Chapter 11
A/N: Here's Steeltalon's next chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
Cinderpaw's POV
A few days after Poppypaw's sudden death, Cinderpaw began to feel weak. She
couldn't leave her nest, not even when Firestar tried to help her walk. "Fetch
Leafpool," Brambleclaw ordered Dustpelt. The brown warrior nodded before bolting
off to Leafpool's den. A moment later, he came running back, Leafpool bounding
at his shoulder. Her amber eyes were wide with fear.
"These aren't the same symptoms Poppypaw had," she murmured. Cinderpaw thought
that was good until she coughed violently, and black blood sprayed the ground.
Leafpool's eyes clouded over with terror.
"Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, get away from her!" Leafpool ordered. The two warriors
scrambled away from the ill apprentice. Leafpool leaned forward and sniffed
Cinderpaw's fur. "She has blackcough."
"But, that's not fatal, right?" Cinderpaw rasped, her flanks heaving. "I'll be
training again soon." Leafpool looked away.
"If only it was that simple," Leafpool murmured, closing her eyes. "Blackcough
is fatal, especially to young or weakened cats."
Cinderpaw gasped in horror. "I won't die, though, right? I'm not that young or
weak!" She struggled to get up, but her legs wouldn't support her and she fell
back. Terror flooded her. "Don't let me die!" Cinderpaw wailed.
Berrypaw's POV
Berrypaw stiffened. He knew that voice. Cinderpaw! As the cream-colored tom
edged closer, he head Leafpool say 'blackcough' more than once.
No! First Cloudtail, then Poppypaw, now Cinderpaw has blackcough! StarClan, why
must you punish us? Berrypaw thought desperately.
"Don't let me die!" Berrypaw heard Cinderpaw wail.
"You can't die, Cinderpaw!" Berrypaw yowled. "You're my best friend."
Cinderpaw's blue eyes met Berrypaw's, affection shining in her azure gaze. "I
know," she mewed. "If I die . . . let's meet again in StarClan." Her eyes shut,
a smile on her face.
Firestar's POV
With all these recent deaths, it was hard for Firestar to convince himself that
ThunderClan would survive. Cinderpaw was ill, and Leafpool had said it was
blackcough.
StarClan help us all, Firestar thought feverently, closing his eyes. Several
voices hissed at him, but when Firestar opened his eyes, there was no one there.
But the cat's words rang in his head. The prophecy. How could it be fulfilled if
Cinderpaw died?
"Beware, for soon the flames will die down, leaving only a path of cinders,
which must rise up to replenish the fire…"