Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 34

It has been a moon since Milktail and Pineshade's kits were born, and just as Pineshade had feared, greencough is spreading like wildfire.

"I haven't even heard of greencough going around like this, not this bad," Acornfall meows. "Not even from the stories Silvertuft used to tell me," Pineshade hears Acornfall meow as Pineshade brings the hard-working medicine cat a piece of fresh-kill. Acornfall has barely had time to relax as he has been spending most of the time trying to heal sick cats, which is the majority of ShadowClan at this point. Luckily, Pineshade and the kits have been healthy so far. However, Milktail has caught it, which worries Pineshade extremely. Duskkit and Smokekit are under Icewhisker's care, separated from their mother to ensure neither of them catch it too.

"I know, Milktail should've listened to me when I said it would be a bad idea to have kits during leaf-bare, cats are dropping like flies," Pineshade meows sadly. It hasn't even been a moon since greencough started to spread and it has already claimed the lives of Leafshadow, Snowpetal, Goosecloud, Rosedawn, Volenose, Russetblaze, Deerwhisper, and Stormmist. The grieving for all of these wonderful cats have been the worst things Pineshade has lived through. The whole Clan has been seeming depressed lately, every cat has already been affected by the illness. Whether it was themselves or a friend or kin who was lost. The only thing good for ShadowClan right now is the amount of fresh-kill. The territory has been surprisingly more lively this leaf-bare, luckily.

"Not just greencough is in ShadowClan either," Acornfall meows, who has recently lost both of his parents to greencough.

"What do you mean? There's something else too?!" Pineshade meows worriedly.

"Yeah, I thought you would've been one of the first to hear. Boulderstar is ill, but it doesn't seem like greencough. I have no idea what it is, but it seems dangerous too," Acornfall meows. "I was never taught about his illness, I guess."

Not him! How come no one has told me about this yet? Pineshade thinks. Although Pineshade never had the greatest relationship with his father, he still feels saddened over the news of his illness.

"He still seems well enough to do his leader duties, but Lizardtail is ready to step up in his place if needed," Acornfall meows.

"That's good then, I hope he's okay," Pineshade meows. "How's Milktail?" He then asks, getting to the whole reason why he came over to the medicine cat den.

"I hate to tell you this, but she is not doing very well. She is only getting weaker as time goes on. I'm all out of herbs and I can't find any more around ShadowClan territory. I already used it all," Acornfall meows sadly, his blue eyes beginning to water with tears. "I'm sorry," he whines.

"No, you don't have to apologize, it's not your fault," Pineshade meows, trying to stay calm on the outside as his heart is shattering into tiny pieces on the inside.

"I just wish there's more I could do to save them. We've already lost eight cats, Pineshade. I don't want to lose any more. What did we do to anger StarClan to deserve this?" Acornfall whines.

"Absolutely nothing," Pineshade answers. "Your best is all that can be done from now on. Just keep doing what you've been doing. I believe in you, and I believe in all of the sick cats."

"Thank you, Pineshade," Acornfall meows. "Now, you can leave, I don't want you getting sick too."

"Okay, goodbye," Pineshade meows, turning his head to peek over at Milktail. The beautiful cream-and-white she-cat is sleeping in her nest.

She looks beautiful even when she's sick. Pineshade thinks.

"And goodbye Milktail," Pineshade whispers before padding out of the medicine cat den. After he pads out, he is instantly greeted by Frogleap and Ivycloud.

"Oh, hey you two," Pineshade greets his friends. "I don't think either of you should head in there, I don't want either of you to get sick."

"I just have to let Acornfall know the big news," Frogleap meows. "He needs to know."

Before Pineshade headed into the medicine cat den, Frogleap and Ivycloud announced that they will be bringing new life into ShadowClan. It is a bad time for the two of them to decide to have kits, but Pineshade isn't one to speak on that matter.

"I'll go tell him," Pineshade volunteers. "I don't want either of you to get sick, especially you, Ivycloud," he meows.

"What about you, Pineshade? We don't want you to get sick either," Ivycloud whines. The young and soft-hearted warrior had recently lost her mother to greencough, so he understands her worries.

"I'll be fine. If we lose Milktail, then I won't want to live anymore anyways," Pineshade insists.

"But," Frogleap begins, but before he could continue, Pineshade already head back into the medicine cat den.

"You weren't gone very long," Acornfall meows once he spots the dark gray tom. "What's up?" He asks.

"I just wanted to let you know that Ivycloud is expecting kits. She and Frogleap wanted to come in to tell you, but I offered to go in their place," Pineshade informs Acornfall.

"That's great news, thanks for telling me, Pineshade," Acornfall meows.

"You're welcome," Pineshade meows before heading out of the medicine cat den yet again.

Please StarClan protect our Clan, no more cats need to die from greencough. Pineshade thinks.