Tigerstripe's POV

Breathing heavily, I sat up in my nest and looked over to my side. My heartbeat was quickened and my eyes were as wide as moons. My dreams had been filled with undead cats coming for Blossomfrost and I. I relaxed when I found Blossomfrost lying in her nest beside me, her flank rising and falling slowly.

I blinked and watched her sleep peacefully. Her white ears twitched and I found that mine mimicked her. Stop being so creepy. The voice inside my head growled. My ears went flat as I resisted the need to say something aloud to the voice.

I stalked out of the den with anger boiling in my veins. I wasn't being creepy. I was just making sure she wasn't dead! The voice didn't reply, which angered me even more.

I began to lick my fur clean of knots and moss. My tail twitched in annoyance. The moon was making its way down the blue sky while clouds covered the blanket of white stars. Just as I began to clean my shoulders, I leaped up in pure shock as a bloodcurdling scream came from the nursery. Fur spiked up, eyes wide, and tail bushy, I found myself frozen to the ground.

The scream continued. I bolted into the nursery after gaining the strength and realized Ripplecurrent was having her kits. "Shadowflower!" I called, hurrying for the medicine den. She was already on her way to the nursery. A second wail came from the nursery, combining with Ripplecurrents.

"My kits! Shadowflower, help my kits!" It was Snowfern.

I began to shake as a growl crept up my throat. Cats peeked out of their dens; tension and worry floated around the camp.

Blossomfrost hurried over to me. I felt myself relax. "What's going on?" She asked quietly, sitting beside me. Her eyes were half closed and her fur was messy. She's so cute. I thought. I shrugged and didn't reply.

Stormcloud pushed past the growing crowd of cats, moss flying from his long grey fur. "I'm going to check on Oakshadow, Sunwing, Blazeflame, and Clawkit. Want to come with me?" Blossomfrost stood up and looked over her shoulder at me. I nodded and followed her into the medicine den.

I blinked until my eyes adjusted to the light. Not being able to drink the rivers water had taken a toll on Oakshadow more than Shadowflower had expected. He could barely move because of the heat exhaustion, his eye sockets were sunken in, and his breathing was raspy. Sunwing's condition was worsening, Blazeflame could barely open her eyes, and Clawkit refused to do anything other than sleep. Sunwing and Blazeflame weren't moving.

Darkshine slept beside her kits small, bony body. If Blossomfrost gets like this, I bet you'll be a dramatic furball just like her. The voice in my head purred. I heard cats laughing around me. Shaking my head, I forced myself to ignore it, in fear that I would embarrass myself in front of Blossomfrost.

"No! Leave them alone!"

Blossomfrost gave me an unsure and scared look before bolting out. Giving the ill cats one last glance, I hurried out after her.

Whitefire had laid Rosekit and Thunderkit in the clearing, blocking Snowfern from getting to them. "Calm down. Please, they're in SoulClan now," Whitefire mewed. Snowfern collapsed and sobbed. Dreamkit was behind her mother, her eyes filled with confusion and sorrow.

"What happened to Thunderkit and Rosekit, Snowfern? Are they sleeping?" Dreamkit nudged her mother softly but Snowfern's only reply was a moan. The tiny kit looked up to Whitefire and padded up to her. She glanced at her siblings and cocked her head to the side.

"They're with SoulClan," Whitefire mewled softly, licking the fur between Dreamkit's ears. Dreamkit didn't seem to understand but nodded anyway.

"Poor Snowfern," Blossomfrost shook her head. I rested my tail on her shoulders.

She looked over at me. Her eyes were filled with care and heartache. I gave her an encouraging smile. "One more to go, Ripplecurrent," I heard Shadowflower murmur from the nursery. Silverfeather padded up to the center of the clearing, behind the two stiff kits, and announced the patrols would still be going.

"Gather to say goodbye to the two young kits, Rosekit and Thunderkit. May SoulClan light their path to find their father," Silverfeather mewed. Snowfern sat up and scooted in beside her two kits, letting her head hang. Dreamkit sat beside her mother and gazed up at her. Whitefire picked up the pale grey she-kit and brought her away.

Ripplecurrent's cries stopped and all went silent. Shadowflower appeared from the den a few moments after. Marshstar padded up to her. "Two toms and a she-kit," She murmured, passing by the leader with no more than a glance.

Mutters broke the silence of the depressing morning. Snowfern didn't seem happy for her denmate, she seemed more jealous than anything. Blossomfrost followed the medicine cat into her den. I strained to hear what they were saying but I couldn't catch their conversation.

She came back out and stopped beside me. "She doesn't know if her kits will survive the night. They're weak and so is Ripplecurrent," Blossomfrost gave me a depressed glance and padded into the nursery.

"Whitefire, take Crowflight and Sparkpaw out to the willow tree. I will take Stormcloud, Tigerstripe, and Blossomfrost over to-" Shadowflower suddenly bolted out of the medicine cat den, interrupting Silverfeather's announcement. She halted in front of Marshstar.

"Blazeflame and Sunwing stopped breathing," The medicine cat panted. What about Oakshadow? I wondered. Her eyes were teeming with grief, trauma, and misery. Marshstar looked over at his deputy and then rushed into the medicine cat den. Shadowflower headed after him. Sparkpaw tore past the leader, heading for the den to see her mother.

Sparkpaw had spent all her free time trying to cheer and nurture her mother, trying to make her day brighter. One less mouth to feed. The voice muttered in my head. My tail lashed but I held back anything I wanted to say.

Anger pulsed through the blood that pumped through my veins as I realized how small our Clan was becoming. I became angry out of fear. My gut told me to get rid of the dead bodies. Something was off but I didn't know what it was.

Marshstar came out of the den with fear in his eyes. Shadowflower sat outside of her den, head down in shame. "Whitefire, take Crowflight and Sparkpaw on patrol to the willow tree, but I want Silverfeather's patrol to stay here." He demanded. Whitefire led the patrol away.

Blossomfrost poked her head out of the nursery out of curiosity. She padded up to me and stopped right in front of me. Opening her mouth, she went to speak, but a bloodcurdling cry made her jaw shut with a snap.

Everyone's heads turned toward the medicine den. Shadowflower's head shot up and she rushed back into her den. Listening to my gut feeling, I held Blossomfrost back by her scruff.

She wriggled and tried to get out of my grip but I refused to let go.

Silverfeather hurried into the den when Shadowflower didn't come back out. The cries continued. It sounded like Darkshine; she slept with Clawkit in the medicine den. Silverfeather dragged the medicine cat out of the den, both clean of wounds. "Let me go!" Blossomfrost pulled and pulled, but the more she tried, the more I tightened my grip.

Marshstar approached Shadowflower. "What happened? Is Oakshadow and Clawkit alright?"

"I-I went in there to find Sunwing e-eating Oakshadow... Then Clawkit w-woke up. I went to grab him to save him but... he b-bit Darkshine... I-I couldn't help them..." She stammered, vibrating violently. I let Blossomfrost go. She went flying into the ground, a dust cloud forming around her face, but as soon as she hit the ground she got back up.

Just when Blossomfrost began to comfort the traumatized medicine cat, Blazeflame came stumbling out. My fur spiked up along my spine. Blazeflame headed for Shadowflower and Blossomfrost. My gut churned and without even thinking, I dashed forward and shoved the two out of the way.

They tumbled just enough to get away from Blazeflame. I could hear Darkshine whimpering from the nursery along with more growls.

I could hear my heartbeat and feel the blood pumping fast through my body. "We can't stay here." I snarled to no one in particular. Marshstar looked at his deputy but all Silverfeather could do was look around at the other cats for their opinion.

"Silverfeather, carry one of Ripplecurrents kits while Stormcloud and you take the other two. Snowfern, take Dreamkit," Marshstar looked around the cats as they scurried to get the jobs they were assigned done. Silverfeather and Stormcloud went into the nursery, but Snowfern didn't know what to do. Her kits still lay in the center of the camp.

Dreamkit approached her, mewling in fear. I grabbed her by the scruff and yanked Snowfern up. Blossomfrost dug a large hole - one that could fit two kits - and buried the dead kits.

Dreamkit squealed in my grasp. Blossomfrost nudged Snowfern out of the camp. Ripplecurrent came out of the nursery, looking tired, and carried Lionkit, Stormcloud carried Boulderkit, and Silverfeather carried Pebblekit. "Everyone evacuate the camp!" Marshstar yowled.

Clawkit and Sunwing came out of the medicine den all bloody and torn up. Silverfeather led Stormcloud, Ripplecurrent, and I out of the camp. Marshstar waited for Shadowflower to sneak back out of her den to get the remaining herbs she could get.

"Head for the log in the Gathering Place!" Silverfeather yelled through Pebblekit's scruff. The three kits mewled in fear.

With Dreamkit swaying in my teeth, I bolted past the patrol until I came to the log. I set Dreamkit down inside the shaded log and sat down to wait for everyone else.
***
The sun began to sink down the sky when I returned to the camp from a hunting patrol. Whitefire's patrol had brought back nothing, so I led one with Crowflight and Silverfeather. Our hunting party had been no better; Crowflight only caught one rabbit.

As we came to a stop, I realized StreamClan had joined us.

Seastar was sitting away from her and our Clan. Something was odd about her posture. Her eyes were wide and dilated, her fur was messy, and her tail was twitching. She seemed paranoid. I noticed StreamClan had no elders, only three apprentices - Sootpaw, Smokepaw, and Amberpaw, who was curled up by herself, whimpering - and no full medicine cat. Thornkit and Whisperkit seemed old enough to be apprentices, though, and they acted as if they already were.

I turned toward our leader when he began to speak. "I know this isn't my place to order StreamClan around with my Clan, but I would like Tigerstripe, Crowflight, Rowantail, and Wolftail to guard with me tonight." Marshstar glanced among the fearful group of cats as they all obeyed him. Rowantail left her sobbing sister, Dawnflower, to guard.

Blossomfrost lay down beside me as I settled down to guard the group of cats. I blinked down at her as she rested her tail over her nose. I will protect you, I vowed inwardly.

***

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P_A83 out!