Frostfoot woke as Tantail's body was carried away for his burial. She hadn't fallen asleep, no, not on the night of the death of her beloved. She fell into a trance that this was all real, and it started with a bellyache.
Ashpaw sat next to Bluepaw, murmuring in her ear. Her blue-green eyes seemed to reflect a tortured sadness as she spotted Frostfoot, her ice-blue eyes not leaving Tantail's body as Wiseheart and a couple of warriors helped to carry him. Frostfoot joined them to help.
A frosty warrior appeared by Frostfoot's side. It was her mother, Icefrost!
"Icefrost?" she hissed low.
"Yes," her mother murmured. The tips of every fur on her pelt had frost, and every pawstep she took left behind star frost. The glitter of stars shown in her pelt. "I made things right."
"But you are dead! Without even a proper burial." Frostfoot had more to mourn for now, besides just her lost mate.
"This was fate, Frostfoot. Your paws will walk paths tougher than that of the great Fernstar," warned Icefrost.
Frostfoot's eyes widened, but she continued on until they got to the burial place. The warriors and Wiseheart weren't paying any mind to her, so she kept talking to her mother. "How could that be? Fernstar lost everyone. She grew up without a father, even if he was a menace. She lost all her siblings, her mother, Graytail, who kinda stepped in for the father role! What kind of harder path would there be to tread?" she questioned.
"StarClan has warned me not to tell, or I will lose my connection with you, my daughter," Icefrost mewed in a low voice. "Do not do this to yourself. And go to the medicine cat apprentice Ashpaw right away. Ask her about Tantail's death and ask her to check you out."
"Why?"
"Just do as I say, Frostfoot."
Icefrost disappeared like sand blowing in the wind, and Frostfoot turned her eyes back on the ceremony.
--
The next morning, Frostfoot watched Ashpaw sorting through some herbs. "Ashpaw, I need you to check on me…," she began warily.
Ashpaw's eyed widened in excitement. "Oh, Whiteleg taught me how on my first day of training!" She hopped up and began feeling Frostfoot, sniffing, checking. Her blue-green eyes glistened. "You are pregnant. Congratulations."
Frostfoot almost fell over. "Really?" she mewed excitedly. Then she remembered the kits would never know their father.
"Don't worry. You'll have to retreat to the nursery soon. Then, you can forget your warrior worries." Ashpaw went back to sorting herbs, then looked up into Frostfoot's eyes. "Why didn't you have Whiteleg check you out? She's more experienced."
"It's a long story." Frostfoot sighed, then lay down on the packed earth of the clearing. "I have to ask you some questions about Tantail's death."
"I didn't treat him, Frostfoot," meowed Ashpaw sternly.
"Such a young apprentice to sound so stern." Frostfoot let out a purr, even though remembering her beloved shot a pawful of thorns through her heart. "Do you know what he had? Bellyache could not have killed him."
"True. I'm not sure; you'd have to ask Whiteleg. She just told me to fetch him some prey and bring it to her den so she'd put some herbs in because Tantail was fussy." Ashpaw shrugged, eyes clouding with grief. "I don't like talking about this…"
"Neither do I, but this is important." Frostfoot thought for a moment. "Tantail surely wouldn't have been as fussy as a kit? He's a strong warrior after all. I mean, was." Frostfoot choked on the last word.
"He always will be," Ashpaw mewed quietly and simply.
Suddenly, a looming shadow was cast over the two.