Disclaimer: I do not own the Warriors books or their main characters. Copyright is Erin Hunter.
Thanks again for reading and supporting this story. And thanks for the reviews!
At Runningfur: I hadn't meant to make Dawpelt Tawnypelt's sister, because she is, of course, her daughter. I made some changes to those sentences in Chapter 19 to clarify the issue. But thanks for pointing out the problem. I am not a native speaker and always appreciate help in improving my English.
At jayleaf1: That really is an interesting comment. I hadn't noticed it myself, but you are right.
And now, on with the next Chapter! Please enjoy and review.
Crowfeather walked to camp with the battle-stricken cats. Some of them were limping from wounds to their flanks and shoulders. The battle with ShadowClan had surprised them both in terms of timing and ferocity. ThunderClan had lost Hazeltail, and the Clan's deputy and Brightheart were seriously wounded. ShadowClan had suffered a lot as well. Blackstar was dead. And at least one of their warriors had died, too. When the cats entered the hollow, anxious mews greeted them. Birchfall had come to get the two medicine cats; something dreadful must have happened. Feathercloud told the assembled cats about the many wounded cats, and Cloudtail had sped off when he told them that his mate Brightheart's wound were life-threatening. Whitewing, their oldest kit, followed him into the forest. Feathercloud spent the rest of the day tending to the wounded. Bramblestar had come to the camp to order more patrols and hunting missions and then left to be with the injured deputy. Squirrelflight was his mate.
Crowfeather's wound wasn't deep and he also left to check on Leafpool. Firestorm had begged to come with him, but the black tom told her to go hunting instead. "The Clan needs to be fed. We have to stay strong.", he had told his daughter.
When Crowfeather returned to the forest where the injured cats lay, Jayfeather was crouching over Squirrelflight and Leafpool. Nests of moss and feathers were stocked up around the cats. Bramblestar sat beside his deputy. Crowfeather approached his son. "How are they?", he asked anxiously.
"Leafpool will be fine. She needs to rest. Sit with her." The medicine cat got up and went over to some trampled down bracken where Cloudtail crouched.
Crowfeather sat down beside his mate and ran his tongue over her face and ears.
"How is Squirrelflight? Is she better?"
Leafpool didn't react.
"She lost a lot of blood. Jayfeather said she is in the paws of StarClan. She is a strong cat, she will pull through." Bramblestar sounded desperate as he licked his mate's ear.
xxx
Some cat had brought fresh-kill and wet moss to drink from. Crowfeather had paid no attention. Bramblestar's words rang in his ears. How would Leafpool react if she lost her sister? They had been closer than most littermates. Night fell. Crowfeather heard the soft rasp of sleeping cats, but he couldn't sleep. Some time past moonhigh he heard a wail from the bracken. He didn't dare look over. Did Brightheart die? Jayfeather had walked between his two patients all night, checking their breathing and applying more poultice. When the medicine cat came to check on Squirrelflight his sightless eyes were dull. He prodded his Clan leader to wake him. "Brightheart is dead."
"She is with StarClan.", Leafpool mewed. Crowfeather looked at his mate. Had she recovered from the shock? Then he froze. Jayfeather had placed his head to Squirrelflight's chest. "Yes, she is with StarClan.", he murmured. Bramblestar let out a wail. They didn't talk about Brightheart, they were talking about Squirrelflight.
xxx
At dawn, they carried the two deceased warriors to their camp. Cloudtail and Whitewing carried Brightheart, and Bramblestar and Jayfeather carried Squirrelflight. Leafpool wanted to carry her sister, but Jayfeather had objected. Her own wounds were too deep for such an exercise. She had leaned on Crowfeather as she walked beside Squirrelflight's body. Last night the Clan had sat vigil for Hazeltail. Her body still lay in the center of the hollow. Berrynose and Daisy crouched beside her. The elders were getting up from their den to bury her. They froze when they saw Bramblestar and the others enter. Sandstorm came rushing to her daughter's body. "Oh no. Squirrelflight.", she wailed.
"We are going to sit vigil for Brightheart and Squirrelflight tonight. Get some rest now.", Bramblestar ordered and jumped up the slope to his den.
Crowfeather guided Leafpool to her nest and lay down beside her. He gently licked her ear. Firestorm came to them and crouched beside her mother.
"Could you go to Feathercloud and get her something against the shock?" Firestorm nodded and left the den. She returned moments later with thyme and horsetail in her jaw.
"The thyme helps against the shock, Feathercloud said. And you should chew up the horsetail and put on her wounds. He says he will check on her later. There are so many injured cats." Crowfeather followed the instructions and fed Leafpool the thyme. Then he gently rubbed the horsetail poultice onto her flank and shoulder, and licked her fur around it to sooth his mate. She fell into an uneasy sleep.
The sun was setting by the time Leafpool woke up. She left the den and went to Squirrelflight. Cats were already saying farewell to their deputy. Sandstorm crouched beside her daughter with Dustpelt at her side. Leafpool joined her mother.
Crowfeather watched his mate helplessly. He didn't know how to console her.
"Make her eat something. She needs to regain her strength." Jayfeather sat down at his side. His sightless eyes watched the grieving cats. Crowfeather had wondered many times how his son always seemed to know where cats were or what they were doing.
"I'll do my best." The black tom sighed. "I don't know how to help her deal with this loss.", he confessed.
"Give her time and show her that you are always there for her." Jayfeather rose to his paws and went to Squirrelflight. Lionblaze was there, too. The two toms put their noses into the fur of the cat they once thought was their mother. Crowfeather went to Leafpool and crouched beside her.
xxx
"It's almost moonhigh." Dustpelt's mew sounded across the hollow. The Clan sat in vigil for their dead deputy and Brightheart. It was tradition of the warrior code to appoint a new deputy before moonhigh. Bramblestar jumped up on the Highledge. There was no need to call for a Clan meeting; all cats were already assembled.
"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our ancestors and the spirit of Squirrelflight may hear and approve my choice. Birchfall will be the new deputy."
Some cats congratulated the new deputy, most were still grieving. Dustpelt gasped: one of his kits was going to be deputy.
"Thank you, Bramblestar. This is an honor. I swear I will defend and protect ThunderClan to my death.", the light brown tabby mewed.
"Bramblestar, I wish to join the elders." It was Cloudtail. He looked like he had aged a couple seasons since the night before. Loosing his mate seemed to have destroyed him.
"Of course, Cloudtail. You may join the elders. They will be pleased to have you."
xxx
Half a moon later, all the wounds had healed. Molewhisker, Leafpool and Ivypool's injuries had taken longest to heal, but they had all gone back to their duties. Crowfeather had spent most of his time with Leafpool. She had blamed herself for Squirrelflight's dead, saying her sister had fought against Rowanclaw when she was already badly wounded to save Leafpool. When her injuries had healed enough, Jayfeather had taken his mother to the Moonpool to talk to her sister. It was against the warrior code for any cat who wasn't a medicine cat or Clan leader to share tongues with StarClan. But Jayfeather had argued, that it was his duty as medicine cat to relief his Clanmates from their suffering, and having Leafpool talk to Squirrelflight would be part of that. Feathercloud told Firestorm, his mentor couldn't stand their mother suffer any more, and that's why he had taken her to the Moonpool. Leafpool did feel better afterwards. Her wounds healed well and she was back to her normal self. "It's what Squirrelflight wants most.", she had said once.
Bramblestar had grieved for his mate a long time, too. Perhaps he had talked to Squirrelflight in StarClan as well. Birchfall, the new deputy, had done the best he could to relief his Clan leader from some of his responsibilities and given him time to recover from his loss. The Clan was growing again. Shortly after the battle Rosepetal had announced that she expected Molewhisker's kits and would move to the nursery soon. After so much loss and grief her kits would be very welcome in the Clan. When Stonepaw had recovered from his injuries, Bramblestar had given him his warrior name. The young gray cat had fought like a warrior in that terrible battle; now his name was Stonetail. The Clan didn't stay without apprentices though. Poppyfrost's second litter had been apprenticed at the same time: Rainpaw was being mentored by Snowstorm and little Sweetpaw was given Foxleap as her mentor. Crowfeather still remembered their naming ceremony. Snowstorm had been thrilled to be given his first apprentice; the white tom was almost as excited as his cream-and-gray apprentice. Foxleap had eyed Rainpaw strangely. Crowfeather thought the reddish tom looked a bit disappointed to not be given her, but her sister Sweetpaw.
Please no flames. I will miss Squirrelflight, too.
At Tommy Girl2016: So sorry that Squirrelflight didn't make it. And about her and Bramblestar not having kits: to me, they were never meant to have any.
Continues soon...