Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Forty-Four

Nightstar's eyes opened and she saw the sky turning pale as the sun rose over the horizon. Her dream ebbed away and Nightstar shivered, making Emberkit stir but not wake up. She let out a sigh and rested her chin on her paws, blinking away sleep as her body woke up.

She closed her eyes, giving in to the tiredness even though she had just slept. Nightstar's ear twitched as a cat's shadow fell on her. She opened one eye lazily and she saw Shellfur with herbs between his teeth. He dipped his head and set the precious leaves on the stone floor.

"Good morning, Nightstar." Purred the tom as he glanced at her kits at her belly. "How are you feeling?" Shellfur padded towards the leader and nudged the herbs towards her muzzle.

Nightstar lifted her head and lapped at the leaves, grimacing at the sharp tang and bitter taste. "I feel sore all over," she admitted and looked at her kits. "It was worth it, though." The black she-cat added and glanced at the medicine cat. "What brings you into my den other than to deliver herbs, Shellfur?"

The tom's smile wavered and he shuffled his paws. "Rosekit and Petalkit are slowly getting over their cough but Hollowstream has whitecough." Nightstar tensed as he went on. "Shadeheart, Dewpath, and Stormbird have also gotten sick."

Nightstar sat up, disturbing her kits as they mewled in protest. She ignored their cries and focused on her medicine cat. "When did they start showing signs of illness?" She asked, shoulders rock solid as she stared into Shellfur's green eyes.

The tom shuffled his paws and answered awkwardly. "Just this morning, before you woke up and after your kitting. Shadeheart and Dewpath had started coughing and Stormbird had a fever. They're in my den now, if you want to see them."

The leader shook her head and rose to her paws. "Fetch Lichenstorm and tell him to watch the kits." She padded towards the entrance of her den and Shellfur stepped in her way.

"Nightstar," he meowed, eyes firm and worried. "Your kits are young and so are Echospeck's. If you leave them, they won't have anything to eat until you come back." He paused before going on. "Who will keep them warm until you return?"

Nightstar fixed him with her amber stare until he looked away. "Lichenstorm can watch them and Echospeck can nurse them for a while, Shellfur." She turned her head away and swiftly exited her den, leaving the spotted medicine cat apprentice inside.

Her Clan was alive and doing their duties like normal. If there wasn't sickness running in the camp, her warriors didn't show it as they performed their duties like any other day. Nightstar twitched her tail and she padded towards the clearing, her tail flicking back and forth. Her Clanmates turned their heads to nod and duck their heads respectively.

Nightstar headed for the medicine den where she heard coughing and sneezing. She flattened her ears and poked her head in, seeing Timberskip crouching over Petalkit and coaxing her to eat the herbs at his paws.

"I don't want to eat them!" Complained the kit, stinking her pale pink tongue at the green herbs. "They taste gross!"

"Please, Petalkit," begged Timberskip and Nightstar curled her lip at his plea. "You must eat them or you won't get better. Do you want to be sick like Rosekit and not be able to play?"

Petalkit huffed and turned away, her nose streaming. She lifted a small paw and wiped it. "I'm a strong warrior! I'll get better on my own!"

"No, you won't." Nightstar meowed firmly, startling the kit and medicine cat. "Petalkit, you won't become an apprentice if you're too sick to leave this den. You want to become a warrior?" Petalkit nodded vigorously. "Warriors do what they're told and eat what they are given. Even if they are nasty herbs from a medicine cat."