Moonsong9592 - Don't leave yet, promise there's more to the story then just ten chapters lol.

FrostedShadowX - Well, yes she has the amor of plot. But then again, I could be a {removed} and let her die. Just have to wait and see, lol. Also yeah, Icaruswind is a bit of a brute that has a bad temper.

November, 15th, 2020

Beepath was limp. She didn't move after she fell, the last bit of pain in her eyes was now gone, glazed over like a dead rodent's.

The silver tom felt his legs grow weak. No. She couldn't be - it was just blood - she would live. Icaruswind took in a deep breath, but it felt like he was trying to breath water instead of air.

"No...S-s-" Icaruswind dropped beside his mate. There was mewls from the kits as their mother was rolled away from them.

Mintleaf looked down sadly. Her eyes narrowed as she dipped her head. "It had to happen." She meowed. Then, adding in a small whisper, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. "StarClan called for it."

"What?" The tom glared up. Anger overcame his grief as he jumped to his paws. What did she say? Blinded by a haze he dug his claws into the dirt. "Say that again, you old hag!"

The ginger she-cat fluffed out her pelt definsivly. But the argument was cut short as Shellwhisper suddenly started to yowl. "Go get herbs from my den, now! I can save her."

Icaruswind thought for a moment she was talking to him. It wasn't until he felt the smaller gray tom rush out the den that he even knew Vinepaw was in the den. Anger still pumped though his veins, but he ignored them as he pressed his nose into his mates shaggy pelt.

A tail laid across his shoulders. "I'll save her," Shellwhisper promised. "It might look like she's..just listen to her heart beat."

Listen to her heart beat? He was about to let out a bitter laugh. How could she ever say that, Beepath was gone, she was growing cold, eyes closed..but as he buried his face back against her neck he paused. There was a soft thudding noise, and he felt his own heart start to pound.

Vinepaw raced back into the den. He was holding a large beech leaf, and dropped it. There was so many different leaves and seeds inside that Icaruswind felt dizzy. But it didn't faze the white she-cat as she began to work.

There was a point that she needed Beepath to eat something. And he had to force her mouth open, just enough for her to somewhat swallow already chewed herbs. It looked disgusting, but he was grateful to just know she had a chance.

It became silence and be welcomed it. There was nothing but the mewling of their kittens, and the faint beating of his mate's heart. He pressed his ears into her chest. Just wanting to hear nothing but that.

"I did all I can," Shellwhisper meowed. Even though she had been calm during the entire thing, she now looked a bit stressed. Tail lashing as she frowned, brows furrowed. "There was a deep gash on her flank, it cut close to a vein. I think that's were all this bleeding came from. How it got there.."

I know how it got there. Icaruswind's dull blue eye flicked upwards. He spotted the ginger she-cat fluffing out her pelt with wide, dark eyes. Oh, he knew exactly how it got there, and exactly who would be receiving the same treatment.

"Just let her rest. You can stay in here tonight, keep an eye on the kits. If she gets worst come and get me." The young she-cat paused over her last few words. Eyes narrowed onto the grumpy silver tom. "Okay?"

Icaruswind nodded. "Alright." He sighed. Resting his head onto his mate's back, ears flattened as he watched the old ginger she-cat leave.

*

By daylight Beepath was still asleep. She didn't get worst, which he was grateful for, but she wasn't any better either.

It became noon before he left the nursery. The hunger that clawed at his stomach to great to ignore. As he padded outside he spotted a few cats hanging around, most with down faces, their heads resting on their paws with the same look in their eyes.

"How is she?" Meowed Owlpop. Eyes lighting up with hope as she staggered to her paws.

Icaruswind frowned. How was he to tell this poor she-cat that her daughter, who just came back from being kidnaped, was now on her death bed? "Not to good," he growled.

The she-cats face fell once more. Tail dropping to the ground as she frowned, face scrunched up until he saw tears streaming down her face. Icaruswind felt his chest tighten. He never meant to make the older she-cat cry, and at this point he realized something.

Owlpop wasn't an older she-cat. Instead she looked young, way to young to be a grandmother already. She had lean muscles, bright fur, a young face with almost still playful eyes.

How old was she when she had them? It couldn't have been to long after she became a warrior. Now he could see just how bad Beepath's short life could've affected her mother.

A young queen, not to long after receiving her warrior name, has a kitten that just doesn't want to live. Not eating, staying in her bed, never growing from the lack of food. Then she was injured - he remembered Beepath telling him how her life in SaltClan was. It sounded awful..but now.

Owlpop lost her daughter for a year, gets her back, and now she's almost dead. The tom flattened his ears. He felt his own eye grow blurry as he fought back tears. Never before had he really cried. It was seen as weak for a tom to cry.

"This is my fault." Whispered the silver tom. If he had just listened to her, didn't go by what Crackedstar had said. Then she wouldn't have gotten pregnant, the she wouldn't be half-dead right now!

Icaruswind tightly closed his eyes before turning and walking back into the nursery. Whatever hunger clawed at his stomach was now gone. Replaced by a pit of dread and guilt that weighed him down.

The tom collapsed at his mate's nest. Even the mewls of his kits, who now looked fluffy and happily heathy couldn't bring his spirits up. Instead he growled. His burning into their pelts with a level of hatred that raced through his burning pelt.

November, 15, 2020