𝒯𝙷𝙰𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝐹𝚁𝙾𝚂𝚃 ─── 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 3.

『 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟹 』

DOVESONG WATCHED AS Mousetail left, knowing that she should be happy she was back. In reality, she was, but she was just too deep in her own grief to be celebratory along with everyone else. She felt guilty. Guilty for letting Foxclaw die. But she was also guilty for not greeting Mousetail and Badgertooth and everyone else with cheerfulness. But at least they knew that she was upset.

Badgertooth had made a marigold poultice for the wound and gently and expertly slathered it onto Dovesong's wound. "You can tell me anything," he informed her between licks. "I just want to make sure my former apprentice is okay."

Will he even care that Foxclaw died? Oh, of course he will. But he probably won't grieve him, Dovesong thought as she considered telling him the entire truth. She had been in love with Foxclaw since she was a young medicine cat apprentice. She knew, even then, that she couldn't love him. It was against the code. And Badgertooth always seemed disappointed in her for breaking the code so carelessly. "Maybe later," she mumbled at last, unflinching at the sting that the poultice delivered.

Badgertooth finished slathering the poultice on and looked at her, concern glittering in his eyes. "If you say so. Would you like anything else? Some fresh-kill, perhaps?"

Dovesong shook her head. "No. I just want to rest. The nests in that place were horrendous," she added with forced humor. She limped toward her nest and curled up, hoping that maybe she could go to sleep and see Foxclaw in her dreams.

"Great StarClan!" Badgertooth gasped suddenly, making Dovesong look up. "Who is that?" He was narrowing his eyes toward something outside of the den. Dovesong followed his gaze.

It was Foxclaw.

Ashbreeze, Icepaw, and Rosefeather brought his body into camp. Rosefeather's eyes were clouded with grief for her son. Icepaw looked struck with shock, even though he never really knew Foxclaw. Ashbreeze looked grief-stricken for her former Clanmate. The Clan around them burst into murmurs of shock and Dovesong could nearly feel their tears forming in their eyes. But mostly in the eyes of the cats that had known Foxclaw, like Hollyfern and Gorseberry. Lynxstar hurried out of her den to deal with it.

Dovesong looked away. "Does that answer your question?" she asked Badgertooth, feeling numb with grief.

Badgertooth was silent for a moment. "Dovesong . . . I'm so, so sorry. You didn't deserve this."

Dovesong didn't know how to respond. She didn't even have enough energy to go out there and say goodbye to Foxclaw one more time. They probably weren't even going to bury him that moment, if they were going to at all. He wasn't their Clanmate anymore. Why should they care?

"You know what, I'm going out there," Dovesong meowed aloud unintentionally, making Badgertooth look at her in confusion. She got out of her nest and limped outside of the den toward where Foxclaw's body lay. Hollyfern and Rosefeather were the only ones visibly grieving, crouched beside Foxclaw, their heads low. Hollyfern looked up when Dovesong, her eyes clouded. She moved closer to her mother, who seemed too deep in mourning to realize.