Warriors: Nightstar's End (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twelve

Lilyrose felt numb as she padded into the warrior's den, searching for her friends. They'd sat vigil for Vixenpool the previous night and Lilyrose felt both exhausted and dull. She sulked around the camp while her Clanmates bustled around her as though they'd already moved on from Vixenpool's untimely death. I should have given her the rest of the tansy. Guilt clawed at her heart as she poked her head into the den. "Hello?"

"Is that you, Lilyrose?" Goldenfire's voice hit her like a blow and she was tempted to run into her den to hide. His green eyes gleamed in the gloom as he rose to his paws and padded towards her. "Are you alright?"

Lilyrose's legs trembled as the tom neared and she fell against him, raising her voice to a grief-filled caterwaul. "I'm so sorry, Vixenpool!" She cried.

Goldenfire curled around her, licking her head gently as she sobbed. "It's okay," he whispered as he smoothed her ruffled fur. "Vixenpool's death is not your fault. StarClan wanted her and you did all that you could to save her."

Lilyrose trembled against the deputy, trying to regain her composure. She pressed against the tom as he flicked his tail around her and lapped at her fur. "I should've done more," she whispered.

"There's nothing more you could have done." While her head knew he was right, her heart was as stubborn as a boulder and wouldn't budge. "It isn't your fault that the herb stores were low. After all, leafbare doesn't provide the medicine cats with many herbs this time of year."

Lilyrose sniffled and huddled against the deputy, tears staining her cheeks as she tried to stop the tears from coming. She hadn't realized her tail was curled around Goldenfire's until she tried to stand up. Awkwardly, she untwined her tail and Goldenfire quickly scrambled to his paws. "Sorry." She muttered.

"It's alright," Goldenfire responded and smoothed his shoulder fur. Turning his head, he gazed outside the den. "Come on; we should get some prey."

Lilyrose followed the deputy as she stumbled out of the warrior's den into the camp clearing. Her belly felt empty as she felt heads turn to stare in her direction. She pressed against Goldenfire and felt his tail rest across her shoulders comfortingly.

"Lilyrose!" The she-cat glanced up as she saw Froststar trotting up to her and Goldenfire. The Clan deputy glanced apologetically at her out of the corner of his eye before dipping his head to Froststar and padding away.

"Yes, Froststar?" She forced herself to meet her leader's gaze, which was authoritative and wistful. Perhaps she misses Vixenpool more than I thought. Then again, I've never seen her and Vixenpool talk before. "What do you need?"

The brown tabby leader dipped her head to her and led her to the leader's den. Lilyrose hesitated before following and slipped inside the shadowed den, ears flat against her head. "I've been meaning to speak with you about something." Froststar stopped near the back of the den and settled herself into her nest of feathers and moss. "I had wanted to wait until it was the right time, but with leafbare here, I didn't know how to tell you."

Lilyrose felt her heart thud in her chest as she nodded, silently wishing she could leave. Her paws itched to carry her across the territory and border and into the DawnClan camp where Emberburn was. She quickly shot her anticipation of meeting the tom and looked at Froststar. "What is it?"

Her leader flicked her gaze up and down her and finally spoke. "I'm expecting kits."

The news hit Lilyrose like a tidal wave crashing over a peaceful sandy beach. She gawked at her leader for a heartbeat before speaking. "Who is the father?" She asked.

"Redstripe," replied Froststar as her tail swished behind her. Lilyrose stared at her in amazement. She hadn't noticed her growing flanks and clumsiness at all. "I'm not that far along, but I know it's been at least a quarter moon."