Early Morning Frost: Chapter 4- Prologue 4
Just a few days after ThunderClan shared their provisions with WindClan, the Clan was hungry again, even more than before. Sproutleaf sat on the Tallrock looking down at her Clanmates. They walked around looking like skeletons. But she knew there was no way the other Clans would share any more prey or hunting grounds. They weren't in any condition to hunt, anyway.
She looked up at the sky as it turned darker. A ring of moonlight was glowing from behind the wall of clouds that began to move out of the way. Tonight was the Gathering. Looking back down at the Clan, she knew that only a small pawful could make it to Fourtrees.
"Sproutleaf," Wolfstar called out to her quietly from under the Tallrock.
She jumped down and felt a jolt through her bones. "What is it, Wolfstar?"
He flicked his tail and padded to the other side of the Tallrock, so she followed him. His yellow eyes, which were bright just a few days before, were now dull.
"I lost another life," He whispered.
Sproutleaf sat back on her haunches. "From what?"
Wolfstar looked up at the sky angrily. "Starvation. I have four lives left."
Sproutleaf held in a sigh and padded away, not knowing what to say.
"The cats going to the Gathering tonight are..." Wolfstar looked down at the cats, looking for the ones who were strongest.
"Figpaw, Pinkpaw, Silvertooth, Goldenfang... Snowclaw... Stripedfoot..." He looked down at the cats. There were so few gathered around the Tallrock. Wolfstar looked around for Sproutleaf and Dandelioneyes.
"I am fit for the Gathering!" The ginger medicine cat shouted as she hobbled over.
He nodded. "And Sproutleaf?"
"Oh, she is not well enough. She is very weak." The she-cat sighed.
Wolfstar frowned. "Well, we need a deputy to come to the Gathering."
Fallentree, brown tabby warrior, and Gentlevoice, a gray tabby tom looked up expectantly.
"...Our deputy, for this one night, will be Grasstail." The leader finally said.
The two toms looked down at their paws and licked their chest fur. The surprised she-cat padded up to the Tallrock.
"Thank you, Wolfstar! What an honor," She purred.
Sproutleaf was watching from the medicine burrow. She growled and went back in. Wolfstar took no notice of it.
The small group of WindClan cats went to Fourtrees with Grasstail as their deputy. They were the last to arrive. The cats merged into the group, happy to have the snow already treaded on.
Grasstail sat proudly by the other three deputies.
Icefall questioned the temporary deputy. "Did Sproutleaf die?"
"No," Grasstail meowed plainly.
"Then why isn't she here?" The white and gray tom asked.
"Because." She looked away, proud that she didn't reveal any secrets to the ThunderClanner. "Hey, where's Brokenleg?"
But then Foamstar and Mudstar, RiverClan and ShadowClan leaders, leaped over them and stood on the Great Rock. They stared gaping at Wolfstar as WindClan settled down between the other cats in Fourtrees.
"What?" Wolfstar hissed at the other leaders' staring eyes as he joined them.
"Nothing." Foamstar looked away.
"Everybody, quiet!" Barkstar yowled.
The four Clans quieted down. Wolfstar looked at the faces of the Clan cats illuminated by the moonlight. They were all staring at the scrawny WindClanners.
Foamstar stepped forward. He sighed as he gave his honest report. "The river is frozen, but a big patch still runs freely. There is plenty of fish and RiverClan has been well-fed this leaf-bare. We have a new queen and a new apprentice, Shinypaw." He sat down and looked up at the moon after glancing at Wolfstar's spine that stuck out grossly.
When the cheering of the Clan quieted down, Mudstar glanced warily at Wolfstar. "It has been very cold in ShadowClan. We lost three kits to the cold and starvation." A few sympatheitc murmurs wrippled through the crowds. "One of our elders has joined StarClan..." Mudstar sighed. "Prey is scarce, so we have turned to eating from the carrionplace."
A few gloomy mews came from some of the elders. "In our days, prey never turned against us." One of the elders meowed.
The brown she-cat shook her pelt and sat down.
Barkstar stepped forward. "ThunderClan has enough prey to get us through leaf-bare. The snow has made it tough to hunt, though. We have a new medicine cat apprentice. Littlepaw."
Littlepaw scuffed the snow around. Bluepelt raised his chin proudly.
"There isn't much news from ThunderClan, except that we..." The tabby trailed off and swished his tail at Wolfstar.
"WindClan is less than good. Two of our elders have died. All of our kits starved. Five of our warriors have joined StarClan. There is no prey on the upperlands." The gaunt leader announced.
"ThunderClan has given WindClan food and herbs." The tabby leader added. "But, Wolfstar, we can do no more."
"I understand." Wolfstar looked down at his paws. "Oh, we have a few more litters coming."
The gathered cat mewed their congrats softly.
Mudstar kneaded the stone with her claws. "Gathering dismissed."
"Do you think we'll get through this, Wolfstar?" Grasstail asked, touching the leader's bony ribs with her tail.
"...StarClan will light our way through this darkness." Wolfstar replied.
Dandelioneyes trudged through the snow slowly. If new-leaf didn't come soon, the Clan would wither and maybe disappear forever. She stared at the ground as she walked. Her limbs ached with each movement. If she wasn't careful, WindClan might not have a medicine cat much longer.
She sighed and shivered as they walked on. Even a small journey across their territory was perilous.
Suddenly, something caught Dandelioneye's attention. A tiny green plant was sprouting from the snow, tucked between the stones around Lookout Rock. She waved her tail and immediately ran over to the sprout.
It was omen. They would make it. Even if only one cat was left standing.
Spotpelt looked outside. Dandelioneyes had announced that StarClan had sent her an omen soon after the Gathering a half moon ago. A single sprout leaf pushed through the snow and showed that the Clan would be okay. She put a paw over her belly and closed her eyes.
As if on cue, she felt the kits start to kick. "Ah!" She cringed.
A nearby warrior ran over to her. "What's wrong?" Grasstail asked.
Spotpelt crouched down. "My kits are coming..."
"Oh!" The warrior scrambled across the clearing. She came back to the kitting queen. "Dandelioneyes left for the Moonstone already."
"Ughh..." The queen gasped. "Get Stripedfoot, please."
The she-cat brought the tom to her.
"Oh, Spotpelt!" Stripedfoot nuzzled his mate.
Spotpelt buried her face in his bony shoulder. The Clan had gone to sleep now. Only Grasstail, Stripedfoot, and the two other queens were awake as she began to kit.
"Get her in here." Featherfang hissed from the darkness of the nursery.
"Yes, it is too cold out there." Brightfur added softly.
Grasstail and Stripedfoot dragged Spotpelt into the den. The queen panted heavily.
"Do not worry," Brightfur mewed. "It is easy. Just breath in and out."
Spotpelt nodded vigorously. She moved her mouth in wide motions as she tried to catch her breath. Stripedfoot stood frozen as he watched his mate's belly rise and fall.
"Don't just stand there!" Featherfang hissed.
The tom leaped to the side of his mate and tried to lick her soothingly. Brightfur passed her kit over to Featherfang and sat next to Spotpelt.
"Look at me." The calico queen mewed. "I have done this twice now. Listen to me and you will be alright."
"Okay!" Spotpelt whimpered.
"When you feel them pushing, you push, too." The experienced she-cat said calmly.
Stripedfoot squealed as Spotpelt bit into his scruff. Her body rippled with pain. Her screams to StarClan were muffled by the warrior's fur.
"Oh!" Dandelioneyes appeared at the entrance. Her silhouette was glowing with the stars. Her narrow, green eyes were wide.
"Back from the Moonstone," Grasstail murmured.
"Isn't it still dusk?" Spotpelt hissed as she cringed.
"No," The medicine cat replied to the kitting queen. "The midnight moon is low in the sky."
Stripedfoot flopped over unconscious as the first bundle fell from Spotpelt.