Flames At Night: Book 1: A Shattered Path

Chapter Eighteen

Dolphinshine

Dolphinshine swam through the crystal-clear water, back towards the shore. The sun was dipping towards the ocean, and he, Squirreldash, and Needlepaw were bringing their prey back to camp.

"This is the smallest patrol I've been on for a while," Needlepaw sighed as she paddled next to Dolphinshine. The new warrior had to agree with her. Frondnose had been sending out fewer and fewer cats as more of the warriors fell sick.

They came up onto the beach and walked to camp in silence. No one really knew what to talk about, after all.

As he padded into camp, the sound of lots of worried voices reached Dolphinshine's ears. Several cats were crowded into the center of the camp, surrounding Cloverpaw, Blossomwhisker, and Whiterose. Dolphinshine hurriedly shoved his trout at Needlepaw and ran up to his sister and mother.

Cloverpaw was leaning against Blossomwhisker's side, with Whiterose dabbing at her eyes with a piece of wet moss. The tortoiseshell tabby was crying into her mother's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Dolphinshine meowed. He crouched next to his sister. "Cloverpaw? Are you okay?"

She didn't respond, but pressed her nose to his cheek. Whiterose gently pulled her back so that she could keep cleaning her eyes.

"Stop," Cloverpaw mewed faintly. "It stings." She tried to pull away, but the medicine cat laid a tail on her shoulder.

"It stings because it has salt water in it," Whiterose explained. "This is to stop the scratches from getting infected."

"What happened?" asked Dolphinshine. Cloverpaw's eyes were a mess of bleeding claw marks.

Blossomwhisker glanced at him. "We found Poolheart attacking her. She was helping in the medicine den, and apparently he was delirious, and..."

"We have to move her to her nest," Whiterose spoke. "Not in my den, because we don't want her to get sick. Dolphinshine, help me."

"I can walk," the apprentice said, trying to stand. She wobbled, and her brother stepped next to her. Cloverpaw leaned on him, whimpering.

"Troutkit!" called Whiterose. "Bring me two thyme leaves. They're small and curly, and they should be next to the mallow." The black and orange she-kit nodded and sprinted off.

Dolphinshine helped his sister to her nest, and she sank into it. Troutkit brought back the thyme, and Whiterose coaxed Cloverpaw into eating it.

Eventually, Cloverpaw seemed to fall asleep, resting her head on the edge of her nest. Dolphinshine moved to get up and go to his nest in the warriors' den, but she reached out a paw and laid it on his shoulder. I have to stay with her. Curling around his sister, the sleek gray tom slowly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a cry came from the nursery. Dolphinshine jerked awake, thinking they were under attack. He carefully shifted out of the nest, one leg screaming in protest after being tucked under him all night. Cloverpaw stirred but remained asleep.

Cautiously making his way towards the nursery, the gray tom poked his head in. "Is everything all right?"

Whiterose did not spare him a glance. "Shylily is having her kits. Be useful and go get Ravenmist. She's been asking for him." The silver and white she-cat's fur was ungroomed and messy. Dolphinshine doubted she had gotten much sleep, with all the work she was doing.

Lightglow and her kits were watching from the other side of the den, except for Troutkit, who was standing a little way behind Whiterose. Dolphinshine assumed she was trying to help. She would be a good medicine cat.

He padded to the warriors' den and weaved between the nests, hopping over a few tails and paws. Locating Ravenmist, he prodded the black and white tom in the side.

Ravenmist jerked awake, flailing his paws. He quickly stopped and climbed to his feet. "Sorry! Sorry, Dolphinshine! What's happening?"

"Shylily is having her kits," Dolphinshine meowed quietly. "She wants you to come."

The tom nodded and followed him back to the nursery. Ducking in, he mewed, "Shylily? I'm here. Are you okay?"

Shylily was lying in her nest, panting. A silver tabby kit lay next to her. "Ravenmist!" she purred. "I-" she interrupted herself with a small shriek of pain. Her mate looked slightly worried.

"This should be an easy kitting," Whiterose said, sounding relieved. "There are three kits, but Shylily is healthy and strong." As she spoke, another kit slid out onto the moss, followed immediately by one more.

The medicine cat began licking one of them, a dark gray tom. "Ravenmist, start cleaning your daughter," she ordered. He started grooming the pale-furred she-kit.

Dolphinshine stepped back out of the den to give them some space. The salty air blew into his face, and he decided that he wasn't going to go back to sleep.

"What should we name them?" Shylily purred, loud enough for him to hear. "I can think of so many, and all of them are good, but I can't choose! I wish Fire Lily was here," she added after a moment's hesitation. "She would help me."

"I could help you," muttered Ravenmist, ears flattened to his head. Despite the happiness of the occasion, he was irritated by the mention of the loner. The tom had never liked Fire Lily, even though his mate did.

"Maybe Winterkit," Shylily said dreamily. "For the pale one. Or Moonkit."

"Why don't we name the black and white one Patchkit?" Ravenmist suggested. "After my grandmother?"

"Oh, that's okay," the silver she-cat mewed. "And Oceankit for the tabby, maybe."

"Troutkit, will you get some borage?" Whiterose asked. "It has fuzzy leaves and purple, star-shaped flowers."

"Uh-huh!" The black-spotted kit rapidly dashed out of the nursery, towards the medicine den. She returned with a few large leaves, waving at Dolphinshine as she passed him. He smiled and waved back.

"Do you know what it's used for?" Whiterose questioned.

"For bringing down fevers," Troutkit replied. "Oh, and also for milk. That's why you're giving it to Shylily."

"Very good," said the medicine cat approvingly. "I think that I'll ask Havenstar if you can be my apprentice in a couple moons. You would be a wonderful medicine cat."

"Yay!" Troutkit ran out of the den and did a happy skip in front of Dolphinshine. "Did you hear? I'm going to be a medicine cat!" she squealed.

"Congratulations," the tom purred, leaning to lick the top of her head. He knew that she was very helpful to Whiterose, and by the looks of things, she already had memorized plenty of herbs. She had come quite far from being the little rogue kit lost on the beach.

Lightglow stepped out of the nursery. "I know you're very happy," she meowed, "but it's late, and you should have been asleep hours ago. Shylily needs rest, so be quiet, okay?"

The black and orange she-kit nodded and followed her adopted mother back to her nest. "Good night, Dolphinshine!" she called over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow!"

Dolphinshine dipped his head and turned back towards the apprentices' den. He peeked in and saw Cloverpaw, lying in her nest. The scratches on her face were red and inflamed. Will she even get better?