Wildflower's POV

I fluttered open my eyes when I heard the sound of someone whimpering. It made my heart lurch. After my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I lifted my tail off of my muzzle and looked over my shoulder to see Wolftail comforting Nightshade. Poor Nightshade, I thought, sighing. She can't sleep properly after Ivysplash's death.

Now awake, I stood up and cleaned up my knotted fur. "It will be okay, Nightshade. It wasn't your fault," Wolftail stroked his sisters flank softly. "She's with SoulClan now." Wolftail looked up at me and gave me an apologetic look. I bowed my head to him and padded out of the den.

Even with the sun barely visible, the air was warm and stuffy like the medicine den. I could hear Flamepaw and Mistfire coughing from their dens. I hurried into the medicine cat den to check on Lightfeather and Smokepaw. Lightfeather was checking on Flamepaw while Smokepaw snored quietly.

Lightfeather turned around at my entrance and gave me a tired smile. "How are they?" I asked, heading towards the two ill cats.

"Not well..." She shook her head. "Flamepaw's coughing is getting worse. He's spitting up blood." I nodded. We went silent.

I heard the warriors begin to wake. "Well, I'm going to set out patrols to the healthy ones. Good luck," I touched my sister with my nose to her shoulder and exited the den.

"Tell them to come get traveling herbs from me when they are assigned to a patrol!" Lightfeather called after me. I decided not to reply.

I stood in the center of the clearing, the groggy cats following. Ghostglow sat with his back straight and eyes narrowed, his son doing the same. Whitefeather was always like Ghostglow, while Ivysplash was like her mother, Whisperecho. Amberpaw rushed out of the apprentice's den and into the medicine den to check on her brother, Dawnflower following on her heels.

Dawnflower was growing sicker. She always fed her kits before herself, even though Flamepaw didn't ever take more than one bite.

Crescentmoon, Spottedfire, Rowantail, Nightshade, Wolftail, and Sootpaw came out to join the crowd. Spottedfire was the scrawniest of them all and I could hear her breathing from where I sat. Rowantail began to cough, Sootpaw chiming in. Crescentmoon looked depressed, and I guessed it was because Twistedsoul had passed away. And then came back... evil. Cats started to murmur.

Everyone is getting sick. Is this a new form of illness that we will have to deal with? I wondered, narrowing my eyes to examine the crowd. Wolftail left the crowd to greet his mate and kit as they left the nursery.

Loudbird demanded something from him and Wolftail gave her a sympathetic look afterwards. Whatever she wanted, he would get it for her. Why can't Loudbird appreciate his offerings?

"Quiet down," I ordered, waving my tail for silence. Everyone went silent. "When I call your name, go see Lightfeather for traveling herbs."

"Whitefeather, lead a patrol around the Gathering Place with Nightshade, Lilypaw, Crescentmoon, and Wolftail. Focus on hunting and remark the border," Whitefeather dipped his head and headed to the get herbs with Wolftail hurrying after him. Nightshade left to grab Lilypaw. "Rowantail, Flamepaw is ill, you will be taking Spottedfire and Sootpaw out across the river by the second waterfall. Search for more water sources. Do not come back until the sun goes down!"

Rowantail brushed her tail under Ghostglow's chin and purred as she headed to the medicine den. Ghostglow gave her a disgusted look and curled his lip. Crescentmoon rolled her eyes and trotted into the medicine cat den.

Smokepaw hurried out. "I think she should stay here and rest." He insisted, eyes narrowed with concern. Lightfeather popped her head out. "When she is back, she will have something to eat. Dawnflower, too." She nodded and went back into the den, her mind made up.

"Lilypaw won't get up, she is really sick," Nightshade informed me from the apprentices den. Lightfeather padded out of the medicine den and headed over to treat the apprentice. I dipped my head. "Go without her,"

"I will lead a patrol with Ghostglow, Dawnflower, and Amberpaw. We will hunt near the shore." I announced. Mistfire hurried out of the elders den and stood in front of me with her chin high. "I will join. I am capable of doing such a thing." I twitched my ear.

"You need to rest; I heard you coughing all morning." I pressed. She shook her head and left with the three others to get traveling herbs. The other patrols left. I rolled my eyes and hurried into the crowded medicine den. Ghostglow and Dawnflower left with Amberpaw heading out behind them. Flamepaw groaned in pain. Mistfire ate the last of the herb pile.

"That's all the burnet I have..." The medicine cat whispered. She grabbed another few leaves and passed them to me. I ate it and left the den.

I led the patrol out confidently, Mistfire coughing and spitting the whole time we traveled to the shore. Amberpaw rushed ahead and let out a gasp. Dawnflower took off with Ghostglow on her tail. Mistfire and I exchanged confused glances and hurried up.

My eyes widened in shock when I skidded to a halt to the line where the water was once at. "Oh great SoulClan," I muttered, skimming the rest of the water. Even the waterfall was thinner.

Fish laid on the grass and pebbles, dead and stinking. The fur along my spine stood up. "The water has gone down so much!" Amberpaw whimpered, glancing over her shoulder at her mother.

"Yes, but we need to hunt. We can't drink it anyway." Ghostglow nudged his apprentice away from the shore and padded to the edge of the other shore. I looked over into the water. I could see the bottom of the river now. A rocky bottom with green moss swaying in the current.

"Help me get rid of the fish," I demanded softly to no one in particular. This isn't good. SoulClan, send us rain, I prayed, closing my eyes.

***

We padded into camp with pride booming from our patrol. We had caught a magpie and a pigeon. We were all excited, especially Dawnflower. I knew she was planning on giving the pigeon to Flamepaw and Amberpaw, but I was planning on forcing her to eat with Spottedfire. "This magpie will be given to the queens. The pigeon will be given to Dawnflower and Spottedfire." I announced as we entered the camp.

Dawnflower looked like I had told her we were throwing the prey away. "Flamepaw and Amberpaw need it more!" She argued, her eyes flooded with fury. I shook my head.

"I am not arguing with you. You and Spottedfire need that pigeon more than they do," I looked over to Amberpaw. "No offence." She only shrugged.

"Ghostglow, make sure Dawnflower and Spottedfire eat," I ordered over my shoulder. He nodded as I went into the nursery.

"Moonfur, Blackwind, Loudbird, here is a magpie." I meowed. But as I looked around, the three already were eating a crow. "Nevermind," I purred.

Backing out, I dropped the magpie in the fresh-kill pile. A mouse was the only thing that occupied the hole. My stomach growled and it took all the will-power I had to not eat them both.

I nodded to Dawnflower and Crescentmoon in satisfaction when I noticed they were both eating the pigeon. Spottedfire wasn't back yet, and I began to worry. 

I approached Seastar to report what we seen. "The water has gone down quite a lot. We cleared the shore of the dead fish and we caught two birds." She dipped her head to me and I began to pad away.

"Everyone old enough to hunt, gather around to hear my word." Seastar announced. I turned around in shock, unsure about what her announcement was about.

"We have experienced many deaths, odd weather, loss of prey and water, but StreamClan remains strong," Everyone was silent. All the patrols - except for Rowantail's patrol - were back now. Wolftail  had added a snake to the fresh-kill pile, but nothing else. "Whisperkit, Thornkit, come forward."

Blackwind popped her head out, her eyes glittering with excitement and pride, and scooted her kits forward. She licked them clean as they went by. "Whisperkit, you are now six moons old. From now until you become a warrior, you will be known as Whisperpaw. Wolftail will be your mentor. I trust he will give you all the skills you need to be an amazing warrior." Whisperkit gasped in shock and touched noses with Wolftail when he came by.

Chipkit watched from the nursery. Wolftail sat into the crowd with his new apprentice beside him. Whisperpaw was almost bouncing with happiness. "Thornkit, from now until you become a warrior, you will be known as Thornpaw. Crescentmoon will be your mentor. I believe she will be able to teach you all the finest ways to be a loyal and strong warrior."

Crescentmoon touched noses with her new apprentice. Thornpaw puffed out his chest and sat beside Whisperpaw. "Whisperpaw! Thornpaw!" The Clan cheered.

The cheers eventually died down. "We will take them out now to see the territory!" Wolftail announced, padding away with Crescentmoon beside him and the two new apprentices following quickly beside him. "Dawnflower. I need to see you." Lightfeather gestured with her tail for the distraught mother to come.

Dawnflower looked around at the crowd of suspicious cats and swallowed the last of her meal. She wearily padded into the medicine cat den. "It was my fault..." Dawnflower wailed, and then all confusion switched to sorrow.

***

Sorry for slow updates! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, chapter eleven will be out soon! Thanks for the votes and feedback!

P_A83 out!