CHAPTER SEVEN

"Do you smell that? It smells like fresh moss," Beestar was mewing, clawing some snow and dirt from under the root of the pine tree out of the way. The fresh green moss was wet from the snow and since it was getting warmer, the snow was beginning to melt.

Ashpaw wiggled beside her and Softpaw glanced over at her. She looked ready to run and jump. Tomorrow night was the Gathering and Snowmask managed to get Ashpaw, Crowpaw, and Softpaw on the patrol to go.

Softpaw smiled at her and turned back to Beestar who was demonstrating how to properly cut the moss so it wouldn't be ruined. Ashpaw and Crowpaw who were beside her didn't know how but she had already learned. Beestar wanted to check on the former rogue's progress.

Beestar looked at Softpaw curiously. "Softpaw, I have to go speak with Ravenclaw and Snowmask, would you watch Crowpaw and Ashpaw?"

She nodded and watched the white she-cat pad away and then turned to the other two apprentices. "Go ahead and try." Softpaw flicked her tail to the moss.

Both apprentices padded over to it and began following what Beestar had shown them.

It had only been a quarter moon since the two joined the Clan. Icepaw, Mudpaw, and Maplepaw were sitting in well with their RiverClan training. They were good swimmers. Crowpaw and Ashpaw were being warmly welcomed and they seemed to be having a lot of fun in ShadowClan.

"Hey guys!" Nightmist and Oakstorm slipped into the clearing with shining eyes, Nightmist held a mouse in his jaws and Oakstorm's eyes were trained on Ashpaw.

Softpaw tilted her head at them. "Are you on patrol?" she asked curiously. Is it weird that Oakstorm seems to always find his way to Ashpaw? She felt a spike of jealousy and shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Who else is with you?"

Nightmist responded after dropping his mouse, "Oh, Yarrowfur is with us too. He had to step back and handle a ThunderClan border skirmish I think." His amber eyes shone in happiness as he gazed at Softpaw. "Doing some training I see."

She jumped to her paws at the mention of her father. "There was a border skirmish? Who else is with Yarrowfur?" Her heart was beating fast in her chest.

"I think Beestar, Ravenclaw, Snowmask, Petalfur, and Icewing," Oakstorm mewed looking confused. "They'll be fine, Softpaw. Come hunting with us!"

Nightmist's ear twitched. "Maybe we should go check it out…" He glanced at Oakstorm and turned back to Softpaw. "Come on, Softpaw. Oakstorm will watch the other two."

Softpaw nodded and quickly rose to her paws, racing through the bushes and through the pines, hearing Nightmist racing after her. She was a lot faster than him considering RiverClan cats were plump from the water and fish.

Her paws practically glided across the ground as she raced to the border. She could smell the blood and mix of ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan cats just up ahead.

"Yarrowfur?" she mewed, slipping into the clearing and looking around with wide eyes. There were so many cats, most of them she recognized and others she had only seen a few times. "Yarrowfur?"

Nightmist set his tail on Softpaw's shoulder and she looked over at him. "Over there!" He pointed with his tail to the ginger tom who was underneath a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat she knew as Blossomfall. Her green eyes glimmered in excitement.

"Dad!" she screeched as he fell out of view and Snowmask and Lionblaze rolled in front of her, teeth and claws blazing. "Yarrowfur?!" Softpaw raced around the two and across to where Blossomfall jumped off Yarrowfur and raced away but her father remained on the ground, unmoving.

Softpaw sniffed him and watched his chest, seeing it rising and falling very slowly. She felt herself begin to panic as she noticed the gash in his throat. Her eyes darted around for something to use to stop his bleeding. Cobwebs! They stop bleeding! She raced to the nearest tree and pulled cobwebs off it, rushing back to her father and putting the cobwebs over his wound, watching them soak up the blood.

"Is he okay?" Nightmist was now beside her, looking down at Yellowbird with concern.

She nodded and picked up his head gently. "Help me!" she ordered, feeling her stomach churn. Softpaw had to hold back her vomit as Nightmist picked up her father and they carefully raced through the pines, away from the battle and towards camp.

You'll be okay. StarClan can't have you yet, she thought and then bursted into the busy camp, a yowl filling her ears. More fighting?

"Whispersong? Where's Whispersong?" she asked, looking around at the confused cats in the clearing. She rushed to the medicine den, still carrying Yarrowfur on her back. Fogpaw and Willowshine were inside and Whispersong's scent was faint. "Where is Whispersong?"

Fogpaw looked up from his herbs. "Lionfur is kitting, she is with her," he mewed and then noticed Yarrowfur. "Oh dear StarClan!" He jumped up and grabbed some herbs from the stacks. "Set him down in this nest," he ordered and Willowshine was at Yarrowfur's side when Nightmist and her set him down.

"L-Lionfur's kitting?" Softpaw mewed with confusion and glanced behind her, seeing Nightmist was looking at her with sad eyes. "How is Yarrowfur's w-wound?" She focused back on the two medicine cats and her father.

"Nightmist, please get her out of here," Willowshine ordered, meeting eyes with Softpaw. She didn't show any emotion and her eyes were like rock.

The black RiverClan warrior nudged her towards the entrance of the den and Softpaw looked at her father with teary eyes, not wanting to leave but knowing it was the best thing to do.

Softpaw left the den and watched Nightmist slip out after her. His eyes were full of concern and he walked over to her.

"Sit down, Softpaw. It's okay," he mewed softly and set his tail on her back. Softpaw sat down and dug her claws into the ground. "He'll be okay, Willowshine and Fogpaw are amazing medicine cats."

This isn't happening. StarClan you can't take him, take me, she thought and closed her eyes tightly, hearing Lionfur's yowls of pain fill her ears as she kitted. He has to survive. When I have kits he has to be there for that… She looked over at Nightmist who was looking down at her gently.

"Softpaw?!" Flamepaw's familiar voice startled her and she looked up to see her brother. "I heard about Yarrowfur…" His eyes were teary and Duckpaw slipped out from behind him. "We came as fast as we could… Is there any word on him yet?"

Her head shook and she looked at her paws. "N-No but don't worry, Willowshine and Fogpaw are with him."

Duckpaw bared his teeth. "Fish-faces are with him? Are you serious?" he growled and lashed his tail, not even paying notice to Nightmist. "Where is Whispersong? She should be with him! She'll take better care of him than some fox-dung!"

Nightmist rose to his paws, eyes narrowed to slits. "Watch your mouth, frog-dung!" He seemed furious now. "RiverClan and ShadowClan are the same, nothing makes you better than us." His glared turned to Softpaw. "Willowshine and Fogpaw are amazing medicine cats and nothing makes Whispersong any better." He padded away angrily.

She watched him leave and looked at Duckpaw with irritation. "Calm down! Lionfur is kitting and Whispersong is with her. They're our only option."

Flamepaw pushed him aside and met her gaze evenly. "How bad was his wound?" His voice shook in fear.

"I-It was bad…" She closed her eyes tightly as another one of Lionfur's yowls echoed the clearing. She pushed away the thought of all the blood that was coming out of Yarrowfur's fur and focused on the loud pawsteps that were racing into the clearing now.

"Where is Yarrowfur?" Beestar mewed and padded over to us. "Goto your nests. I'll watch over Yarrowfur."

Softpaw shook her head, feeling like her heart was ripped out of her chest. "Y-Yes, Beestar. Tell me if anything changes." She glanced over at her brothers who nodded in agreement and then led the way across the clearing to the apprentice's den where Ashpaw and Crowpaw slipped inside before them.

No one said anything as they settled into their nests, Ashpaw laying in the nest beside Softpaw and Flamepaw laying on her other side. Her nest was at the back of the den.

She listened to the other apprentices enter the den one-by-one and lay down to sleep. She could hear the snoring of cats around her and murmurs of those sleep talking. She let the soft murmur drift her to sleep.

"Softpaw?" a soft voice made her sit up and she gazed around, seeing the small sleeping bodies of the RiverClan and ShadowClan apprentices. And at the entrance was a gray she-cat who was almost black from the moon. "Are you awake?"

She recognized Whispersong's voice and she rose to her paws, "Is it Yarrowfur?" She went around Featherpaw and Frostpaw who slept in the middle of the den and around Crowpaw who was near the entrance and slipped into the cold night, seeing the moon was high in the sky and almost full. Tomorrow night it would be full.

Whispersong closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm afraid that Yarrowfur didn't make it, Softpaw…" she whispered with sorrow in her voice. "I am so sorry…"

This struck her and she felt her whole world freeze. Her eyes widened and she looked at Whispersong who met her gaze with sad green eyes. She could move or speak, her heart seemed to stop beating and her eyes watered up.

"I am so sorry, Softpaw. I tried everything…" She lowered her head, as if she was in shame. "StarClan was calling his name."

Softpaw shook her head slowly, processing what Whispersong was saying. Yarrowfur is gone. He's with StarClan… I let him die, she thought and the tears came instantly. "D-Does Yellowbird know?"

"No, not yet…" Whispersong whispered back. "I'll tell her in the morning."

Her ear twitched. "O-Okay… S-Should I go back to sleep or…?" Her head spun with all her thoughts.

"Yes. Try to get some rest." Whispersong placed her tail on Softpaw's shoulder and look at her with serious eyes. "Everything will be okay, Softpaw."