It was a groggy, sick, evening in Shadowclan. The hunting patrol of five skinny, sickly cats had come back with only a couple small mice. Not enough for those sitting here, is the stuffy and cramped medicine den.
"Blackfrost..." A small orange and white tom spoke with a raspy and scraggly voice, as though his throat had been raked by brambles, "When will I get better?" The voice whimpered, and it took everything for Blackfrost not to wince. "Soon Sunpaw, just rest." The black she-cat forced a purr as she pushed some poppyseeds in the skinny, kit-like apprentice's direction.
Sunpaw only coughed, taking the poppyseeds and returning to sleep. Blackfrost wanted so badly to cry out, she had seen so many die this winter, even their leader, Doestar had lost one of her lives to this unstoppable illness.
A small mew returned Blackfrost from her thoughts, "Ah right, Basilkit!" The medicine cat exclaimed, she had almost forgotten that she was trying to get the kit to drink some water. Picking the wet, cold, moss ball back up in her maw, she held it to the kits small jaws. "Just drink some..." Blackfrost pleaded to the small calico kitten.
The kitten seemed to suckle at it, drinking some, before mewing in protest and shivering from the cold. "You poor thing, may Starclan not take you from us yet." Blackfrost sighed, she had been up for what felt like days, caring for the sick and dying, finally, she felt as though she must sleep. Laying in her own bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
"Ah!" She gasped, glancing around her now glowing surroundings, "Starclan?" She called, taking a step onto the soft, perfect, grass. "Blackfrost" A familiar voice sounded from behind her, as she spun around, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her mentor, Honeydew. The long-haired golden tom stepped towards Blackfrost, "The kit will live." Their voice boomed out, and Blackfrost couldn't help but wince.
"Thats good right?" Blackfrost insisted, her past mentors scrunched up, worried face not reassuring her. "Beware Blackfrost, even the smallest of kits can become the strongest of foxes." He turned away, "Watch this kit, Blackfrost, and..." They turned back around, no longer Honeydew, but a fluffy calico she-cat, heterochromia making one eye green, the other a yellow. Though both eyes were dulled, a large scar running across their throat, claws bloodied, ears torn, blood running from their mouth and nose. Blackfrost backed up, her eyes staring at this vision in horror, as she glanced around her, she was no longer within Shadowclan, in an open area she had never seen before, but she did know one thing... the blood that stained the ground was all too real. The bodies of cats and apprentices littering the ground, mewling of kits and yowling making her want to claw her ears out.
"Stop!" She cried, tears running down her face, "stop..." she pleaded once again. Finally the vision fades, leaving the horrific form Honeydew had taken. "...don't mess up" they growl out, in the voice of so many cats at once, and with that, they dissipate into nothing, as does the dream.
She awoke with a start, glancing to the others in the den, then to the small sick kit, "A fox?" She scoffed, "How?" She shook her head, getting the herbs ready for the other sick cats, walking over to Sunpaw she shook the apprentice awake, "Here, these will help, I'll have Badgertail fetch you some food soon." She promised, giving the weak cat the herbs. "T-thank you Blackfrost..." Sunpaw coughed out, his voice worse than the night before.
She walked to the next cat, a warrior named Snowfall, she had been doing better the night before. "Snowfall, how are feeling?" She mewed softly, but there was no answer. She felt herself panic, her fur bristling, she pawed at the stiff cat, "Snowfall... Snowfall!" Her voice became louder, her breathing heavier, "If I lose you too, how can I call myself a medicine cat?" She whispered out, her voice cracking as she walked out of the den, grabbing Toadleap, the least sick cat in the clan.
"Snowfall has... past on, but I need help moving them" She said solomly, her eyes lowered, not wanting to see the face of Toadleap, he had trained with Snowfall as apprentices. This would be hard for him.
But he said not one word as he made his way to the den, seemingly pulling her body from the nest effortlessly, those strong enough to move around the snowy camp looking on with sorrow, unable to shed anymore tears this leaf-bare.
It was an unspoken mourning, no words were needed, no tears. I almost felt bad, for not speaking, not saying how good of a cat she had been, but, I dared not break that silence as I walked away from the family. Back to those in my care, leaving a scrawny excuse for a mouse next to Sunpaw.
"mama" A small mew came from the back of the den, Blackfrost felt confused, then briskly walked over to the back. "I just fed her is all." Larkswing mewed softly, getting up from around the small kit, and moving past Blackfrost. It was no secret within the clan that Larkswing blamed Blackfrost for the death of Frostkit, and in a way she blamed herself too.
She nodded, sitting down in the den, resotring the few herbs they had. Feeling alone. She glanced back to the small kit, and its small mismatched eyes met hers, and for a second the vision Honeydew had showed her popped into her head.
"A fox..." She whispered, her eyes clouded with worry and sorrow.