Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 24

(Cat above is Darkclaw)
Foxgaze's POV

"Darkclaw!" the three other cats screeched.

They all began to run down the edge of the cliff-bank to where the water was flowing towards the lake. The cliff gradually sloped down into a pebblely bank.

Foxgaze hustled toward the water and yowled "Darkclaw! Where are you!"

In the middle of the flood waters, clinging to a rock was a soaking wet and shivering black and white she-cat. Darkclaw screeched in fear "For StarClan's sake! Help me!"

"Hold on!" Pebblefur and Sara both said at the same time. They both rushed to the trees to get a branch. Foxgaze stood on the shore feeling useless. Could I swim? she thought and put one paw in the frigid water.

"You'll die in seconds" a framiliar voice said from behind her. Foxgaze turned around and saw Adderpaw standing on the bank. His fur was translucent and bright stars glowed inside him "both you and your kits would perish".

"But, Darkclaw needs help!" Foxgaze meowed.

Adderpaw glanced at Darkclaw scrambling to keep hold on the rock "It's Darkclaw's time to die, not yours". He touched his tail tip to Foxgaze's shoulder and vanished. Foxgaze stood with her eyes wide at the place he had been before.

"Help us with the branch" Sara grumbled through the branch she and Pebblefur were carrying. Foxgaze nodded and reluctantly grabbed the wood with her teeth.

Just then, there was a loud crack from somewhere upstream. They dropped the branch and all whipped around. Another branch had fallen and was being carried down the runoff at surprising speed. It was being carried straight toward Darkclaw.

Foxgaze was about to howl to warn her but it was too late. The speeding branch hit Darkclaw who shrieked in fear and pain before falling into the rushing water.

"No..." Pebblefur said quietly.

Sara, her eyes wide with shock whispered "Is she...dead?"

"Yes" Foxgaze closed her eyes. StarClan is this because of me and Leafshade? Haven't I already been through enough?

***

"Dear StarClan! What happened?" Dawnstar exclaimed when she saw Darkclaw's limp body.

Foxgaze looked at the patrol, all of them covered in mud and soaking wet from fishing Darkclaw's body out of the mud at the lake "The stream on the MountainClan border flooded. While we were observing it, Darkclaw...got too close to the edge and fell in. We tried to save her but, it was too late".

"She's telling the truth Dawnstar" Pebblefur pointed out.

"What happened?" Leafshade asked as he padded out of the medicine cat den when he saw the muddy patrol. He froze when he saw Darkclaw.

"We need to hold a vigil tonight" Dawnstar said to the crowd before looking back at Darkclaw with Leafshade standing over her "Darkclaw must be mourned".

"Ack!" Glazepool sputtered, holding a paw to her swollen belly "my kits are coming!"

Agileclaw rushed over to her and began to lead her into the nurserey. He called out behind him "We need a medicine cat, now!"

Leafshade looked at Darkclaw one last time before running over to Agileclaw. He gave him instructions "Get her a stick while I go get the herbs I need".

"What will a stick do?" Agileclaw asked, his eyes wide with concern as Glazepool groaned in her nest.

"Just tell her to bite it" Leafshade told him before dashing off to the medicine cat den while Agileclaw ran to the woods to get a stick.

Foxgaze went into the Nurserey and saw Glazepool withering in pain. One of her blue eyes cracked open and she hissed "Foxgaze! Where is Agileclaw?"

"He's helping Leafshade" Foxgaze said. When she said the tom's name he stepped into the den, his jaws full of dark green leaves.

Leafshade set the herbs down and turned to Foxgaze. He set his tail tip on her shoulder "Are you here to help?"

Foxgaze nodded "Glazepool is my friend".

"Like you're my mate" Leafshade murmmered under his breath. Foxgaze froze and looked around to see if anyone had heard that.

Glazepool snorted "Hah how cute. Now can some one get these kits out of me!"

Agileclaw ducked into the den. He gave the stick to Glazepool who instinctively bit into it. The striped warrior twined his tail around his mate's.

Glazepool let out a muffled shriek of pain and a kit fell into the nest. It was a tiny brown tabby tom with a white underbelly. Leafshade began licking the kit rapidly. The tom kit squeaked when Leafshade touched it.

Glazepool wrenched open an eye when she saw her son. She said under her breath happily "He looks like his father"

"I know" Agileclaw mewed proudly.

Suddenly, Glazepool shrieked again and part of the stick splintered. Another kit fell into the nest and Leafshade again but off the sac surrounding it. Foxgaze saw it was a grey tom.

After another groan from Glazepool, the last kit fell into the nest. Foxgaze, seeing that Leafshade was already busy with the second kit took the third kit, a white she-cat.

Leafshade set the grey tom gently beside Glazepool and turned around to Foxgaze. He nosed the she-kit gently "She looks healthy".

Foxgaze nodded and set the she-kit down by her brothers. Glazepool purred and curled her tail around them. Foxgaze felt a strange wave of love when she saw Glazepool's kits. Maybe it has to do with the fact that she was protecting her own. Foxgaze looked down I'll always protect you my loves.

Agileclaw licked Glazepool's ear and looked down at their kits "What should we name them".

Glazepool touched her tail to the first born brown tabby "This one is strong and his stripes look like a tiger's. I think I'll call him Tigerkit".

"Good name" Leafshade nodded.

"For the other two, Agileclaw, if you're okay with this, If like Leafshade and Foxgaze to name in thanks for helping us" Glazepool mewed.

Leafshade gave a respectful purr and looked at the grey tom "The grey one should be called Falconkit".

Foxgaze stated at the white she-cat. She takes her mind for a good name and settled on a simple, season appropriate name "The white she-kit should be known as Snowkit for her white pelt and the fact that she was born during leaf-bare".

"I approve of those" Agileclaw rumbled, looking proudly at his kits.

"So do I" Glazepool meowed and set her. head down on her paws.

Foxgaze looked at Leafshade. His bright green eyes were fixed on the kits and Foxgaze could picture what was happening in his head. He's thinking about his own kits right now. Oh Leafshade, I just want you to know they'll be fine.

You may think that Foxgaze a very framiliar voice hissed but never forget about what Adderpaw said about your precious kits.

Foxgaze froze and her fur stood on end. The voice speaking to her was Brightmoon's.