The dawn sky stretches out like a painted canvas above the rolling expanse of unclaimed territory, streaked with hues of gentle pinks and deepening oranges. Forestshade sits beneath the gnarled branches of an old oak roughly a quarter-moon's trip from the clans. She tries to lean back but promptly sits back up upon finding the tree's bark frozen over in frost. The former ShadowClan lead warrior had been traveling for a half-moon now, and not a single regret has come to her mind as she leans down to lick at a sore paw pad. It's been harder to travel than she'd thought. Her legs have been aching, her lungs lacking the strength she felt they once had. But it's still been exhilarating, all of the new smells, the new terrain under her paws, the new cats she's been meeting along the way. This freedom suits her.
Suddenly, a sharp, nauseating twist churns in her stomach, slicing right through her early morning tranquility. The torbie's ears flatten, and she scrunches her eyes shut, trying to will away the queasiness that threatens to upend her meager breakfast of field mouse. With a shudder, she takes in a deep breath, only for the sharp scent of oak sap to trigger another wave of nausea. She staggers to her paws, moving quickly away from the tree to find an open space where she can steady herself.
The realization had crept up on her slowly over the past few days - the subtle changes in her body, the weariness, the unrelenting hunger followed by bouts of sickness. But this morning, the truth settles in with a certainty that leaves her breathless.
She is expecting kits.
Blind green eyes soften as she stands back up in the clearing, her last meal now on the ground. Her breath comes in shallow pants as she tries to process what this means, far from the familiar shelter of ShadowClan's pine forest. A pang of bittersweet emotion surges through her - she'd never wanted more kits, and she certainly didn't want them like this. Alone, in an unfamiliar world that stretches on without nurseries or fresh-kill piles or protective thorn walls. Yet, there is a flicker of determination that sparks in her chest.
"Well, you're not going to make it easy, are you?" She mutters to whatever unborn companion - or companions - she now carries with her, a wry smile touching her lips despite the lingering queasiness. The only answer she'll receive is the sound of the wind rustling through the tall grass, but it feels like enough. Like StarClan is still with her all the way out here.
She will find a way. She has faced more formidable challenges than this. So as the sun climbs higher, the she-cat takes a moment to gather herself. She won't show fear, for she is Forestshade - fierce, relentless, and now, a ferocious protector of the life beginning within her. For better or worse.
