Chapter 14
As Leafwater's gaze fell upon her clanmates' bodies, she let out a gasp of horror. "No....No....No! Riverfur, no! She bent down and started licking his face fiercely. "It's no use Mama," Sunpaw mewed hoarsely. "He's gone. My father is gone." Leafwater slumped to the ground, exhausted. She pressed against Riverfur's body. Featherkit pressed against Sunpaw, trying to comfort him. "Come on Sunpaw! We have to report back to camp. Get up. Here; I'll help you." She slowly helped Sunpaw onto his paws and guided him over to the bodies of their fallen clanmates. "Thank you Featherkit," Sunpaw mewed. "I really owe you this." Featherkit ducked in embarrassment as Sunpaw licked her cheek. "Come on," he mewed determinedly this time. "Let's carry our fallen clanmates home." As Featherkit bent down to grab Deerfoot, she saw the faint rise and fall of his chest. She gasped. "Send help quick! Deerfoot's still alive!" Sunpaw look up in astonishment, then dashed back in the direction of the camp, and returned in moments with the Clan's medicine cat Eaglewhisker. The medicine cat just had to take one look, and returned with the herbs clamped firmly in his jaws. He then took a look at Stormpelt, who was lying sprawled on the ground, his eyes closed. He gasped. "Stormpelt is alive too!" The three cats' heads went up in astonishment. Eaglewhisker used the same treatment and the same herbs to treat Stormpelt, then took a look st Riverfur. The medicine cat bowed his head in grief and sorrow. "I'm very sorry, Riverfur has gone to join our ancestors. I was too late to save him." Leafwater lurched forward, but Eaglewhisker held her back. Sunpaw was choking on his wails, making Featherkit want to wail out loud. She padded over to the two grieving cats and tried to comfort them. "Come on," she whispered to Sunpaw, "We have to take our clanmates home."
