Legacy: Infinity (Book 3)

Chapter 38: Frozen Fever

No change so far, Jay chewed on a withered elderberry leaf, frowning as she stared down at the sleeping figure of Crow. Two days has passed and the tom hadn't improved at all, at the same time, he hadn't seemed to have gotten worse.

He was having trouble breathing, but he wasn't coughing. He had a fever and aches, but his nose wasn't running. He wasn't throwing up, but he had no appetite. What did he have? Was there a cure? Feverfew, borage, tasny, and watermint had done nothing for him. The only thing she could give was poppy seeds to let him sleep more easily, but what if this wasn't something he could get over on his own? If he didn't start eating again, he would starve to death without even being hungry.

More snow had fallen, making it more difficult to find prey, and since she was so often taking care of Crow, the cats were going hungry. Adder, Silver, and Dusk Howl were busy trying to train the kits and hunt for every cat. She had decided that she would have to send out the oldest four kits to start hunting, but she would only do that if they were accompanied with an older cat. Better do that now before I mix up his next batch of medicine, she decided, exiting the den and looking around for the cats.

It was early dawn, so no cat should be outside of camp yet except for Ash, since he was always gone. "How's he doing?" a voice asked her, she glanced upward to spy the orange tom sitting in the branches of one of the pine trees.

"He's still alive," she responded slowly and as she watched him, he had spoken to her once to ask what sickness Crow had, so this was the second time since their argument. "I actually need a favor from you," she mewed, watching him stand up on the slender branch and arch his back, his pelt a burnt orange in the shadow.

Ash flattened his ears, "I thought I made it clear I don't hand out favors."

"Fine, it isn't a favor, it's an order," Jay mewed, walking toward him. "I'm sending the older kits out to hunt with the older cats, so I need you to watch your kits. I don't care if you want to play with them or train them, but for StarClan's sake be fatherly about it," she added in a hiss.

Ash hissed back, "I'm not their father."

"Then pretend! You're good at that, aren't you? I would watch them, but I have to take care of Crow and go hunting with at least one of the kits. And no, I won't trust you with that job," she cut him off as he opened his mouth.

Ash growled and shook his head, "Only for a little while, I don't have time to stand over a bunch of kits all day. But I will take this opportunity to actually teach them something," he added with a sneer.

Jay rolled her eyes and ignored him, looking for the others. She found the kits playing capture the stick, a game she had shown them moons again. Jay purred as Ice tried to grab the stick that Eagle was protecting but the bigger kit shoved her away into a pile of snow. She came out again green eyes blazing and snowflakes stuck to her whiskers.

"Kits, can you pause your game for a moment?" she asked and the kits reluctantly trotted up to her, Eagle hanging around the back. "Hail, Ice, Flint, and Eagle," she mewed, "The four of you will go out hunting today for real." The kits looked at each other excitedly, "Each of you will go with one older cat, so that you aren't left on your own."

"What about us?" Breeze whined, "I want to hunt too!"

Jay purred and flicked her ears lightly with her tail, "Patience, you are still a little young to go out hunting in these conditions. Instead, your father is going to give you some training and spend some time with the three of you."

Breeze looked at her with wide eyes, but didn't complain. Rusty whispered something in Panther's ear and the black she-kit shook her head until her ears flopped, gray eyes shut tightly. "Ah, there's Silver, wait here for a moment," she mewed, darting toward the pale tabby who was leading Thunderstorm for their morning walk, the tom was dragging his paws as the light tabby strode forward, forcing him along.