Fernfreckle's Dream

Chapter 6

Leafbare hit hard. 

All of the prey is gone. Everything is cold and wet. Cats are getting sick left and right. Many lives have been taken. Acornbranch, Brookmist, Shadowfoot... Gone. 

Fernfreckle had become deputy after Shadowfoot's death. Even though he, Batstar and Hollygaze were working their hardest every day, it still wasn't enough to keep up the fight. Every clan had to deal with the storm, but Mossclan has always been the weakest in leafbare. 

Batstar has been acting strange for the past moon. She's been gaining weight, and spending less time around others. She refuses to see Hollygaze, saying she's fine. But she and Fernfreckle don't believe her. 

Fernfreckle is sitting with Plumfall, trying his best to comfort her. She hasn't taken her mother's death very well. 

"Oh, Brookmist.." she sobbed. "I wish you were still here..." 

"She IS here. She'll always be with you. I'm sure she's watching you from Starclan right now." 

Plumfall buries her face into Fernfreckle's chest. He strokes the top of her head. "Don't worry. It'll all be ok." 

"Fernfreckle..." Batstar slowly approaches him. "I'm heading to Flowerclan camp. Can you watch the clan for me?" 

"I'm not letting you go alone," Hollygaze sighed, running up to her. "Fernfreckle and I should come with you. You seem unwell." 

"I'm fine," Batstar scoffed. "Mossclan needs a medicine cat here." 

"We better hurry, then. Fernfreckle, come on. Crowsky and Buzzardcry can watch camp." 

Fernfreckle gives Plumfall one last hug. "Go get some rest," he muttered to her. "You need it." He shakes the snow off of himself and follows Hollygaze and Batstar out of camp. 

They walk as quickly as they can, but the deep snow and the strong winds are slowing them down. They can just barely see what's ahead of them. Batstar is the slowest of them all, and Hollygaze has to lightly shove her forward every now and then. 

"Fernfreckle, how close are we?" The medicine cat yelled. 

"I think we're close," Fernfreckle yelled back, squinting through the storm. 

Suddenly, he hears something fall into the snow with a thud. He swivels around to see that Batstar had collapsed. Her eyes are squeezed shut. 

"BATSTAR!" He gasped and rushed over to her. Her breathing is light and slow. Hollygaze quickly curls herself around the leader, trying to share her warmth. 

"Get Darkstar..." Batstar muttered. 

"I feel like I should be getting Lightningaster instead," Fernfreckle stammered. "You need help!" 

"GET.. DARKSTAR.. PLEASE.." Batstar choked. Fernfreckle quickly looks at Hollygaze, but she just nods. 

The deputy runs off, ignoring the burning in his paws from the cold. He didn't care that he was freezing. He had to get to Darkstar as quickly as possible. 

I didn't want our first conversation to be like this, but Batstar needs him. 

He bursts into Flowerclan camp, alarming every nearby warrior. 

"What are you doing here??" meowed the very confused Haycloud. 

"I need Darkstar, stat. It's an emergency." 

Haycloud nods and leads him to a den. "Darkstar, Mossclan's deputy is here to see you. It's urgent." 

Darkstar pokes his head out of his den and stares at Fernfreckle. "What's going on?"