Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 13

Antwhisker raced into the den, tail kinked over his back.

Bearheart was hardly conscious as the tom shoved tangy leaves into her mouth.

"Get her a stick, Lilyflower." Antwhisker instructed.

Lilyflower raced away.

Bearheart's stomach contracted, pain shooting through her like fire.

Lilyflower came back, a large stick suspended in her jaws.

She dropped it at Bearheart's muzzle, and Bearheart picked it up gladly.

With the stick plastered between her jaws, she felt pain shoot through her, and before she knew it, Antwhisker told her she had a she-kit.

A flame of pain arose within her, and Bearheart bit down harder on the stick.

It splintered.

Sharp pains exploded in her back and hips, and Bearheart tensed.

Antwhisker placed a paw on her stomach and pushed.

Pain shot through her anew, but Bearheart didn't falter. Her tense and unkempt state of mind staying still as the pain flooded over her.

Antwhisker tensed beside her, then relaxed with a sigh of relief. "You have two healthy she-kits." He declared.

Bearheart nodded, grateful that her trial had ended.

She pushed herself to a sitting position, examining her kits. One was silver, like Riverscar, the fact that he was her father reflected in their similarly colored pelts.

"Silverkit." Bearheart croaked as Silverkit began to suckle. She looked at the other kit. This she-kit was white, black stripes and speckles planted all around her body.

"Snowkit."

"Not going to let me name one?" She recognized Pineclaw's arrogant tone in an instant.

"No. I'm not." Bearheart raised her eyes to his, unable to control her defiance.

"Really, Bearheart?" Pineclaw looked down his nose at her. "You don't want to let me?"

"Never. I'll never let an arrogant rat-dropping like you name my kits!"

"Our kits." Pineclaw corrected snootily.

Bearheart scoffed. "No. No they aren't. They aren't your kits whatsoever." She let it slip before she realized that it had.

"What!" Pineclaw bellowed. "What in the name of Starclan are you talking about!?" Silverkit and Snowkit began wailing.

"I," Bearheart paused. "Don't have to explain anything."

Pineclaw bristled. "Really? Really, Bearheart?" His voice rose, the force scaring her.

Suddenly Pineclaw turned around. He glared at Antwhisker and Lilyflower, making them leave, kits included.

The tom turned back to Bearheart. "Bearheart, how dare you!" He yowled.

Bearheart pulled her lips back in a snarl.

The red tom laughed, sounding more like he was growling, threatening her. "You can't fight me. You're weaker than you've ever been."

Bearheart growled, using all the power she had left in her.

Pineclaw grabbed Snowkit by the scruff, tossing her aside. He did the same with Silverkit.

Then he stretched his legs, towering over her. "Bearheart, you made the wrong choice." He placed a paw on her throat, constricting her air flow.

Gasping for another breath, she pawed at his leg, sheathing and unsheathing her claws.

Pineclaw laughed again, pushing down harder on her neck. He unsheathed the claws on his other paw, lowering them close to her face. "Bearheart, you can never escape me." He dragged a claw across her cheek, blood shining on it.

Bearheart whimpered.

Pineclaw lowered his claws again, this time dragging all of them across her stomach.

"No!" She cried, feeling as though a fox was attacking her.

A few moments of ruckus in the nursery and Bearheart tensed again.

She heard a commotion outside, rustling and scrambling.

Pineclaw's lowered head shot up. "Don't say anything about this." He demanded.

Bearheart nodded. She couldn't muster up anything else.

At that moment Doefang burst into the nursery, hackles raised.

"Doefang, thank Starclan! A fox made a hole and slipped inside! It attacked me and then Bearheart." Pineclaw panted.

Bearheart had watched him tear a hole in the tightly woven walls of the nursery, drag claws across his own body, then felt his claws on her body once again. He had done it quickly, messily. All just so he could lie.

"Bearheart!" Doefang raced past Pineclaw, ignoring his words.

Bearheart looked up, meeting her sister's eyes. It's a lie. She wanted to say. Pineclaw did all of this. Every last thing. He's the fox.

Pineclaw nodded at Doefang and slunk out of the den, shooting a glare at Bearheart.

"I'll just sleep..." Bearheart muttered as darkness swamped over her.