Redblaze's Regret {COMPLETE}

Chapter 37

 The ominous clouds from the night of the Gathering soon gave way to thick snowfall, accompanied by the most bitter cold Redblaze had ever known. And, as if RiverClan had been waiting for its arrival, greencough at last made its way into their camp. Blacktail was the first to fall ill, and Silverheart spent nearly every waking moment combing RiverClan territory for any scrap of catmint she could find. Redblaze patrolled the forest and hunted as much as he could despite the parts of the river that had at last frozen over. He was trying his best to keep his Clan safe and healthy, but deep down he was worried. Greencough was deadly, and he knew many cats that got it did not recover.

He shoved his way through the snow back to camp with two surprisingly fat fish in his jaws, his pelt fluffed against the cold that froze his paw pads and nose. He could feel his warm nest beckoning him, and the comforting warmth of Sorrelstream's fur, but he knew he couldn't rest. He marched across camp and dropped the fish onto the new, sheltered fresh-kill pile, and noticed that Ashstar was talking to Ashflower outside the nursery.

"I don't want the kits leaving the nursery," the RiverClan leader was saying. "At all. With this kind of cold, they'll surely catch greencough."

"Of course, Ashstar," Ashflower replied. Redblaze could hear the worry in her voice, no doubt for the safety of the kits. He thought for a moment, then picked one of the fish back up and carried it over to the silver tabby queen.

Laying it at her paws, Redblaze meowed, "Here, the kits can have this."

Ashflower's eyes shone with thanks, and she nodded to him before taking the fish into the nursery. Redblaze shook the snowflakes from his face and looked at Ashstar. "How is Blacktail?" he asked.

Ashstar sighed, his gaze clouding with sadness. "Not well," he murmured. "Blacktail is old, and very sick. Nightwhisper doesn't think he'll recover."

Redblaze's ears drooped. It pained him to think of cats dying from sickness, unable to win a battle against an invisible warrior. He sighed.

"Keep your chin up, Redblaze," Ashstar said softly. "Not many warriors make it as far as Blacktail has. He served RiverClan for many moons; the medicine cats will keep him comfortable until he goes."

That thought made Redblaze feel better. He knew Ashstar put his full trust in Nightwhisper and Silverheart, and Redblaze did, too. He dipped his head to Ashstar and padded away towards the warriors' den, where he saw Mudpelt sitting outside eating a water vole. "Hey," he greeted the brown warrior as he approached.

Mudpelt looked up at him and nodded. "Hey," he said back, beckoning Redblaze to join him. He pushed the water vole closer to Redblaze, who gratefully took a bite. As he chewed, Mudpelt meowed, "Word's been going around about you mentoring Amberkit."

Redblaze swallowed his mouthful. "Yeah?" Mudpelt nodded, and Redblaze wondered who had been talking about it. Amberkit, no doubt, he thought with a chuckle. "I can't think of any other apprentice I'd rather have."

Mudpelt nodded. "I'm glad," he said sincerely. He looked towards the camp entrance, where Pebblenose was leading another hunting patrol back into camp. Her thick white fur gleamed in the bright leaf-bare sunlight. "I guess we've both grown up a lot, huh?"

The two toms sat in silence until Pebblenose had deposited her catch, keeping a fish for herself, and joined them. She nuzzled Mudpelt affectionately. "Hi, Redblaze," she greeted kindly, sitting down to eat. He nodded to her.

Normally, Redblaze would have felt like the odd cat out, sitting with the pair of them. But now, he felt comfortable just sharing space with his Clanmates, a small comfort he had forgotten. He was barely aware of a slight commotion around Ashstar's den until a shout from Birchclaw startled him. He looked up to see his deputy bounding across to the medicine den, calling for Nightwhisper. Redblaze couldn't hear what they said to each other, but his eyes followed as they ran back into Ashstar's den, and it was then that Redblaze heard coughing from inside.