Warriors: Nightstar's End (COMPLETED)

Chapter Ten

Lilyrose pulled the thorn out of Hailpaw's pad and spat it onto the stone floor. Reaching over, she chewed the leaves of marigold and smeared it over the puncture, finishing it off with a cobweb wrap. "There you go, Hailpaw." She purred and licked the apprentice's head. "Stay in camp for a few days and come to me if it keeps hurting or feels infected."

Hailpaw shook out her paw and looked up at the medicine cat. "Thanks, Lilyrose," she meowed and limped out of the den, her injured paw raised in the air.

The dark gray and white she-cat blinked as she watched her go and sighed. Now what? Turning around, she gave her herb stores a once-over and flicked her tail. Her belly rumbled and she blinked. I could use a meal, she swiped her tongue over her lips and headed out of her den.

As the only medicine cat, the workload and stress left her barely enough time to steal some prey from the prey-pile, and catch a few winks of sleep. Now in leafbare, no cats were getting horribly injured as they spent the majority of their time hunting. It was good, of course, but part of her wanted something to happen so she'd have something to do.

Reaching the prey-pile she snatched a pigeon and dragged it to the nearest pine tree, one of the only in the large oak forest. As she started to rip out the feathers for her nest, the sound of pawsteps approached her and she looked up to see Sedgepelt.

"Hi, Lilyrose." The she-cat dipped her head and sat down next to the medicine cat. Lilyrose flicked her ear at the warrior as she sank her teeth into the flesh of the bird and started chewing.

"Hi, Sedgepelt," she meowed through bites and looked at the warrior. Chewing her mouthful, she swallowed and prodded the prey toward her. "What's up?"

Sedgepelt crouched down and took a bite and Lilyrose washed her ears quickly before the white she-cat responded. Her yellow eye was fixed on the pigeon and Lilyrose knew that her other eye, which was blue, was the side she was deaf on. At least no cat will be telling her any secrets on that side, she thought to herself. "I've been having some belly pains for a quarter-moon." She meowed. "I thought it was something I ate but when it kept happening, I decided to see you."

Lilyrose nodded and shifted closer to the white warrior and placed a paw on her flank. After feeling around for a moment, she felt something hit her paw pad very lightly and Sedgepelt groaned. I knew it. "Congratulations, Sedgepelt," she purred. "You're expecting kits."

The warrior looked startled and she backed away from her, eyes round with fear. "B-but I'm not ready to be a mother!" She stumbled over her words, panicking.

Lilyrose blinked at her and tried to soothe her. "It'll be okay," she meowed, her voice even and calm. "Their father will help you raise them. Where is he?" She scanned the clearing, but couldn't find whoever looked like Sedgepelt's potential mate.

Sedgepelt frantically shook her head, eyes flooded with panic. "N-no he won't." She whimpered, pressing her belly to the ground with her tail wrapping around herself. "He doesn't want kits!"

"Who is the father of your kits?" Lilyrose asked, trying not to sound offensive or hostile.

Sedgepelt jumped at her question and mumbled something she couldn't catch. "I-I can't have these kits," she meowed, her voice breaking. "Please, Lilyrose, when these kits are born, can you take them?"

The question slammed into the medicine cat like a blow and she stared at the warrior in shock. Me? Be a mother to the kits when I'm a medicine cat? "I- of course." She meowed without thinking. "I'll take them when they're born."

Sedgepelt nodded stiffly and slithered away. Lilyrose watched her go and headed back to her half-eaten pigeon, suddenly feeling less hungry. Picking up the prey, she carried to the elder's den where Iceleaf would most likely be hungry. After leaving the bird at the den entrance, she headed back to her den and padded inside, thoughts whirling.