SnowMoon's Heart -

Chapter 5~

    It's been about a moon since the Death of SheepFur and CliffJump, he had died a few days after his mate. IceCloud had kept getting worse by the day, and poor SnowPaw had begun to take a turn for the worse for her health. Each day the young cat thought about HerbKit and her friend EchoPaw. She missed training with DeerLeap, she missed her friends, she missed the tiny kit who she became friends with during their time in the makeshift camp for the sick. She longed to see her friends and mentor. LightPaw was next to her quietly humming to herself as she played with the moss in her nest. In the past few days the poor she cat had gotten really weak, she could barely eat.

" Hey LightPaw, what do you think the name TansyHeart will give you one day?" asked SnowPaw in an attempt to get their minds off of being sick. " He won't be giving me one SnowPaw and you know it. Any day now I'll be joining SheepFur, CliffJump and their other kits in StarClan. I'm not getting better, neither is IceCloud, you on the other hand have the best chance at beating this. HerbKit was lucky she didn't catch the worst of this, and the same with you." Spat the young cat. " Don't say that LightPaw, all three of us will make it. You need to keep eating, if you don't then you surely won't survive, same goes for you mother. It feels like the both of you have given up on life, please don't give up." SnowPaw's tail was lashing back and forth furiously.

Later that night SnowPaw was awakened out of her sleep by a cat thrashing next to her.  She immediately sprang to her paws in a panic, setting her paws on the young medicine cats shoulders like she saw TansyHeart do when CliffJump did the same thing. Unfortunately TansyHeart wasn't here tonight to assist her with trying to pull LightPaw out of this seizure. " Mom! Help me! LightPaw, she... she started thrashing." IceCloud shot up, SnowPaw saw a glimpse of sadness and pity in her mother's eyes. " SnowPaw, she's not gonna wake up, just hold her like that till she stops moving, i'll go see if HeatherStar posted MistFur to guard us tonight." IceCloud exited the den.

SnowPaw sat there for what felt like ages till LightPaw stopped thrashing and moving all together. The young tan tabby she cat was dead. Tears had started to fall from SnowPaw's eyes, she had lost yet another friend, and clanmate to this stupid illness. Finally IceCloud had returned with TansyHeart and MistFur at her side. " She's gone... I'm sorry TansyHeart.. I.. I tried to get her to stop and wake up.." cried SnowPaw. IceCloud was at her side in an instant to comfort her daughter, SnowPaw leaned into her mother. TansyHeart went to his dead apprentices body and picked it up with some help from MistFur. " Come you two can return to camp and come stay in my den. I will watch over you both with all I have left in me. " Said TansyHeart.  

The four cats traveled back to the WindClan camp, HeatherStar was out near the entrance waiting for the arrivals. " Welcome back Sister, SnowPaw, I wish it didn't have to be on these somber terms. I'm sure you were told that you'll be staying in the medicine cat den till further notice." Said HeatherStar. The cats entered the camp, everything looked the same from the last time she had been here. She saw HerbKit playing with RabbitPaw, she looked so happy. The kit turned to the group of cats. " SnowPaw your home!!" The kit started to run over to her only to be stopped by RabbitPaw. " Why did you stop me RabbitFur?! She's home so she must be better. Wait why isn't LightPaw not moving? Oh StarClan no, she died too." The kit stopped struggling with RabbitPaw wait no RabbitFur. The sick cats walked over to then entered the medicine cat den leaving the cats to grieve over the loss of LightPaw.

In the next few days IceCloud's health kept deteriorating while SnowPaw was improving. Today SnowPaw was allowed to leave the den for some fresh air, she had just woken up and was grooming herself to make her fur presentable. As soon as she was done she exited the den. Outside she saw her clanmates talking and doing their duties, but there were three cats that definitely not WindClan, she recognized two of the cats. ShadedStar and her deputy FoxHeart, the third cat looked familiar, his dark orange coat shining. The cat was looking around the camp, their eyes locked and she recognized the cat, it was EchoPaw. He was sitting next to his mother and father who were in deep conversation with HeatherStar and ShallowBreath. He mouthed a hello towards SnowPaw, and in turn she did as well. Soon the cats had gotten up and walked towards the medicine cat's den where she was. As they neared she could hear them talking. " There was a few death's here in WindClan right now there are two still ill, but are slowly recovering. The healthiest is one of our apprentices, speaking of which is sitting outside today. Hello SnowPaw, are you feeling better today? Any coughing?" asked HeatherStar. I'm
" I'm feeling better than I have, and just a bit of coughing not as bad as my mother at least. Greetings ShadedStar, FoxHeart, and EchoPaw." said SnowPaw. " It's actually EchoHeart now, i've been a warrior for some time now. I.." " We've come to ask for some herbs from TansyHeart, not anything that can cure sickness, just wounds. Is he in the den right now SnowPaw?" interrupted ShadedStar. " Uh yes he's in the den, come on in and stay clear from IceCloud she's very ill and it's bad." responded the white tabby apprentice. The leaders entered the den leaving SnowPaw and EchoHeart alone for a few moments. " Are you truly alright SnowPaw? When you didn't come meet me I thought you had died or just hated me. At the gatherings I always hoped I wouldn't hear your name come out of HeatherStar's mouth when she told us who had died." " Yes i'm fine EchoPaw, wait sorry EchoHeart. Congrats on becoming a warrior. I'm actually not sick anymore, I just am so worried about my mother IceCloud. She isn't getting better she just keeps getting worse and worse. I don't want to leave her side, ya know in case she dies and I'm not there to comfort her." Explained SnowPaw. " Oh, I understand ShadedStar is getting really old and so is FoxHeart, I came here for two reasons, to see you, and their training me to take over leadership when my mother dies. So one day I'll be EchoStar and I can't even say no to being a leader. I just want to..." The cats come out of the den carrying a bundle of herbs each. " Come on son lets go, Thank you so much HeatherStar for your kindness and hospitality but we must be leaving. I've got so much to teach my son how to be a leader." The ThunderClan cats took their leave, EchoHeart cast a glance back at SnowPaw and smiled at her. She had missed that goofy cat and she couldn't wait to see him again soon.