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Echoclaw sighed, a shiver crawling up her spine. She had stayed up all night with Whitefeather, who still believed that she was Showerfall. She ducked her head sadly as Whirlwind entered the den. "No improvement?" He rasped unhappily. "None." She muttered. "His flanks aren't as hot where his ribs were broken, but now he's shivering." "And the cold rain ain't helpin a bit," Embernose said, lumbering into the den.

No, it really isn't. "Um, Whirlwind, could you get my father for me?" Echoclaw asked. "Your father? Who's that...?" The old warrior trailed off. "Reedstar." She answered impatiently. "Oh, sure thing," Whirlwind said before breaking into a trot. Embernose ducked close to Echoclaw so that she could feel his breath hot on her whiskers. "He ain't gonna get better in a hurry," the elder observed. "Yes, I can see that!" Echoclaw exclaimed, her tail bristling with annoyance. Embernose seemed startled before rasping, "Woah, woah, keep your fur on. I ain't no medicine cat, but it looks like that tom's in a whole buncha' pain."

"Excuse me?" Echoclaw hissed. "I say we put him outta his misery," The elder suggested. "Oh my StarClan, what in the stars are you thinking? Whitefeather's going to live, you fox-heart! Do you really want him dead that bad?" She snarled, standing up with her fur bristled. She heard the moss on the floor rustle, then a familiar voice. "Is Embernose okay?" Reedstar asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Echoclaw muttered. "So, what did you need me for?" He asked, more friendly about it. "Whitefeather's just going to catch Greencough, and his muscles will be stiff with all of this cold and wetness!" She said, swiping her tail to the entrance where rain continued to sprinkle down from from the sky. "What are you implying?" He asked. Echoclaw shivered in the rain, narrowing her eyes. "I'm asking if you could send a few warriors to patch up the den and maybe make the entrance smaller." She snapped.

"Excuse me?" Reedstar meowed sharply. "Sorry, It's just, um, I'm just upset, sorry. But could you?" Echoclaw asked, laying her tail over a shivering Whitefeather. "Um, sure. Curltail!" Reedstar yowled. "Yes?" A voice asked a few moments later. "I need you to pick some warriors to patch up the medicine den." The tom explained. "Oh, I see...." The deputy murmured, most likely surveying the walls of the den. "Stemthorn, Carmelpelt, Orbeye!" Curltail yowled. Echoclaw shook her head in annoyance as the warriors tromped inside.

"Yes?" Orbeye asked slowly, Whitefeather shifting in his nest with a pained groan. "I need you to patch up the den, the cold isn't helping the medicine cats." Curltail meowed. "You can borrow Firepaw, she's the smallest, she can go on the roof!" Copperheart yowled across camp. "Her training can wait!" He added. Echoclaw felt a sudden rush of fondness for the young warrior, how kind and understanding he could be. She dropped her bundle of herbs, transfixed as she thought about him.

"Echoclaw?" Reedstar asked awkwardly. "You-uh, may want to get that honey and marigold off of the ground." He said. "Oh, mouse-dung!" Echoclaw cursed, frantically scraping the oozing liquid up and plopping it onto a leaf. "I can't get it all," she growled. "May I...?" A voice asked, Echoclaw recognizing it as Firepaw's. "Oh, honey tastes great!" The apprentice purred. "What in the stars....are you licking that off of the ground!?" She hissed in disbelief, shooing the small she-cat out of the den. "Ugh." She muttered, laying moss over the spot. "I'll have to get more later." She grumbled, disposing of the now pooled leaf.

Whitefeather bumped into Echoclaw as he rolled over, still deep in sleep....or something similar to it. Tears sprang into her eyes as she re-wrapped the tom's paw with comfrey and tightened the sticks so it wouldn't lay limp. What if he didn't make it? Would that mean she killed him? How could she forgive herself? Echoclaw drew her paws out from under the splint, horrified.

Was she killing him? Oh my StarClan, what if I fed him the wrong herbs? She wiped her paws next to her stone from the kits, though the moss had withered without any sunshine. She felt the soft ground beneath her paws and closed her eyes for a heartbeat, imagining that she was with her mother again, pressed up to her stomach....with that horrible coughing. Echoclaw shuddered, backing into her herb storage and grabbing some comfrey with her claw to keep on a poultice she had made. Hopefully it would take away the bump on Whitefeather's head.

Suddenly, the den groaned. Echoclaw tensed as Firepaw let out a yowl of alarm, crashing through the ceiling with a load of water. She let out a yelp of surprise as it splashed down on her, continuing the stream with heavy rain. "Oh my stars...I'm sorry!" Firepaw exclaimed. "AAAHHHHH!!!!!" Echoclaw screeched, swiping up her herb bundle with a hiss of annoyance. "Carry Whitefeather into the....the elder's den!" Curltail instructed, his wet pelt brushing against the blind medicine cat's as he passed by. "I'm so sorry," Orbeye apoligized awkwardly. "But I have to go." He meowed, backing away from her.

Echoclaw shivered in the cold downpour, her pelt slicked to her frame. "Here." A tail guided her to the elder's den, where Jaggedjaw was guiding the warriors inside the den. "This way, no- not over Embernose, he'll be angry if you wake him." The young elder assured Duskheart, who was one of the cats carrying Whitefeather.
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"Ooh-Oh, Copperheart? There you are!" The amber eyed she-cat slid past Whirlwind, her pelt fluffed with excitement. "Guess what?" She meowed cheerfully. She's never this friendly. "Stars, I don't know!" Copperheart laughed, flicking his tail through the rain. "Guess!" Stemthorn asked again. "You....figured out that this rain would stop." The red tom guessed. "No!" The she-cat exclaimed, suddenly aggravated. "I'm expecting Shardstorm's kits!" Stemthorn meowed happily.

What? Why didn't Shardstorm tell me? "Does he know?" Copperheart asked, his heart swelling. "Um, actually, know." The gray she-cat ducked her head, embarrassed. "He's been so busy and stressed lately, you know? And he's....well, he's himself." Copperheart suppressed a snort. That much was true. "I'm sure he'd be overjoyed to know that he's having kits," He said.

Stemthorn swayed her head, her eyes glittering. "I don't know...." She murmured. "What if I kill them?" "Well, tell me when you tell him." Copperheart said dismissively. "I'll tell him right now, come with!" Stemthorn said excitedly, her tail lashing. "No, you have to tell him. They're your kits." He narrowed his eyes as the she-cat's eyes widened and pelt bushed. "S-So you don't care about m-me?" She murmured. "I thought we were friends!" Stemthorn wailed, lip trembling.

"No, I do care about you," Copperheart began hurriedly. How long has she been expecting? "I should've told him already, but I'm scared! I'm a horrible mate!" Stemthorn sobbed, turning away. "Okay, okay, I'll come with you!" Copperheart meowed, laying his tail across her shoulders. He felt awkward as he led the gray warrior back to camp, tracking his littermate to the fresh-kill pile. "Oh, there you both are!" Shardstorm cast a side glance at Streamfang, Robinflight, and Stripeheart. "I have to go, guys, I'll talk to you both later!" He said, padding towards his patrol.

Stemthorn looked like she was about to begin wailing again when Copperheart stopped Shardstorm. "Wait, Stemthorn has to say something." He said, taking a step towards the black tabby. "Um...can it wait?" Shardstorm asked hurriedly. "No!" Stemthorn exclaimed. The gazes of the cats on patrol swung over to focus on her. "I'm expecting your kits," She began eagerly. "...I hope you're okay with that..." She trailed off. Copperheart's littermate stood there, his jaw hanging open like a fish out of water before he spoke.

"Oh my StarClan, I'm so happy, Stemthorn!" He purred, thrusting his muzzle deep into the gray she-cat's shoulder fur. "Congratulations!" Mistnose purred from the nursery. "I'll make a great father, I promise." Shardstorm vowed. "Curltail! Don't allow Stemthorn on any patrols!" He ordered. Stemthorn parted her jaws, her eyes wide with indignation. "I can still hunt!" "When are you due?" Shardstorm countered, drawing her in protectively. "Echoclaw said...in about a moon and a half...."

"Oh stars, that's so close! We can't have you out in the woods alone!" Shardstorm fretted. "What if those badgers come back?" He asked anxiously. "Shardstorm, that was moons ago." Copperheart said calmly. The tabby tom shot him an ice cold glare before turning his attention to his mate, his gaze warming. "Please, sweetheart, I only want you to be safe," He pleaded. Stemthorn tipped her head before nodding. "But I will leave the nursery, I won't stay cooped up with all of those kits until I'm done raising my own!" She said.

"The nursery's going to be so crowded," Sorreltail murmured, motioning to the cats re-building the crashed medicine den, their pelts slicked to their sides. "And I hate to say we my need an expansion of the nursery if Stemthorn has her kits too early," Mistnose added. Stemthorn raised her tail. "I'll be an apprentice in a moon!" Ripplekit argued, his tail fluffing up. "Then the nursery won't be crowded." Branchkit added eagerly. "No worries, I won't take up too much space!" She declared, suddenly cheerful.

The queens exchanged doubtful glances until they both led their kits out of the rain. Copperheart watched his littermate lead Stemthorn into the nursery before realizing how cold he felt. "I'll never be dry again!" Heronpool hissed, stomping into camp with a disgusted look on her face as mud blended with the rain in her fur. Mochapaw dashed up to his past mate, his green eyes stretched wide. "You missed Stemthorn!" He gasped, fur spiked with excitement. Heronpool shot him a glare and shook off a front paw.

"Is she dead?" She asked sarcastically. "No," Stemthorn ducked out of the nursery, her eyes shining. "I'm expecting kits!" She meowed happily. Heronpool's eyes widened to the size of robin eggs as she stared at her daughter. "Great StarClan, I'm getting old!" She laughed, curling her tail cheerfully. "I hope this rain stops before the kits are born, though." Mochapaw meowed darkly. "...And I also hope I'm a warrior before I have grandkits." He added, shaking out his fur.

"Well, you'd better get back to the nursery." Heronpool broke the silence, ushering her daughter out of the rain. Whispershade whisked his tail in a semi-circle, his eyes glowing with happiness as he watched his littermate. Copperheart strode over to him and bared his fangs into a small smile. "Let's go into the warriors' den before we catch Greencough!" He advised playfully.

"Greencough, great StarClan!" Echoclaw hissed from the elder's den, poking her head out. "If you catch Greencough, I-I'll...." "Unleash your powers of StarClan upon us?" Robinflight supplied, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Yes, I will." Echoclaw stuck her muzzle in the air and shot an ice-cold glare at Robinflight before ducking back into her den. "I still don't know how she does that," Whispershade meowed quietly, his tail whisking back and forth uncertainly.

"She's been a lot less friendly ever since the Gathering." Fuzzfoot added, a wad of soaked moss in his jaws. Copperheart rolled his eyes. They were gossiping like young she-cats! "I'm freezing," He commented, willing Whispershade to come with. "...she almost bit my head off when I asked for some catmint!" Fuzzfoot exclaimed. "Why were you having catmint?" Robinflight asked. The gray tom swallowed and gazed at Robinflight before launching into complicated detail about how his littermate's cough may have infected him as kits.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Copperheart growled, growing more annoyed but the second. "That's not the point!" Fuzzfoot protested. "Echoclaw was furious! That was even before Whitefeather got....injured." "Echoclaw's always grumpy." Robinflight commented, licking a soaked paw only to have it drenched again. "Stop gossiping like a bunch of apprentices! Go to your den, a hunting patrol, or help us patch up the medicine den!" Whirlwind hissed angrily from the back of the den. Copperheart padded over to the senior warrior and gripped a thin strand of vines in is jaws, carefully weaving it through the other stems.

What's wrong with Echoclaw? He wondered, staring out at the medicine cat den, a puddle pooling around his paws. And more yet, what will happen if this rain continues?
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Echoclaw gave Firepaw's paw one last lick. "It should be alright, just tell Copperheart you can't walk on it for the rest of the day." She advised, letting the apprentice's paw drop from her grasp. "Thanks, but I have a battle asessment in a few sunrises, and I wanted to master a move." Firepaw complained. "You'll have to master it another time, then." Echoclaw hissed.

"Because I don't want it to get infected...?" She guessed, the floor squishing as she turned towards the entrance. The medicine cat muttered approval as she turned back to her mentor, Whitefeather. "Echopaw?" The tom rolled over, fur matted. "Firepaw!" Echoclaw yowled. The apprentice stumbled back in, confused. "What?" Firepaw asked. "Tell me-what does Whitefeather look like?" Echoclaw asked, excited that he had gotten part of her name right.

"Um, his fur isn't really all that white, it's brown-grayish, and his fur is short, sort of, and his-" "I mean his EYES!" She yowled, short-tempered. Firepaw didn't seem unnerved as she continued her description. "His eyes were a sky-blue color, but now they're sorta foggy....." Echoclaw's heart sank at the news. "Echopaw, I'm getting up!" Whitefeather protested to the rain, struggling to his paws.

The tom let out a yowl of pain and collapsed back down to the ground. "Ouch, my paw, and my head, and my ribs...." Whitefeather murmured. "Yeah, don't use any of those." Not like he's been using his head lately anyways. She thought resentfully. "Just stay still and-" She was cut off as her vision filled with color, revealing countless cat silhouettes, four huge ones looming over them all. "It's over, Echoclaw, they don't believe us." Copperheart's eerie voice echoed in the vision, and the four main silhouettes leaped down and disappeared into a pool of surging water.

As the cat's forms became clear, they all exchanged doubtful glances before leaping in after the leaders, yowls of agony and panic following each cat who leaped. "Stop!" Echoclaw yowled, knowing it was useless. She padded after the last cat hurriedly, who turned to face her. It was Whitefeather. "Come on, follow the leader." He meowed, his voice sounding slurred and controlled.

"No!" Echoclaw yowled again as the medicine cat bunched his muscles, leaping into the water filled with raging waves and furry bundles. As Whitefeather leaped off, the ground gave way and Echoclaw found herself sinking into the water. "Don't let the leaders make the decisions this time, Echoclaw. This is your last warning." A deep voice growled, seemingly coming from inside her head, but she knew that it didn't.

"Echopaw?" A voice called her out of the vision. "Whitefeather?" Echoclaw replied, shaking. "I'm here, lay back down and I'll give you some....thyme." She decided. 'Don't let leaders make the delicious this time, Echoclaw. This is your last warning.' Echoclaw shuddered at the voice. Her last warning. What about Copperheart's warnings? "Thy-" Whitefeather began to echo wearily. "Copperheart?" She cut him off distractedly. "Sorry, I'll talk to you later-" Echoclaw apologized, knowing that he would only be able to stay conscious for so long, but she needed to talk to Copperheart about her vision, she was sure that he had had one, also.

"Okay...." Whitefeather sounded distant as he sank back into his nest, Echoclaw searching for Copperheart. "Copperheart?" She raised her voice a little. "Oh, I'm here!" A voice called, muffled my something furry. "Put that down and get over here!" Echoclaw snapped, suddenly impatient. "Echoclaw...?" A low wail sounded from the nursery. "You'd better see wha Stemthorn wants," Copperheart said, his meow now clear.

"I understand that." She hissed before stomping into the den. "Echoclaw! I stepped on a bramble tendril!" Orbeye complained. Echoclaw narrowed her eyes and shot him a glare. "Or, er, whenever you have some spare time....." The warrior trailed off as Echoclaw ducked inside the nursery. "I told her that it's normal, but Stemthorn needs a medicine cat to check," Mistnose reported, annoyance edging her voice.

"Oh, Ripplekit, Birchkit, go play with the other kits!" Sorreltail urged them in the back of the den. "But I wanna be there when Stemthorn's kits are born, and then we can be best friends!" Ripplekit purred excitedly. Echoclaw rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Stemthorn. "What?" She asked shortly. "I've found it hard to breathe all day, and I'm wondering if I'm getting sick..." Stemthorn fretted.

Echoclaw took a deep breath, recognizing the mustiness of the moss and stench of too many cats in one den, her fur already standing on end from the moisture in the air, it was worse than being in the rain! "Firepaw!" She yowled across camp. Birchkit let out a shriek and scampered out of the den to play with his littermates, who were trying to lap at raindrops falling from the sky.

"I'm here," Firepaw said breathlessly. "What do you need?" "Have you forgotten to replace the bedding in here?" Echoclaw asked, sweeping her tail to show the rest of the den. Firepaw fell silent, the shuffling of her paws audible. "Uhhhh.....I'll get some more straight away!" She announced, scooping. up bundles of moss that were old and needed thrown out. "You'll be alright, Stemthorn. Just the musty air." Echoclaw said dismissively before padding back to Copperheart.

"What?" The red tom queried. "I had a vision," Echoclaw began before plunging into detail about the cats jumping into the crazed waves of water. "Woah, that sounds complicated......" Copperheart observed. Echoclaw felt a surge of anger. Yeah, you could say complicated! "So....you haven't recieved a vision?" She asked. "No." The warrior's voice fell to a defeated tone. "No, I haven't."

Word count: 3030
Woah, that TOTALLY didn't take five days to write....
So tell me what you thought about this chapter, do you have any theories? If so, let me know! Thank you!

- Sorrel