Waterstar's Heart

Chapter 7

"Are you still going to the gathering?" Clovernose asked gently. Her eyes were glazed with sadness as she stared at her apprentice. She laid her tail across his back, in which he swatted away. He truly didn't mean it in poor taste, he just didn't want to think about it.

"Yes. I'm ready." He mewed distantly. A chilly breeze hit his fur, and he shivered.

The grey tom was lying at Cowpatch's side, along with Houndtail. The elder had been beautifully decorated with flowers and smelling herbs, and positioned peacefully to look as if she was sleeping. The blood had been cleaned by Heathertail.

A patrol had found him and Cowpatch a little while after the brutal attack. It was Grasspaw who had found him first.

Both Grasspaw and Oakpaw tentatively behind Clovernose. They seemed smaller than they usually were. Grasspaw didn't hold her as head high, and Oakpaw didn't smile. Waterpaw's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment.

"We'll be waiting by the gorse tunnel." Clovernose meowed, before gesturing to the other two apprentices to gather at the entrance of camp.

Waterpaw got to his paws slowly and silently. The wound on his back had been patched up with poultice and cobwebs. It throbbed when he moved, but he didn't care. He didn't care about his wound, all he cared about was Cowpatch.

"...Waterpaw, wait." Houndtail rasped. The apprentice turned to the elder, staring at his paws. "Thank you for staying with her." She murmured, stepping to rest her head on his shoulder. Waterpaw felt a lump in his throat form. He wasn't the only one affected by Cowpatch's death.

As the tom searched the camp for his other clan mates, he could see Badger dragging a nest across the soil. Her yellow eyes were empty of emotion, and she slumped forwards. She had lost kin, too. Her own mother.

Shadestar called all the participants to the gorse tunnel, his voice heavy with grief. "Heathertail, Iceear, Grasspaw, Oakpaw, Clovernose, Tawnyleap, Tanglewind, Scorchpelt, and Waterpaw, let's get going before we're late."

Before departing, he gave Houndtail a reassuring nuzzle. He followed his clan-mates out of the gorse tunnel, keeping a large distance. Grasspaw and Oakpaw hung behind, walking on each side of him.

Oakpaw glanced at his friend, his tail drooping. "Waterpaw...it's going to be okay. She's in StarClan, now. You know what, she's probably going to watch over you tonight at the gathering."

"She lived a long life." Grasspaw reasoned.

Waterpaw nodded slowly. "I know. She shouldn't have died. She just wanted to hunt." The fact that she was in StarClan didn't help that she wasn't going to be in the elder's den anymore. He wasn't a medicine cat, so he couldn't contact her even if he wanted to. "I miss her."

Grasspaw and Oakpaw exchanged pitiful glances, and then picked up the pace, catching up to their clan-mates.

There was a crisp, cool air as the cats traveled to Four Trees. Leaf-bare was coming fast. For the last couple of days, Waterpaw had noticed the leaves changing and falling, and prey was becoming scarcer. They were lucky that the hunting trip him, Oakpaw and Grasspaw took was so successful.

ThunderClan was the last to make it to the gathering. The hollow was filled with so many cats that Waterpaw couldn't even begin where to look.

Clovernose made her way back to her apprentice. "Just remember to keep peace. Don't overshare." She gave the apprentice a reassuring lick on the head, before carefully making her way down the steep slope into the hollow.

Grasspaw had already dragged Oakpaw to a group of other clan cats, leaving Waterpaw alone. He kicked a pebble that laid in front of his paws, frowning. He promptly sat down alone.