ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Promise

Chapter 41

Mintpool couldn't wrap her mind around it. The fact that Snowfrost was gone. Dead. Her mother, now lay, dead, in front of her. The gray tabby stepped towards her numbly, burying her muzzle into her fur. Her pelt, once so warm and comforting, was cold and reeked of blood. How is her body cold already? Desperation and panic seized her as she struggled to keep herself together in front of her Clanmates. She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to keep her mother here, with her. But now, as her body lost its warmth, it seemed that she was truly gone.

The gray tabby felt numb, breathing in her mother's scent. She didn't even notice when Flowershine stumbled to her paws, ducking outside of the nursery to inform the others of what had happened. It was only Adderclaw's yowl of fury and grief that brought her out of her haze.

The black-and-white tom burst into the nursery, his eyes landing on Snowfrost's dead body. "No!" Grief was cracked in his voice as he bounded over towards the queen, throwing himself down besides his mother's body.

"I'm sorry, Adderclaw." It was Flowershine who spoke, padding back softly into the nursery to crouch besides her mate. 

Mintpool had no words to comfort her brother. She could barely comfort herself. Leafstorm seemed to think the same, because he didn't lift his muzzle to glance at the black-and-white tom. Only Echoleaf managed a sympathetic glance towards him.

"I'll go give Thistlefur some more information." Her words were greeted by silence as she disappeared into the night, the sound of howling winds and falling snow filling the air.

"I'll give you some time," Flowershine meowed softly, giving Adderclaw's shoulder a gentle lick as she pushed herself up, following Echoleaf's tracks.

Mintpool took in a shaky breath. This is all my fault, she thought miserably. If I had just helped better, would Snowfrost be alive? She shoved her muzzle deeper into her mother's cold fur. What kind of medicine cat am I?

The sound of moss rustling sounded besides her. Adderclaw had stood up. Mintpool turned her head to glance at her brother. Deep grief and sorrow lay in the depths of his gaze, but it was mostly covered by fury. She could barely meet his furious gaze.

"This is all your fault!" Adderclaw spat. He was glaring at Leafstorm, his pelt bristled. "Snowfrost wouldn't be dead if she wasn't trying to give birth to your kit!"

The kit! Mintpool blinked, startled. She turned towards the kit, pulling her into her pelt, licking her fur the wrong way to warm her up. The kit mewled hungrily, trying to sniff her belly for milk. The gray tabby nudged her sympathetically. I have no milk for you, little one.

"Adderclaw," Leafstorm began, pushing himself to his paws wearily, "I-"

He was cut off by Adderclaw whipping his furious gaze towards Mintpool, alerted by the sound of her grabbing the kit. "It's your fault, too," he snarled. 

The gray tabby flinched. She'd never seen her brother so mad.

"You're a medicine cat!" Adderclaw growled. "What kind of medicine cat can't deliver kits? And there were two!" His tail lashed with fury.

Mintpool ducked her head. Adderclaw had just been voicing all the thoughts in her head. "I'm sorry. We tried-"

"Well obviously it wasn't enough." Her brother's eyes were lit with cold anger. 

Just then, Echoleaf ducked into the nursery, Thistlefur on her tail. Adderclaw's anger instantly turned on the gray she-cat.

"Why couldn't you save her?" he demanded, his pelt bushed until he was twice her size. "You've delivered countless litters before! For StarClan's sake, you even delivered me and Mintpool! Yet you couldn't do anything about Snowfrost?" 

"Adderclaw, the kit was turned, so she was coming paw first," Echoleaf explained, her gaze sad. "Normally we would give her chervil to chew, but we had none. And the kit was turned the wrong way-"

Adderclaw cut her off with an angry lash of his tail, turning his glare back towards Leafstorm. "So what I'm hearing is that if you didn't bother Snowfrost, she would still be alive!"

Leafstorm opened his jaws, but Thistlefur spoke first.

"Enough, Adderclaw," Thistlefur cut in. "I understand you're grieving, but that's no reason to turn on one of your Clanmates!"

"One of my Clanmates wouldn't have killed my mother!" Adderclaw snarled. He glared at Mintpool once more. "Why are you caring for that kit? How could you? That kit killed Snowfrost!"

Mintpool, who'd kept quiet, letting him rant even though she knew he was wrong, now lashed her tail. "This kit did not kill Snowfrost!" 

In her mind, this kit was now her closest connection to Snowfrost. Sure, Adderclaw's looks were more similar to her mother's, even inheriting her blue eyes, but his now eyes, blazing with anger, was nothing like Snowfrost's gentle and kind ones. She couldn't even recognize her brother anymore. How could he claim a kit killed their mother? 

"This kit is Snowfrost's kit," she continued, her tail fur bushed. "If you care about Snowfrost as much as it seems then you would care for this kit as well!"

Adderclaw bared his teeth. "How is this even Snowfrost's kit? She looks just like Leafstorm!" He shot another hated glare towards the brown tom.

"You don't know that yet," Mintpool argued.

Adderclaw raised his muzzle. "This kit is a mistake! I wish she wasn't here! Then Snowfrost would still be here!"

A low growl came from Leafstorm as he leaped to his paws to defend his newborn daughter. Mintpool was horrified at his words, and Thistlefur's eyes were wide with shock.

Echoleaf stepped forward. "That's enough, Adderclaw," she snarled. "You may be grieving, but do not turn it on this kit."

"Adderclaw," Thistlefur meowed before the black-and-white tom could reply, "I think you need some time to calm down. Please go join Flowershine at the warriors den, please."

Adderclaw paused, looking shocked for a moment, before giving his tail another lash. "Fine. But I don't want Echoleaf or Mintpool delivering Flowershine's kits. It's clear that they can't do it safely."

The gray tabby felt as though her brother had just slashed her across the face, and clearly Echoleaf felt so as well, for her green eyes were stretched wide. Mintpool understood he was deep in grief, but was he really such a fool? To have Flowershine kit without medicine cats would have a even greater chance of danger! She wanted to protest, to say that Flowershine's kits were turned the right way and everything, but she couldn't find her voice. 

"Don't be a fool!" Thistlefur growled. "To have Flowershine kitting without medicine cats has a greater change of something bad happening! Besides, it wasn't the medicine cats' fault! Do you really want something to happen to your mate because of your selfishness?"

His words seemed to have gotten into Adderclaw's mind, and the black-and-white tom twitched his tail in acknowledgement. "Fine." Without another word, he ducked out of the nursery.

Mintpool watched her brother disappear into the snow. She felt her whiskers twitch with grief as she lowered her head on her paws again, trying to control herself in front of her Clanmates. Her entire life had twisted, even worse than when she and Leafwhisker stopped being friends. Nothing would be the same again - there would be no way to bring Snowfrost back, unlike with Leafwhisker. Then, at least, there was a small chance they might be friends again. But there was no chance Snowfrost would return. Her mother had left her too soon.

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Word Count // 1251

Not Edited

Hi! So, this chapter is a bit of a filler, but I still have some questions that I'm wondering about. So, what did you think of Adderclaw's outburst? I definitely think he was way too angry and out of it. Okay, that's all, bye!