A Clan's Tragedy #1

Chapter 12 (COMPLETED)

   Hazelfur shifted in her nest. Frostail was sleeping with his back pressed aginst hers. Warmth filled Hazelfur, but then decided to get up, because she couldn't sleep. She quietly went around the trailing tails and paws. When she got outside, a cold burst of snow-ground air hit her. The sun wasn't up yet. Hazelfur puffed up her fur, trying to get some warmth in. Then she saw Vole looking up at the stars with sadness clouding his gaze. He must be looking for Kinkfoot...

   "Do you want to take a walk?" Frostail's mew surprised her. She shook her head.

   "I'm going to go out by myself." Hurt flashed in his eyes, then vanished.

   "Okay." He walked back inside the den. Hazelfur padded out of the camp and she could see the moon was almost full. Tonight was the Gathering. Hazelfur shuddered with fear of showing the clans she wasn't a medicine cat anymore. She heard a russling in some bushes. She sniffed and got the scent of cat. Feathersong pushed out of the den. She looked at her mentor with surprise and then shame.

   "Oh, hi, Hazelfur!" She mewed sheepishly. "What- what are you doing out of the camp?"

   "I couldn't sleep." Hazelfur studdied the medicine cat. "What's the matter?"

   "I, oh..." Feathersong stammered. "I just went out collecting herbs."

   "This late?"

   "I couldn't sleep, okay?" she snapped. "Why are you asking me so much questions?" She pushed past Hazelfur and went to the camp. Weird, thought Hazelfur.

   Why did she act so guilty?

   Hazelfur bounded down to over where she had emerged and caught the scent trail. It led down to the Cloudclan border, across the river. It seemed she had crossed into the river, because the trail ended at the rushing river, bubbling over the shore.

   "Starclan no..." Hazelfur whispered. She must be visiting a Cloudclan tom! She was breaking the medicine cat code and the warrior code. Hazelfur rushed back to camp, racing through the trees.

   "Whoa!" Hazelfur almost ran into Pebblepelt. Pebblepelt reared back, avoiding being hit.

   "Sorry!" apologised the brown she-cat. "I wasn't-" She broke off as she noticed the round belly of the young she-cat.

   "Are you expecting kits?" asked Hazelfur.

   "Yes!" Pebblepelt mewed exitedly. "And they are Lizardheart's! He is going to be so pleased!"

   "I am! Congratulations, I hope the're healthy!" Hazelfur waved good-bye and charged into the camp. The clan was waking, and the dawn patrol was being called together.

   "...and Greeneye and Hazelfur." Finished Crystaleyes. The deputy spotted Hazelfur and smiled. "Your first patrol!" called Crystaleyes. "Come and join it!" Hazelfur walked over to Greeneye, Treepaw, and Thornpaw.

   "It is?" Asked Thornpaw. She jumped all over Hazelfur. "That's really awesome! We can show you around!"

   "That's okay, Thornpaw." laughed Hazelfur. "I already know my way around." Thronpaw nodded and padded over to her littermate, Treepaw. The two sisters ran ahead of the patrol as they walked out the camp. The rest of the patrol followed.

   They stopped at a huge fallen pine tree what was one of the markers of the Pineclan territory. Greeneye marked it and they moved on ahead. Then next one was a rock shaped like a paw. This time Treepaw marked it.

 "No Pineclan scent..." confirmed Greeneye. He was interrupted as a Pineclan patrol came bounding to the border. At once their hackles were raised and they bared their teeth.

   "Come to invade?" snarled a brown tabby called Hawkfeather.

   "We only set the proper borders." Hazelfur meowed evenly. "Go ahead and see!"

   "What do we have here?" hissed Rockscar. "A medicine cat-warrior? Did Rippleclan confine you from your duties?" she mocked.

   "For your information," Hazelfur bared her teeth. "It's none of your business!"

   "Really?" said a white apprintice. "What will Jasminefur say? I bet Starclan didn't want you anymore!" Rage bubbled up inside Hazelfur. She leaped at the apprintice and started clawing his fur on his back and she bit his neck. When the white tom tried to throw her off, she leaped off of him and over to her side of the border.

   "Trespasser!" yowled Hawkfeather as Rockscar calmed the frightened young tom.

   "You dare mock our warrior?" taunted Greeneye. Greeneye called her a warrior! Hawkfeather growled and turned away from the Rippleclan patrol, after he had set his markers. Rockscar and the white apprintice followed him, glaring at the patrol.

   "Yeah, Hazelfur!" shouted Thornpaw. "You fought them off!"

   "Yes, but no more doing that." warned Greeneye. "We don't want to make more enemies." Hazelfur nodded and the patrol headed to the camp, just as the sun was rising over the treetops.

   As Hazelfur picked a vole from the prey pile, she headed over to Frostail. He had a mouse in his paws and was waiting for her.

   "Nice patrol?" he asked.

   "Yeah, I fought an apprintice." she looked away sheepishly. "I beat him."

   "Wow!" he mewed fake shocked. "You beat an apprintice all by yourself? Amazing...."

   Hazelfur swatted him lightly. "I know, but he just kept mocking me and Starclan."

   "Oh..." Frostail mewed and at some of his mouse. "I bet you really whipped them!"

   Hazelfur shrugged and ate her mouse. She looked over at Pebblepelt laying in the snow-ground sun. Lizardheart was bringing them a rabbit to share. Pebblepelt licked her stomach.

   "We can have kits like them one day." Frostail mewed softly in her ear. "They would be fantastic! I imagine them as strong, healthly kits."

   "I have to tell you something, then." Hazelfur glanced at him. "I'm expecting kits." Frostail's gaze lit up like the sun.

   "Really? Are you sure?"

   "Yes I'm sure!" she mewed exitedly. "I can sometimes fell their little paws kicking inside my belly." Frostil purred and rubbed his muzzle agianst hers.

   "What's up?" asked Feathersong. Frostail glanced at his mate and at Feathersong.

   "Hazelfur is expecting kits." he told her.

   "Really?" mewed the silver and black she-cat. "Great! I wonder what they will look like. And- and Hazelfur... I need to tell you something." Feathersong nodded in her den's direction and Hazelfur got up and followed her.

   "I had a dream last night that a bright star was in the sky. Then darkness came and the star fell down. Black covered the sky. And then I heard, 'Tree and tree will sway in the wind, but one will fall on the clan.'" She remembered her prophecy Dawnstar had given her.

   "I don't know what that means." mewed the brown she-cat. "But I do know that prophecy. Dawnstar had told me two snow-grounds ago..."

   "I'll try and contact Starclan and ask them. Thanks, Hazelfur." mewed Feathersong. Hazelfur headed out of the den and over to Frostail.

   "What's the matter?" he asked.

   "Only when she thinks their due." she was reffering to the kits. Frostail purred slightly and got up, and Hazelfur followed him into the den. The Gathering was tonight and Hazelfur hoped to get a nap in before she went.

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hey again a reminder that if u want a cat in, PLEASE comment now! when Hazelfur has her kits, u will be one of them. oly if u tell me, so do it now if u want a cat in. not too much pressure, but please do it!