Warriors Deadly Echoes: Swallowing Hollows

Chapter 13

The night was filled with the sounds of chirping crickets followed by a roaring monster or two in the distance on different sides of the Thunderpath in the forest. Feralstar and Whitestar led their cats to the Gathering place. They attended earlier before AshClan, ScarClan, and TimberClan. Darkshadow walked past his leader, moving his tail in a signal. "I smell blood here." He muttered. Feralstar's eyes widened. "Blood?" He echoed. Hollyflight shoved past the crowd and gasped. "Great StarClan!" Her voice carried shock. Suddenly, two clans heard tiny mewls of two kits. "Who could that be?" Nightriver asked. "It's Elmpoppy..." Hollyflight muttered. "She's dead." She mewed.
Whitestar's eyes widened. Feralstar blinked with shock, unable to take in the medicine cat's words so quickly. Smallstep shoved through the many cats. "Let me pass! Let me pass!" He wailed and ran to see the dark brown she-cat;her throat ripped beside two tiny kits mewling almost for her to wake up. He wailed to the sky.
"What about the gathering?" Dawnreed asked, looking to Whitestar who was beside her.
"What are we going to do?" Lightspot asked her mate.
"We may have to postpone this one," Darkshadow was cut off.
"No! I need answers as to who killed my sister! And I need them now!" Smallstep spat, stomping his paw.
"Her kits Smallstep. Think about her kits." Whitestar mewed gently.
"What am I going to say to Sorrelheart..?" He croaked with grief. "First our parents now Elmpoppy.." The gray tom mewed sadly, then gave out a low meow in grief again.
The kits mewled and tried to suckle at her belly.
"I am going to tell AshClan the gathering is for another time." Darkshadow meowed.
Feralstar nodded his head. "Lilytail? Hazelheart? Can you please tell TimberClan?" He mewed.
"Of course father." His daughter mewed.
"I'll go with Leafpelt to tell ScarClan." Lightspot mewed. "Us too." Thunderclaw offered as he stood beside Nightriver. The cats doing their duties of telling the other four Clans of the paused gathering left. The kits mewed impatiently for milk.
"These kits need milk and fast. We must get them back to camp." Thrushberry meowed seriously.
The cats waisted no time getting them back to camp.
Crowwing blinked from the nursery. "The gathering was that quick?"
"Not exactly." Badgerstalk replied to his sister. The kits mewed out. Windfur padded up. "How did it," she was stopped instantly.
"Can you suckle these kits?" Thrushberry meowed quickly.
"Oh poor things! Of course!" Windfur meowed, quickly telling them how she had milk to spare. Sorrelheart looked around, worry in her gaze. "Where's Elmpoppy? She left camp and never came back, but she told me not to tell you.." her voice was filled with concern.
Feralstar blinked. "Sorrelheart, I am sorry for what I am about to tell you. But Elmpoppy's gone.." he meowed.
Sorrelheart fell to her belly and wailed in agony. Badgerstalk nuzzled her comfortingly. Smallstep walked in through the tunnel, dragging Elmpoppy to the clearing.
"We need to get these kits milk now." Dawnreed mewed, her tail twitching.
"I shall feed them." Windfur mewed.
Sorrelheart looked in her direction. "But they are my sister's kits. They are my kin." She meowed sadly.
Windfur looked at her with sympathy "Would you like to feed them Sorrelheart?"
"Who cares who feeds them? They need milk or they'll starve to death." Thrushberry meowed.
Whitestar set them at Sorrelheart's belly. "I do not believed Elmpoppy named that at her last moments. You may name them whatever you wish Sorrelheart. They are two she-kits." Feralstar told her.
The she-cat said she had her kits early, but she was fine and the kits were healthy, as they suckled beside the two mewling kits. "We shall set vigil for Elmoppy. Her killer will be brought to justice soon, but for now we will focus on keeping the camp safe." Feralstar announced. "Maybe it was ScarClan.." Ravenwing muttered.
"I think you're right dad." Thistleear meowed. Smallstep curled his lip, letting his claws slide out.
Darkshadow and the cats who told the other Clans of the postponed gathering returned. "May StarClan light your path Elmpoppy.." Hazelheart meowed to the unmoving she-cat. The two leaders looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. But everything was peaceful so far. But how long would that last?