Sparks of A Fire

Chapter 46

A sharp yowl split through the early pre-dawn air, making every cat jolt up out of their nests, fur standing on end and eyes darting frantically from side to side.

Both Larkstar and Nutleaf were already sitting outside of the apprentice's den when Bluepaw and Palepaw came racing over to see what all of the commotion was about.

They had just returned from hunting and had gotten a shock upon returning to camp.

The cat who had cried out was a young molly with black fur and hazel eyes. Her snow white paws were shifting uneasily beneath her pale underbelly.

At first, Bluepaw was extremely confused, but upon seeing the small and unmoving form of Shadowpaw, the young blue-furred apprentice knew exactly what had caused Pantherlily's distressed yowls.

Bluepaw felt her heart drop onto her paws.

No, no, no, she chanted silently to herself. Out loud, she meowed, "Shadowpaw? Shadowpaw, can you hear me?"

But the black-and-white dappled apprentice didn't respond to her friend's desperate cries.

Bluepaw caught the gaze of Nutleaf, who motioned with her tail toward the medicine cat's den.

With a quick nod of her furry head, the blue-furred apprentice quickly spun on her heels and dashed as fast as she could toward Meadowlight and Flowingstream's den.

It only took her a few seconds to reach the den, but to Bluepaw's panicking mind and racing heart, it felt like it took two whole moons just to reach the entrance.

The two medicine cats in question both looked up from sorting herbs upon hearing a rush of pawsteps skid to a halt in front of their den.

As Bluepaw struggled to get air back into her lungs after the mad-dash toward the medicine cat's den, Meadowlight cleared her throat and calmly trotted over to the panting apprentice.

"Huh? Bluepaw? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" the older molly shot question after question at the younger cat sitting right in front of her.

Bluepaw took a deep breath, shook out her pelt, and looked directly into the older cat's eyes. "There's something wrong with Shadowpaw." She managed to gasp out, her eyes still wide with terror. "You guys gotta come with me!" she then turned back around and raced back toward the nursery, the two medicine cats hot on her heels.

The three cats burst into the den, startling the cats inside at the sudden new arrivals.

"Meadowlight, Flowingstream," Nutleaf mewed softly, dipping her head respectfully to the medicine cats. "Thank StarClan you're here, there's something wrong With Shadowpaw."

The yellow tabby nodded her head. "We are aware of that, yes." She purred and flicked her yellow-and-white striped tabby tail at Bluepaw, who blushed and ducked her head. "Young Bluepaw has already informed us of that."

A moment of silence past before anyone moved.

But then, Meadowlight stepped forward, sniffing cautiously at Shadowpaw's flank and inspecting her pelt.

She then turned to her apprentice, her expression screamed "Urgency" as she spoke. "Flowingstream, I need you to get me some horsetail, marigold leaves, and feverfew." Her mew was quick and sharp, making it clear to everyone that no time could be waisted.

The cinnamon tabby nodded and dashed out of the den as fast as she could go, determined to get the herbs that her mentor had requested.

It took a few moments, but Flowingstream found the herbs she needed quickly enough. With the bundle of herbs held firmly in her jaws, the young medicine cat apprentice raced back to the apprentice's den.

"I got the herbs you requested, Meadowlight." Flowingstream set the herbs at her mentor's paws and awaited to see what her next task would be.

"How's she doing?" the younger molly asked, watching anxiously as her mentor eyed something on Shadowpaw's pelt that she couldn't see.

Once she had finished her task, the yellow tabby turned to face the gathered cats with a somber expression crossing her face.

"What's wrong, Meadowlight?" Flowingstream questioned, her voice shaky as she observed her mentor with an anxious feeling pooling in the pit of her stomach. "Is Shadowpaw alright?"

Meadowlight sighed softly, shifting her paws and flicking her gaze around the den with an uncertain expression crossing her normally calm face.

After a few more moments of tense silence, the medicine cat cleared her throat and began to speak. "Shadowpaw is hunting with StarClan now, her time with us has come to its conclusion."