(Warrior Cats)SmokeTrail's fire

Chapter 30: Heart of a warrior

I paced back and fourth with worry. I wasn't sure what was going on with mint, cinder, and dawn but I hoped they were alright. After Palestar had confirmed the Tom's identity, it caused an early ending. The gathering could not continue because of the leader's wishes. Ash was almost as worried as I was at the moment.

When I had returned, I was made aware that Waterpaw had seemed to have lost his appetite and struggled to eat for the past few days. At first I didn't think much of it.  But as uthe days went on, he began to change. There appeared to be a bruise on his shoulder, but it didn't go away. It rather worsened.

When closer inspection was done, he was even struggling to do something as simple as making dirt. From then he stayed in Dreamheart's den. He quickly became considerably weaker.

Faithkit would be an apprentice soon now. In two moons or maybe less. "S-Smoketrail...." Dreamheart's voice shook as she called for me. Noticing how upset she was, I padded into her den with no hesitation "Dreamheart, what's wrong?" I asked oblivious as to what was yet to come.

"It's Waterpaw...I'm so sorry....."Dreamheart murmured, making me instinctively glance at my weakening son, but he looked back at me with half-closed blue eyes .

"Waterpaw has a deadly sickness." Dreamheart meowed, aware of how much I clearly didn't believe some thing was wrong with him. "I asked some of the ex-kittypeys and street cats a few things and they claim that the sickness goes by the name cancer giver by two legs. I'm afraid he won't live much longer."

And she was right. From that night  on it was nightmare after nightmare after nightmare. I feared the worst about my son. I worried that one day I wouldn't be able to see my son again forever. It worried me. However, I had a very wierd dream.

I appeared to be in Windclan like always, however it wasn't the same. I was able to move. Many of these cats I did not recognize, but out of the corner of my eyes I caught sight of a flourishing nursery. A pretty white tabby queen was slowly padding out of the nursery, a tiny white kit stumbling over its own paws by her side. It was Snowstripe. I couldn't help but realize that the kit beside her wasn't icekit. This kit had Amber eyes.

Padding closer, I caught sight of a blue glint closer to the back of the den. Three kits huddled together on a bed of moss and in between the other two kits lay a runt With pure white fur and ice blue eyes.

THAT was Icekit. He looked weak and frail compared to his massive brothers and almost identical sister. I managed to tear my eyes away from him as I spotted a gray tom heading towards the leader's den. He had a happy looking sparkle in his amber eyes. I followed him as it appeared that I could not be seen by anyone here.

What I found in that den surprised me. Adderstar. Her tail was  covering something.  "Adderstar. I came to tell you that twitchkit and ruffledkit were ready to be apprentice, but on another note, how are the kits, dear?" The tom asked, licking the leader on the cheek.

I moved in closer. Adderstar revealed what her tail had been concealing as the tom laid down beside her. "They're wonderful." I worry a bit too much, I think....duskit, and roughkit are so active, and smokekit is calm, but silentkit is well......so quiet...he's worrying me, grayheart.....and what are we going to do about Dawntail? She going to take them!" the leader began to rise to her paws "she's going to take our kits away from me! "She cried, but the warrior calmed her quickly, making her lay back down as the kits she had been nursing began to mewl.

Adderstar was still panicking, logically enough as Dawntail padded into the den "Adderstar!" With twitch and ruffled trailing behind her. "Wait please, they're my kits! C-can I at least say goodbye?" The leader turned and frantically licked at my face.

"Smokekit, silentkit, dustkit....please, I love you and the world is beautiful. I just wish I could show it to you by your side...."

And with that my vision went black. I was calmed instantly when the sweet milky scent of my mother filled my nose. "Momma...." I whispered. I felt a tongue rasp over my ear. "Not all is yet lost. You will find what is left of what is gone if you have faith in the forest..."

"Mom....mom! Mom!"

My eyes flew open as I jumped to my paws suddenly, my breathing heavy. I looked around. It was nearly dawn. I had seemed to have woken up the queens with my wailing. I felt kind of bad.

"Smoketrail, are you alright? You should get ready, Faithkit and forestkit are being apprenticed soon. " Rose meowed. I could tell she was worried about me but she asked me no questions.

I glanced over to faithkit and forestkit who were scuffling playfully with each other outside of the nursery. The two we're getting big and and would be making room for Greenleaf kits.
Even against the bigger kit, faithkit seemed to fight him well. If she were to use her claws she could be dangerous if she was an apprentice.

I padded over to her and meowed "I'm going to check on Waterpaw " as Softstar called for a clan meeting. I quickly hurried into Dreamheart's den, but she was practically dragging him out. The tom looked frailer than he had when he had almost gone paralyzed. I sat beside him and after she received her mentor and new name, Faithpaw bounded over and nuzzled her brother happily. "Waterpaw, I'm an apprentice now!" She paused. "Waterpaw?" She leaned her head down and nudged him, making his blue eyes open if only slightly. "Great job, little sis...." he meowed hardly, his voice not much more than a rasp.

"I'm so.....so proud of you...." waterpaw licked her gently on the head before leaning on my shoulder and went still.  "Smoketrail.....I'm so sorry...." came Dreamheart's voice from behind me. "There was nothing I could do...I warned you he had little time left...."

My eyes drifted to her and I smiled gently and nodded slightly with understanding before turning to faithpaw.

"You mean he's dead? No....n-no!" She cried "he said he and I would be together until we both laid side by side as elders! He can't be dead, he can't be!"

But all I could manage to do was hold her close.