Yes! On a role! This is the fourth day in a row that I've updated! Huzzah!
Now, time for review answering!
Birdflame: Good theory, but I'm not saying anything. *looks left and right suspiciously*
Pie: RANDOM PARTY! YYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSS! And also, you'll find out in this chapter! ;)
Raeda2001: Maaaaayyyyyybbbbeeeee! ;P And thank you! :)
Chapter 29: Greyleaf
It had only been three sunrises, and cats were dropping like flies. After Sparrowclaw, Runningleap, Cherrytail, Spottedfern, Hollyflower, Berrysong, the two former queens' kits—though the three of them were now warriors—and Cinderpool had come down with Greencough, and to make it worse, Rosepaw had contracted it while tending her clanmates. Featherheart and Sparrowpaw had eleven cats laying in the medicine den, and they were busy twenty-four-seven with trying to take care of them.
That left only fifteen healthy cats out of a clan of twenty-six: Greyleaf, Featherstorm, Goldenfur, Sunstar, Lilytail, Fernfoot, Mouseflight, Featherheart, Bramblepelt, Volepaw, Squirrelpaw, Sandpaw, Nightpaw, Sparrowpaw, and Goldenpaw. And out of those cats, only seven of them were warriors.
Things were looking grim for Thunderclan, as the catmint plants were hard to find in the snowy weather, and the clan couldn't spare the cats they had to look for the precious herb. If they had fifteen fully fledged warriors, it would be a different story, but five out of the twelve cats available able-bodied cats available were warrior apprentices. And apprentices needed to be trained.
Plus, it didn't help that Sandpaw, Volepaw, and Squirrelpaw's mentors were sick with Greencough. This meant that Sunstar, Goldenfur, and Fernfoot had taken on the roles of being their mentors. Fernfoot had taken Sandpaw as her apprentice, Sunstar had taken Volepaw as his apprentice, and Goldenfur had taken Squirrelpaw as his apprentice.
Greyleaf and Featherstorm were the only warriors without apprentices, and that was because they were directly related to them. Goldenfur got away with it because his status as Greyleaf's mate was not proven.
Needless to say, everyone was tired, cold, and hungry. The mother and daughter would constantly be out hunting to fill in the gaps from the others' training, so they would be out in the forest from dawn til' dusk.
This cycle continued for a quarter-moon, and still none of the cats had gotten better. According to a hastened Sparrowpaw, a few showed lesser symptoms, but that was it.
Then, on the sunrise after the quarter-moon had passed, Greyleaf and Featherstorm once again got out of their damp nests to brave the cold weather, but they didn't get three fox-lengths away from the den when younger the light grey warrior noticed that her paw pads throbbed with pain. She reached up a paw and examined it to see that it was severely cracked. She checked her other pads to find them in similar condition.
"Featherstorm," Greyleaf mewed, "You might wanna check your pads."
He mother shot her an odd look, but did as she was asked.
"Ooh!" She gasped, licking a right paw pad, "I didn't notice how cracked they were!"
"Me neither, until now, " the younger warrior replied, "We'll have to see Featherheart about them."
Featherstorm nodded and followed her daughter as they made their limping way to the medicine cat den, and as soon as they got near, the stench of sickness washed over them, seeming like an enveloping fog. Greyleaf used her tail to cover her muzzle because it was so bad. It got even worse once they entered the den.
Cats laid everywhere, covering the floor with their shivering, convulsing bodies. Mucus leaked from their noses, and wet coughs erupted from their mouths. A few cats were even vomiting, making the place smell even worse.
They gingerly stepped across the medicine cat den, and Featherheart emerged from the back of the cave. The blue-eyed she-cat gave them a look of surprise.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked, her breath ragged, "Don't tell me you've got Greencough too!"
"Oh, dear Starclan! No!" Featherstorm replied, lifting up a paw, "Our pads are just cracked."
The medicine cat sighed with relief. "I'll go get you some yarrow, then. I'll only be a moment." She disappeared back to the end of the cave.
"The poor cats," Featherstorm whispered, looking down sadly at her diseased clanmates, "I can barely imagine how hard this must be for them. I've only caught greencough once, and that was a long, long time ago."
"I can't imagine it at all," Greyleaf replied. She was faintly glad that Blackfur wasn't alive to suffer through this epidemic. She couldn't have borne seeing her friend writhing in pain and discomfort among these cats.
Just then, Featherheart returned with the yarrow poultice and administered it to their pads.
"Just try and go easy on them, okay," she said exhaustedly, flicking her tail in dismissal.
The two picked their way across the den once more, and when they emerged out into the hollow, they quickly padded out to get in front of the deputy rock where Sunstar, Sandpaw, Volepaw, and Squirrelpaw were sitting. Greyleaf vaguely remembered the leader saying that he would take over the three apprentices for the day so that their mentors could go out and hunt.
Featherstorm eagerly ran up to her kits and began to lick their fur the wrong way, trying to help them get warm.
"Featherstorm," Volepaw whined, "I'm not a kit anymore! Stop fussing over me!"
She gave him a confused look, and Squirrelpaw retorted, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'll take some warm grooming any day!"
Featherstorm started licking her daughter, and after a little bit, Sandpaw mewed, "Hey! Don't forget me!"
Greyleaf giggled as her mother moved on to groom the light brown she-cat.
An icy wind blew past, sending dust into the air, and Featherstorm coughed, then sneezed.
Greyleaf pawed at her itchy muzzle, but asked, "Featherstorm, are you okay?"
"Oh, yes. Of course," the warrior replied, "The dust was just bothering my nose."
"Okay," Greyleaf said slowly, not completely convinced, but Featherstorm seemed fine enough.
The tabby warrior left them to go and sit at the sunning rocks. She knew that if she sat just right in an open space in the middle of the cluster, the wind would be cut off from all sides. She thought that this little spot was warmer than her nest, sometimes.
She peeked over the rocks to see that Sandpaw and Squirrelpaw had started to cough as well.
It only took three days for all five of them to get sick.
Again, my brain has decided to shut down on me, so I'll just say...
BAAAAAALLLOOOOONNNNSSSSSS!
Question Of The Day: In light of the new situation, what do you think is going to happen now?