Bearstrike and Yarrowbreeze finished burying Bug with the help of her kits. Fernstar watched them while the warriors finished covering her in soggy earth, and the kits plucked reeds and berries from the nearby bushes to place over her along with a uniquely carved stone. The stone had been worn smooth by the flow of the river, and a hole had developed in the center. Sunkit place dtwo smaller pebbles into the hole.
"It's us." Sunkit had explained matter of factly.
The four cats stood in front of Bugs' resting place in silence, rain pattering all around.
"I'm gonna miss you." Sunkit whimpered.
"We already do miss her." mumbled Willowkit, his head drooping.
Yarrowbreeze felt a familiar ache in her chest. The ache of a kit yearning for its mother's touch. She wrapped her tail loosely on the kit's shoulders and looked back to the pile of stone and berries.
After Bearstrike had said his own words to Bug, the group watched and waited, unsure of when the right time to move on was. Yarrowbreeze knew it must feel like if they walked away, they were leaving her behind.
She watched as the two kits sniffled, their shoulders heaving with every sob. Bearstrike looked Yarrowbreeze in the eye. His ears drooped, and his shoulders sagged. The typically brutish looking warrior looked nearly as sullen as the kits. Yarrowbreeze nodded at him sympathetically.
"It's time to go home." Fernstar called from her place on the stone.
Yarrowbreeze whispered a silent thanks to Fernstar, she wasn't sure the kits would ever leave if it were up to them.
She shook out the water that had collected in her fur the best she could, and got to work helping the kits dry off a bit.
"We're just going to get wet again anyways." Willowkit complained as Yarrowbreeze lapped at the kit's fur.
"That's not the point." Bearstrike grumbled through Sunkit's fur. "You're too young to be out in this, especially after you walked all the way here. You'll get sick if you stay wet."
The kits huffed but stayed quiet as the warriors dried them to the best of their ability. Sunkits fur was flipped and twisted in weird, sloppy angles that made him look like his fur really was the sun. Yarrowbreeze snorted at her brother's haphazard work.
"As if you did any better." Her brother joked, pointing to a floppy looking Willowkit. The small grey kit's fur was still damp, and the fur Yarrowbreeze had cleaned up was so neat and brushed that it flopped down. His earfur, his cheeks, all his fur lay smooth and downturned.
"I think it suits them," Fernstar remarked. "But it really is time to go now, it's after sunhigh."
Even with Fernstar's observation, it was hard to believe it was after sunhigh. The same dreary clouds that had been there for half a moon now hung in the air, blocking out almost all sunlight.
"I'm going to grow fins by the time this is over." Bearstrike grunted. Yarrowbreeze noticed how much smaller the tom looked when his fur was soaked through. Beneath all that fur, he had the angular body of their mother.
The forest looked unrecognizable with all the rainfall. Moss hung from the branches of trees, new mushrooms burst upward from the forest floor. Ponds and puddles had formed throughout the landscape, forcing the cats to navigate a longer path towards camp.
Sunkit stopped for a moment, his legs trembling. Willowkit nudged his brother forward, and the kit stumbled.
"I think it's time we carry you back." Bearstrike mumbled, nipping the kit's scruff.
Willowkit yawned and immediately relaxed in Yarrowbreeze's jaws. They were big kits, and Yarrowbreeze's jaw ached with the weight of his waterlogged form.
Fernstar took the lead as the small patrol padded into camp. No one was in the clearing, as the clearing itself had become a soggy mess.
"You should take them to Beetlespots, I'm sure they're exhausted." the leader mewed.
She watched as the two young warriors trudged through the mud into the medicine den, and then leapt up to the leader's den.
The medicine den felt stuffy and unbreathable. The scent of every herb hung heavy in the air and made Yarrowbreeze dizzy. She set Willowkit down in a mostly dry nest.
"Beetlespots?" she called. The mending den pushed back into a cave slowly carved out by Whispering Brook ancestors, far enough back that it would be possible for the Gazer to not hear Yarrowbreeze.
"She's probably just checking her stores. I'm sure she's worried because of the storm." Bearstrike set down Sunkit next to his brother.
"I'll go get her."
Yarrowbreeze had never been in the store of the mending den. The cold walls around her felt as if they could collapse on her at any moment, and the thought raised the fur along her spine.
Darkness washed over the tunnel as Yarrowbreeze continued forward. Dread began to sink into her fur as she realized she couldn't see a whisker ahead of herself.
"Beetlespots...?" she called. There was no answer.
Panic began to set in, and her heart was beating hard against her chest. Despite her fear, Yarrowbreeze plunged forward, praying to Starclan that there was just one tunnel down here.
Suddenly the cave opened up and a dim, disembodied light gently illuminated the cave. The floor here was cool and, unlike the rest of Whispering Brook territory, dry. The smell of herbs was even stronger here, herbs were tied to roots from the trees above the cave with sinew from past prey. They flitted on the ceiling like medicinal vines. In other areas of the cave there lay piles of seeds, berries, or other plants that were already dry. Yarrowbreeze was so distracted by the massive cavern that she didn't notice the sleeping form in a nest until she was almost on top of it.
Yarrowbreeze held her breath. Beetlespots was curled up among a pile of herbs that she had clearly fallen asleep sorting. The gentle rise and fall of the pretty she-cats side soothed Yarrowbreeze. The patchy tabby flicked her ear and rolled on her back, revealing her soft underbelly fur. She looks so soft... Yarrowbreeze stood silent for a moment, unsure of what to do. The medicine cat looked exhausted, but she needed to make sure the kits were okay.
"Beetlespots, wake up!" she whispered, nudging the she-cat with her paw. No response.
"Beetlespots?" she said a little louder. The she-cats ear flicked, and she rolled over in the herb pile.
Yarrowbreeze snorted, but was sympathetic with the exhausted she-cat. She prodded the she-cat again but with more force.
Beetlespots eyes flew open, and she screeched at her attacker. Yarrowbreeze reeled back as she saw a flash of terror in the medicine cats eyes.
"It's just me! It's Yarrowbreeze!" the she-cat cried. But Beetlespots slashed her muzzle before the words could escape all the way.
The tang of blood that trickled into her mouth from her face filled Yarrowbreeze with anger. "You mousebrain! It's ME! The kits need you." she hissed as she bowled Beetlespots into the ground.
Beetlespots looked horrified at what she'd done. Even in the dim light, Yarrowbreeze could see the blood from her face dripping onto the medicine cat as she pinned her down. "I'm so sorry." the she-cat blurted out. "I'm so so sorry."
Yarrowbreeze let the medicine cat go, and swiped a paw over her nose. She winced as she looked down at her bloodied paw.
"The kits are soaked and shaking," she said coldly. "I want to make sure they'll be alright." She turned swiftly and stalked back up the tunnel to the medicine den.
She did her best to ignore the pulsing pain in her nose, and even more so Beetlespot's terrified face. She felt ashamed at causing the Gazer such fear, even if it was an accident. Her mind clouded as she joined the others back in the mending den.
"What happened?" Demanded Bearstrike, his pelt bristling.
"I scared the fur off of Beetlespots and she took some of mine with her." Yarrowbreeze meowed dryly.
The Gazer padded up from the tunnel nervously. She brought with her yarrow and lambs ear, and she set to work making a small helping of the mixture for each kit.
"That smells funny." Said Sunkit.
"I know. But it'll help you to be strong again after your long journey today." She said, pushing the herbs closer.
The two kits disdainfully gulped down the herbs, too tired to argue about it any further. "I'll keep them with me tonight." The Gazer said quietly. "You two deserve at least one night without kits kicking you."
Bearstrike dipped his head in thanks and padded across the clearing to their den. Yarrowbreeze turned to follow him.
"Wait, these are for you." Beetlespots said, and she pulled a wide leaf holding cobwebs and damp moss toward her. "I'm sorry for hurting you, I really didn't mean to. I understand if you don't want me to help you clean it up, but at least let me give you the supplies." The Gazer fretted.
Yarrowbreeze looked at Beetlespots intently. The Gazer looked nervous, and let her eyes wander around the mending den. Once again they were alone with nothing but the sound of falling rain and the light snoring of kits. Yarrowbreeze inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, not wanting to ever forget the comfort she felt in that moment. She put her paw over Beetlespot's gently. "It was a mistake." the she-cat said finally. "Please, forgive me for scaring you."
Beetlespots looked astonished. How could this warrior be asking forgiveness when she's the one who was hurt? Tears welled up in her eyes. "You don't need to apologize. Like you said, it was a mistake."
Beetlespots took to gently dabbing the slice on the warrior's nose with the cobweb. She admired the she-cats strong broad muzzle, then felt a sting of guilt at having marred it. "My first battle scar and I wasn't even up against another cynn." Yarrowbreeze purred heartily.
Beetlespots' pelt warmed "Well, you're all cleaned up. It should heal just fine but if you have any trouble you can always stop by my den." She said quietly.
Neither moved for a moment. Unsaid words on either side hung in the air thicker than the rain that tumbled on outside.
The sun was setting, throwing a rosy glow across the camp. Beetlespots gazed at Yarrowbreeze. "You look like you're glowing."