Warriors: An Enemy's Victory #1, Fanfiction

Chapter 15

"Is she alright?" Thistlestar hissed nervously as he eyed Windkit. She was coughing heavily. The rain had brought a cold breeze, and a couple cats had cought greencough. He let out a cough himself, sniffing the kit beside Cinderpelt and Leafpool.

"She will be fine, she only has whitecough. We have a a bit of Catmint left, just enough to suit her. Are you alright?" They asked, sniffing him. He pulled away, shaking his head.

"I'm fine. Just treat her, please. Shes the last one, right?" He meowed, stiffling a cough. Kits and elders were more important to treat than his simple cold.

"Indeed. With luck, the outbreak is gone, and all of Thunderclan will be safe from the illness. Go ahead and vet some fresh-kill. I dont need you becoming weak with hunger and getting sick." Cinderpelt mewed, sending him off. He stepped out, noticing his hunger for the first time that day. Grabbing a squirrel, he moved to his den quietly.

His clan was working hard to toughen the dens with brambles and leaves, panting with effort even though their eyes shined with determination.

We'll be warm and cozy this winter. Hopefully the prey stays as well. He thought to himself, biting into his squirrel. We have many kits this season.

As he swallowed the last morsel of the squirrel, he placed his head on his paws. Coralflower's kits were due in a moon and a half, and there was a chance the kitting could go wrong during the cold leaf-bare. He couldn't wait to meet his kits, and he hoped everything would be alright.

"No. Everything will be fine." He told himself, giving his fur a shake. Before he could stand, a cough racked his body, his lungs screaming for air. He thought he could see Sandbreeze sitting beside him, three kits at his paws. He recognized his daughter, Sweetkit, against two faint others; a ginger tortoiseshell and a dark grey kit. A wall of fire blazed behind them.

Who..? He thought, but once he blinked, they were gone.

Sandbreeze is warning me of something.. but what is it?

                 
"You need catmint, Thistlestar!" Leafpool snapped, her fur bristling. Thistlestar lie in his den, his head dizzy and his lungs rattling with every breath.

"Give it to the apprentices! They need it more than I do." He rasped, stiffling a sneeze. Leafpool had confirmed he had greencough. Though she was right about the sickness beginning to die away after half a moon, it was brought back to camp after the last gathering and soon almost every cat had it.

"We need our leader to be healthy as well!" she growled. "Please, just take a bit, even a little should help you."

"Fine, but the rest goes to Spottedpaw and Tawnypelt. How cats are healthy?" He mewed, licking up the small portion seperated for him.

"The kits are healthy again, Graypaw, Hawkpaw and Silverpaw as well. Our warriors Sapleaf, Cloudtail, Squirreltail, Ashfur and Brambleclaw are healthier. They are each on patrol now." Cinderpelt mewed, collecting the rest of the herbs.

"I need everyone in camp. Tell Cloudtail to come see me." He meowed urgently, watching the medicine cats burst out the den entrance. It wasn't too long before Cloudtail entered, his fur fluffy and shining again.

"You wanted to see me?" he hissed, sitting down with a grunt.

"Yes. The sickness isnt going to leave with all the sick cats sleeping beside the healthy cats." Thistlestar rasped, staring out his den with a half glaze.

"What do you mean?" Cloudtail tilted his head a bit, his tail flicking back and forth.

"I mean that if we keep the sick cats with healthy cats, we wont have healthy cats any more. We need to get the sick cats out of camp."