She guessed that the water acted as some sort of guard against intruders.

Riverscar sprinted up to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Other than having a broken leg, and not being in my own camp, I'm great!" Bearheart responded sarcastically.

"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad!" Riverscar said exasperatedly.

"With you here, no, It's not." Bearheart whispered.

"We need to get you back to your camp." Riverscar changed the subject while he licked his chest fur in embarrassment.

"You can say that again." Bearheart rolled her eyes.

"I can go get Streamstar. You can talk to him." Riverscar suggested.

"Maybe I will." She nudged him playfully, then looked around to make sure no one had seen.

"I'll go get him now." The silver tom nodded and raced across the camp.

As Bearheart sat alone, she watched the camp.

There were apprentices running across the camp, reeds and moss dangling from their mouths.

Warriors picked from the fresh kill pile, which consisted of fish and a couple of water shrews.

There's hardly any variety! Bearheart thought to herself.

Her thoughts strayed as she watched the camp, and she suddenly noticed a familiar pale tan pelt creeping among the bushes. Doefang! Three more pelts appeared along with her sister's.