The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 3: The Sick Kits
Charging into camp, Longtail immediately noticed Spottedleaf rushing into the nursery, a bunch of tansy in her jaws. Panic flashed in her eyes. The kits must be ill thought Longtail, sharing Spottedleaf's panic. He raced into the den, only to be greeted by a wave of sickness. Whitecough!
"Longtail! Help me carry Chrystalkit and Stormkit to my den!" yelled Spottedleaf, "AND HURRY!"
She jabbed a kit at him and he grabbed its scruff, gently lifting it off the ground and towards the medicine den. Whitecough quickly turns into greencough, he thought especially with precious few healing herbs and more cold weather coming.
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Coughing could be heard from the other side of the Thunderclan camp. The foul stench of sickness rotted the air. Questions swarmed in Longtail's mind. Were the kits ok? What happened during the night?
Padding over to Brindleface who was at the fresh-kill pile, he mewed in a low voice,
"How are the kits?"
Startled, Brindleface dropped the mouse she had picked up and stared at Longtail. A spark of relief flashed in her eyes as she realised who he was.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think they'll make it through leaf bare," she murmured so quietly that Longtail could only just hear her troubled reply. What will happen to Greykit if the kits die? He'll be distraught!
A mew of "Longtail!" interrupted his thoughts.
"Longtail! Are you deaf? Come and join our patrol!" shouted Dappletail, gesturing him towards her with a flick of her tail.
"Coming!"
He bounded up to join Dappletail and Lionheart.
"Where are we going?" mewed Longtail as they padded up the ravine.
"Sunningrocks. We're making sure Riverclan haven't been up to their tricks. Oakheart and Crookedstar have made it clear that they want to try and steal our territory," answered Lionheart.
"Oh, ok."
Silently, they checked the borders and reset the markers, hoping that it would give Riverclan the message, for now at least.
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Longtail couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about what has happening around him. He was scared. Creeping out of the warriors den, he rolled in some ferns to hide his scent. Tigerclaw must not know that I am leaving he said to himself as he exited the camp swiftly, in order to get past Tigerclaw (who was guarding the camp) as fast as possible.
Vole! Longtail could hear the young creature's heart beating in his ear. The clan had been fed, he was hungry, and he could always catch more. Sneakily, he captured the vole between his paws, killed it, and gulped it down in a few rapid bites, the bones crunching noisily between his jaws.
Prey was scarce in Leaf-bare, however the prey in Thunderclan territory was constantly running – the other clans had already attempted to steal prey but had always failed because they stuffed their faces as soon as they had caught it. More rabbit bones had been found that morning on the Shadowclan border, and when the dawn patrol caught up with the Shadowclan patrol and there had been a fight. Goldenflower had been injured – a deep bite on her shoulder. Longtail had smelled the marigold poultice when we walked past Spottedleaf's den.
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"Morning!" called Longtail to Tigerclaw, as he padded through the camp entrance, his jaws stuffed with prey.
"Where have you been?" asked Tigerclaw suspiciously, "I didn't see you go out."
"Ummm... I've just been hunting. I know I should have told you that I was going out, but I went to make dirt before I left," lied Longtail, shuffling his paws.
"Hmmm ... a convincing story. Put that prey on the fresh-kill pile and go and see Willowpelt. She has been asking for you."
"Ok, thanks."
Bounding towards the nursery, Longtail heard a high-pitched wail.
"My kits! My kits!"
Willowpelt trudged out of the den and buried her head in his shoulder.
"I just had a rest – they finally slept too. I woke up and they were cold, so cold!" she mewed unhappily.
Longtail looked at her in dismay. What other horror lay waiting for Thunderclan, and who would protect them from it?
