Warriors: The Prophecy of Fire

Chapter Eighteen

It was a little before sun-high and Hawthornepaw had just finished her fish. Her eyes glimmered in amusement as she saw Skykit and Oakkit playing hide and seek, Skykit was crouched behind a rock, her tail in plain view like a stick on a tree. She purrs with laughter as she sees the brown tom finds his sister, his green eyes shining. With a flick of her tail she makes her way over to the medicine cat den, seeing Ravenwing still on the floor, his body racking with each and every cough. She gives him some catmint but it doesn't help, his breaths are becoming short and raspy. Worried, the tortoiseshell she-cat races out of the den and to Mosstail, who was a little past the edge of the camp collecting more herbs.

When he sees her green eyes glistening in worry, he turns to face her wide eyed. "What's wrong?"

"The catmint isn't helping Ravenwing anymore! What should we do?" The black tom picks up the herbs and races towards camp, his long strides going a tree-length a second. The reach camp and dart into the medicine den, seeing the black elder sitting up crouched over, hacking ruthlessly. Mosstail walked over to him, gently stroking his tail down his spine, causing the elder, though he was still coughing, to slowly drop to his belly, his breaths slowing and his eyes softening to a sort of peaceful gleam. He took one last raspy breath and closed his eyes, looking like he was just sleeping. Hawthornepaw let out a small whimper at the sight of him, slowly walking over to the stocks and grabbing lavender in her jaws and solemnly spreading it over his ragged pelt, Mosstail coming over and helping her. He placed the tip of his tail on her flank and looked at her, his amber eyes searching, before he padded off to Dawnstar in the leader's den. Soon Sunpelt, Mosstail, and Nightsky made their way over to the den, she saw the golden she-cat step out of her den and up onto High Tree, letting out the familiar gathering yowl. Hawthornepaw stood up from her crouch to make her way over, but Nightsky stops her with a swish of his tail.

"We have to work together to bring him out." She nods and helps them hoist the bony cat onto their shoulders and walks beside Nightsky and Sunpelt as they bring him into the clearing, gently lying him down on the grass. The cats around him back away, their eyes mournful but not surprised. She looks up and sees Dawnstar hopping off of High Tree, she must have just finished the meeting. Being that it's not even sun-high, the vigil won't start for a few hours so the Clan dips their heads respectfully to the deceased elder before dispersing. A familiar calico she-cat steps out of the elder's den, her green eyes glazed in sorrow at the sight of her old friend, and she sits down beside him in utter silence, flicking her tail at Hawthornepaw, signaling her to leave. She obeys, dipping her head at Fernfoot before stepping out into the forest to finish collecting the herbs that Mosstail had started with. The occasional tree was getting its leaves back, a few flowers were poking through the ground. She kept walking, grabbing a variety of herbs from all around the forest and carrying them in her jaws. All of the sudden she hears a branch crack behind her. Pricking her ears, she slowly sets her herbs down on the ground then turns around, making sure not to make any sounds, her paws landing lightly on the grass and her tail tucked behind her legs. The sound comes again and she crouches down, pouncing at the location of the sound. When she lands she hears a muffled squeak and looks down, seeing a cream/ grey cat beneath her, no more than six moons, its paws, tail, ears, and muzzle a darker grey/ brown color with a blue strap of fabric, guessing its what she heard is called a collar, around its neck. She raises one paw and unsheathes her claws, making sure to keep a firm grip on the intruder.

"Please don't hurt me," the cat squeaks, its pale blue eyes shining in fear.

"Why shouldn't I?" Hawthornepaw asks. She doesn't want to actually hurt it but she wants to make sure that they aren't there to hurt her Clan.

"My housefolk abandoned me and none of the other cats will help me. I can fight and I can hunt and I'd be happy doing whatever it is you want, I just need to be with other cats."