Crowfeather x Leafpool: The Aftermath (Book 1)

Chapter 8: "Queen Squirrelflight"

(Present time [no more memories])

"Squirrelflight! Snap out of it! Your making enough noise tramping through the undergrowth to make the Clan think there's a badger!" Leafpool hissed, gesturing behind us at flattened patches of bracken and tufts of my ginger fur on bramble thickets. "You had better hope that nobody finds us with all of the scent and fur you've left behind!" she said angrily. We walked the rest of the way to the border in silence, so we wouldn't get discovered.

We reached the ThunderClan border around sun-high. "Well, here we are," I whispered, half to myself. My mew was barely audible. I cast a quick glance at Leafpool. She was panting hard. "Leafpool, is there any herbs for strength?" I asked, wondering if we should have eaten traveling herbs before we left. "Yes.. fennel, and maybe we should.." she started to say. "Get some traveling herbs?" I finished for her, smiling. "Yes, good idea," she muttered mockingly.

"Well, I have no clue what the heck traveling herbs are, and I don't know what fennel looks like. You're coming with me, sister," I mewed, letting out a mrrrow of laughter at the way Leafpool sighed sarcastically. "Eh, sure, why not?" she mewed as she stood up shakily on all 4 paws. "Fennel grows in forests, typically in sunny areas," Leafpool murmured, like she was trying to calm herself down. "Traveling herbs shouldn't be hard to find. Let's see. We'll need sorrel, daisy, chamomile, and... burnet!" I rolled my eyes at her, as if to say Seriously? Don't go crazy on me now! You've got kits! She snorted, like she wanted to say As if, Squirrelflight! I sighed, "Ok, Leafpool, what do we need to get first?" I mewed briskly. "Well, traveling herbs help with hunger and give you strength, so I don't think we'll need the fennel. But just in case we find some, we can get it and eat it. If not, at least bring a little bit for, you know, later." said Leafpool. "Ok, that's all good and well, but where do we look?" I asked, exasperated. We aren't getting anywhere with this conversation! I thought impatiently. "Keep your fur on, Squirrelflight, I'm thinking!" my sister huffed.

*Time Skip [30 minutes later]*

While Leafpool made our bundles of traveling herbs, (sorrel, daisy, chamomile, and burnet,) I took a cat nap. I had already asked her if I should hunt, but she told me no, because the herbs would take the edge off our hunger. That night, we slept at the border. The next day we would eat our herbs, bury any traces of us being here, and go. I dreamed about the day when I told Brambleclaw (with a heavy heart) that I was pregnant with his kits.

~In the dream~

"Brambleclaw, I need to talk to you!" I called to my mate nervously. He trotted over to me and nuzzled my cheek. I breathed in his warm scent, feeling guilty about the lie that I was about to tell him. "What is it, my lovely?" he asked, stroking my back with his tail. "Brambleclaw.. I- I'm expecting kits. Your kits!" I squeaked, unsure how he would react. There was a long silence, and he had a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Squirrelflight, that's.. AMAZING!!!!" he mewed excitedly, licking my face lovingly. I purred loudly and rested my head on his shoulder, and he out his head on mine. "Well then, these kits will have the best mother and father that a kit could wish for. I'm so proud of you, Squirrelflight. I will always be here for you, remember that. I love you," he purred, his tail curving around my fat belly. "And I will love our kits more than life itself."

~Wakes up~

When I woke up, I saw Leafpool's face hovering over me. "What is it?" I asked groggily. I sat up and arched my back in a nice, long stretch. "Squirrelflight, you were crying in your sleep," she mewed quietly, her eyes wide with concern. "What were you dreaming about?" I didn't want to answer, because I didn't want her to know just how guilty I felt about all of this. We were lying to the entire Clan! To all the Clans, for StarClan's sake! How could I NOT feel guilty?? "I- I was dreaming about when I told Brambleclaw that I was pregnant, even though I wasn't. I was just fat! I feel so guilty, Leafpool!! All of the lies and deception, it's all one big web! It's all because you and that mangy WindClan cat became mates and ran away and broke the warrior and medicine cat codes! And now you are carrying his kits, and I have to help you by eating extra freshkill that I shouldn't be eating at all, LYING to the entire Clan, our mother and father, my mate, my friends, everyone! All to help you and those kits, those HALF-CLAN KITS THAT ARE HALF WINDCLAN!!!!!" I wailed hopelessly, knowing that there was no way to undo what had been done. How could StarClan let this happen?! Why me, StarClan, why!!! I thought as I slumped down onto the ground in a fit of tears.

"Shh, Squirrelflight, don't cry, please. You're just making me fell worse!" she mewed softly, looking away from me. I saw the tears in her eyes, too. She feels even worse than I do! How could I be so selfish?! She's the one carrying kits, not you. She's the one who's not even supposed to have kits, let alone half-clan kits! And she's the one who took a WindClan mate and ran away with him. I scolded myself. By the time I finished crying for the second time that morning, Leafpool had already eaten her herbs and put mine in front of my paws. "Thanks, Leafpool, you're the best," I mumbled as I chewed the bitter herbs, making a face. Leafpool chuckled when I made my 'sour face'. At least, that's what she called it.

"Right, we'd better get going," I told Leafpool, who got up and started walking. "I figured we could go this way, since there seemed to be no Fox scent or badger scent." She gestured with her tail which way to go and I took the lead. We walked the forest until sun-high, and found a hollow tree to rest in. As I cleared away the dead leaves with my tail, I remembered that we'd need moss for nests. "Leafpool, can you get some moss?" I asked. "I'll go hunt. Don't overwork yourself, and stay alert!" I added quickly as she padded out of the tree. I exited the tree, and scented the air around me. I smell... mouse! This way! I thought as I followed the trail of mouse scent. As the smell of mouse grew stronger, I got into a stalking position and made sure I was downwind of the source of the scent. Pricking my ears for any movement in the undergrowth, I continued to move forward in a stalking position. My ears swiveled around when I heard a rustling noise. It's not just one mouse, I realized, It's a whole nest of 'em! By the sound -and scent- of the mouse nest, there was 3 or 4 mice in there, and two of them were outside the nest, sniffing for food. I slowly slid my paws over the earth, gradually getting within pouncing distance. Finally, I pounded on the two mice when their backs were turned away from me. Luckily for me and my sister, they were nice and plump.

When I got back, Leafpool was asleep in a nest of moss. There was more moss piled beside an empty space big enough for a nest. Thanks, Leafpool, I thought gratefully as I made the moss into a comfortable nest for myself. The smell of fresh kill must've woken her up, though, because when I finished making my nest, she had woken up and was eating one of the mice I'd caught. "Thanks, Squirrelflight, this is delicious!" she mewed through a mouthful of mouse. "No prob," I replied, grabbing the other mouse for myself. When we'd both finished, I let out a long sigh and gave in to the soft lull of sleep.