Green eyes glowed in the darkness like the full moon. A brown tom emerged from the reeds at the other side of the river. A she-cat stalked out from the bushes.

The two cats cautiously met, about a tail length apart, and looked around. "Did anyone follow you?" the she-cat asked.

"No," the tom meowed. "You?"

"I hope not. StarClan knows what would happen if they found out." After a few moments of hesitation, they touched noses.

"Oh, Heavystep," the she-cat meowed. "We can't be doing this every night."

"I know," Heavystep meowed.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"No. I wish I could just stay frozen in this moment, free from the code, my duties to my clan, free with you."

They lay down together. "How I wish we could," the she-cat meowed.

The tom sighed. She reminded him of someone. Someone he once loved. Though they could never be together. She fell in love with another tom, and their love was strong. He was happy he could be with this she-cat.

"Heavystep," the she-cat whispered.

Heavystep yawned. I must have fallen asleep, he thought.

The she-cat panicked. What if someone sees us?

Heavystep sniffed. "Go."

The she-cat didn't protest. RiverClan warriors. "Heavystep," Mistyfoot meowed. "Who were you talking to?"

"A ThunderClan warrior passed by. He was hunting." he meowed.

"Do you know who it was?" she asked.

"No. He must have just been made a warrior."

Mistyfoot sighed. "Then it must have been Snowfur or Stormfire. They announced it at the last Gathering." She signaled for him and the rest of her patrol. He looked back to the bushes. The she-cat was gone.

.

The black she-cat crept slowly into the warriors den. "Ouch!" Thornclaw yowled. The other warriors glared at her.

"S-sorry," she meowed.

She made it back to her nest, where her sister was waiting. "Where'd you go?" she meowed.

"Oh, I had to make dirt," she lied.

"Well, you better be careful," she meowed, "or you may end up with your ears clawed."

The cat smiled. If only she knew... "Good night, Sweetcloud."

"Good night, Lightfoot."

.

Lightfoot was acting weird. She jumped whenever Graystripe or any other senior warrior approached her, she was less exited to join a hunting patrol, and she was even quiet when I asked her how she was doing. 

"Hey Lightfo-"

"Ahh! Stealthheart! Yo-you scared me!" She looked down at her paws.

"Lightfoot," I meowed, "are you sure you're okay? You're acting weird."

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm okay. I'm just hungry." She headed towards the fresh-kill pile.

I smelled something funny on her. Something...familiar.

I gasped. It was milk-scent! I sprinted towards the medicine den. Cinderpelt was in the den, showing Leafpaw how to make a comfrey poultice.

"Stealthheart, what is it?" Cinderpelt meowed. I could tell by her tone that I must have a look on my face.

"May I speak to you in private, please?"

"Um...Leafpaw, go fetch some bedding. I'll finish the poultice for Longtail." Leafpaw dipped her head and backed out of the den.

When I was sure she was gone, I asked Cinderpelt the question that scared me the most. "Lightfoot is expecting kits, isn't she?"

Cinderpelt gasped. "How did you-"

"Don't forget that I was once, too. She was acting weird, and she has milk-scent on her."

Cinderpelt was shaking. "I-I'm sorry...I promised I wouldn't tell anyone..."

I sighed. "It's Heavystep, isn't it?"

"We-well, I didn't know that, I just found out that she was expecting, and she told me not to tell anyone. But she never told me who the father was. What makes you think it was Heavystep?"

"Well, for one thing, she's been sneaking away to see him at Gatherings, and she wakes up some of the warriors at night coming in and out of the den. I can't remember how many times Thornclaw and Dustpelt have asked if they could pull her tail off. Second, Heavystep and I used to be best friends. I could tell he loved me. He must see the same in Lightfoot."

"Cinderpelt?" Leafpaw meowed. Moss was at her feet. "Should I go get some prey?"

"No, that's okay. We're done," I meowed. "Thank-you, Cinderpelt." I left the den.

.

"Stealthheart?" Lightfoot meowed. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course." I knew what she was going to say.

We walked through the forest. When the camp was out of sight, I questioned her. "It's Heavystep, isn't it?"

"Ho-how d-did you kn-know?" she stammered.

"Don't forget that I was expecting, too. I had to carry you three in my belly for moons. And you couldn't be born in the nursery, either..."

Lightfoot looked at her paws. "I'm sorry, Stealthheart. I just couldn't leave him alone..."

I stopped. I heard a rustle in the bushes. Someone meowed quietly. I rolled my eyes. Squirrelpaw.

"Lightfoot, I won't tell anyone. But just as long as you promise to stay in the nursery. You're lucky you don't have to say who the father is." Lightfoot dipped her head. She bounded off back to camp.

Time to practice my super power, I thought. I stalked slowly through the bushes. Sure enough, Squirrelpaw was sneaking away.

I leaped out from the bushes. Squirrelpaw shrieked. "Stealthheart!! W-why are you here?"

"Squirrelpaw, you know that you're not allowed outside camp alone!"

"But I-"

"Stealthheart," someone meowed. I turned. Brambleclaw was standing behind me. "Dustpelt asked me to take Squirrelpaw out hunting."

"This late at night?" I inquired.

"He wants to practice her night skills." Another crazy idea from Dustpelt, I thought. We're not ShadowClan!

"Alright. Stay away from Snakerocks, though. Adders like to hang out there," I warned them. I headed back to camp.

Dustpelt stopped me as I neared the fresh-kill pile. "Have you seen Squirrelpaw?"

"You must be kidding, Dustpelt," I meowed. "Night hunting? Seriously? We're not ShadowClan!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. He looked completely confused.

"Night hunting! You sent Brambleclaw to help Squirrelpaw practice hunting at night."

"What!? Why would I do that?!"

"Well, Brambleclaw was with her and they said the same thing!"

"You let her go????!!!!!!"

"What do you mean!? A warrior was with her!!"

"I never sent Brambleclaw!"

Firestar must have heard us. In fact, I think we woke up the whole clan. "Dustpelt, Stealthheart! What is all the fighting about?"

"Squirrelpaw is gone!"

Firestar looked flushed. "Squirrelpaw is what?"

"Stealthheart let them go!"

"What?! No I didn't! Brambleclaw was with her! What was I supposed to do!?"

"Enough!!!" Firestar yelled.

"Stealthheart, come see me in my den. Graystripe, take Dustpelt and Sandstorm and look for her." He stalked back to his den.

I cautiously approached the leader's den. Stealthheart, you mousebrain! You let the leader's daughter leave!!

I nervously entered the den. Firestar glared at me. "Why did you let my daughter leave camp? You know apprentices aren't allowed outside camp alone!"

I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped and slowed down. Arguing with Firestar won't help me at all. "I was out in the forest with Lightfoot when I heard someone in the bushes. I found Squirrelpaw sneaking away and scolded her. Then Brambleclaw showed up and told me Dustpelt had sent him hunting with her."

Firestar believed me, but he was still devastated. I silently hoped that Squirrelpaw would return home soon.