Bloodflower

Chapter 28

"I'm not sick, I promise." Acornkit's round eyes stared pleadingly up at Dawnpaw. "Don't make me eat any yucky leaves, please!"

"I won't, Acornkit," Dawnpaw purred. "But you need to stay away from Crowkit for a little while so you don't end up getting sick."

Grayleaf had asked her to check up on Rainfoot's kits, because Crowkit had caught a cough a day or two ago. Thankfully it hadn't been anything serious—just an average cold—but Dawnpaw wasn't taking any chances of getting the other kits sick too.

"Okay!" Acornkit turned to face her other littermates, her head and tail held high with authority. "Did you hear that, guys? Stay away from Crowkit until he's not sick anymore, so we don't get sick too."

Leafkit and Flashkit nodded solemnly. The whole scene made Dawnpaw twitch her whiskers with amusement. Little Acornkit, always bossing her brothers and sisters around!

Rainfoot looked up at Dawnpaw from her nest. "You're sure it's not whitecough or greencough that Crowkit has?"

Dawnpaw nodded. "He'll be alright in no time," she reassured the anxious queen. "As long as he eats well and stays warm. And if he eats these herbs," she added, looking pointedly at Crowkit, who was nestled in his mother's belly fur. They looked so similar that only the kit's pale green eyes showed that it was not the same cat.

"Not again!" he groaned. "Is it that awful tansy stuff again? Do I have to eat it?"

"Your medicine cat knows what's best for you, even if you don't like it," Rainfoot told her son sternly.

Dawnpaw swelled with pride. She liked the way Rainfoot didn't call her an apprentice, or an assistant. It was almost like she was a true medicine cat, doing a routine checkup on her Clan's kits on her own time. Someday!

She swept the tansy flowers toward Crowkit with one forepaw. "Make sure he eats them," she told Rainfoot. "I'll go tell Grayleaf that he's doing fine."

"Thanks, Dawnpaw!" Rainfoot purred.

"Of course," she mewed, happily padding out of the den.

"So how's Crowkit?" Grayleaf prompted when she returned to the medicine den. "Did anyone else catch his cold?"

"Everyone's doing fine," Dawnpaw reported. "I left Rainfoot to make sure Crowkit eats the tansy. He's not very fond of it."

"Kits," grunted Grayleaf. "If this dose doesn't cure the cough, then maybe I'll sweeten the next dose with some honey."

"Or mouse blood," Dawnpaw suggested. "Since Crowkit's always been a picky eater, maybe coating the tansy in mouse blood will help him get used to eating solid food when the time comes."

Grayleaf blinked warmly at her apprentice. "That's a wonderful idea! I think I'll do that."

Dawnpaw suppressed the urge to leap up with pride. Today just keeps getting better!

"Is there anything else I need to do?" she prompted her mentor.

Grayleaf shook her head. "Not that I can think of. But I'll let you know if I've forgotten something." She nodded towards the den entrance. "For now you should rest up, maybe get something to eat."

"Thanks, I'll do that." Dawnpaw trotted out of the den.

Then she let out a choked gasp of horror. The camp was not as it was before.

The sky was as dark as a night with no moon, and ashes fell from the clouds like rain. The trees were red, but not the leaf-fall red that Dawnpaw had gotten used to. These were a crimson red, and they filled the air with the metallic tang of blood until she could smell and taste nothing else. The camp, which had been dotted with cats soaking up the sunlight before, was now deserted, save for one glittering cat that stood in the center of the clearing.