When Darkness Whispers

Chapter 6

Gorsepaw opened his eyes to see Specklefur going through her herbs. "Oh good your awake!" She said in a relived tone. Gorsepaw yawned and stretched. "What's going on?" He asked when Specklefur walked hurriedly around the den.

"Oh," she sighed, "Tallkit is sick. I think he has whitecough. Maybe greencough. But I'm afraid he could spread it to Gladekit and Meadowkit so I'm going to keep him in here." She gestured to the spare nest in the corner of 5e medicine cat den. Gorsepaw nodded to his mentor and started to leave the den. "Wait," Specklefur called, "take this and bring it to Tawnyleaf please." Specklefur picked up a leaf wrap and gave it to Gorsepaw. Gorsepaw sighed and padded out of the den.

Staring at the ground, Gorsepaw walked to the nursery and squeezed through the small entrance. "Oh Gorsepaw, thank StarClan." Gorsepaw lifted his head and dropped the leaf wrap in horror. Tallkit was laying in the nest alone. He looked as frail and small as if he had just been born. The kit was coughing and coughing. Gorsepaw didn't even know how Tallkit was getting air. "He's been like this ever since Specklefur left." Tawnyleaf whispered. Gladekit and Meadowkit were staring wide eyed at their brother.

"What's wrong with Tallkit?" Gladekit asked Gorsepaw. Gorsepaw shook his head. "I-I don't know. If this is Greencough it's the worst case I've ever seen." Tawnyleaf wrapped her tail around her two kits and backed out of the nursery. Gorsepaw sniffed at Tallkit warily and nudged the leaf wrap over to him with his nose. Gorsepaw picked out a small stalk of catmint and gave it to Tallkit.

"Come on little kit, this will make you feel better." Tallkit coughed and looked up with white glazed eyes before attempting to take a bite of the catmint. Gorsepaw watched as Tallkit coughed while chewing the catmint. Slowly the kit swallowed the herb and went limp into sleep. Good. But Gorsepaw soon realized that the kit was not sleeping. Tallkit wasn't even breathing.

Quickly Gorsepaw stumbled over to him and reached a paw into the kit's mouth. C'mon! Gorsepaw pulled a thick clot of black liquid from the kit's mouth. No, it can't be. Gorsepaw thought back to the vision he had after the gathering a few sunrises ago. It's coming true. Gorsepaw watched as Tallkit vomited up more of the black goo. But soon the kit did go to sleep and Gorsepaw didn't leave until he was sure.

Gorsepaw stepped out of the den to see Tawnyleaf being comforted by Deertail. The she-cat was breathing hard and Gorsepaw pulled out thyme from the leaf wrap. "Tawnyleaf, you should take this, it'll calm you down." Tawnyleaf didn't seem to hear him. "Tawnylea-"

"She heard you." Deertail snapped. Gorsepaw narrowed his eyes and gave the thyme to Tawnyleaf. The she-cat sniffed and chewed the thyme. The herb seemed to work, as the she-cat had started breathing regularly.

It was sundown and Tallkit had not gotten any better—in fact the kit had only gotten worse. He started coughing up more of the thick black liquid. Specklefur was tired from caring for the kit, Tawnyleaf was a mess, whimpering and ignoring her other two kits, and Furzestar had sent out many patrols that had injured other Clan cats. Gorsepaw had been beginning to think that the patrols only went out so they could attack ThunderClan and RiverClan cats. Specklefur had tried to convince Furzestar to stop attacking cats.

Whispering cats had passed rumors that Grassflight had killed a RiverClan cat. Gorsepaw didn't know if he believed that. How could a warrior kill a cat? It's against the code!

Gorsepaw helped Specklefur move Tallkit into the medicine cat den earlier that day. Gorsepaw's mentor had been extremely confused when she saw Tallkit. He continued to cough up the liquid and anything he ate he would vomit up. Specklefur had no knowledge of the sickness and she knew no cure. Specklefur did not tell Tawnyleaf. The queen was already overstimulated and worried about her kits.
                                                                ***
Gorsepaw slept uneasily that night. Dreams filled his sleep.

A flash of brown flew passed him.

Now white on his left.

Black fur on his right.

Gorsepaw panted as if he had just run around the whole lake. He whipped around as teeth met his hind leg. Green eyes glowed in the darkness as Gorsepaw fought back at his invisible enemy. He yowled in pain as claws raked his belly.

Suddenly everything stopped and went still. Gorsepaw was in a forest. It was nothing like anything he had seen before. The trees were bare and the ground was covered in wet, moldy, leaves. Where am I?

Voices sounded behind Gorsepaw so he turned his head to see who was talking.

A brown shaggy cat stumbled out from behind a dead bush. Gorsepaw saw the cat's mouth move but couldn't catch the words. A moment later a dark ginger tom appeared. The tom had injuries and was bleeding heavily. Gorsepaw couldn't hear what the cats were saying so he snuck forward.

"...If you want that then you have to give me another life!" The ginger tom snapped. The brown cat spoke though Gorsepaw could not see who the tom was. "I told you one. I can't give away my lives like this." The ginger tom put a paw on the brown one. I recognize the tom's voice. Gorsepaw thought. Something about the brown tom's mew made Gorsepaw shiver.

"Fine...get your paw off me I'll give you another life!" The tom gasped. The ginger cat stepped away from the brown one. Gorsepaw's heart started beating exceptionally fast as the ginger tom looked around. Gorsepaw's eyes locked in with the amber ones of the ginger tom. Suddenly everything swirled and Gorsepaw twitched before waking up in his nest.

Who were those cats? He asked himself. The voice was clear in Gorsepaw's head for the moment, but the heartbeat that he started working in the medicine cat den with Specklefur, his memory of the cats' voices started to fade.

"Gorsepaw I need you to check the other cats for the sickness, we can't risk spreading it." Gorsepaw wondered why Specklefur's mew was quiet and full of grief until he looked into Tallkit's nest. The nest was covered in the black goo and moss was scattered about. Tallkit lay in the middle. The kit had stopped breathing and was still. He looked so small in the big nest. "Also tell Tawnyleaf to come here." Gorsepaw stared at the kit. StarClan why did Tallkit have to be a victim of this sickness? Gorsepaw dragged his paws as he made his way towards Tawnyleaf.

Gorsepaw heard the she-cat wail when Specklefur told her about her kit. Deertail looked especially angry and Gorsepaw felt as though the tom would do something awefull. But he didn't, Deertail wrapped his tail around Tawnyleaf and lead her out of the den. Grief filled the camp as the news spread. Cats were wary and wouldn't share fresh-kill. Even Kestrelcry and Quailwing weren't eating form the same rabbit. Gorsepaw sighed and helped Specklefur with cleaning up and finding herbs for the vigil.

The Clan held vigil for Tallkit. The only cats that did not join them were Redwhisker, who was in the medicine cat den due to small symptoms of the sickness, and Furzestar, who chose not to participate in the vigil.

Gorsepaw was saddened by the thought of the kit's death. A sickness truck WindClan and the first cat to die was the happiest kit in the Clan. Who would be next? Will the sickness kill off the Clans? Gorsepaw couldn't help feeling like the sickness was his fault. I asked StarClan for something to happen. He told himself. But I didn't want it to be this! Somehow Gorsepaw made the sickness kill Tallkit and now Gorsepaw only felt terrible guilt.

He was standing in the medicine cat den when he heard a cat speaking. "I don't want you to do that. No only three of you go." It can't be. Gorsepaw gasped. He peeked out the den and saw the cat that had been talking to the ginger tom in his dream. Oh StarClan, what do I do?

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