CHAPTER 13
"Tomorrow we go into battle with BloodClan," Rockstar meowed uneasily. The cats around him looked at each other worridly. He could barley blame them. It was going to be one of the biggest challenges of their lives. Some of his warriors may not even live to see their homes. Rockstar shivered as he remembered that he was leading them to this battle.
He braced himself, and continued. "We will meet them at the border at dawn, then attack at midnight after they thought we left. The kits and queens will be left in a safe hiding spot while the rest of us fight." His gaze rested of Cherrytail. Her eyes were dark, and she was flexing her claws in the dirt, as if she imagined the dirt was BloodClan cats. Then her gaze met his, and it softened into a warm glow of love. She dipped her head to him.
"Are we clear?" Rockstar called. "We are!" they replied enthusiasticly. "Right, then," he mewed. "Everyone get some rest." As they turned away, under his breath, he muttered darkly, "We'll need it."
Morning sunlight streamed through the trees. The clearing looked as if it were the camp, but Rockstar knew that it was impossible for them to settle here, and impossible to go back to the gorge. He felt a small pang of homesickness, but pushed it away. Wishing it was back wouldn't do anything.
He padded over to Cherrytail, who was sitting in a patch of sunlight. Her fur glimmered beautifully, and her amber eyes glowed like the brightest stars in Silverpelt. He felt a shiver go down his spine. "Hi, Cherrytail," Rockstar purred. "Hello Rockstar," she purred back. "Do you want to go hunting with me?"
"Sure," she mewed. She jumped up. "Lets go."
They raced through the forest until they were well away from the clearing. They stopped, staring a each other. "I love you," Cherrytail purred. "I love you too, Cherrytail" Rockstar mewed. "Whatever happens, remember that." She nodded. Together, they hunted until sunset. Rockstar noticed that Cherrytail looked unusually excited. He glanced at her in confusion. Was she excited about the battle?
"Excited?" he asked her.
"No," she meowed, looking as if he striken her.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He could tell she was lying. He couldn't imagine why, though.
"Cherrytail, what's the matter?" Rockstar mewed after an awkward heartbeat.
She sighed. Then she looked at him, her amber eyes burning with barley surpressed excitement. "Rockstar," she mewed tensly. "I'm expecting kits!"
CHAPTER 14
"Y-your expecting kits?" Rockstar mewed dumbly. Of course she was- that would explain her excitement. "Probably," she mewed. "Songbreeze said it would be a while before he can definitly tell."
Rockstar purred, feeling his own excitement well up in his throat. He was going to be a father! The thought made him dizzy. "That's great!" he finally managed to purr. For a while they stood their, brushing pelts and grooming each other.
"We better get back to camp," Cherrytail meowed, looking up. Stars glimmered over their heads. "Of course," he mewed. Together, tails twined, they padded back to the clearing.
By the time they got back, the cats of SkyClan wew asleep. Dropping their prey on the fresh-kill pile, but keeping a rabbit, they padded to the corner of the clear. Rockstar looked around around the clearing. Tinywhisker was curled up with Flamefoot and Bouncefoot with Petalnose. Feeling happy, he layed down next to his mate.
They finished the rabbit quickly. Cherrytail yawned. "You better get some sleep," Rockstar told her. She nodded, licked him on the head, and put her head on her paws. Rockstar got up, and looked up at the stars. They shined, cold and silent. "What will happen tomorrow?" he whispered. But they told him nothing.
Sighing, he curled up next to Cherrytail. Worry fluttered in his chest. His last thought was of the meeting at dawn, and then he sunk into the blackness of sleep.