SnowMoon's Heart -

Chapter 4~

A few moons later SnowPaw is on her way to becoming a fine warrior. At this time SnowPaw is sneaking out of camp for her weekly visit to see EchoPaw at the tiny clearing at the edge of both of the borders. She has just arrived, she had been hoping to see her best friend, she was scared that he has gotten sick. Illness had taken hold over almost half of WindClan this leafbare, including the younger medicine cat LightPaw. She has been sitting in their spot for but a few minutes till she saw him emerge from the bushes. " Finally I was beginning to freeze my tail off, where have you been EchoPaw?" Questioned the she cat. " Sorry I was waiting for a perfect chance to leave camp, my mother was out of her den tonight watching the clan." He explained. He came closer to fully greet her, huddled up together since it was very cold out. " Hey has any of your clanmates gotten sick? Half of WindClan is, I might catch it soon if I'm not careful. I think my mother IceCloud has caught it. She's been coughing up a storm lately and all but one of SheepFur's kits have died from it."
    " No cat has died in ThunderClan from illness, but a few cats are sick but thank StarClan their not close to death. Hey we should cut this short so we don't freeze to death. I don't want to leave you but there is no reason either of us should catch a cold from being out this long. Bye SnowPaw see you again soon, and here's to hoping next time we meet we will both be warriors, Mom has said my assessment will be soon!"

The tom made his exit, SnowPaw watched as he left, his fur lit by the moon and was littered by the snowflakes. He was truly a beautiful tom. SnowPaw also made her leave soon after that. 

    A few days after their short meeting SnowPaw had started to develop a cough, though unlike her mother who had begun coughing up blood, a cough was all she had. Unfortunately the medicine cats had begun to quarantine the sick cats in an old badgers den. The healthy warriors had made the area into a tiny camp for those ill. So now SnowPaw had been confined to the tiny camp, the cats staying here were IceCloud, LightPaw, SnowPaw, CliffJump, SheepFur, her last remaining kit HerbKit, EerrieShadows, DarkFur, and GraniteHeart. The nine cats were tended to daily, the herb stores had begun to dwindle, the less sick cats were treated last. The cat who had it worse was SheepFur and CliffJump, the two of them could barely breathe because it was so bad. SnowPaw turned to her mother. " Mom what do you think will happen if SheepFur passes away? Poor HerbKit has already lost both of her littermates, and isn't her father CliffJump?" " Hush SnowPaw, there isn't a need to think of that right now you need to focus on your own health. Your cough has gotten worse hasn't it? Go ask the medicine cats for something to help you." Said IceCloud. " You need it more than I do mother. You've been coughing up blood, and don't try and hide it. I've already lost father, I don't want to lose you too. I'll go ask but i'm giving it to you, Please don't resist mother." Begged SnowPaw. " SnowPaw i'm fine I just have a sore throat, it's all scratched, that's all honey. But since you insist I won't mind something that might help. Be quick and bring TansyHeart with you. I want her to look at HerbKit, she seems to be cured and I do not wish for her to catch it again."

" Yes, mother be back soon." SnowPaw left the den, to find TansyHeart. She went to the tiny makeshift den of his, then entered. " TansyHeart? Are you here?" asked SnowPaw. She waited a few moments till she heard a muffled mew. " Yes SnowPaw i'm here what is it you need?" asked the older tom. " Well my mother has been coughing up blood and I was wondering if you have any herbs I can give her? Also mother thinks that HerbKit has recovered from her illness, could you come look at her?"
" Of course, let me grab some herbs for IceCloud, then we'll go over to look at HerbKit." The tom moved around then den grabbing things and wrapping things in a big leaf. " You know SnowPaw, you'd make an excellent Medicine cat. I'm afraid LightPaw might not recover from this. I'm getting old and I'll need a cat to replace me once I join StarClan. Of course if she does somehow pull through this she will be a better medicine cat than I'll ever have been. My first patient I've lost was my littermate, SpiralPelt. She was having kits and her body couldn't handle it, she lost way too much blood. Her kits were IceCloud and HeatherStar. Yes we are related little one, I almost lost your mother as a kit. I knew I had lost my dear sister, so I tried my best to save her kits. IceCloud looks so much like SpiralPelt, if I lose her now I'll feel love I've failed her. Uh sorry I shouldn't be telling you this young one. Come, I've gotten what I needed." Said TansyHeart. " It's alright. Thank you for telling me all that." SnowPaw smiled at the old cat.

The two cats had now arrived in the sick den. IceCloud was coughing so hard and loud, SnowPaw and TansyHeart rushed over to her immediately. "Mom! Are you alright?" Asked SnowPaw. The she cat shook her head yes in response. TansyHeart took out a few leafs' and slid them to IceCloud. " Here eat these, they should help you. Also as well drink some of this honey, it should help sooth your throat. I'll be right back after looking over HerbKit."
TansyHeart went to check on the small kit. While he did that SnowPaw went to check on the other sick cats, first was LightPaw. "Hi LightPaw, how are you feeling?" Asked SnowPaw. " Not so good, I can tell TansyHeart doesn't think I'll ever recover. I don't want to let him down, I'm a medicine cat I shouldn't have tried to treat the sick on my own. That's how I caught it, I was helping the Acorn, one of the barn cats. He was sick and didn't know what herbs to use. He didn't survive, he just got worse and worse. Augh I'm a terrible medicine cat." The brown tabby rambled on. " Your not at terrible medicine cat LightPaw, you tried to help a cat who was sick, that's your job. He is just worried about things. I.." All of the sudden SheepFur was gasping for breath and her body was sent into a spasm. TansyHeart rushed to the sickly queen, CliffJump was holding his mate down to stop her spasms from getting out of control. " SnowPaw, get HerbKit out on the den now! LightPaw come here and help me please!" TansyHeart instructed. SnowPaw hurried over to the frightened kit and picked her up by her scruff and carried her out of the den.

Once outside she set the tiny kit down, the poor thing was shaking her eyes wide with terror. " I..is my mom, is.. Will she be ok SnowPaw? What is wrong with her?" asked the tiny kit. " I don't know what's going on HerbKit I haven't seen that before. Just stay here with me, we'll go back in when some cat comes to get us." The tiny kit had begun to cry, so SnowPaw had pulled her close to her. She felt her pelt was getting wet, but she didn't care. It was a while before IceCloud came out of the den carrying SheepFur's body out of the den. Behind her was TansyHeart, CliffJump, and LightPaw. HerbKit had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying, so SnowPaw nudged her with her paw. As soon as her tiny eyes opened and saw her mother's lifeless body. The kit wailed and ran to the body, SnowPaw felt her heart to break at the sight of them. " I'll go get HeatherStar, Come with me HerbKit one of the other queens will care for you for now since your better." " I want SheepFur! No cat else will take care of me, she'll wake up! Come on momma wake up. Daddy and I are here we need you, please momma wake up!" Wailed HerbKit. SnowPaw went to the kit, and curled her tail around the sobbing kit. " Come on HerbKit, I can go with you to camp. I know nothing will replace SheepFur but you need to stay healthy and strong. I remember her telling you to be strong for her the other day, she needs you to be strong right now. Her brave sweet kit." Whispered SnowPaw. HerbKit looked up at SnowPaw. " Will.. will you... s...stay with me back at the camp then?" " I can't stay there right now, I'm still sick, so is your father so he can't go as well. You'll be taken well care of though HerbKit, I'll make sure of it. Come on, let's go." SnowPaw picked up the kit, then turned to TansyHeart. " Let's go then."