The night was frigid. Thunderclan and Windclan had brought lots of cats for warmth, and the clearing was full of whisper-gossiping cats. Firestar led his cats back home, while Leopardstar shuddered on the icy rock.
"I noticed Stonefur isn't here," Tallstar murmured, his big ears against his head, skinnier than usual. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," Leopardstar nodded without thought, "We've… we've got a bit of whitecough."
Tallstar nodded, "That's why not many of your cats came?"
Leopardstar stared down. Mudfur, Whiteclaw, Dawnbright and Sedgecreek were the only cats Tigerstar had allowed to come. Turning back to Tallstar she nodded. Tallstar nodded back, pressing their cheeks together for a moment.
"Best of luck to you, Leopardstar. Get well soon."
Leopardstar smiled at him, jumping down herself.
"Have you seen Tigerstar?" Sedgewhisker asked, not intended for Leopardstar.
"He already set off," Wetfoot muttered.
Leopardstar flexed her claws, anxious. Starclan knew what Tigerstar was planning to do to her cats alone.
"Tigerclan!" she called, "Head out!"
She caught Russetfur out of the corner of her eye. Her mouth was open, scenting. Her fur stood up, and she ran in Thunderclan's direction. She shouldered the cat closest to her, Dawncloud, "Tell Blackfoot to take care of the clan!" she called as she ran after.
Slowing down and scenting her, Leopardstar shook her head. She didn't need another forbidden relationship with those bleeding-heart Thunderclanners. She hissed. Why was she putting herself in harm's way? Russetfur was a Shadowclan cat and a full-grown warrior for Starclan's sake, it wasn't her job to look after her!
She caught a glimpse of blood-red fur strong against the white snow, shivering against a tree. Leopardstar shook her head, crouching down in a bush to watch. The owl that lived there hooted, causing Russetfur to look up, terrified, revealing a tawny-colored cat in the tree.
Leopardstar's eyes widened. The cat looked terribly sick, though didn't smell of clan or loner, and was too calm to be a rogue. That only left kittypet, but, what was a kittypet doing out in the woods away from their twolegs? She perked her ears up as Russetfur started to speak.
"Sasha! What are you… what happened?!"
Sasha sniffled, wobbly trying to stand. "S-some people took my housefolk away and…" she got against Russetfur's shoulder, shivering, "I was speaking to Shnuky to ask if she could take me in but her housefolk won't and… and she told me my housefolk's name was in the obituaries…"
Russetfur shook her head, trying to shake and get her pelt further over her, "What's are obituaries?"
"It's… it's where you find out people have died."
"Oh… Oh Sasha…." Russetfur nuzzled her, kinking her thick tail over Sasha's sleek, sickly back. "Why didn't you stay in Twolegplace? The woods are dangerous! Especially for a clanless sick cat!"
"If I stayed in the city I would've gotten captured by the Catcher!" she shook her head, "No cat in their right mind wants to be captured by the Catcher. Then Bloodclan!" she sighed, "And I love you, Russetfur. I couldn't just leave you with no way to find me and… and you said if I ever needed you you were just across the river and… I need you."
Leopardstar emerged from the bushes. She stood tall and strong, in case Russetfur decided to pull something. She gasped, her ears flattened.
"Oh, Leopardstar! I'm so sorry! I've been sneaking out to Twolegplace to visit Sasha and-"
"Where do your loyalties lie?"
Russetfur looked taken aback, though quickly answered. "I'm a Shadowclan warrior through and through," she muttered, "But I'm dumb and in love and the cat I love needs help."
Leopardstar closed her eyes briefly. She could hear the wind picking up above the trees, a dastardly storm was about to strike. She stared at Sasha, every bone was visible and her stomach stuck out in an unnatural, unhealthy way. Not of food.
Leopardstar nodded, taking to Sasha's other side, urging the sick cat to briskly walk back to camp before the storm.
Sasha lay in the elder's den, panting. Russetfur was behind her while Skyheart was letting herself be used as a pillow. The she-cat was just about iced over, though her fever was so strong the two thick-furred cats seemed to be setting her ablaze. Littlecloud, the only medicine cat who was still awake, was looking her over. Dawnpaw dropped a bundle of soaked, cold moss at her head, holding it just over her eyes with her muzzle. Skyheart shuddered a bit at the cold.
"She's got greencough," Littlecloud concluded, speaking to Russetfur, "And she's pregnant. She'll be due in a moon."
"What?" Russetfur asked, though Littlecloud paid her no mind, looking to Leopardstar.
"We're fresh out of catmint. We-we need to get some."
"Shnuky's housefolk grow catmint," Russetfur meowed.
"I… don't know where that is."
"Blackfoot knows."
Leopardstar nodded, ducking out of the den. Sleepy pelts were all around the clearing, whispering about what was happening. Leopardstar paid no mind, catching glimpse of Blackfoot's jet black paws and yellow eyes against the clearing. It was hardly snowing now, though the effects to the quick snowstorm were very visible.
"What's all the fuss?"
"Shnuky. We need catmint."
"Right. Come on," he quickly led her out of camp, sprinting through the woods and across the river into Thunderclan's territory. Quickly running to Twolegplace, and jumping up onto one of their fences, Blackfoot began picking at a red-stone bordered square of catmint.
"Hey!" called an accented voice. A rosy-brown cat with blue forelegs and back emerged from a flappy hole in the door.
"Shnuky!" Blackfoot responded, "Hello!"
"It's the middle of the night and…" she glanced up at Leopardstar, standing guard on the fence, "That's not Russetfur. And you're stealing catmint. What's up."
"Sasha's turned up in our camp pregnant and sick, we need this to help her."
"What?!" she shook her head, picking up a mouthful of catmint, muttering to herself how stupid Sasha was.
The three cats rushed back home, ignoring the strong Thunderclan scent near the border. Leopardstar and Blackfoot delivered their mouthfuls of catmint to the medicine den while Shnuky gave hers to Littlecloud.
Shnuky sat on Skyheart's other side, Sasha's glazed-over eyes staring up lovingly at her.
"I heard the good news," Shnuky said calmly, "I bet Jean and Ken are blessing your kits."
Littlecloud stood, keeping half the catmint against a wall just incase as Sasha swallowed one dose. He glanced at each of the warriors, "Will you tell me if anything happens to her?" he lowered his voice, "She's not doing very well. I don't want a flare up in the night."
Skyheart nodded, looking at Russetfur, "I get the feeling she'll be too anxious to sleep."
Littlecloud chuckled, heading out. Shnuky pressed her nose to Sasha's hot head, quietly muttering something none of them could understand. No one dared question, it was obvious enough it was some strange words of good luck.
Blackfoot spoke after Shnuky stopped and Sasha thanked, "I'll take you home."
Shnuky shook her head, "My housefolk are several counties away visiting family and celebrating late Hanukkah for Christmas break, I've got… maybe a month to be back?"
"...I'm sorry?"
"She said," Russetfur meowed, her voice soft as Sasha fell asleep, "Her Twolegs are away and she only needs to be back in a moon."
"Oy vey!" Shnuky exclaimed.