Chapter Twenty-Six

Shadowheart padded through the mushy snow, on a patrol with his Clanmates. A moon had passed since Blackflame's death, and the memory of his brother's death still hung heavily on Shadowheart's mind. However, anything was better than being back at camp—where Foxstar's agonized wails while she kitted could be heard. Shadowheart shuddered at the thought. He couldn't help but be glad he would never have to bear kits in his lifetime.

Timberfall pounced on a mouse nearby, carrying it to a dry spot under a bramble bush to bury. "This should be good for Softstep," he murmured. "She loves mouse."

Shadowheart thought of the quiet gray-and-white she-cat, pregnant with Timberfall's kits, back at camp. The she-cat was busy helping Foxstar while she kitted, despite her own anxiety about having kits at her older age. Leopardstrike sniffed the air, her golden spotted tabby fur shimmering in the weak sunlight overhead.

"Newleaf isn't too far off," she mewed cheerfully. "I can't wait!"

Brownclaw shook his claws free of mud. "The sooner the better," he grumbled.

"Do you think Foxstar is okay?" asked Leopardstrike, glancing at Shadowheart. "She's been under a lot of stress lately, and now the kits are almost here."

Shadowheart frowned, recalling how much blame the LeafClan leader had taken on regarding Blackflame's death. Surely that wouldn't harm her unborn kits?

"Foxstar is strong," Timberfall rumbled, joining them. "Kitting may be hard, but she will get through it."

"I hope you're right," Shadowheart sighed. "Our Clan has had enough tragedy this leaf-bare."

Leopardstrike nudged Shadowheart playfully. "You sound like a fretful old elder!" she teased. Before he could protest, she dashed ahead of the patrol. "I think I can smell squirrel up ahead!"

Brownclaw gave an amused snort. "Not if she tramples through the forest like that!"

Mewing his agreement, Shadowheart started to sniff around for prey. He picked up a faint scent trail of a vole, and began to follow it. As he slowly stalked through the undergrowth, he heard a yowl. Quickly raising his head, he ran back towards where he left his Clanmates. Leopardstrike was running back towards them, a badger lumbering after her.

Fur bristling in horror, Shadowheart pelted for the nearest tree to climb. Brownclaw and Timberfall had already climbed up an oak nearby, leaving Leopardstrike the last to climb up. As she scrambled up the same tree as Shadowheart, he reached down to grab her. The badger lunged upward, clamping its' jaws around her tail and yanking her back down.

"No!" Shadowheart leaped from where he was perched, landing on the badger's back.

Leopardstrike flailed as she tried to break free of the badger's grip, turning to claw at its' eyes. Shadowheart bit the badger's neck, latching on angrily. Letting out a roar of pain, it tried to shake Shadowheart loose. Leopardstrike pelted forward, turning and leaping at the badger's face. Timberfall and Brownclaw had joined the fight, slashing at the badger from the sides.

With a sharp lunge sideways, Shadowheart lost his grip and landed against a tree. Winded, he struggled to his paws as the badger began to close in. Leopardstrike was on the badger in an instant, latching herself to the side of the beast's face. Roaring angrily, the badger shook its' enormous head angrily. Timberfall and Brownclaw nipped and slashed at the badger's legs, but its' focus was completely on Leopardstrike as she was knocked away. Shadowheart watched in horror as the beast clamped its' jaws on the golden she-cat's neck.

"No!" Shadowheart rushed to his paws and angrily sunk his teeth into the badger's hind leg.

Brownclaw clung to the vicious beast's other leg, while Timberfall clawed his way onto its' back. Roaring in pain and anger, the badger shook them off and lumbered away, back into the forest. Collapsing, Shadowheart stared over at Leopardstrike's motionless body. Brownclaw staggered over to her, gently nudging the golden warrior. Timberfall's eyes were full of sorrow, and Shadowheart let out a small moan of grief. Leopardstrike had been a young warrior, always optimistic and willing to serve her Clan. Now, she joined the ranks of StarClan like the many cats before her.

Shadowheart stared down at the she-cat's broken body, grief filling him. "Thank you, Leopardstrike," he murmured. "You saved my life."

When the patrol had returned to camp with Leopardstrike's body, the Clan was in shock. No cat dared tell Foxstar, who was finally resting after giving birth to three healthy kits. Instead, the Clan settled into doing the vigil quietly, every cat shaken up over the death of yet another young warrior.

Lionclaw sat with his two remaining daughters, Tigerfrost and Lynxfang, as they grieved over Leopardstrike's body. Despite everything, Shadowheart felt some responsibility for the young she-cat's death. In the end, she had died saving him from the badger. Sitting off to the side of camp, he watched the small family grieve with sadness.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Firelight murmured to him, coming to lay beside him. "Leopardstrike died a warrior, and did what any of us would do for another."

Shadowheart sighed, looking at her. "It still is hard, you know?" he looked ahead again. "Our Clan has suffered so much loss, so much change, in such a short time. I thought after I lost Blackflame, I would be strong enough to protect my Clanmates from anything, but I was wrong, yet again."

"Of course you were wrong," Firelight snorted. "You're not invincible, Shadowheart; none of us are. We're a Clan, and what makes us strong is that we're all together in this."

Shadowheart gave a soft snort. "Somehow, you always know what to say to me when I'm being mouse-brained."

Firelight purred and smacked his face gently with her paw. "Someone has to be there to do it."

Sandpool had emerged from the nursery then, Minkkit and Daykit just behind her. The pale tabby queen had recovered from the shock of losing her mate the past moon, and slowly was moving on with the two kits he had left behind. Shadowheart was amazed by her strength, despite how much she must had been hurting.

In the time since their father died, Minkkit and Daykit had grown, and were venturing outside of the nursery more and more each day. Shadowheart made it a point to visit them daily, constantly telling them stories of their father, in hopes they would remember him as the great warrior he was.

"Shadowheart!" Minkkit called, noticing him by the edge of camp.

The little brown tom scampered over to him, Daykit at his heels. Purring, Shadowheart nuzzled them both as they approached. Minkkit reminded Shadowheart everyday of Blackflame—as he carried the same enthusiasm for life and cheerfulness as his father. Daykit was more like her mother, reserved and patient. Shadowheart only wished Blackflame could be here to see them both now, and how much they have grown.

"What happened to Leopardstrike?" Minkkit asked. "Sandpool says she's in StarClan, like our father. But she's just sleeping in the clearing!"

Daykit tilted her head. "How do you get to StarClan? Do you just go to sleep?"

Shadowheart frowned, gently drawing both kits close with his tail. "Sometimes cats look like they're just sleeping, but they're really in StarClan. Leopardstrike won't ever wake up, as she's with our warrior ancestors now."

"But how?" Minkkit asked, blinking up at Shadowheart with his round yellow eyes. "Why can't she just wake up?"

"Because her spirit is no longer in her body," Firelight explained, sitting up. "When a cat's spirit leaves their body, they join StarClan instead of being down here with us."

Daykit frowned. "That sounds scary. Is that what happened to our father?"

The familiar pang of sadness clawed at Shadowheart's heart. "Yes," he murmured gently. "It's not scary though. StarClan is a wonderful place for cats who have earned their place there."

"That's right," Firelight added. "Your father is watching over you both right now. He'll always keep you safe."

Minkkit's eyes widened in awe. "Wow! Do you think Leopardstrike will watch over us too?"

Shadowheart flicked his tail across the little tom kit's ears. "I'm sure she will."

"Come on, Daykit!" Minkkit squeaked, turning to run back towards Sandpool. "Let's go ask Sandpool if she'll tell us more stories about StarClan!"

Watching the two kits run off, Shadowheart suppressed a sigh. Already so young, and yet they knew what death was. Is this the life of being a Clan cat? Did everything and everyone just pointlessly die? Shadowheart began to think that was the case—especially with Hawk lingering around.

"How do you think Stonetail is doing?" Firelight asked suddenly, glancing at Shadowheart.

Gazing after the kits, Shadowheart remembered visiting ReedClan's camp to tell his father about Blackflame. Stonetail had fallen to the ground in grief, cursing StarClan, while Dapplefoot comforted him. It wasn't a moment Shadowheart would like to relive, ever. To try and help his father feel better, he had mentioned Daykit and Minkkit, safely nestled back in the LeafClan nursery. Stonetail had brightened up a little at the thought of his new kin, but the grief of losing one his kits, yet again, weighed heavily on the ReedClan deputy.

Shadowheart glanced at Firelight. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "He was really upset when I told him about Blackflame, but I also told him about the kits. I'm hoping once they're apprentices, I'll introduce them."

Firelight purred. "I'm sure he would love that. Your father has been through a lot. Seeing those kits will make him happy."

"Shadowheart!" Ravenfeather called, hobbling on three legs as she carried herbs in one. "Sorry I'm late! Were you injured by that badger at all?"

While she laid the herb bundle at Shadowheart's paws, he picked up their sharp scent. Wincing, he shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

A glimmer of amusement lit up in the medicine cat's eyes. "Oh? Is the big warrior afraid of taking these tiny herbs?"

Firelight gave a snort of amusement. "More like, he's too stubborn to."

Shadowheart shot Firelight a look. "Like you're not?"

Laughing, Ravenfeather began to look through Shadowheart's pelt. "I'll still check, just in case. Can't let my former mentor get sick!"

Laying down to let Ravenfeather look him over, Shadowheart stared back ahead towards Leopardstrike's body. Lionclaw had left the little vigil to visit his and Foxstar's new kits. Shadowheart gazed up at the darkening sky. Was Leopardstrike watching over her newborn half-siblings from StarClan? Did she regret dying before she got to meet them? Wrapping his tail tightly around himself, Shadowheart closed his eyes.

Wherever you are, thank you.