It was a cold night. Colder than the rest. Ever since Cloversplash had her kits, cats had fallen ill due to the the cold weather and the shortage of prey. No one was eating enough. She longed to be out, hunting for her clan, but instead she was stuck inside the nursery.
The snow outside was piling up, though none got through to the nursery. Brackenfur had organized a small group of cats to help keep the nursery and elder's den and warm and dry as ever, and they sure did succeed.
The only problem was that the warriors den wasn't as cared for, which concerned her. It was partly why the warriors were getting sick.
So far, Spiderleg, Molewhisker, Toadstep, Rosepetal, Icecloud and Silverpaw had gotten sick, though only whitecough. If it were to turn into the fatal green cough, they'd all be doomed.
One day, Cloversplash had decided to go hunting, and that she wouldn't return empty pawed. Though she left at dawn, she returned at dusk with her pelt drenched in snow, and only a pityingly small shrew.
"No luck?" Sandbreeze meowed.
"None at all. There's nothing out there, except the snow. Heaps of it. I dont think i've ever seen this much before.'' Cloversplash replied to her friend.
"That's too bad, but the shrew looks good!" She answered, looking at the tiny shrivelled up bird.
"Are you you kidding? I've never caught worse, we'll go hungry for sure." Cloversplash meowed sadly.
"Don't talk like that." Meowed Foxleap, who had come up behind the she-cats as they were talking.
"I know." She sighed, replying to her mate. "But sometimes I feel so hopeless."
"Don't. No cat could catch anything out in this weather. Besides, you're a queen now, you have to keep your strength up more than ever and make sure your completely healthy." Foxleap meowed. "Now hurry up. I've been sent by Willowfrost, who says that she cannot handle all the kits by herself much longer, and she wants to check onthe sick cats. Good news, Jayfeather says they should recover. Except for Silverpaw," he lowered his voice as he began talking about Brightcloud's daughter. "She's gotten worse. She has greencough. It must be hard for her, her mate and kit sick, she dosen't deserve it, especially not after losing Rainkit."
Cloversplash sighed. It was true, and defiantly not fair. At least Toadstep was better.
"Icecloud too." Foxleap added, downcast. "I don't want to lose her."
"I know, I'm sorry." Cloversplash tried to comfort her mate, but it was no use. Only time would mend his sadness.
"Do you want t go see her?" She asked.
"I'll go. You should go see Willowfrost, she's waiting for you." He meowed as he padded off with his tail trailing behind him, making a path through the snow.
"We should get going." Sandbreeze meowed, nuzzling her friend.
"I know." Cloversplash answered as they padded towards the nursery.
As they entered, the kits ran out to greet them.
"Cloversplash! Where did you go?" Gingerkit squealed.
"We missed you!" Squirrelkit added.
"I'm here my sweets, come close to me." She meowed softly as she nuzzled her precious kits.
She layed down so that they could feed, while she and Sandbreeze had a conversation with Willowfrost's and Brightcloud, who had returned moments before saying that Jayfeather had kicked out in fear of her catching Greencough.
"It's not fair! I want to see my baby!" She whined.
"It's okay, she'll be okay. Silverpaw is strong, she'll pull through this I know she will." Willowfrost tried to comfort her best friend.
"I know, I know, I just don't want to lose her." Brightcloud looked up and meowed silently.
"You won't. She'll live, if not for her sake then for Rainkit's." Sandbreeze meowed.
They continued conversation, occasionally changing the topic between Silverkit and Icecloud to Willowfrost's kit's apprentice ceremony.
"It has to be soon," reasoned Cloversplash. "They are almost six moons old."
"I don't want it to be too soon though," meowed Willowfrost, looking at her sleeping kits. "Training in this weather, who knows what they'll catch."
"I agree." Brightcloud meowed. "These young cats are the future of ThunderClan, we can't send them out to catch Whitecough or Greencough, so that their mothers can worry sick about them."
"Maybe it'll get warmer soon?" Sandbreeze meowed.
"Maybe, but the weather shows no sign of it. I hear the gathering might be cancelled because of it." Cloversplash meowed.
"I hope so. Gatherings are great and all, but if every cat gets sick..." Brightcloud trailed off.
"Who wants fresh-kill?" A voice piped up from the entrance.
"Stormpaw!" Brightcloud meowed and ran to great her son.
"I brought you a rabbit to share." Stormpaw meowed. "I caught it myself." He added proudly.
"It's amazing, I'm so proud of you!" She meowed, starting to lick his head in continued licks.
"Mom, stop! I'm a apprentice now!" He meowed, squirming around his mother in an attempt to escape.
She finally let go, and let him leave through the entrance with a final look at him.
"I don't want to loose my kits." She murmured to her friends.