Here you go guys, chapter 24. I hope you guys enjoy it and leave me super super super long review about what you though. Personally I think it's a great chapter and I really really really loved writing it. Also at the bottom of this chapter is an updated alliances.
PS. CONTEST! If you can guess my favorite female character from the first arc you win the job of giving Topazpaw her full medicine cat name. Good Luck!
Half of a Moon Later…
Shimmerlight cautiously padded out of the medicine den, the late Newleaf sun nearly blinding her after so many moons in the dark. Icedapple finally cleared her to leave the confinement of the medicine den, where she was placed to heal when she was the last ill cat in the clan. Even though the night terrors were gone and her cough was practically nonexistent, she still easily tired and had to force herself to eat any prey.
Bluecloud slept in the warriors den with her for the past half moon. Coaxing her to eat and grooming her matted pelt, he kept her warm when the chills came and soothed her through the nightmares.
Clan life slowly recovered and returned to normal. Tansystalk and Dawnpool retired to the elders den to keep Frostflower company, the only elder strong enough to fight off the sickness. After Skypaw regained his strength Duskheart took him out for an assessment, the young tom's name is now Skyshine.
Amberstar's kits became apprentices. Willowpaw went to Bluecloud, Drizzlepaw went to Skyshine and BIrdpaw went to Sunvine. Shimmerlight felt her stomach tighten as Sunvine gained his first apprentice, the tom had yet to prove he had recovered from the death of his mate and Shimmerlight was all too aware that Sunvine was now in the running for becoming deputy.
Shimmerlight trotted over to the freshkill pile, it grew larger and the prey seemed to grow fatter every day. As she picked up two plump mice in her jaws she tried not think about how she wasn't strong enough to go out and hunt on patrol yet.
She tried to keep her mind and paws busy by watching Petalkit and Lionkit while Brightwing returned to warrior duties during the day. With so many of their clanmates still weak from the sickness the queen chose to help make up patrols and hunt extra for the clan.
From lack of strength and numbers the clan was unable to patrol the usual borders; instead they started out simply patrolling the outside of the camp and hunting near the camp. The patrols move closer and closer to the real borders every day.
Shimmerlight padded to the nursery spotting Squirreltail basking in the sun outside the den. Her dark ginger pelt lit up like a flame and her swollen belly rose and fell with every deep breath.
Shimmerlight plopped down next to the queen, pushing one of the mice over to her. The queen blinked gratefully before devouring the mouse in a few swift bites.
"Hungry?" Shimmerlight teased before slowly nibbling on her mouse.
Squirreltail purred loudly flicking Shimmerlight with her tail tip "Don't judge, I'm feeding more than one stomach over here".
Shimmerlight tilted her head "are you sure?" she teased poking Squirreltail's bulging belly with her forepaw "are there kits in there? I thought it was just mice that you swallowed whole".
Squirreltail swiped Shimmerlight's ear playfully "You will understand someday".
Shimmerlight "Not likely, I'm not exactly mothering material" she gave her chest fur a few embaressed licks.
Squirreltail scoffed dismissively "For the love of starclan, you're a great mother" she encouraged "Lionkit is lucky to have you".
Shimmerlight purred "Thanks", she began grooming back Squirreltail's fiery pelt. Squirreltail closed her eyes, purring loudly.
Shimmerlight flicked her ears picking up the sounds of tiny pawsteps and hushed whispers. The sounds were approaching the nursery and Squirreltail opened one eye slightly.
"Speak of the devil" she meowed "Here they come now".
"Shhh" Lionkit's voice sounded from the bushes beside the nursery, a mere hop away from Shimmerlight's tail.
"But Lionkit" Petalkit exclaimed.
"I said be quiet" Lionkit hissed "They are gonna hear you".
Shimmerlight rolled her eyes hearing the rustling behind her.
"On the count of three" Petalkit giggled, kneading the ground with her paws, possible crouching to spring. Rustling behind her confirmed Shimmerlight's suspicion.
"One…two…three!" rustling in the bushes clued Shimmerlight in on exactly when the kits moved. She quickly pulled her tail towards her body, a heartbeat before Lionkit landed on the ground.
A puff of dust clouded around him causing him to sneeze before leaping to his paws.
"No fair" he cried "You can't move"
Shimmerlight purred "Oh I can't? I'm pretty sure the prey would have moved with all that racket" she teased.
"Did you get her?". Shimmerlight turned back to the bush to see Petalkit standing on her back legs, poking her head out of the bushes.
"No" Lionkit grumbled "She heard you".
Shimmerlight frowned "Now now, Lionkit" she scolded "That's no way to act".
Lionkit flattened his ears "Sorry momma"
Shimmerlight nodded, a smile tugging at her lips as a familiar scent engulfs her "Now how about Bluecloud teaches you how to stalk quietly"
She turned to face Bluecloud smirking at him. The blue tom smiled dropping down into a crouch "I would love to but right now I have to take Willowpaw out for a hunt" he turned his blue saucer eyes on Shimmerlight.
"Do you want to come? It will be fun" as he spoke Willowpaw trotted over, her sleek silver and black pelt meticulously well groomed.
Shimmerlight stretched quickly, feeling her muscles ache "Sure, let's go" she looks back to Lionkit "Now you too do whatever Squirreltail tells you, I'll be back soon"
Both kits look at each other excitedly and nod quickly before vanishing into the nursery.
Shimmerlight raced out of the camp entrance, tired but loving the feeling of being out of camp. She could hear Bluecloud right behind her and Willowpaw behind him.
The sound of scratching and nibbling caught Shimmerlight's attention and she skidded to a halt ebside a tree, dropping into a hunting crouch. As she crept closer another sound reached her ears.
"It was all your fault"
"Sunvine what are you doing?". Shimmerlight recognized the voices as belonging to Sunvine and Stoneshine. Worriedly she looked at Bluecloud who nodded and they headed toward the sound.
After a few pawsteps they found Sunvine and Stoneshine by the training hollow, their pelts bristling and Sunvine's eyes blazing, his claws unsheathed.
The sandy gray tom crept closer to Stoneshine, his tail lashing and his eyes fixated on the fearful tom.
Stoneshine backed away slowly, fear in his amber eyes.
"Sunvine!" Bluecloud growled "What is going on?"
Sunvine turned a fiery glare at Bluecloud "Stay out of this" he spat "You don't understand. I lost her. I loved her and now she is gone" he turned his hateful glare back at Stoneshine "And it is all his fault. If he had never brought that filthy Shadowclan apprentice back into camp then none of this would have happened"
He turned his gaze to Shimmerlight "You understand. You know it's his fault" he growled "You know you want him dead" he spat. Stoneshine looked at Shimmerlight sadly, his amber eyes dull but pleading.
Shimmerlight stared at Sunvine speechless.
Bluecloud took a step toward Sunvine "That's not true, this isn't his fault" he placed his tail tip on Sunvine's shoulder "Now come on, let's get you back to camp, and get you to Icedapple" he whispered.
Sunvine bared his teeth angrily, shoving Bluecloud away from him "It's his fault…he killed her" before anyone could react Sunvine was on top of Stoneshine, his jaws closed around the large gray tom's throat.
Stoneshine thrashed under Sunvine's clutch, raking his claws down the tom's sides. Shimmerlight launched herself at Sunvine, easily pulling him off as he let go of Stoneshine, going limp as Shimmerlight pulled him away.
"What was that all about?" Shimmerlight meowed, shocked by the events that had just unfolded.
Bluecloud turned to Willowpaw "Get back to camp, tell Icedapple he had another episode, and don't let anyone else hear"
The small apprentice nodded racing away back towards camp.
Bluecloud padded over "I'll take him back to camp" he murmured. Shimmerlight stepped between Bluecloud and Sunvine "What do you mean episode?"
Bluecloud sighed "He hasn't been quite right since Shadowsplash's death….I found him out here after she died catching her prey and sleeping at her gravesite every night. I told Icedapple about it and she is helping him but his progress is slow" he meowed quietly casting nervous glances at Stoneshine who was staunching the blood flowing from his neck.
"Sunvine was embarrassed and didn't want anyone beside me and Icedapple to know. I have never seen him this bad before, he has never been dangerous" he steps past her lifting Sunvine in his jaws and dragging him back in the direction of camp, casting a soft blue gaze her way before disappearing into the forest.
That's where your wrong She thought He has always been dangerous.
"Thanks by the way" Stoneshine meowed quietly "but you didn't have to save me…he was right, it was my fault. I should have known better than to bring that cat into camp. And now our clanmates are dead and the ones that are left alive are weak and worst of all you got sick…you almost died" his voice cracked as it grew quieter "You can blame me if you want"
"No" Shimmerlight padded over to him as she spoke "This isn't your fault and I don't blame you" she leaned against him, helping to hold him up "Now let's get you back to camp" she purred.
Updated Alliances
Leader:
Amberstar: a light brown tabby she-cat with even lighter almost white tabby stripes and white paws. She has dark amber eyes and cares greatly for all cats.
Deputy
Minkstripe: a large broad shouldered gray tom with darker blackish gray stripes. The father of Silverstreak and Ashenpelt.
Medicine Cat
Icedapple: a slender pure white she-cat with dark amber eyes.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
Topazpaw: a light tabby ginger she-cat with a white muzzle and paws and deep water blue eyes. She is the sister to Squirrelpaw and Rowanflight.
Warriors
Gorsefur: a dark gray and black tabby tom with dark amber eyes. Mate: Brightwing. Former mate: Silverstreak.
Rowanflight: a light ginger tom with lighter ginger stripes and dark water blue eyes. Never was the same after Leopardlight vanished, brother to Squirrelpaw and Topazpaw. Mate: Leopardlight.
Raindapple: a dark blue gray she-cat with soft blue eyes and one white front paw.
Silverstreak: a slender silver and black streaked she-cat with blue eyes. She has a hard time accepting strange cats and doesn't trust easily. Former mate: Gorsefur.
Duskheart: a large dark black tom with glinting yellow eyes. Mate: Dawnpool.
Bluecloud: a large broad shouldered blue tom with large white paws and light blue eyes. Apprentice: Willowpaw.
Whitefog: a smoky white and gray she-cat with dark amber eyes, is Icedapple's sister. Mate: Ashenpelt. KITS: Shinepaw, Spiderpaw, Skyshine.
Stoneshine: a large gray tom with thick shaggy fur and amber eyes. Mate: Squirreltail.
Sunvine: a light gray and sand colored tom with dark black tabby stripes and a black tail tip. Sand colored underfur , underbelly and paws and bright yellow eyes. Mate: Shadowsplash. KITS: Shadekit, Redkit, Lionkit. Apprentice: Birdpaw.
Skyshine: a large white tom with gray patches and dark amber eyes. Apprentice: Drizzlepaw.
Shimmerlight: a bright ginger she-cat with ice blue eyes and white chestfur.
Apprentices
Drizzlepaw: a small light brown tabby she-cat with white tabby stripes.
Willowpaw: a small light silver tabby she-cat with darker tabby stripes and light amber eyes.
Birdpaw: a large dark gray tom with black tabby stripes and white chest fur and a white muzzle.
Queens
Brightwing: a white and gray she-cat with amber eyes. Mate: Gorsefur. KITS: Petalkit
Squirreltail: a dark fiery ginger she-cat with bright greenish blue eyes and white chestfur, sister to Rowanflight and Topazpaw. Mate: Stoneshine
Elders
Frostflower: a once beautiful pure white she-cat with blue eyes. Was the first cat to greet Leopardlight when she first joined the clan. Shimmersky was the last kit she ever had.
Dawnpool: a large but slender golden she-cat with eyes the color of Newleaf grass. She is loyal but also distrusting of many cats and follows the warrior code without straying from it. Mate: Duskheart.
Tansystalk: a sleek black and white tortoishell queen with soft amber eyes and white chest fur. She lost her mate and her entire litter to greencough and adopted Leopardlight's and Rowanflight's kits.