"Flaresong!"

A dark ginger she-cat with black stripes and tail-tip looked up at the young cat she knew as Riverpaw, blinking sleep from her greenish-yellow eyes as the young Healer yawned.

"What is it now, Riverpaw?"

The young tom shook rain from his pelt.

"It's Shadedfern! Her kits are coming!"

"Oh, great ForestClan, no! NOW?! In this weather?!"

Riverpaw nodded, his eyes wide.

"Yes! She started her pains around sunhigh. Please, come quick! Owlfeather is looking like he wants to rip some cat to shreds!"

Sighing through a bundle of borage and willow bark, Flaresong raced to the nursery, nearly knocking Owlfeather to the ground as she brushed past her deputy to get to the expecting Queen.

"It's alright, Shadedfern. Flaresong will stop the pain soon." came the calm voice of Berrysplash, who sat closest to Shadedfern, who was panting heavily.

Her kits, Mudkit and Willowkit, looked on with wide eyes and muttered to themselves eagerly.

Flaresong felt a squeeze in her heart.

Just last leaf-fall they had lost their sister, Leafkit, to an early bout of Greencough that also took Lightningstar's fifth life.

All the while, Berrysplash and Nightfang, her mate, had grieved long and hard for their lost kit.

The young Healer also lost her dear mentor, Moonshine, as she had fought with the power of LionClan to save Leafkit, who, Moonshine believed, would succeed Flaresong as the next Healer of HazelClan.

Now, Flaresong hoped to never take an apprentice this soon for a long time.

Heartbeats passed, and Flaresong prayed to her warrior ancestors that she wouldn't lose these kits or their mother, who had been a great friend to her when Moonshine died, bringing her fresh-kill and fresh bedding when the dark ginger she-cat had refused to eat or even groom herself, much less take care of the Clan, especially now that she was sole Healer.

Shadedfern had demanded that Flaresong get up and pull herself together for the good of their Clan and in memory of Moonshine...

Flaresong purred at the memory and quickly got to work, but sadly, despite the amount of prayers and herbs, Shadedfern had bled to death, due to stress and her slightly small size, but somehow managed to give birth to a little she-kit, who was her spitting image, while her two littermates, Shrewkit and Sandkit, died soon after.

The only she-kit, whom with a gasp of breath, the dying Queen had named Finchkit, made Owlfeather's rage less deadly as he rushed into the den, touching noses with his mate, and sobbed at their sons's lifeless bodies and straightened, demanding to know what was wrong with them, but stopped his death threat cold because of Shadedfern's last words...

"Please, take care of our kit, Owlfeather. She'll need you more than ever, but I promise I will walk in her dreams and yours, my love. Don't blame Flaresong. She's done all that she can... Goodbye, my love..."

Flaresong watched the light die from her amber eyes and stifled a wail of agony that threatened to overtake her like a crashing wave as she cleaned up the remaining herbs...

Berrysplash, with tears in her eyes, silently picked up Finchkit, who mewed in protest, and set her down near the curve of her belly, where the little kit suckled peacefully, much to Mudkit's disgust and Willowkit backed away like Finchkit had Greencough.

Flaresong curled up her lip at the two older kits.

I bet my life that Leafkit would have a bit more welcoming. For ForestClan's sake! Finchkit just lost her mother! Be grateful to have yours!

Owlfeather stared numbly at his mate's now lifeless body, trying to coax her and their other two kits awake then looking at their only living kit and littermate, sobbed again.

"Shadedfern, no! I-I can't do this alone. Please don't leave me!"

But she can't lose her father!

A shimmering light flickered, catching Flaresong's attention and the scent of green-leaf rain hit her like a boulder.

Shadedfern sat, looking down at her only kit, her tail wrapped around her paws and sighed, gazing over at Owlfeather, who still sat close to her body, shaking his head in denial.

Two toms, a light brown tabby with shining amber eyes and a dark gray with a white paw with glowing yellow eyes sat, staring up at their mother then faded, Shadedfern staring protectively after.

Finally, her eyes locked with Flaresong, who frozen at the fury that blazed in her old friend's gaze.

She would have been a great leader...

"Tell Owlfeather to stop acting like a kit! He's deputy after all and Finchkit will need some cat strong enough to guide her on her journey if she's going to survive past kittenhood, much less becoming an apprentice with Mudkit and Willowkit being older teasing her at every turn! And no kit of mine will be down casted into thinking that they're less than their own Clanmates! Even Roseshadow gets more respect than that!"

Flaresong snapped to attention, fearing that, although dead, Shadedfern could kill her on the spot if the Healer didn't do as she was told.

Then again, she always was a bit bossy. Flaresong mused, padding over to stand in front of her deputy.

Flaresong rested her tail-tip on his shoulder and mewed sternly, "Pull yourself together, Owlfeather. Honestly, Mudkit and Willowkit act more like warriors than you do! You have a daughter to look after now and I know a good many young toms who will want her for a mate once she's older." She hinted, pointing a paw at Mudkit, who was tackling Willowkit to the ground in the corner of the den, laughing happily.

Owlfeather chuckled, glaring playfully at Flaresong.

"Over my dead body."

The Clan mourned Shadedfern later on that night, under the full moon before the Gathering, her body smelling of fresh rosemary, thyme with a hint of lavender to keep away the stench of death and Flaresong watched, still heartbroken from the Healer's Stone.

"Poor Finchkit. She'll never know what a great cat Shadedfern was." mewed Honeysong to Darkrain, who nodded in sympathy, glancing at the nursery.

"Yes. She will be greatly missed." meowed Roseshadow, sitting close to the two warriors.

Owlfeather bowed his head from his vigil next to his mate, listening dimly as Lightningstar told the story of Shadedfern's life, her bravery and quick wit in battle, the best hunter in the Clan and how she was among their ancestors now, watching over her kin...

Owlfeather was never quite the same after he buried his love and other kits, not quite succumbing to the Madness, but keeping himself busy with his deputy duties.

Letting Nightfang raise his only daughter for him and allow Berrysplash to be the mother for Finchkit even Shadedfern would envy.

And when Finchkit opened her eyes and saw them, standing over her proudly, she wouldn't have to guess who her real parents were and that made Flaresong angry.

I pray they all tell Finchkit the truth. Shadedfern deserves that much.

One night in new-leaf, Flaresong sat alone, gazing up at the stars, her mind wandering, aching for the days when as an apprentice, Moonshine and Honeydew, Moonshine's mentor, would sit on either side of her and offer advice on everything and she would listen, drinking in all in.

When suddenly, a shudder crept along her spine, stifling her yowl for help and she blacked out...

Flaresong blinked, finding herself staring at Honeydew, smiling fondly...

Strange how this was the same cat who had succumbed to The Sickness and tried to kill her as an apprentice, but yet taught her so much, she mused...

But Flaresong longed to see Moonshine. Even Leafkit...

Honeydew cleared her throat and when Flaresong turned to face her, the dark gray she-cat began in a strong voice, her yellow eyes dark, "Well met, dear apprentice. I have a prophecy for you. "

Flaresong nodded, ears pricked.

Honeydew shuddered briefly before yowling,

"At Willow's End, a greater Madness will descend on Six, shaking the forest to its core..."

Flaresong sighed, waking up in her feather and moss nest, under the gleam of moonlight.

These are going to be some long seasons ahead for my Clan. ForestClan, help us.

I have decided to publish this before the Allegiances, because I'm still working on it and I'm about almost done with Chpt 3 already  XD

So enjoy, HOWLERS!

🐼MOONSHADOW🐼