Chapter 13

Mossheart slept fitfully in the warriors' den. Every dream she had was filled with the earsplitting wails of the strange white cat. Mossheart woke from the last dream abruptly. Her pelt prickled with an eerie feeling. Something is wrong. She glanced worriedly up. The half moon shone high in silverpelt. She decided to visit Jayfeather and confess her worries to him.

It's not too late to visit him, is it? She thought nervously as she exited the warriors' decided that it wasn't and proceeded on.

As she padded past the nursery, she heard a yowl of pain. Mossheart stopped suddenly. That's the same yowl that I heard in my dream! She thought apprehensively. So Mossheart changed her mind about visiting Jayfeather and padded to the nursery instead.

Upon entering, she could smell blood, and fear. Dovewing gazed up at Mossheart with scared anxious eyes.

"Mossheart! Thank StarClan you're here! Quick, go get Jayfeather, Flowerpetal is kitting, and something is wrong!" Mossheart pelted to the medicine den without replying. Oh, I hope she'll be okay! Mossheart suddenly felt very guilty for treating Flowerpetal harshly.

"Jayfeather!" she panted as she burst into the medicine den. Jayfeather could tell something was wrong. "What is it?"

"It's Flowerpetal. She's kitting and something's not right!" Jayfeather was on his paws immediately. He ran to the back of his den to the herb closet and grabbed a bundle of herbs.

"Go get Toadstep. He'll want to be there." He meowed his voice muffled by the herbs. Mossheart hurried to the warriors' den as fast as she could.

She batted Toadsteps ear and hissed: "Wake up!" Toadstep hopped up, his fur ruffled and disheveled. "Mossheart?! What is wrong with you? You scared me half to death! What do you need?" He whispered grouchily. Mossheart ignored his harsh tone. She was used to Jayfeather so this was nothing.

"Toadstep! Flowerpetal is kitting!" She intentionally left out the part about something being wrong. After that, Toadstep was very cooperative. She could sense his anxiety. He followed her to the nursery quickly and quietly.

Again Mossheart heard the wail from her dream. That must be Flowerpetal! I wonder if my dream meant something about her? She worried.

Once they reached the nursery, Jayfeather was shooing cats away.

"Everyone out, except Mossheart and Toadstep." He yowled to them. Dovewing huffed. "Where am I supposed to take my kittens?" she inquired. "All kits and Queens go to the elders den." He answered her. Dovewing and her kits went to the elders' den. Daisy and Cinderheart decided to go to the warriors' den because there was not enough room in the elders' den for them all. After they left, Mossheart and Toadstep padded in.

There, Flowerpetal lie, a pool of blood beside of her. Her eyes were staring into the distance blankly. She screeched in pain as a contraction rippled down her side.

"Flowerpetal!" Toadstep exclaimed and he settled down beside her. Flowerpetal didn't even notice. Jayfeather shook his head sadly. "She started too early. She wasn't due for another half a moon." He whispered.

"Come on. Let's get these kits out." Jayfeather mewed as he glanced over at Mossheart. Toadstep gazed at Mossheart and Jayfeather worriedly.

"Will she be alright?" He mewed nervously. Jayfeather was silent. Mossheart understood Toadsteps' worries; she was worried herself. The worst thing that they could possibly do was to make him worse.

"We're going to do everything we can." She meowed to him. Jayfeather stared blindly at Mossheart for a moment. Then he continued to treat Flowerpetal. He gave her some herbs and encouraged her to drink from some wet moss.

"Okay Flowerpetal, you're doing fine." He whispered encouragingly. Flowerpetal wailed and her muscles rippled beneath her pelt. Finally, a small, slimy sac fell to the ground. Mossheart licked the sac until it broke, and a tiny, black kit mewled as it took his first breath. "It's a tom!" Mossheart announced. The kit squirmed up to his mothers' belly and pawed at it.

"How many more do you think there is?" Mossheart questioned Jayfeather. He felt Flowerpetals' stomach. "One I think." He answered her. "Come on Flowerpetal, you can do it," Mossheart encouraged her sister.

Toadstep buried his nose in Flowerpetals' fur. "I love you so much." He whispered into it. Flowerpetal screeched in pain as the last kit, a ginger she-cat, fell to the floor. Mossheart licked the sac until the kits' head popped through. Then she mewled and Mossheart helped her to her mothers' belly.

"Good job Flowerpetal." Mewed Mossheart. "You did it." But as she looked over at her sister, her heart dropped to her paws. Flowerpetals' eyes were glazed and her fur was matted with blood.

"Flowerpetal!" she gasped. Toadstep, who was busy being proud of his kits, heard Mosshearts' gasp. He jumped up worriedly and gaped at Flowerpetal. Slowly, Flowerpetal turned her head to gaze at Toadstep. Even if her eyes were filled with pain, you could still see the unending, true love in them.

"I love you Toadstep." She whispered softly to him. Toadstep panicked. "Jayfeather can't you do something?!"

Jayfeather was already doing his best. He was trying to stop her bleeding, but she had already lost too much blood. Mossheart lay next to Flowerpetal. "I'm so sorry I was so harsh, Flowerpetal." She whispered her voice choking in her throat. Her heart pounded faster than ever.

Flowerpetal turned her head back to Mossheart, and for the first time in a long time Mossheart felt like her and Flowerpetal were apprentices again.

"I'm sorry too, Mossheart. I'm so sorry I judged you." Mossheart licked her sisters' ear. After that, Flowerpetal once again turned her head painfully to Toadstep.

"Take care of our kits Toadstep." And saying that, Flowerpetal took one last breath and slept forever.