Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 56: Sagelight

I am passing back and forth across the clearing. My fears and worries for my kits building with each step. Far off to the side Nightrain and Moonwater were talking in worried tones. Orchidfrost was keeping her kits distracted with a game of moss ball. They have to be fine! They are gonna be fine! Maplestar wouldn't put them that deep in danger right? They are just apprentices...

"They're back!" Dawndrop yowled in relief. I looked up from the ground and stopped my pacing. A little hope coming into my heart. My clanmates came stumbling in, their wounds deep and covering their bodies. I scanned the crowd as they came filtering in.

"The badly injured to the Elders den! Ravenclaw! Nightrain! Help apply the politics and cobwebs I prepared to the least injured! I got the worse!" Moonwater barked orders. I really wasn't paying attention as I looked for the familiar faces of my kits.

Come on! Where are you three! Please Starclan don't you dare take them from me! Screechpaw is off only you know where so please don't take them away! Please! My clan mates stopped filtering in and I didn't see Eaglepaw... or Ashenpaw... or Plumpaw... I sat down as horror spread across my face. I stared at the empty entrance as chaos flowed around me. Once the panic really set in I looked around at my friends and family. "Has any cat seen my kits!? Has any cat seen my kits!?" I begged as I looked at their faces. Most were gloomy not really listening to my words. I started to tear up as I looked at my paws. "Where are my kits? Please where are they? Don't take them away Starclan, please..." I whimpered.

"Mom!" I perked up at the sound of Eaglepaws distressed mew. I whipped my head around seeing my son running to me. His right ear was mostly missing and leaving trails of blood down his face. I pulled him into an embrace and started purring and crying in joy.

"Oh Starclan, I thought I lost you" I purred with a hoarse voice. Eaglepaw started crying into my mane. Before I could ask Ashenpaw crashed into me and her littermate. I yelped in surprised but pulled her too.

"Mom..." she cried into my fur. "Mom Plumpaw..." she looked towards the entrance. Dread set in as I looked up from my sobbing kits and at the entrance. Sparrowscar had just came through with a soaked in red brown body laying across his back. The dread dropped deep into my stomach as I recognized the brown fur. I rushed over sniffing my daughter. Her pelt smelled metallic with all the blood as Sparrowscar let her limply fall off his back and gently onto the sandy clearing. I put a paw against Plumpaws soft brown fur. She was completely still.

"Plumpaw?" I nosed my daughters ear. Her eyes were staying closed. "Plumpaw?!" I said in more distress.

"I'm sorry Sagelight" Sparrowscar murmured. "She is with Starclan now"

"No!" I yelled in disbelief. "Please don't take Plumpaw from me! Please Starclan don't you dare!" I yell at the sky but with no response. I bent over crying over my daughters still body. Eaglepaw and Ashenpaw came and I pulled them into a sobbing cuddle. "Please... you have taken so much from me... don't take her too... please..."

"Mom, I'm sorry. I am so sorry" Eaglepaw sobbed. "I said I would be by her side-sniff- I promised-sniff-w-we got separated during the fight-sniff- mom I am so sorry!" Eaglepaw pushed himself deep into my mane. Ashenpaw said nothing but sobbed as well.

"She was a good cat..." I heard a cat mew. I lifted my head from my kits and glared at Maplestar. The same fury I felt for Cardinalrush came rushing to the surface, but this time in a less violent form.

"Don't you dare talk about my daughter like that!" I yelled. My kits moved quickly away from me and Sparrowscar came protectively to their side. "Don't you dare say anything you fox heart! You did this! This is your fault! All your fault!" I kept screaming.

"Sage-"

"No! She wanted to be a medicine cat! That was her dream! But you didn't care about that did you!? No you made her a warrior apprentice! She hated it but she still tried! What did you even do for her huh?! You were her mentor yet every other cat trained her but you! Plumpaw is dead because of you! She is dead all because you wanted a war and more warriors!" I screamed till my voice gave out. I stared at the frightened bleeding leader and then at my poor daughter. "She wanted to help cats not hurt them..." I cried softly.

"Sagelight you need to calm down" Orchidfrost came over and put a paw on my shoulder.

"She wanted to help cats... she didn't deserve this..." I sobbed quietly.

"I know, I know..." Orchidfrost glared at her litermate to go. I guess she left cause I heard pawsteps moving away from me. "Plumpaw didn't need to go so soon" Orchidfrost comforted me. "But your other two kits need you right now. Go to them" she advised. I nodded and slowly made my way to where Eaglepaw and Ashenpaw were quietly sobbing. Sparrowscar has wrapped his large fluffy tail around them in condolence.

"I-I-I'm sorry kits for that outburst" I numbly said. Ashenpaw and Eaglepaw ran to my side and began cuddling with me again. Sparrowscar watched protectively over us. I could tell he was hurting too, he just didn't want to show it. It hurt to much now to look over at Plumpaw.