Shadowflower's POV

"You'll be okay, Greypaw," Crowflight murmured softly, stroking his sons' shoulders. I doubted how true his statement was, but I refused to say anything. Early in the morning, Greypaw had stumbled into the medicine den, complaining about how thirsty and dizzy he was. I was concerned about his health, so I made him stay in the den with me.

The water smelled foul and looked deadly to taste. No one dared to drink it after Jaggedpaw and Birchpaw had died. Loss of water had taken a toll on most cats but it was Greypaw and Oakshadow mostly. The big thing seemed to be less prey and the toxic air we breathed in daily.

I blinked away my thoughts as I watched Coldflight comfort Greypaw when he started to breathe rapidly. The grey apprentice squirmed in discomfort. I noticed his eyes were sunken in, meaning his dehydration problem was worsening. I padded over to the small tom and laid my ear on his chest to check his heartbeat. As I had assumed, his heartbeat had quickened, too. I sighed. Grief had left a lump in my throat since I figured Greypaw wouldn't live through the night.

"Greypaw, eat these. They will help your breathing and your heart and then help your fever," I ordered, passing over feverfew, chamomile, and coltsfoot. Groaning with the effort, the ill apprentice chewed the leaves and swallowed them. Just before I could explain something to him, I got a shocking surprise from Blossomfrost.

"Shadowflower, Sunwing passed out!" I jumped when Blossomfrost poked her head in and gestured with her head for me to follow. "Excuse me," I grunted to Crowflight. He dipped his head as I headed out. Marshstar, Silverfeather, Tigerstripe, and Oakshadow had already gathered around the she-cat as more cats hurried over.

"Why did she pass out? Has she been eating?" I pushed past the curious cats and flicked my tail. Today isn't going to be a good day. "She had been coughing all night. She would even spit up blood sometimes." Whitefire croaked, glancing at me. She had gathered around.

I laid my ear to their chest and strained to listen carefully. There was a faint sound of a heartbeat. Her skin was hot on the side of my head so I assumed she was getting a fever. "She is alive but in need of water..." I informed the startled Clan.

"Which we don't have," Tigerstripe snarled, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks for lightening the mood." Ripplecurrent commented, lashing her tail and squinting her eyes. Stormcloud nodded in agreement. "I went to see Briarleaf, but when I tried to wake her up-" Acornpaw reported. He had to pause to cough. My heart sped up. Eyes wide, I gulped in fear when I noticed he was having a hard time breathing. Acornpaw coughed a few times more, blood splattering onto the ground.

Not Acornpaw, too. I thought just when the apprentice began to finish his sentence. "When I tried to wake Briarleaf, she didn't respond. She's really cold, too." Acornpaw rasped. He began to cough again when I ordered someone to keep an eye on Sunwing. I rushed into the elders den with Blossomfrost on my heels.

Blossomfrost nudged her mother gently when we entered the stuffy den. She didn't stop nudging the elderly she-cat even when she didn't answer for a long period of time. It left a pang in my heart knowing her mother was gone, but grief turned into fear as I thought about the fact that her mother could wake up and then eat her daughter.

"I think she's gone, Blossomfrost." I whispered to the young she-cat. She whimpered as I backed her up.

I checked for a heartbeat, but there wasn't one. She was as cold as ice which sent a chill down my spine. "I'm going to bring her out." I stated, grabbing the scrawny and limp cat by her scruff. Blossomfrost helped out. I laid her in the center of the camp.

"Say your goodbyes, then we will bury her. We can't risk her coming back... different." I bowed my head to Blossomfrost as she hung her head beside her mother.

I rushed back over to the orange she-cat. Without water, I can't wake her up or even help her thirst. I could drop chamomile's juice into Sunwing's mouth, though... I realized. I bolted back into the den and snatched the rest of the chamomile. Halting at Sunwing's unresponsive body, I opened her jaws and squeezed the juice into her mouth.

"What will that do?" Marshstar fretted with his tail lashing. The others looked at me eagerly, hoping I could save the young warrior. Oakshadow leaned in closer; he was obviously worried about his last sister.

"It will quench her thirst a bit while soothing her mind and strengthen her heart," I informed him. He dipped his head.

"Shadowflower, Clawkit is complaining of a bellyache again! He needs more berries!" Darkshine gasped from the nursery. I nodded and hurried into the medicine cat den to grab juniper berries for the small kit. I grabbed poppy seeds as well.

I trotted into the nursery with a ivy leaf filled with juniper berries and poppyseeds that swung as I rushed to the queens nest. I pushed the berries to the kits mouth and urged him to eat a few. Clawkit whimpered in pain as he swallowed them down. He clawed at the nest as his breathing became raspy, short, and fast.

Clawkit slowly stopped to twitch and groan as the poppy seeds kicked in. "The seeds I gave him made him sleep," I reassured the queen quickly. "The berries will help his bellyache and his breathing and will give him strength. Hopefully."

The desperate queen swallowed and nodded. "Call me if he wakes up." I meowed as I left the nursery fast. I was nice and cool in the nursery but as soon as I set foot out of the den, I was hit with the extreme heat of the blistering sun that hovered in the blue sky above. No wonder we are dying of dehydration already, I felt a growl threaten to escape.

"Sunwing hasn't woken up but she's still breathing," Silverfeather reported calmly, meeting me half way. I nodded to her in acknowledgement as I passed by the deputy.

I ducked my head into the medicine cat den just as Crowflight was leaving his sons side. "Thank SoulClan you're here! Greypaw fainted and I can't get him to wake up!" Crowflight murmured. His eyes were as wide as moons and his fur was spiking up like a porcupine.

I padded over to Greypaw to make sure he was breathing, but no air came from his jaws nor nostrils. No. I thought. Panic surged through my veins.

Blood trickled from his nose and his mouth. The nose was understandable with the dry air, but the blood from his mouth was spine chilling. No, not Greypaw, too...

Crowflight nudged me, shivering in fear. "What's wrong? Is he okay, Shadowflower?"

My head began to pound from the stress and pressure. I don't know! I almost blurted out, furious from the questioning. "He's gone," I growled. Crowflight yowled in grief. He laid over Greypaw's still body and muttered things I couldn't catch.

I heard Darkshine howl. My ears perked up and I bolted out. My paws, head, and lungs throbbed in pain from the many things to do and the stress from the chores. Greypaw and Briarleaf are dead. Clawkit and Sunwing may not make it through the night. If we leave them above ground for too much longer, the rest of us might be in danger...

Clawkit sat in a nest full of vomit, vibrating and wailing in pain. "Darkshine... Darkshine it hurts!" Clawkit whined. Darkshine turned to me. "Help him! You're a medicine cat, do your job!" She snapped, eyes narrowed and tail bushy.

I shook my head and closed my eyes. Calm down. What would Cindersong do?

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again.
***
I laid in my nest with droopy eyes and a racing mind. I couldn't let myself fall asleep in case Clawkit or Sunwing woke up. I had moved them into the den once the sun had drifted up to the top of the sky. Clawkit had passed out cold, Sunwing hadn't moved since earlier that morning, while Darkshine was given poppy seeds. She had lost her temper and begun to wail, demanding her precious kit be treated.

It was only the middle of the day, but I was already exhausted. Acornpaw had dropped to the ground, dead. Just like that. Blood pooled around his jaws. He was spatting blood and choking on it so much, he actually had drowned in his own blood.

I sat up and stretched, deciding to check the camp. Marshstar had gone out with Tigerstripe and Oakshadow to search for prey and water.

To my excitement, as I padded up to our three dead Clanmates, Briarleaf began to twitch. I jumped back. It was too good to be true to hope it was the Briarleaf we knew.

Her hollow eyes opened and I knew she wasn't the real Briarleaf when I found out her green eyes were now a pasty white. "Throw her into the river! She's not Briarleaf!" I yowled a warning. Blossomfrost gasped and was pushed back by Silverfeather.

Briarleaf groaned and staggered to stand. Greypaw opened his eyes and stood up as well. Acornpaw was still limp. "Bury Sniperpaw while we get rid of Briarleaf and Greypaw!" Silverfeather ordered.

Softpelt scrambled to her paws backed away from Briarleaf as she stumbled toward the laid back warrior.

I hurried over to the lazy warrior but before I could get to her, Briarleaf latched onto the warriors neck when Softpelt had to stop because of the river behind them. Softpelt wailed in pain as Briarleaf ripped out her flesh.

Blood poured from the deep wound, staining her snowy pelt a dark crimson red. Her eyes were glazed with pain as she lashed out at the emotionless elder. Briarleaf didn't seem to care as Softpelt cut up her face, grabbing onto Softpelt again. She shoved her back, screaming as her flesh went with the flesh-craving monster.

Whitefire hurried over to help her out. My paws were frozen to the ground.

"No! Sparkpaw, watch out!" Blazeflame yelled, jumping in front of her last daughter. Greypaw bit into Blazeflame's leg instead of Sparkpaw's. Silverfeather and Blossomfrost shoved into the apprentice.

Her deep wound oozed out dark blood so fast, the starving mother passed out. As she collapsed, Sparkpaw shook her to wake her, just when Acornpaw awoke.

Oh great SoulClan, what am I to do?!

***
A/N:
Sorry if it's too long or anything :( Chapter Ten will not be out for a long time, since I'm leaving wattpad for 3 weeks. I'm leaving tomorrow, so I don't think I'll be on :(
I hope you understand, hope you enjoyed, have a good week!
P_A83 out'