Chapter Six

Jaypaw was feeding Ferncloud some catmint, while Lionpaw loomed over his shoulder, breathing in his ear.

"Do you mind?" Jaypaw complained.

"Sorry," Lionpaw meowed, and he backed up a bit.

"Thank you."Jaypaw continued what he was doing, and Leafpool looked on attentively, with a glint of happiness in her eyes.

"You're doing great, Jayp—" Leafpool was cut off by Hollypaw bursting through the entrance of the nursery.

"Please tell me she's alright!" she wailed, running over to Jaypaw. Ferncloud was lying on her side with Icekit and Foxkit near her face.

"Yes," Ferncloud croaked. Her voice was scratchy, but Jaypaw could feel a huge spark of relief crackle through the air. His ear twitched, but Hollypaw seemed to be lost in her own little world.

"Are you sure?" Hollypaw asked, hurriedly. "Please, let me help!" she added to Leafpool.

"Er…" As if not expecting Hollypaw to want to help so quickly after messing up, Leafpool seemed taken aback. "Okay. Could you get her something to drink?" Jaypaw realized why Leafpool had given her that job, and he smiled at the thought of his mentor's cleverness.

"Yes!" Hollypaw dashed out of the den and retuned in what seemed like no time at all carrying a ball of moss, soaked to the core. Jaypaw blinked. Something is going on here, he thought. Jaypaw could feel Cinderpaw's gaze on him for a second, and then the feeling vanished.

"Here, where would you like it?" Hollypaw asked. She sounded paranoid, as if the whole forest would explode at any time.

"I'll take it," Leafpool mewed, obviously recognizing it as well. Jaypw heard a small squish as the wet moss was passed from one cat to the other.

"What else can I do?" she meowed.

"Nothing," Leafpool said simply. "Ferncloud, we'll let you rest for a bit now. Just come with me to the medicine cat den and you can sleep there tonight. Daisy?"

"Huh?" another she-cat mewed. "Yes, Leafpool?"

"Could you please watch over Icekit and Foxkit for tonight?"

"Of course!" Daisy purred. The two kits scurried over to Daisy, shaking with fear.

"But can't we stay with Mommy tonight?" Icekit asked.

"No," Leafpool said softly. "Mommy is sick, and she needs to rest." There was a small whimper coming from Icekit when Leafpool continued.

"But I promise she will get better."

"I hope so," Jaypaw heard Hollypaw whisper, but no one else seemed to hear her. What is she so freaked out about?

While Leafpool was helping Ferncloud up, Hollypaw rushed to her side and let Ferncloud rest on her shoulder. Ferncloud let out a faint purr of amusement, and Jaypaw smiled to himself. The three cats walked out of the nursery, leaving Cinderpaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw alone.

"What's gotten into Hollypaw?" Cinderpaw pointed out.

"I dunno," Lionpaw answered. "What about you, Jaypaw?"

"No clue," Jaypaw mewed with a shrug. "But I know something's up." He padded out into the main clearing to find that the rain with lightening up, but not by much. He went over to the medicine cat den and walked in.

"Let me help, please," Hollypaw was begging.

"I told you," Leafpool sighed, "there is nothing to do but let her rest."

"Maybe she needs someone else's body warmth?" Hollypaw mewed. "Want me to sleep next to her? It's kind of cold now."

"It's alright, Hollypaw," Leafpool said. "I don't need anymore help."

"You sure?" Hollypa persisted. Ferncloud let out a muffled snore.

"Positive," Leafpool meowed. Hollypaw prodded the ground with her paws.

"Okay," she mumbled. She began to head for the entrance and then almost knocked into Jaypaw.

"Sorry!" she said quickly. "I didn't see you!" She weaved her way around him and went back to the apprentice's den.

"What's gotten into her?" Leafpool meowed once she had left. "I thought she didn't want to become a medicine cat apprentice?"

"I'll find out tonight," Jaypaw meowed.

hr

That night, Hollypaw had come to sleep in the medicine cat den, just like Jaypaw had predicted. Leafpool had told her that she didn't have to sleep near Ferncloud's side, but when Leafpool fell asleep, she did anyway. Careful not to wake anyone up, Jaypaw got to his paws and walked over Hollypaw.

He pressed his side up against her pelt, and soon fell asleep.

He was back in the nursery when he opened his eyes. Except there was no entrance, and there were faint speckles on the roof. He looked around to see Hollypaw, trying to run. But where? Turning his head to look in the direction that his sister was running, he saw Ferncloud, Icekit, and Foxkit. There was a dim light coming from Ferncloud, and Icekit and Foxkit were saying something.

"Mommy, how do you feel?" They were snuggling up against her, and she openly welcomed them by licking their heads. The speckles above head got fainter, and Hollypaw looked so happy that she was about to cry. She tried to run again, but she only got a little closer. Then, she always ended up in the same spot.

Hollypaw then began to fade, and Jaypaw's whole body felt ice cold. Everything went black and he lifted his head, knowing that he was now awake. He could hear that the rain had stopped, and some cats were going out into the main clearing. Jaypaw felt his sister wiggling a little in her spot, and now he knew why.

"Everything is going to be alright," he whispered in her ear, and she laid still.