Shining of the Four

Chapter 50

            "Are you on this patrol too?" Lemonfur asked.

            Frostflight nodded. "Yup. I guess we can catch up on things."

            "Great," Lemonfur purred. Though she'd become a warrior, it was still hard chatting with Hailfrost and Frostflight often. Still, she made sure she spoke to them as often as possible.

            The patrol took off in the woods, Lemonfur following with Frostflight. They were towards the back of the group, but as the patrol progressed, Lemonfur found herself falling further and further behind. Frostflight politely walked with her, as if she hadn't noticed, and Lemonfur picked up her pace, beginning to get tired.

            "So, the kits going to be warriors soon?" Lemonfur asked.

            "In one moon or so," she purred. "I'm so happy for them!"

            "Me too," Lemonfur replied, beginning to pant. "They deserve it."

            "Your father and I feel so old," she admitted, laughing a little. "I guess I'm not the young she-cat I was before."

            "You're still young," Lemonfur assured her. "I bet you could even have another litter of kits!"

            Frostflight laughed, her eyes widening in embarassment. "I've already got six to worry about," she joked, patting Lemonfur with her tail. "And you're the hardest of them all."

            Lemonfur rolled her eyes, beginning to fall behind Frostflight now. They had become partially separated from the rest of the patrol.

            "Lemonfur, pick up the pace!" Ashclaw called from the front. "This isn't social hour! We're setting borders."

            "I'll stay with her," Frostflight suggested, turning to Lemonfur in concern. "Everything okay?"

            "Just a bit tired, that's all," Lemonfur assured her mother.

            Frostflight eyed her. "Are you sure?"

            Lemonfur began to get nervous, wondering if perhaps her mother could read her thoughts and know that the dreams were also bothering her.

            "F-Fine," Lemonfur stammered, trying to pick up her pace. She walked past Frostflight, the tiny gray she-cat stopping behind Lemonfur.

            "Ah, I remember this," Frostflight spoke quietly.

            "What?" Lemonfur asked, spinning around. The other cats had gone up ahead, and Lemonfur assumed she'd just catch up to them in a second.

            Frostflight approached Lemonfur, smiling. "Grouchiness, tired, hungry. I think you're pregnant, Lemonfur."

            "What? No, I'm not!" Lemonfur argued, secretly relieved Frostflight hadn't mentioned any dreams.

            "Just look at yourself! You just thought you were getting a little fat?" she asked.

            Lemonfur glanced down. She hadn't even noticed that. Raspberryblaze's comment had made her think so. Perhaps her friend had noticed Lemonfur's weight gain.

            Suddenly, it began to make sense. Why she was so hungry and tired, why she struggled to keep up.

            "I can't be certain. Maybe you are just eating too much," Frostflight teased. "But I would talk to Ambershine."