Shaken Sky

Chapter 12

Up top is Parsleyseed! ;)

Amberleaf eyed Fernwhisper wearily. She knows something's not right.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, of course I'm fine!" Oh, she has no idea! Amberleaf shooed her sister away from the haystack she had made a nest in.

Amberleaf abandoned her herbs and padded over to Parsleyseed, "Can we talk?" She murmured into his ear.

"Of course," He whispered back.

They squeezed out of the barn and Amberleaf led him to a flat rock and heaved herself up. She curled her tail around her paws and faced Parsleyseed, hesitating.

As she was hesitating, he mewed, "I know something's wrong, Amberleaf. Spit it out!"

Amberleaf took a deep breath, "I'm expecting your kits."

Parsleyseed's warm amber eyed sparkled as they widened, "Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" She snapped.

"That's great news!"

"No! It's not great, it's not great at all!" She wailed, burying her nose into Parsleyseed's chest fur, "I'm a Medicine Cat! I'm not supposed to have kits."

"But it's happening," He pointed out. "I'm going to be a father!"

"Yes, but who will be their mother? I can't raise them."

"Yes, you can," Parsleyseed urged. "We are Skyclan! We don't do everything like the other clans do."

"I guess you're right." She sighed, "We'd better tell Cherrystar."

* * *

"What?" Amberleaf flinched as Cherrystar screeched in surprise. "You're expecting kits? B-but you're a Medicine Cat!"

"I know," Amberleaf whimpered, "I didn't mean to!" She hung her head, "If I can't be a Medicine Cat anymore, I understand."

"No, no dear, "Cherrystar mewed gently. "Of course you can still be Medicine Cat, it just took me by surprise."

"Th-thank you, Cherrystar!"

Cherrystar heaved herslef up, making her look suddenly older, and made the announcement that Amberleaf was expecting Parsleyseed's kits. Surprise mixed with anger rippled through the musty barn.

"What?"

"She can't, can she? She's a Medicine Cat for Starclan's sake!"

"She'll have to be diminished of her role as Medicine Cat!" Every cat suddenly froze, looking at the cat who had spoken.

"Finsplash is right!" Many of them murmured.

"No!" Cherrystar yowled, "We are different from the other clans! We will raise these kits and they'll know exactly who their parents are, and they will not be criticized for the mistake their parents made." Her blue gaze bored down into the cats in front of her, "Understood?"

"Yes, Cherrystar, "

"Understood."

"Good!" Cherrystar mewed, "Now, every cat get a good night's sleep because we are continuing our travels at dawn!"

The next day, Amberleaf awoke, stifling a yawn. She heaved herself up and padded around the hay stacks to the rest of her gathering clan. She grabbed a mouse from fresh kill pile and settled down in a quiet place.

As she was munching on her mouse, she surveyed the Skyclan cats and noticed Cloudmist, her mother, talking to Cherrystar and Skyheart. Amberleaf strained her ears to listen,but she was too far away to hear clearly.

"Every cat, listen up!" Cherrystar mewed, "Cloudmist has an anouncement."

Every cat in the barn turned their eyes to Cloudmist. Amberleaf quickly scraped dirt over the remains of the mouse and trudged over to Parsleyseed.

"I have talked to Barley, and he says it's fine if I stay here with him while you all keep traveling."

Surprised mews rang out. "What?"

"Why?"

"You can't stay!" Amberleaf cried, "You'll never get to see my kits!"

""Or mine!" Fernwhisper mewed.

Eyes turned toward Fernwhisper. "Since when are you expecting?" A cat asked.

"Well, I'm not, but I probably will be eventually," Fernwhisper responded , embarrassed, glancing expectantly at Reedthicket.

"Yes, I know, but if we were still in the gorge, I would have become an elder by now," Cloudmist said.

Cats mewed goodbyes around Amberleaf before Cherrystar ordered everyone to get moving. Cloudmist waved her tail goodbye and Barley pointed them which way the Clans had gone. Amberleaf looked to where he gestured and saw tall mountain peaks. We're going through the mountains! She thought first with excitement, then with fear as it trickled up her spine. What if my kits don't survive? They'll be due by the time we're in the mountains.