All right, I know I've already put up a chappie today, but I felt I needed to update. Thank you reviewers, 110 reviews! ; )
Disclaimer: I am really sick of making these . . . shouldn't there be, like, after you type the word Disclaimer, it pops out a random, funny disclaimer? Sigh . . . maybe someday. As for now, I don't own Warriors.
Stormsky stared down at the dead kit in the nest. The juniper berries were still in his jaws, held by its stem.
Stripedkit let out a wail. "Yellowkit!" The small tabby kit buried his noise into his sister's golden fur. Then he glared at Stormsky. "You could have saved her! It's your fault!"
"But I- the berries- she wouldn't-- Stripedkit!" Stormsky stuttered.
But the small kit wasn't listening. "Yellowkit, don't die! Please!"
Stormsky let out a shuddering sigh, dropping the unused juniper berries in the good herbs pile. How could he have not saved that kit? Stripedkit was right- he could have done something. He could have tried to get the berries in.
But he was too late.
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Stormsky watched as Dewmist and Rockstep carried Yellowkit's small body out of camp for burial. He dipped his head, grief melting his heart. It was his fault that poor kit died; his fault.
No other cat but him.
Icestream licked her brother's ear. "It's all right," she meowed, her voice choked with sadness. "You did your best."
Stormsky shook his head. "No, I didn't." He swallowed weakly. "I might have been able to save her . . ."
He blinked, and for a moment he was in the black void. Jayfeather, Nightwind, and a dark gray tom who must have been Duskfur were staring at him. Yellowkit sat beside them, her eyes gleaming and her fur bright in the darkness. Stormsky closed his eyes tight, and when he opened them, the sky was dark and a storm rumbled in the distance.
Stripedkit was alone in the clearing, looking up and letting the rain fall on him. His face was too sad for a small kit of barely five moons. He stared over at Stormsky, his blue eyes asking, Why?
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In Stormsky's dream, Nightwind and Jayfeather padded on either side of him.
"You tried," Nightwind meowed, her voice trying to sound encouraging.
"Not helping," Jayfeather muttered.
"Shut up," Nightwind mumbled.
Stormsky just shook his head. "How can I help Stripedkit? He says it was my fault." He felt embarrased to have his mother make him feel better, but a kit had died because of him. This would haunt him forever.
Jayfeather had opened his mouth, but Nightwind shot him a warning glance. The gray tabby seemed to sense it, and sighed sharply. "You tried, Rainkit-" Nightwind began.
Anger engulfed Stormsky in its unquenchable fires. "Sometimes trying isn't good enough, mother!" he hissed. He broke free from their rythamic stride, running as fast he could into the distance.
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"Stormsky?"
Stormsky awoke in the clearing, his fur wet and matted to his pelt. Stripedkit stood over him timidly, his eyes still glazed. "Stripedkit?" the gray warrior asked, rolling over and standing as he shook his fur.
"Yellowkit- Yellowkit came to me last night," Stripedkit mewed quietly. "She said- she said it wasn't your f-fault and I shouldn't b-be mad at you."
Stormsky swallowed and nodded. The little kit was trying so hard not to cry.
"S-so I guess I'm not," Stripedkit continued, his mew becoming more high-pitched. "I forgive you." Then he broke down, his little body shaking as he cried.
Stormsky licked the kit's head, trying to comfort the little tom. Icestream sat down beside them, helping the kit as well. Stripedkit's mother, Ripplepool, looked at them with sorrow, and lay down as well. Lightfang and Thrushkit and Blackkit joined, and more cats kept coming, until all of RiverClan was gathered in the clearing.
Stormsky stared up into the air. He thought he saw a shimmering golden figure stare down at him. "Thanks," it mewed, and then it vanished.
OK, it's not finished yet! That was the sad part, now here's the end of chapter 24.
Yellowclaw coughed. "Ugh, it's disgusting!"
"Well, be quiet, 'cause you didn't have to come," Thrushfeather meowed crossly. "Me and Stormsky could have gone, but noooo, you wanted to come."
Yellowclaw hissed. "Well, Stormsky could get sick!"
"So could we!" Thrushfeather shot back.
Yellowclaw's eyes softened. "Come on, let's get rid of this," she meowed, and she bent to lick the last of the silver stuff from the river.
Thrushfeather choked. "Let's get back to WindClan camp and get some herbs for our stomachs."
"But we have to tell RiverClan they can drink from their river again," Yellowclaw argued hoarsely, stumbling to her paws. She bumped into Thrushfeather.
The brown warrior hissed. "Get off!" He pushed her gently to steady her.
The WindClan she-cat shuddered. Her eyes were unfocused and distant. "Yellowclaw?" Thrushfeather asked. "I- I think we should head back to camp now."
Yellowclaw did not reply. Instead, she fell to the ground and lay there, breathing shallow.
"Yellowclaw!" Thrushfeather yowled.
Slight cliffie! The sickness is really bad, huh? Oh, and Emberheart, you can be a kit in the next book in either ThunderClan or WindClan if you want . . . you could be Hawkkit! (I looked on your profile and saw what your warrior description was. ; D ) Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers; there will only be a couple more chapters, maybe 4 or 5. Within those chapters, Stormsky will find his love- take a guess in a review. Swiftpaw out!