Gray Skies - Book One

Chapter Five

Nightkit tired peeking out of the nursery from behind Crouchbeam who was standing in front of the entrance to the. The battle patrol was coming back through the thorn tunnel and into the hollow, battered and bleeding.

"We've won, and those ThunderClan cats won't be coming back anytime soon," Spiderstar announced, exhausted from fighting. They had been fighting from sunhigh to sunset, which amazed Nightkit at how strong they'd been to do that. 

But something was wrong. Maggotspring, Redbright, Nettlepaw, Wolfpaw, and Talonswipe had the least wounds out of the patrol. Spiderstar, Crowbark, Hazelfire, Greengaze, Shortleaf, Raccoonpaw, and Deadwing were injured but not severely. Blackivy, Willowear, Honeydrizzle, Briarspots had the worst wounds out of everyone. Nightkit guessed that Briarspots had been fighting for her Clan when too many cats got hurt. But Lightningtail had a couple wounds, so she must've fought for her Clan before coming home from her walk. 

But now the medicine cat was being carried into the medicine den with Blackivy and Willowear. Nightkit was grateful for the fact that not too many cats had possibly fatal wounds, but she was still angry that she currently owned her kit name.

"Let me through! I'm old enough to see the wounded cats!" Nightkit hissed, pushing past Crouchbeam and into the open. Nightkit saw every cat except Blackivy, Willowear, and Briarspots cleaning their wounds out in the open. Some of the cats who had stayed behind were helping to clean wounds, using marigold and cobwebs that Vinepaw had given them to stop the bleeding until they could be properly treated. 

But Nightkit wanted to see the worst of the wounded cats and how they were doing in the medicine den. She scurried across the clearing and stopped outside of the medicine den. The medicine den was underneath a prickly bush with a bramble tunnel and wall. It had a sandy, hollowed-out floor covered in dried pine needles, and the medicine cats slept in the back of the den. Briarspots and Vinepaw stored their herbs in a crevice in the bramble wall. Nightkit only know that because she had stayed in the medicine den when she was younger with a cold.

Nightkit tried peeking into the den from the entrance, but Spiderstar's black pelt blocked her chances of seeing the injured cats inside. Nightkit was about to walk away, disappointed, before she heard Vinepaw hesitating inside.

"We have cobwebs, comfrey root, horsetail, marigold, dried oak leaf- I'll just use them all!" Vinepaw's worried mew came from the den as she grabbed the herbs she'd listed from the store. Nightkit tried peering through the branches of the bush and was able to catch a glimpse of Briarspots in a nest.

She looked as if she were dead. Blood soaked her nest and the moss that was pressed over her worst wound. It was a long, deep gash from the side of her neck to her hind leg. Nightkit almost gagged at the sight of it. Vinepaw rushed over to her mentor and began to take off the moss to rub a poultice over the wound, but Sparkclaw and Deadwing, Vinepaw's parents, stopped her from doing so by holding her back.

"Stop it!" She wailed as she was held back by Deadwing's thick, bushy tail. "Let me treat her! I can save her; I know I can!"

Briarspots suddenly coughed, blood spattering onto the floor, and blinked open her eyes. Her gaze was warm despite the fact that she was rapidly losing blood. "Vinepaw... don't waste your herbs on me. Save them... for your Clanmates." Her voice came out hoarse and not much louder than a whisper.

"No!" Vinepaw's eyes teared up and she struggled to get away from Deadwing's arms around her. Sparkclaw's eyes were closed, and he was looking at his paws.

"Vinepaw, listen to me." Briarspots coughed again, blood continuing to ooze from her fatal wound. "I'm dying. There is nothing you can do." She paused to take a shaky breath. "This is not a... proper ceremony, but you, Vineloop... are a full medicine cat now."

"No, I'm not!" Vinepaw wailed, trying to grab her herbs. "No, StarClan, please!"

"I have one... more thing to say." Briarspots's voice sounded weaker with every breath she took. She closed her eyes and whispered something just loud enough that Nightkit could hear.

"An eagle's talon will tear the Clan apart. Night and star will soar above the rest to fight the everlasting darkness approaching."

"A prophecy? What does it mean?" Vineloop sniffed, Deadwing letting her go she could crouch beside her mentor as she spoke. "Please tell me! Don't leave yet!" 

But Briarspots eyes were closed, her tail and whiskers motionless as blood spilled more slowly into her nest. Vineloop let out a grief-stricken wail and buried her muzzle in her mentor's blood-soaked fur. 

But Spiderstar was repeating what the chocolate tortoiseshell she-cat had said as her last words. "An eagle's talon will tear the Clan apart. Night and star will soar above the rest to fight the everlasting darkness approaching. What in StarClan is that supposed to mean?"

Sparkclaw turned to look at his leader. "Your medicine cat just died, and you're wondering about the prophecy?" He hissed loudly.

Spiderstar's eyes widened in shock. "Well, yes. What could the 'everlasting darkness' be? What is the 'eagle's talon' supposed to mean? What about 'night and star?'"

Deadwing rested her head on Sparkclaw's shoulder before he could spring at the leader. Sparkclaw whipped his head away from Spiderstar to look at his grieving daughter. Vineloop was young, only fifteen moons old, and now carried the responsibility of her Clanmate's health in her paws. She was just about done with her training, lucky for ShadowClan.

But Spiderstar dipped his head and murmured. "Briarspots was well loved by her Clanmates and will be missed by many. She leapt into battle when Willowear was knocked down and bravely fought in her Clanmate's place."

Sparkclaw and Deadwing nodded in agreement. Vineloop had looked up from Briarspots and was now tending to Blackivy. She still cast glances at her mentor when treating the deputy, and Nightkit felt a pang of sadness strike her heart for the lost medicine cat. Like Spiderstar said, she'd be missed by many, for she was a loved Clanmate and died a warrior's death.

Five chapters in and we've lost a medicine cat already. I didn't even have anything planned for this chapter; I just winged it. But I like this chapter because it was a good way to introduce the prophecy to the Clan, and it ties in with what I have planned for the storyline of Gray Skies.

But how does everyone like the book so far? And don't worry; I'll still update Creamfluff's Hope but it'll be kind of back and forth.