(Warriors) 🌹Flower In The Shadows🌹 Volume I: ✳Dark Seeds✳

Chapter Fifteen

Silvershine's death had really shaken Shadeflower up. Seeing her die right before her, haunted her dreams. Shadeflower blamed herself almost as much as Featherlight blamed herself. Her kits were still grieving and Shadeflower wished she could have saved Silvershine. It wasn't fair that the shecat had died. Death wasn't fair. Why did it have to happen to the good cats? Why not the bad ones?

"Can I join the next hunting patrol?" Ravenfeather asked her, waking her from her thoughts. She nodded.

"Yes, that's fine." She nodded in response. Her mind was somewhere else but she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "The next one is with Graywhisker and Stormheart. " she informed him. Ravenfeather nodded and then he bounded off to chat with Rowanpetal. Everyone thought they would have kits together, but Rowanpetal was unable to bear kits. They were still mates though. It was a very sweet thing and it warmed Shadeflower's heart. Robinfoot and Dustclaw were mates and the brown tom always volunteered for patrols, insisting he had to make sure the territory was safe. Shadeflower  couldn't help but wonder who Jayspirit's mate was, but it was none of her business. Her kits were adorable though. Nettlekit was a curious little tom, he was always getting into trouble. Mintkit was shy and rarely left her mother's side. Flowerkit was playful and always attacking someone's tail.

Shadeflower stretched her legs for a second before checking on Pinetail who was Silvershine's mate. The tom was clearly missing her, and he hadn't been doing much of his warrior duties. But she understood why very much so. She had felt the same when Badgerclaw had died.

"Hello Shadeflower." Pinetail meowed, his voice sounding distant and he had the glazed look over his eyes; the glazed look of grief.

"Hello Pinetail. How are you feeling today?" She asked softly, and sweetly.

"Okay I guess. I'm sorry I haven't been doing many warrior duties."

"Don't worry about it. I understand." Shadeflower attempted to comfort the cat. He gave her a look of gratitude.

"You have no idea how much that means to me. I'm sure I'll be able to return a couple of days from now."

"Take as much time as you need." She nodded her head before padding away. She yawned, she hadn't been getting enough sleep due to her reoccurring nightmares of Silvershine's death. She kept seeing her spine being crushed her over and over again, the pained look in her eyes, frozen in fear.

"It wasn't your fault." She looked over to see Oakbriar.

"But if I had just been a little faster..."

"There was nothing you could have done, Shadeflower. Don't blame yourself. She wouldn't have wanted you to." Oakbriar looked into her eyes, and she nodded to her.

"I keep having nightmares." Shadeflower said. "I am so tired, but I don't want to sleep."

"Maybe Aspenberry and Shimmerleaf can help you." Oakbriar suggested. "You should go talk to them."

"Okay. Thank you Oakbriar. For being such a good friend to me."

"We are sisters." She meowed. Shadeflower nodded and she got to her paws and she padded into the medicine den, which has always been like a second home to her. Aspenberry looked up, Shimmerleaf was probably looking for herbs.

"What is it, dear?" She asked Shadeflower.

"I haven't been able to sleep because I've been having nightmares. " Shadeflower yawned again. Great Starclan, was she tired.

"I could give you some poppy seeds before you head to your nest tonight. That night help ease your nightmares. " Aspenberry meowed. "They're about Silvershine, aren't they?"

"I keep seeing her death over and over again." Shadeflower sniffled a little. She was hurting so deep inside, and the nightmares were making it worse.

"I'm sorry...the poppy seeds should help. Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault." She said. She sighed.

"Everyone has been telling me that." Shadeflower sighed.

"That's because it's true."

"But I still blame myself."

"It isn't your fault. Please believe that."

"I'll try."

***********************************************

It had been 3 moons since Silvershine's death. Leaf bare was now upon them. Jayspirit's kits were four moons old, and Robinfoot's kits were two moons old. She had named them Silverkit and Badgerkit, after Silvershine and Badgerclaw. That had touched Shadeflower so deeply and now Oakbriar's kits were warriors; Smokeshine, Cinderclaw, and Briarflower. Each of their names were named after Silvershine, Badgerclaw, and Oakbriar had asked for Briarflower to be named after Shadeflower.

Tensions were still high between ThunderClan and ShadowClan. The borders were patrolled extra between the two clans. Even at gatherings, the clans were in tension.

"Stonestar is sick?" Shadeflower overheard Ravenfeather meow. "That's terrible!"

"What does he have?" Rowanpetal asked

"Whitecough. I hope it doesn't turn into greencough." Ravenfeather replied. A cold shiver went down Shadeflower's spine. And it wasn't from the cold weather either.

The hunting patrol returned to camp with squirrel and a skinny shrew. Shadeflower's heart sank.

"I'm sorry but this is all we found." Darkpelt meowed. "There's nothing out there but layers ands layers of snow."

"It's alright. I'll send out another patrol to the other side of the forest. Maybe they will find something there." Shadeflower scanned the camp. Darkpelt and Cinderclaw  went out with Featherlight and Echofoot.

"Crowpelt, Mudpelt and Adderstrike, can you go out on a hunting patrol near the RiverClan border?" She asked, padding towards them. Both of them nodded.

"Try to steer clear of ThunderClan. They're bound to call us prey stealers again." Echofoot called out after them. The three cats nodded as they disappeared out of camp. Shadeflower padded around the camp, restless. She passed the elders den and she heard a bunch of coughing.

"It's getting worse isn't it?" Toadpelt fretted.

"I'm afraid so. I'll need him to move out of the elders den too prevent you from catching his whitecough." Shimmerleaf meowed.

"Alright...." Toadpelt sighed sadly.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Flamestorm said in between coughs. Shadeflower hoped and prayed that he wouldn't catch greencough. Two cats were sick now. Stonestar and Flamestorm. Were they about to have an epidemic? Shadeflower  ears perked up as she heard a kit coughing.

"Aspenberry! Nettlekit has a cough and a fever." Jayspirit was running towards Aspenberry, who had emerged with some herbs. Aspenberry looked worried and stressed.

"It's whitecough isn't it?" Robinfoot pulled Silverkit and Badgerkit towards her.

"I'm afraid so. It seems it's spreading through the camp. I need to keep Stonestar, Nettlekit, and Flamestorm sheltered and away from the rest of the clan to prevent the sickness from spreading." Aspenberry meowed. "Hopefully none of this becomes greencough. " Shadeflower was beginning to feel a sense of cold dread come over her. Three cats are sick already. This was getting to be bad. There was barely any prey, and it was cold and there was so much snow this leafbare. How would the clan survive?

She decided she should try to hunt. The sick cats needed food. And so did Robinfoot and Jayspirit. They had kits to feed. Shadeflower  left the camp by herself, almost knee deep in the snow that lay on the ground. It covered the pine trees, and every now and then a clump of snow fell off the branches. The other day some had fallen right on top of Brownfur. It was semi funny and semi nerve wracking

Shadeflower sighed and scented the air. Snow, snow, pine needles, dead leaves...no prey. She tried to use her extra sense of smell, but it didn't want to work right then. She dragged her paws through the snow, trying to find a scent of some kind of prey, anything. But there was no sign of anything. How would they survive this leaf bare of there was no prey to be seen?