Chapter Text
When the celebration had died down back into a sober vigil and the kits had gone to bed, Sorreltail and Brackenfur made their way over to Leafpool and Squirrelflight.
"Oh! Congrats to the new deputy," Squirrelflight said as he came near. Brackenfur dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"You said you had something important to ask us, Leafpool?" Sorreltail said. Leafpool huffed nervously.
"It's really no rush. Feel free to celebrate your deputyhood, or-"
"Leafpool." Sorreltail said. "The kits are asleep. We'll be returning to Thornclaw's vigil shortly. Now's the time to ask."
Leafpool sighed. "Walk with me. Squirrelflight, you can come too." The four made their way out of the camp unnoticed. When they had made it some distance away from camp, Brackenfur at last spoke.
"What is it, Leafpool?" His voice was weary. It had been a long day for him, and the night would be longer still, sitting beside his brother’s body until the sun rose.
"I'm expecting," Leafpool said, her voice rushing and tripping over itself like young kits. "Kits, that is."
Brackenfur's eyes glinted with an expression Leafpool couldn't identify. "With who?" he asked urgently.
"I don't want to say. I wouldn't want to risk tarnishing his reputation." It was technically the truth, though it was also that she feared what would happen if the news got out that she had had half-Clan kits.
"But-" Brackenfur said. Sorreltail put her tail against his back.
"She doesn't have to tell us," she said. "Leafpool, it's very brave of you to tell us- but why are you?"
Leafpool was in too far now to back down. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I want you to take them and raise them as your own." Brackenfur and Sorreltail froze. For a dreadful moment, Leafpool feared she had made a terrible mistake telling her Clan's new deputy. Everyone would find out her secret, and-
"We'll take them," Sorreltail said.
"Sorrel!" Brackenfur protested. Sorreltail took him aside and they began to murmur amongst themselves, too low for Leafpool to hear what they were saying, though she caught snippets of conversation like "it's not proper..." and "we owe our lives to...." She hopped back and forth from paw to paw nervously. Squirrelflight did her best to comfort her, flicking her nose with her tail.
At last, the two turned back to Leafpool. "We'll take them," Brackenfur said, sounding even more weary than he had a moment prior. "But please, Leafpool. Never ask us for anything of this magnitude again."
"I don't intend to," Leafpool asked, though inside her heart was soaring. "Thank you two so much."
"When are you due?" Sorreltail asked in a cheery voice, as though she was talking to any other queen and not the medicine cat of her Clan.
"Some time in the winter," Leafpool said. "I'll let you know when it's time."
Brackenfur sighed. "Right. Well, I think it's time to get back to Thornclaw's vigil. If you don't mind, I'm going to go." He slipped off into the dark.
"It's been a long day for him," Sorreltail said. "We should head back to camp. It's been a long day for us all, and there will be longer ahead."