The soft breeze blew over the dark forest as Featherpaw crept back towards her home. The tribe was close behind her as they approached the moonlit camp. "Hello?" She called tentatively. "It's me, Featherpaw! I'm back!" No reply. Something didn't feel right. The scent markers they had crossed earlier had been faint and tinged with a bitter, disgusting smell that clung to the whole forest. It was oddly quiet. "Hello?" Featherpaw called again, leaning forward to stick her head into camp. A coughing noise could be heard inside. She stuck her head through the opening. The sight was ghastly. The place stank of some unknown bitter scent. Vomit was splattered here and there and the dens were battered and uncared for. The fresh-kill pile was almost empty, the prey that was there was rotting. Crow-food! In camp? "Hello!" She called more urgently. A white head stuck out from the medicine cats den. "Frostshine!" Featherpaw called.
"Featherpaw? What are you doing here? Actually it doesn't matter. Get out!" Frostshine looked horrible. Her fur was unkemp and hung in dirty clumps. Her ribs were so visible you could count them and her voice was horse. Her eyes were hollow from lack of sleep.
"What?" Featherpaw stuttered.
"Get. Out! You'll get sick. Go find the others, they've made a temporary camp somewhere. Out!" Featherpaw retreated from the camp, shocked. The tribe stood watching her expectantly. "Umm, we have to go find the others." She informed them. Lifting her nose, she sniffed the air. "This way." She led them into the trees again, following the trail. "Featherpaw?" A voice echoed eerily over to them.
"Wolfpaw?!" She called back her heart leaping.
"Featherpaw!" Wolfpaw came bounding out of the woods to cover her in licks. He also looked a horrible sight. Thin with matted fur and hollow eyes. His usual sleek dark grey fur was thin and unwashed.
"What's going on?!" Featherpaw gasped, looking him up and down.
"A sickness. A terrible horrible sickness came and we don't know how to fight it. We've already lost Leafpetal, Ivytail, Birchkit and Hazelkit. Redclaw, Silverdrop and Snowdust aren't far off."
"Birchkit? Hazelkit?"
"Oh, of course. Blackthorn and Thorntail had a kit, Birchkit who sadly died. And Cherryfrost and Snowdust have three kits, Willowkit, Rosekit and Hazelkit."
"How's Ashpaw?"
"Sick." Replied Wolfpaw. "He's Ashbreeze now by the way. I'm Wolfwhisper, Rainpaw in Raingaze and Redpaw is Redclaw." Wolfwhisper turned his gaze to the tribe who were all standing awkwardly behind Featherpaw. "Umm, who are they?"
"Oh, they're the Tribe of Rushing Water. They're here to stay with us until they can find there own home."
"As if we don't have enough to worry about." Spat Wolfwhisper irritably.
"I'm Stoneteller, healer of the tribe." Stoneteller introduced himself. "This sickness you talked about, what are the symptoms?"
"Coughing, fever, vomiting, trouble breathing, death." Wolfwhisper meowed, his once sparkling blue gaze dull.
"It sounds like-" Moon started.
"Not just sounds like, probably is." Stoneteller mewed. "Can I see these sick cats?"
"I'll take you to camp." Wolfwhisper offered. "Why?"
"We had a similar epidemic in the Tribe a couple moons ago."
"Did you find a cure?!" Wolfwhisper exclaimed.
Stoneteller dipped his head. "We did. Now can I see the cats?"
"Follow me." Wolfwhisper instructed. "The rest of you go that way," he twitched his tail. "You'll find the temporary camp."
Featherpaw pushed her nose briefly into her brothers fur, breathing in his familiar scent. "Lets go." She mewed, leading the tribe in the direction Wolfwhisper had indicated. Wing trotted up to her. "Who was that?" He asked.
"Wolfwhisper. He's my brother."
"Oh so you're not...you know."
"No! We're not mates, we're siblings."
"You seem pretty close."
"He's my best friend, protector. He means the world to me."
"I can see that." Wing mewed. "I wish I was that close to my sister."
"Whose your sister?" Featherpaw asked as they passed a bramble.
"Flame." He nodded to a dark ginger she cat trotting next to Moon. "She's perfect and I'm just her useless brother. She seems like the sweetest cat ever and everyone loves her, but really she's snide, sassy and mean."
Featherpaw didn't really know how to reply to this. "When I was a kit all my denmates picked on me cause I sucked at everything. Apart from Ashbreeze." She added. "I couldn't play fight, I couldn't catch a moss ball. One day I left my den and ran into Ravenpaw. His clan took me in, taugh me confidence and to believe in myself. They taugh me I don't need anyones approval, just mine. Then, my clan took me back. I still feel loyal to RockClan though. And now, I can't love Ravenpaw. It feels like I'm being torn appart..." Featherpaw's voice drifted off, her eyes glittering with pain.
Wing gave her a comforting lick. "Maybe, when this is all over you can be together. You can have kits, you can become leader of your clan and prove your denmates wrong."
Featherpaw looked into Wing's amber eyes, wishing she could believe it.
"Maybe." She sighed. "When it's all over."