Warriors- Rise of Darkness

Chapter 27

     Five cats dead. Hailstorm shuttered at the thought at their vigils. Kinktail, Rainclaw, Bluetail, Hollymoon, and Mintpool, her uncle and clan deputy. Rosestar had lost three lives already and still was fighting to keep her next life.

The sun began to set. What remained of the clan bowed their heads in remorse. Petalwish shared tongues with her mate. Icepaw mourned Rainclaw's death and the elders surrounded Hollymoon. The clan wasn't out of the woods yet.

Kinktails only kit survived the birth, but was coughing and terribly tiny for her size. Lilypool and Havenpaw frantically raced around, trying to get what little supply of catnip Birdwing had stored to those who had green cough. 

Hailstorm glanced at the warrior's den. Lilypool was busy trying to get the warrior who was sick to eat it. Hawkpaw brushed against his mother, leaning against her.

"Are you alright?" He mewed quietly.

Hailstorm looked down at him, "Yeah, I'm just..."

"Sad?" He asked. he looked at the five bodies of cats that didn't make it, "Are they joining Star Clan?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?" Hawkpaw asked.

Hailstorm wrapped her tail around her paws, "When you look at the silver pelt in the sky, those are all of our ancestors watching over us. When a warrior, young and old dies, they join Starclan to help us on our way."

Hawkpaw lifted his head to the sky, blinking, "starclan must be pretty."

Hailstorm tried to smile. Lilypool left the warriors den, frantic Havenpaw following behind. She headed into the leaders' den, to try and help Rosestar. Hailstorm drooped her head down, a cold winter chill running down her spine.

"Elders, we can help with the burial tonight" Petalwish said.

Fishtail frowned, "your heavy with kits Petalwish."

"I want to bury my mate, please," She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

The elders and a few warriors dragged the dead cats out of camp for their proper burial. Wildbird summoned the apprentices to their den to rest for the morning. Hailstorm snuck away, heading back into the warrior's den. She stepped over those who were sick and toward Moonheart. She settled herself down, needing to feel his warmth to reassure her he wasn't dead.

**********

"What am I going to do now?" Icepaw asked, "With Rainclaw dead...how will i...be a warrior?"

"Icepaw, sssshhhh" Batwing hushed his brother.

Hailstorm picked up a mouse, eyeing the clan. It had been a slow moon of cats trying to recover. Luckily no more deaths except for Rosestar's fifth life. She only had four left. Lilypool had kindly settled into camp for the moon, trying her best to help with the green cough epidemic. Hailstorm especially liked the way she treated Havenpaw. She had Havenpaw assist in the kittening of Petalwish's and Ambernose's kittenings.

Petalwish had given birth to two large she-cats, one looking strikingly like Hailstorm's father with her light gray tabby coat color. She had named them Trailkit and Risingkit

Ambernose (despite all of her previous kits dislike) gave birth to three kits. Honeykit, Splashkit and Blossomkit. Hailstorm walked past the nursery, seeing the three queens, practically overwhelmed with the massive amount of kits that swarmed.

Hailstorm took the mouse into the warrior den, pushing her way through the slowly healing warriors. Moonheart had barely stirred, unlike the others. She knew he was eating with the small scraps left by his nest, but he was never awake when she visited.

She held the mouse in her jaws and placed it gently on the ground near his paws. Sweetbreeze lifted her head, yawning.

"Hailstorm?" He yawned again, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Moonheart needs to eat something when he wakes," Hailstorm said quietly.

Sweetbreeze blinked, "If you say you don't love him, then I don't know what I'll do with you."

Hailstorm glanced at the Tom, his paws twitching. She purred and left the warriors den, not replying to her sister. Rosestar caught her attention as she left. The weak leader called for a clan meeting.

Her voice croaked, "Thank you all who could come" She rasped, "I would like to formally thank Lilypool for her assistance for helping our clan. I don't many medicine cats who would do that for another clan," The Turkish van dipped her head at the leader, "but I also have some business to take care of. Icepaw, Coalpaw and Swanpaw, step forward."

Icepaw happily trotted up while Coalpaw and Swanpaw looked confused but listened.

"Due to this epidemic, you three have proven yourself worthy as warriors with fetching herbs and catching extra prey that our warriors could not," Rosestar said, "Coalpaw, Icepaw and Swanpaw, do you three promise to uphold and protect the warrior code, even with your life?"

All three nodded, Coalpaw and Swanpaw more nervous out of the bunch, "Yes."

"Then by the power of Starclan, Icepaw, from this day forward you will be known as Icepelt. Coalpaw, From this day forward you will be known as Coalfur. And Swanpaw, From this day forward you will be known as Swanspirit." The leader wheezed, unable to finish the rest of her words.

What little of the stirring clan cheered. Hailstorm blinked. Kinktail would have been proud of her two kits. Runningheart beamed at his kits. After they cheered, he eagerly raced up to them, greeting them happily. Batwing and Willowstorm happily bounded around their brother.

Rosestar cleared her throat, "after Mintpool's death, I have chosen a new deputy. I pray that the power of star clan and Mintpool approves of my choice. The new deputy of Snow clan is Wildbird."

The clan murmured. It had been weeks without a deputy. Did Rosestar break the warrior code? Cats muttered, wondering if this was a good decision or a bad omen of what was to come.

Hailstorm flicked her tail as Rosestar limped back to her den. Lilypool came down from the rocks and pulled Hailstorm aside.

"May I talk to you Hailstorm?" The Mountain clan medicine cat asked.

Hailstorm hesitated but followed. Lilypool and Hailstorm headed to the back of the clearing. Lilypool straightened herself up.

"I have a question for you."

"What?"

"It's about your kits" Hailstorms heart sunk, "They're Mossystar's, aren't they?"