Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 12 (Partially Rewritten)

(Cat above is kit found in the woods)
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, sit beneath the High Rock for a Clan Meeting!" Dawnstar yowled. Foxgaze and Lakeheart already were sitting and most of the cats had woken up with Dawnstar's arrival.

The clearing was bathed in silver moonlight as the nearly full moon rose to the top of the sky. It was time to appoint the new deputy. Foxgaze heard Willowfur grunt as she stepped out into the open, her belly was plump and as round as the moon. Foxgaze looked up at the High Rock and saw Dawnstar's tail was held up for silence. Clearing her throat, the new leader said in a practiced tone "We all know that Nightstar is dead and I am leader so I must choose a deputy to replace myself and with the spirits of StarClan watching us, I wish to appoint the new deputy as Foxgaze".

I cant believe she choose me! I haven't even mentored and apprentice yet. Is that against the code? Foxgaze felt a shove from Orangetail, the ginger tom mewed in a quiet mew "Go touch noses with her".

Foxgaze swallowed her nervousness as she approached her leader. Dawnstar reached over and touched noses with her before Foxgaze stepped backward and jumped off the High Rock. The cats cheered "Foxgaze! Foxgaze!".

Dawnstar then flicked her tail and yowled "Meeting dismissed" and began to pad over to the leader's den. Foxgaze sighed and looked up at the moon. She furrowed her brow when she thought of Brightmoon, the insane cat from StarClan. The white she-cat had a weird glint in her eyes that seemed like she didn't have a soul. Just a stone husk.

Yawning, Foxgaze followed the warriors back to the warriors den. When she saw her nest she collapsed into it, realizing how tired she was. In moments, she was asleep.

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[Leafpaw's POV}

"For StarClan's sake Leafpaw! Give her borage leaves!" Lakeheart hissed. Willowfur was writhering in pain in her nest. Two tiny kits were lying beside her but they were breathing weakly as they feebly nuzzled for any milk.

Leafpaw grabbed the leaves and gave them to his mentor, her normally sleek fur looked ruffled and unwashed. The queen let out a shriek of pain as a third, and a fourth blob fell into the nest. Both kits squirmed and squeaked weakly as the cats licked them frantically. Leafpaw kept licking a tiny brown tom but his side fell still. He but back a wail of grief as he tended to the other kits.

The other three were weak and couldn't even mew. Leafpaw looked at Lakeheart who was staring at the three living kits. Dawnstar was in the nurserey, for Willowfur was her sister. She looked worried as she was staring at the kits. There was something wrong with them. They didn't have enough fur and they seemed too small.

"Lakeheart! Somethings wrong with my kits!" Willowfur mewed in an edgy tone. Leafpaw felt like he had swallowed a stone.

Lakeheart sighed "There's nothing I can do. I can't control what StarClan wants". Willowfur let out a grief filled mew "But, they're only kits!".

I need some air Leafpaw thought. The thin tom nodded to Lakeheart and stepped outside. A cool breeze ruffled his fur. Cats were sitting anxiously around the clearing. They looked troubled at Willowfur's wails. Leafpaw decided to go on a walk. He glanced at the High Rock and saw Foxgaze was lying on top of it. The scarred but beautiful tortishell she-cat was watching the nurserey intently. Leafpaw felt his ears burn but he scolded himself Stop it Leafpaw, you're a medicine cat. You can't have a crush on the deputy.

Leafpaw padded through the undergrowth and took in the beauty of the forest. Sunlight slanted through the pine trees and made the ground a patchwork of shadows. The blazing hot sun glared down on the camp but the forest was cool and breezy. He saw the lake sparkling beyond the trees. The beauty of the forest made him puff up his chest in pride This is why IceClan is the best clan. Those SeaClan cats can wade in their humid marshes and those a MoorClan cats can get blown over by the wind but we get a soft canopy of nettles and lake shore.

Leafpaw swiveled his ears as he heard a tiny squeak. Instantly he looked around for the source of the noise. I'd better bring a mouse back to camp anyways. Dropping into a crouch position he stalked forward. The squeaking got louder as he drew closer. But, he brought his paw down on a twig and it crunched loudly. The mouse was quiet before squeaking again.

Leafpaw narrowed his eyes That must be a really dumb mouse. As he returned to his full height to investigate he heard a mew. Stepping forward he didn't come across a mouse, it was a kit.

Her fur was a soft grey and white that was feather soft. Her eyes were still closed and she was stumbling around blindly, squeaking for milk. Leafpaw felt a stab of pity when he saw how thin she was.

"Hello little one" he mewed softly. The kit mewled when he licked its head. She didn't smell like Clan Cats or kittypet, only forest. Clan cat or not, this kit needs a home. Lousy rougues for abandoning their kit.

He gently grabbed the kit by the scruff and lifted her off the ground. The kit was extremely light and Leafpaw carried her easily.

As he padded onward, he thought to himself Maybe I could put her in Willowfur's litter without her noticing. Leafpaw rubbed her in his own scent to mask that she came from the forest. After what felt like moons of walking, Leafpaw came across the entrance to the camp.

Foxgaze was sitting at the entrance. Her honey yellow eyes widened when she saw the kit "What is that?"

"It's a kit" Leafpaw mewed quietly through the scruff of the kit. The deputy came closer and licked the kit gently. The kit squealed and squirmed beneath her tongue.

Foxgaze looked at Leafpaw with confusion in her eyes "Where did you get this kit? She smells like IceClan but she also carries the scent of forest".

Leafpaw changed the subject "We need to give her to Willowfur without her noticing. It's good for her grief to think that one if her kits is alive".

Foxgaze looked at the ground and said nothing. She finally looked at him and meowed uncertainly "I'm not the medicine cat here Leafpaw. If you think it's right".

Leafpaw nodded and padded through the through the camp entrance. Quick as a flash he snuck into the nurserey. Willowfur was taking a nap and her three living kits were breathing feebily. Gently, he set the tiny she-cat down and padded away. I hope she doesn't notice one other kit. She probably won't though, grief can mask even the most obvious.

Willowfur's wails cut through the night as her three remaining kits died during the night. Leafpaw lay in his nest and kept looking at the nurserey. He saw Lakeheart and Dawnstar frequently pad in and out of the nurserey, sometimes with a dead kit.

When dawn broke Lakeheart padded into the den and collapsed in her nest. She kept muttering over and over "Starkit...chosen".