Chapter 5

"What? Foxes?" Flowerheart exclaimed with alarm. Like any typical queen would, she drew her kits closer with her fluffed out tail, eyes wide with horror.

"Where? Where?" Timberaxe called over the rising din. There was a scramble as several cats tried to shoulder their way to Fincheye.

"Everyone! We must–" Shimmerstar's voice could hardly compete with that of the Clan. No one seemed to hear her.

Stargazer lightly cuffed the closest cat to get their attention. A pair of soft, blue eyes turned to look at him.

"Gentlebreeze," he addressed the she-cat. "Clear a path to your brother, will you? I can't get to him through this lot."

The black warrior nodded her understanding. She turned and started to gently push cats away, making a path through the pelts to where Fincheye was standing. The tom was in shock, that was clear. Swimming in his Clanmates' questions, he looked as though he was about to pass out.

"Tangledpelt! Org–" Yet again Shimmerstar's voice was drowned out by the noise.

"We should go check the bramble barriers!" Stargazer heard someone declare as he followed Gentlebreeze.

The medicine cat halted, unable to keep his temper in check any longer. He shoved his face into that of the unfortunate speaker's. "No! You should go and listen to your leader! Now shut up!" he snapped, sending spittle flying. Satisfied with the look he earned, Stargazer stalked to Fincheye's side. "Are you hurt?" he asked the tabby.

Fincheye turned his attention away from the crowd of ThunderClanners. "N-no," he started, looking embarrassed. "I left before –"

"Silence!" Badgerchaser's deep voice boomed out. It echoed through the hollow, briefly ringing in the ears of the cats.

And there was silence.

The black-and-white warrior gave his Clanmates a distinct look of disapproval, which would even make StarClan feel ashamed. Several cats ducked their heads.

"Thank you, Badgerchaser," Shimmerstar meowed formally, trying to look as composed as possible. She looked at her Clan sceptically before continuing, "I will lead a patrol against the foxes. Oakleaf, Swiftlightning, Ferntuft and Eaglepaw will accompany me." The silver leader looked to Fincheye. "How many foxes were there?" she prompted.

"There were about..." Fincheye hesitated for a heart-beat. "There were about three foxes when I left."

"Fine," came Shimmerstar's reply. "Fincheye, are you able to lead us there?"

Swallowing his former distress, the warrior gave a curt nod in reply. Shimmerstar leaped down from her perch, her unsheathed claws screeching against the rocky surface. "ThunderClan, remain calm and vigilant. We will return soon," she called out as she assembled the patrol with a flick of her tail.

"Can I come?" Honeypaw suddenly asked as she tagged behind her mentor. The leader gave Ferntuft a questioning look.

The she-cat nodded approvingly as she eyed her apprentice. "She's ready."

"Okay, come along then," Shimmerstar meowed wearily. The leader gave one departing yowl before she and Fincheye lead the patrol out into the forest, the thrumming of their pawsteps disappearing into the night.

Stargazer gave a defeated sigh. He had felt a strong urge to stop his leader from taking off. After all, she had only two lives left. Two lives! How in StarClan's name did she manage to already throw away seven? The medicine cat briefly recalled all the deaths Shimmerstar had pulled off in her lifetimes. The world made sense again. She-cats. You can't trust them.

"But I have to go! I have to help!" Stargazer became vaguely aware of some dispute going on at the other end of the camp. He called his attention back to the camp. Most cats had already reluctantly gone back to their nests again. The only ones that still remained in the open were several warriors and Watercress with one of her litter. His gaze followed the protestant meows and he found himself looking at Siegekit.

"Father needs me!" she mewed.

Watercress tried nudging her kit towards the nursery. "Yes, he needs you – to rest! Now be a good kit and listen to me," she replied sternly.

The Siegekit's loud protests subsided. "But...but I have to fight the foxes. I have to...to..."

"Why?" Watercress asked patiently.

"Because...because I have to."

"Now, Wildbramble wouldn't approve of a warrior running into battle for a mouse-brained reason as that. What he would approve of is coming home to a happy and well-rested daughter," the queen reasoned as the two disappeared into the cover of the nursery.

As he made his way back to his den, Stargazer felt a sudden relief that he was a medicine cat. Never would he have kits, weighed down by his expectations and worries. As he recalled the helpless gazes the queens and fathers had sometimes exchanged, he muttered a quick prayer of thanks to StarClan. However, he found himself grudgingly admitting that kits were necessary. Where would the Clans be without youngsters? Non-existent, I suppose. The tom mused over his thoughts a moment longer as he halted at the medicine cat den entrance. In that case, I hope the expecting she-cats are looking after themselves... Birchspot... Shimmerstar... Have to have a healthy appetite and rest a lot, as I recall... something along those lines. He blinked for a moment, smiling slightly to himself as he remembered Birchspot's face changing from confusion to bright anticipation. Shimmerstar had, on the other paw...she had...

Stargazer's smile faltered, his head inclining slightly. Somewhere inside his head, something finally made a connection and had settled into place with a resounding click. For StarClan's sake, Stargazer! How stupid are you?

"Pretty stupid, if I missed that," he admitted uncomfortably.

Shimmerstar was pregnant!

"Hmm?" Badgerchaser's voice suddenly sprouted from beside him, making Stargazer jump.

Fox-dung! Where did you come from? "Oh, uh, nothing!" The dark grey tom exclaimed in bewilderment. In turn, the warrior gave him a pitying look.

"It's okay. It can't be easy," he meowed in a low voice.

"What?" Stargazer asked uncertainly. He probably already knows about Shimmerstar, she being his sister and all. Everybody probably knows – everybody except me! The medicine cat reflected sulkily, concluding that the Clan leader ought to confide more with the medicine cat. No doubt the current queens were already gossiping about it. Stargazer wouldn't know – he never really did pay attention to the mothers' conversations, which often made him think a bee hive was hidden somewhere in the nursery, constantly droning on.

"You mean... Oh... oh no..." Badgerchaser stammered in dismay.

"What is it?" Stargazer snapped, and instantly regretted it. He wouldn't want to make Badgerchaser angry – the mere thought of it already made the medicine cat want to drop into the ground.

The large warrior hunched his shoulders, as he always tended to in glum situations.

"If you don't know yet, then..." Badgerchaser's voice trailed away. There was a moment of silence, in which Stargazer shifted impatiently and Badgerchaser looked very thoughtful. The warrior finally shook his head, as though making up his mind. Then, he averted his gaze upon the other tom. "It's not my secret to share with you, so I won't."

"You won't what?" prompted Stargazer, becoming restless.

"I won't share the secret with you," repeated Badgerchaser, somewhat more slowly.

"But then..." Stargazer, feeling his mood take a gradual yet graceful swing for the downside, suddenly felt like knocking his head against the camp's wall. Finally, he decided to release an exasperated sigh instead. "Then why did you bring it up in the first place?" he hissed under his breath, "Just tell me now and get it over with."

"It doesn't just happen like that," came Badgerchaser's growl in an undertone. "It's a very delicate matter."

"Well I'm good at delicate, aren't I?" sniffed Stargaze. "After all," the medicine cat hurried on as a thought struck, " you know you can always trust the medicine cat!"

"Well I..."

"Yes?"

"It's just..."

"Mhmm?" Stargazer narrowed his eyes questioningly.

"The fact is," Badgerchaser started, and sounded as though he didn't want to finish. "The fact is...Shimmerstar's kits...might have an unusual father," came the rushed mutter. At that, Badgerchaser veered away and hastily padded towards the warriors' den, trying to look casually uninterested in life.

Stargazer frowned at the disappearing tom. He hadn't quite caught Badgerchaser's last words – his hearing wasn't as good as it used to be. It had sounded something like: "Might I have a renewal father".

He highly doubted it.

Well, if it was something important, then I'll probably find out sooner or later.

The medicine cat turned his back on the moon-lit clearing and nosed his way into his den. He padded past Tansypaw's snoring figure and bundled into his nest, arching himself into a curl. Stargazer felt his mind drifting off, briefly dipping into dreams of Wildbramble fighting off an army of foxes and of fathers crowding around him, asking to be renewed.