Based on a story from Code of The Clans. In it, it is Leaf-fall transiting to Leaf-bare. Food is scarce, cats are coming down with greencough. Darkstripe and Longtail have disobeyed the warrior code and ate a squirrel while hunting...Poppydawn, an elder, has died, and Longtail knows that they should have brought back the squirrel. Perhaps they could have saved her if they had. Oneshot.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Note: The Flashback is taken from Code of the Clans, and therefore, it is not mine and I cannot claim or copyright it.
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Silverpelt glittered coldly, shining down on the deserted clearing. The elders had already carried Poppydawn's body out to be buried, but a few still mourned...as Longtail padded out of the warriors den, he could see Rosetail clearly, her head bent in grief for her dead mother. Longtail stopped suddenly, remembering an earlier event that had occurred in the day.
Flashback
Longtail looked at Darkstripe, feeling a wave of panic rise inside him. "We're too late! Poppydawn is dead! Spottedleaf said she needed to eat in order to fight the sickness, but we didn't come back in time! We should never have eaten that squirrel!" "Shut up!" Darkstripe hissed. "What's the matter with you? Poppydawn was going to die anyway. We should let the old, useless cats go if it means the warriors survive. The Clan depends on us now, not them." "We killed her...""We did not! Green cough killed her. She was old and weak. We are the important cats; we should eat first. Do you want to do what's best for your Clan?" "Of course..." "Then you'll keep your mouth shut and let your Clanmates be grateful for what we brought back. There's one fewer mouth to feed now. Why spoil everything by trying to blame yourself for Poppydawn?" But Poppydawn might still be alive if we had come back earlier—if we had come back with the squirrel. Darkstripe was peering at Longtail as if he could read his thoughts. "You'll keep quiet, won't you?" he hissed, and this time there was a hint of menace behind his eyes. "After all, I saw you eat that squirrel. I'll tell them what you did, how you insisted on stealing prey from the elders, how you refused to let me bring it back to the camp." A hard, cold lump froze inside Longtail. "There's nothing to tell," he growled back. "We were sent to hunt for prey, and that's what we've done. No other warrior could have doe better." As he bent his head to pick up the blackbird, and carry it to the fresh-kill pile, a waft of warm air ruffled his fur and a familiar scent brushed over him. Longtail lifted his head in horror. Poppydawn! I'm so sorry! Too late, came the silent reply. Too late.
End flashback
Longtail shuddered. He hated that he had had a hand in possibly making Poppydawn's death come quicker then needed. Padding out into the clearing, he brushed past Rosetail his tail gently touching her flank. "I'm so sorry." Rosetail didn't reply, but merely flicked her tail feebly. If it was possible for Longtail to sink deeper in self-loathing, this would have driven him over the edge. Longtail instantly knew what he had to do, and hurried toward the dirtplace. Tigerclaw was on guard duty, and as much as Longtail respected him, he still didn't want anyone to know where he was going...for now, at least.
---ooooOOOoooo---
Longtail slipped out of the dirtplace, and padded out of the camp. Determination was guiding his paws now, and he instantly headed to the undergrowth. As he did, he realized that it was eerily silent, save for the noises of the night creatures, and late scavengers. Here, the trees were thickly clustered, and if it had been new-leaf, the sky would have been nearly hidden from view due to thickly clustered leaves. But now, almost all the leaves had withered, and Longtail shivered. Pricking his ears, he headed toward a clump of ferns, and was satisfied to hear the scuffling of a mouse in the grass. As he crept forward, he could partially see the mouse scrabbling at something in the grass...although it was mostly by sound that he knew this. Suddenly, the mouse stopped, and Longtail knew it had heard him. Without pausing, Longtail pounced. He wasn't going to let any prey out of his sight. Not this time. The tiny bones cracked under Longtail's sharp teeth, and he buried it quickly. As he did, another scent caught his attention, and he hurried toward the river, the scent of vole enticing him.
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Longtail padded back toward camp, carrying two mice, a vole, a squirrel, and a shrew. Although he knew it was an incredibly good catch, especially for this time of year, he was lost his his gloomy thoughts. Poppydawn...I do this for you. He had always respected the she-cat. Poppydawn, when Longtail was younger, had been a second mother to all cats, even when they weren't her own...even when their own mothers still lived,
Lost in his thoughts, he failed to recognize that he was heading toward the main entrance, and not the dirtplace tunnel, until he bumped into Tigerclaw, who glared at Longtail. "What in Starclan's name are you doing? Tigerclaw growled. For once, Longtail gazed at him unflinchingly, and replied, "Serving my Clan. Serving Poppydawn." Tigerclaw hissed in disapproval, and started to speak when a voice behind him spoke. "Tigerclaw? What's going on?" Longtail strained to see who was the speaker, and almost dropped his catch when he realized who it was. "Longtail?!" Bluestar's eyes narrowed. "What were you doing out of camp?" Longtail straightened, realizing that he had not been doing anything wrong. After all, the code didn't say anything about not hunting after dark...did it?
"Hunting," Longtail replied simply, and brushed past a bristling Tigerclaw. As he padded toward the freshkill pile, a sweet scent drifted across the clearing, and as he dropped his catch on the pile, he swiveled his head around to see Spottedleaf, her eyes wide. "Oh, Starclan. Is that more fresh-kill? Quickly, Longtail, bring some into my den. Brackenkit is getting worse, not to mention Willowpelt." Longtail bent down, and retrieved his catch from the pile, and started to follow Spottedleaf into her den. It was then that he realized that Rosetail wasn't there anymore. It was Rosetail that he first saw as he padded into the den. She was sleeping peacefully in a soft moss nest. Spottedleaf followed his gaze, and mewed, "I gave her some poppy and thyme, poor thing. Here, Brackenkit is still awake." Longtail heard the kit's labored breathing before he saw him. That was the sound that led him to the small nest in the back.
Brackenkit lay, weakly struggling to sit. Spottedleaf hovered anxiously. "Frostfur wanted to come and give him milk, but I didn't want to risk her getting greencough too. And he's just old enough to eat fresh-kill." Longtail gently lay the smaller of the two mice down, knowing that the kit wouldn't be able to eat as much as a full grown warrior. Brackenkit's eyes flickered to the mouse, then to Longtail. After a bout of coughing, the kit managed to croak, "Wait t-til I tell C-Cinderkit that I ate f-freshkill first." Longtail let out a feeble purr of amusement. That made it certain that Brackenkit was going to take at least a little food before sleeping.
"Over here," Spottedleaf murmered, beckoning for Longtail to come with her as she nosed at another nest. Longtail glanced down at Willowpelt, who was fitfully sleeping, fever letting a moan escape from her jaws. "Willowpelt," Spottedleaf spoke softly, prodding the she-cat's flank. Willowpelt blinked her eyes open, and Longtail put the shrew down. Willowpelt muttered "Thanks," before hungrily crouching down to eat. Longtail then turned to Spottedleaf who's exhaustion was briefly glimpsed with a tired slump. "And here you are," Longtail said firmly, pushing the vole toward Spottedleaf. Spottedleaf immediately shook her head. "No...other cats need it more than me," Longtail impatiently shoved it closer. "Other cats need you more than they need this. What are they going to do if you get sick?" Spottedleaf dug her paws into the ground, but an amused purr sounded at the entrance. "I never thought I'd see the day when Longtail knew more than the Medicine Cat." Bluestar padded into the den, her eyes sparkling. "It's the same with every medicine cat. Always putting others before themselves." Spottedleaf heatedly replied, "That's what we're supposed to do!" Bluestar glanced at Longtail, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. "You go get your rest. You've earned it." Longtail nodded, and padded out of the den. But as he was about to enter the Warrior's Den, he paused, and glanced up toward Silverpelt. I hope that what I have done tonight redeem's me in your eyes, Starclan...Poppydawn...And with that, he slipped inside, and settled into his moss-filled nest.
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Well, what did you think? R&R!
I also think that Longtail is under appreciated, not to mention one of my favorite cats. So that was partly why I wrote this story.