Warriors || Rose's Path

Chapter 16

The sun shone brightly, reaching its topmost crest on its journey in the sky. No clouds blocked out the sun, which beat down over the lake. It's rays washed over the pelts of the patrol, making Roseblossom's pelt prickle in the green-leaf heat.
Dapplesplash, the newly appointed deputy, led the returning patrol. Jaggedswirl and Ambernight followed. Flamepath padded beside Mallowfall, whose dark tabby tail twitched, in deep conversation. Roseblossom padded beside Ambernight.
They had just checked the RiverClan border, and hadn't found any traces of them crossing the scent lines. Roseblossom had been relived; she hated when patrols returned to camp, battered from skirmishes.
The cats who had been in the most recent skirmish had all recovered just fine, and Sandstar had received his nine lives, granted by StarClan.
A new kit had arrived in the Clan. Duskspots had delivered her and Sandheart's. It was pure white with yellow eyes. They had named her Zoomkit, because apparently the little she-kit was full of energy.
Roseblossom felt a soft tail flick her over the ears, pulling her from her thoughts.
She turned to the brown tom beside her, slowing to be in the back of the patrol. She cuffed Ambernight over the ears playfully. The brown tom tried to duck away, but was bowled over by the blow, landing awkwardly in a heap of paws and tail. Roseblossom snorted in amusement.
"C'mon, you two," Dapplesplash called from the front of the patrol, amber eyes alight with amusement for the pair.
Ambernight rolled to his paws clumsily. "I meant to do that," he meowed.
Roseblossom smiled. "Sure you did."
They approached the camp; Dapplesplash pushed through the entrance first. The amused gleam in her amber eyes and bounce in her step faded, and she halted abruptly. Jaggedswirl padded into the camp next, bowing his head. Mallowfall and Flamepath edged to the side of the camp, eyes cast down. Roseblossom pushed through the gorse bushes, following Ambernight's brown tail into camp.
Roseblossom spotted what every cat had seen, and her mouth fell open slightly. Her paws started to grow numb with shock after a few heartbeats had passed. Her mind grew fuzzy and she couldn't focus on the ginger body that lay in the middle of camp.
Crystalflame sat beside the unmoving body, and cats lined the edge of the camp, grief in their eyes. Dapplesplash padded toward the ginger body, pressing her muzzle to her sister's ginger fur.
Roseblossom turned away, tucking her muzzle into Ambernight's soft fur. The image of Crookedwing hung in her mind. The usually strong warrior had looked frail and meek. Roseblossom couldn't shake the grief for her former mentor. She could feel it clench her insides. What is this terrible sickness?
Roseblossom overheard Oliveclaw murmur to Mallowfall, and icy fear gripped her chest. "The illness hasn't passed," the black tabby meowed. "Brackencatch has caught it."