The medicine cats stayed up all night, brainstorming treatment options and searching for catmint, but came back empty pawed. By sunrise, Featherwhisker was coughing too.
Cricketkit, Tinykit, and Softkit were getting worse and worse. Mossdapple knew what was coming for them. Grief stabbed her heart as she approached Dappletail.
"What is it?" Dappletail mewed, her voice flat. She laid with her head resting on the moss, not bothering to lift it to face Mossdapple.
Mossdapple stared at the queen. Heaviness weighed at her paws and eyelids, but not nearly as much as it tugged on her heart.
"It's time to say goodbye," she choked.
Dappletail looked at Mossdapple. "No," she whispered.
"They'll be joining StarClan soon," Mossdapple whispered. "There's nothing more we can do."
"No!" Dappletail wailed. Cricketkit didn't even stir. Only the faint rising and falling of their chests indicated their liveliness.
"I'll give you some time alone," Mossdapple dipped her head and left the medicine clearing. Even from outside she could hear Dappletail's cries. Runningwind ran past Mossdapple and went inside.
But even the crying couldn't drown out the sound of more coughing from the nursery.
Mossdapple's paws carried her over to the kits, awake but staring at the wall. Their mother, Brindleface, gazed at them with great sadness.
"They're sick, aren't they?" she whispered.
Mossdapple said nothing, but nodded. A sob escaped Brindleface.
Brindleface took Sandkit and left her at Willowpelt's belly, who was asleep with Graykit. She then took Duskkit and walked past Mossdapple towards the medicine den. Mossdapple took Maplekit and entered the medicine clearing.
Dappletail was laying, exhausted and grief struck, with Runningwind. He feebly licked her head. At their paws lay the dead kit.
Brindleface paused at the entrance upon seeing the broken family.
"Your nest is by the stream," Mossdapple pushed.
Brindleface looked away and laid down in the nest. Mossdapple placed the sickly kit by her belly.
"Are they going to die, too?" Brindleface whimpered.
"I don't know," Mossdapple lied. She suspected they both knew the truth. They had no medicine to treat them.
Mossdapple left the den after Dappletail, who was carrying a limp Cricketkit. She laid them in the clearing as the Clan watched, grief hanging over the camp like a heavy cloud.
An idea sparked in Mossdapple's mind.
Before she could think about it, her paws carried her away from the camp, through the forest, and across the river. At first she walked, but then she ran, faster than she ever had before. She entered the RiverClan camp for the first time, following the scent of fish and cats. It reminded her slightly of her father.
"I need to speak to Mudfur!" she called, aware of all the cat's eyes on her. They held back growls in their throats, their claws digging into the dirt. Mossdapple didn't care.
"Mudfur!"
"What brings you into my camp unannounced?"
Mossdapple looked up at the massive tom in front of her. She recognized her kin, Crookedstar. Behind the wall of protectiveness in his gaze there was warmth.
"I need herbs," Mossdapple begged. "I just need to speak to Mudfur right away."
"Where is Featherwhisker?" Crookedstar questioned.
"He doesn't know I'm here," she admitted.
"Does Bluestar?"
Mossdapple hesitated. "No."
He regarded her carefully. "Fine," he mewed at last. "He's in his den." He pointed his tail at a small cave dug out between fallen rocks.
"Thank you," Mossdapple whispered, padding towards the den. Mudfur stared at her.
"What do you want?" he mewed flatly.
"I need catmint," she begged. "Our kits are dying. Please."
His gaze glittered with hostility. "ThunderClan stole Oakheart from us."
Mossdapple was taken aback. "That's history!" she growled. "Please."
He shrugged. "We don't have any."
Mossdapple resisted the urge to yowl with frustration. Tensions were too high with WindClan and ShadowClan. She had no other options.
"Do you know where I can find some?"
"It's all dead," Mudfur sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."
Broken, Mossdapple turned and left the den. Crookedstar was staring at her.
"Are you done?" he mewed shortly.
"Yes," Mossdapple held back a sob.
"Ottersplash and I will escort you to the border," he mewed.
Mossdapple growled. "I'm a medicine cat!"
"You're still ThunderClan," he retorted. Mossdapple gave up on arguing and followed the cats out of the camp. They didn't exchange another word the whole way to the border.
Mossdapple walked the rest of the way to the camp. She could feel her heart break more with every step.
By the time she returned to camp, it was sunset. She entered the medicine clearing, ready to get yelled at for running away when she was needed in camp. But instead, she found the only thing that could make the day worse.
Spottedleaf was crouched over Featherwhisker. He wasn't breathing.
"No," Mossdapple gasped.
Spottedleaf looked at her. Her gaze was cloudy and distant.
"The kits too," she muttered. Mossdapple let out a wail and turned away, running back into the forest. She found a quiet spot and quickly laid down to sleep. She was going to tear every StarClan cat she could find to shreds.
"Snowfur!" she yowled as soon as she woke up. "Snowfur, where are you?!"
"Mossdapple?" she heard her kin call. Mossdapple propelled herself to the source of the sound, knocking her mentor over and pinning her to the ground.
"How could you!" she cried. "How could StarClan be so cruel?!"
"Get off me!" Snowfur screeched, kicking Mossdapple in the belly. Mossdapple stumbled off her, falling to her haunches.
"Five kits are dead! And Featherwhisker!"
"StarClan will honor their loss," Snowfur mewed, her fur bristling.
"But you didn't save them!" Mossdapple wailed. "You just watched them die!"
"We can't do anything to interrupt fate!" Snowfur hissed. She forced her fur to lie flat. "StarClan can't stop death. We can only watch, and provide guidance."
Mossdapple sobbed. Was there no one she could blame for this cruelty?
"Go to sleep, Mossdapple," Snowfur sighed. "You need to rest."
Mossdapple sulked off into the forest. It was getting darker, but the sunset was brilliant.
How dare it be beautiful today? Mossdapple thought. How can the sun keep rising and setting?
"Mossdapple?"
Mossdapple turned her head to see Birchface. She scowled.
"What do you want?" she growled.
"Are you okay?"
"Of course not," she spat. "Leave me alone."
He padded up next to her, walking beside her. She sped up to leave him behind, but he ran to catch up.
"Hey!" he hissed.
Surprised, Mossdapple looked at him.
"Talk to me," he mewed. His eyes filled with worry. Mossdapple couldn't hold back her sobs any more.
"Hey." He sat next to her and ran his tail down her back. "It's going to be okay."
"No it isn't," she cried. "Nothing will ever be okay again."
"What happened?"
Mossdapple searched for the right words. "Five kits and my mentor are dead," she spat. "Greencough stole all of them from me."
He pressed himself into her. "That's terrible," he sighed. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
Mossdapple didn't move away from him, just sat there and cried while he comforted her. Before she knew it, she was laying down next to him, asleep.
She woke up the next morning still next to him. He was awake, grooming his face. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to move away.
Mossdapple stood and stretched. "I need to get back home," she sighed. She had a lot to deal with.
"Will you be back tonight?" he asked, gazing at her.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Why?"
"I want to see you again."
"What?" Mossdapple stared at the tom.
"I want to see you again," he repeated. "I can't stop thinking about you."
Mossdapple pulled away. "Thanks," she stuttered. "But I really shouldn't-"
"Please," he begged. "I need to see you. Meet me by the river tonight."
He stared at her with such intensity that it distracted Moss- dapple from her grief. "Tonight," she agreed.