Looming Darkness

Chapter 11

Whispersong blinked open her eyes, stretching beside Bumblefrost. Last night Eveningstar had agreed, grudgingly, to let Bumblefrost sleep in the nursery with her; the apprentices' den was becoming quite full with six apprentices. Meadowheart hadn't liked it when Whispersong told her, but she eventually convinced the tortoiseshell queen that Bumblefrost meant no harm to her or her kits and would only ever be in the den at night.

Yesterday, after the Clan meeting about the mysterious deaths and disappearances, Whispersong had found Bumblefrost coming back into the camp by himself, carrying prey. He was now allowed on hunting patrols again, seeing as he hunted anyways when he was by himself, but he still wasn't allowed to go on border patrols, though it didn't seem like he cared; he hadn't been on a patrol since Eveningstar had told him he could.

When he had reached her, she had asked him again, trying to hide her annoyance, why he was leaving her so often. He had told her, as he had last time, that he had gone hunting for himself and brought back prey with them. Whispersong had asked why he didn't just join a patrol since he was allowed to, but he'd just said he didn't want to hunt with DawnClan cats, especially not hunt for them. He had said that when DawnClan finally saw what kind of warrior he was and showed trust in him, then maybe he'd hunt for them again. But until that moment, he'd hunt for himself and Whispersong only.

Whispersong sighed and yawned, looking around the nursery. Meadowheart and her kits were not in their nests; it was just Whispersong and Bumblefrost in the den.

Bumblefrost stirred beside her, yawning. "What time is it?" he murmured drowsily.

"Probably just before sunhigh," she replied quietly, glancing at the light at the den entrance.

"Okay," Bumblefrost yawned again, blinking away sleep from his green eyes.

Whispersong stood up, arching her back in a stretch. Her jaws gaped in a yawn. "Let's go see what's happening around camp," Whispersong murmured. "Plus, I want to find Echoheart."

"Why, is something wrong?" Bumblefrost asked in worry, getting to his paws quickly.

"No," Whispersong assured him. "I've just been stuck in camp all this time and I want to see if I can join her when she goes out to train Cherrypaw. Eveningstar said that cats can't leave the camp unless accompanied by two more warriors, and you could come too."

"You're confined to camp, Whispersong. And besides, Echoheart could just join up with two other mentors and their apprentices. She wouldn't need us to be there," Bumblefrost muttered.

"We can still ask her."

"You'd have to get Eveningstar's permission first," Bumblefrost warned.

"I know, I know."

"Wait, but shouldn't you be resting? You told me yesterday that Goldheart said our kits will be born very soon!"

"But I need to stretch my legs. They feel all stiff; taking a walk in the forest will help," Whispersong argued, shaking her front paw.

Bumblefrost shrugged. "Fine, you can ask Eveningstar and Echoheart, but don't get your hopes up."

Whispersong lead the way outside the den and across the camp. When she finally spotted her sister by the sunning-stones, she trotted over to her, a bit wobbly.

"What are you doing outside the nursery?" Echoheart asked. "Aren't your kits due soon?"

"Yes, but I want to stretch my legs," Whispersong meowed. "So maybe I could go out training with you and Cherrypaw?"

Echoheart blinked. "You're confined to camp," she warned.

"I know that. I'd ask Eveningstar."

"And how do you know walking around the forest is good for your kits?"