A pained, ear-splitting wail made Foresteye run toward the camp entrance, her paws slipping on the new fallen snow. Leaf-bare had come unexpectedly soon, gripping the lake with its icy paws. Due to the sudden change, several cats had caught whitecough or some type of cold. Thistlestep had to work extra hard to restock her herb supply to treat all of her patients.
As Foresteye hurried into camp, she caught a glimpse of Thistlestep's slim tail disappearing into the nursery.
Turtlemist must be having her kits, Foresteye realized with a pang of uncertainty. The early leaf-bare could cause problems for her kits, since they could easily catch whitecough or die early from the cold they weren't used to. They'll be fine. Turtlemist, Icepad, and Thistlestep will take care of them.
"Hey, Foresteye!" The young warrior turned to see Mothbrook trotting toward her. "Would you check for ticks on Mossbranch? With Thistlestep busy with Turtlemist, and Sunpaw in the medicine den with whitecough, Gorgestar has ordered that the warriors do the apprentice tasks for today. I've had Nightfang already bring Mossbranch the best frog he could find in the fresh-kill pile, and Toadclaw has been out in the pine forest looking for fresh moss for ages—although I can't blame him. With the sudden snow, almost all of the moss probably has gone bad."
Feeling a bit annoyed, Foresteye dipped her head to her former mentor and ducked into the medicine den where she sniffed out the disgusting scent of mouse bile and gingerly set it onto one of her front paws.
Hopping on three legs to the elders' den, Foresteye glanced at Icepad who was racing into the nursery, his eyes full of anxiety.
When she got to the elders' den, she noticed some of the thorns that held it together were poking out where they could be dangerous. I'll have to fix that after I check Mossbranch for ticks, Foresteye thought. She remembered when she was only a young apprentice, and she loved fixing the dens; no one would bother her, and the camp was mostly quiet since the days' patrols had left. But now, she would rather be hunting with Firebird or Nightfang, since there was only one apprentice, and the early leaf-bare must have scared the prey into their homes.
There had been no word from ThunderClan since the battle, yet Gorgestar was still wary enough to consistently mark the ThunderClan borders at dawn, sunhigh, and sunset. He planned to confront Stormstar at the next Gathering, the one Foresteye was not allowed to go to. It had felt like ages since she had gone on that assessment, although it had only been half a moon before.
"Who's makin' all that noise outside my den?" Mossbranch rasped. "If you wanna come in, just do it for StarClan's sake!"
Foresteye sighed and ducked into the elders' den. She sat down and began to comb through the elder's matted fur.
Mossbranch winced. "Sheath your claws if you're gonna pick the tick heads offa' me!" he hissed.
Foresteye blinked at unsheathed her claws. "Sorry," she muttered. She hadn't noticed that her claws had slipped, but she quickly tucked them back in and began to sift through Mossbranch's fur.
"ShadowClan hasn't had kits in moons," Mossbranch meowed suddenly, "Turtlemist's kits shall keep me entertained for a while." He flicked his tail toward the nursery. "They'll be bounding around and causing mischief in no time."
Foresteye looked up, but didn't say anything. She thought she saw sadness flicker in his eyes, but it quickly was replaced by humor. "I remember when you, Nightfang and Whispertail's kits were bouncing around the nursery, so excited to become 'paws. You were especially clumsy around the warriors."
Her ears feeling hot, Foresteye placed the mouse bile on a tick embedded on the base of the elders' tail and moved aside as it leaped off.
Mossbranch chuckled. "Well, you better go hunting," he meowed, nodding his chin toward the fresh-kill pile, "Turtlemist will need the extra food for her milk."
Foresteye dipped her head and exited the elders' den, feeling quite embarrassed. She spotted Nightfang coming back from the sunhigh patrol and bounded toward him.
"Will you fix the elder's den while I go hunting?" she asked her brother, "There's a thorn sticking out of the outside, and I don't want it scratching any cat's eyes."
"Sure thing," Nightfang mewed. He glanced at Toadclaw, who was heading toward the elders' den with a wad of moss in his jaws. Leaning toward Foresteye, Nightfang added, "And stay clear of Toadclaw. He's in one of his 'moods.'"
"Okay," Foresteye meowed, "I'm going to go hunting with Windfeather—he's been so tired lately, and I think a good hunting patrol will do good for him."
"See you later, then," Nightfang purred. He trotted toward the elders' den and began to look for the extruding thorn Foresteye had told him to fix.
Foresteye turned toward the warriors den and headed toward Windfeather's nest. "Hey!" she hissed quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping warriors. "Wake up, you lazy badger!" She gently shook her friend and he slowly opened his eyes.
"What?" he grumbled, standing up and shaking the flecks of moss off of him.
"Do you want to go hunting?" Foresteye asked, suddenly feeling a little bit shy. "Turtlemist has started kitting, and she'll need the extra food for her milk, and besides, the fresh-kill pile is getting low, and the senior warriors will have our tails if we don't hunt soon."
Windfeather sighed. "Sure," he mewed, "As long as we don't stray too close to the ThunderClan border." He glanced at her with a mischievous look.
"Er, yeah, with the battle and all—" Foresteye stammered, trying to find the right words to say. She knew he was talking about when she had crossed the border in pursuit of that lizard.
Windfeather purred. "With the battle and all, yes," he teased, "Now let's go before some cat starts yowling at us."
He ducked out of the warriors den and began trotting toward the camp entrance with Foresteye on his tail.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Pinebranch for a Clan meeting!" Gorgestar yowled. His eyes swept around the busy camp as confused cats looked up at him.
But what about hunting?
Windfeather sighed. "We'll have to hunt later," he meowed, "Let's see what's going on."
As the ShadowClan cats gathered around, Gorgestar flicked his tail impatiently. "Cats of ShadowClan, I bring good news," he began once every cat was seated, "Turtlemist will soon have her kits in front of her, and new life gives ShadowClan prosperity and hope for a good future."
Murmurs of excitement broke out in the throng of cats.
"But that is not all. Cloverfur, please come forward."
As Cloverfur stepped forward, Windfeather whispered into Foresteye's ear, "What's happening?"
Foresteye shrugged.
"Cloverfur, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go join the elders?" Gorgestar asked the black she-cat.
Cloverfur dipped her head. "It is," she meowed.
"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest."
"Cloverfur! Cloverfur!" the Clan cheered. As Cloverfur padded slowly to the elders' den with her head low, Foresteye spotted a heavy limp in the new elder's front leg. A long tear ran up her shoulder and reached her neck before it stopped and a thin, white scar replaced it as it traveled toward her back legs.
"Cloverfur must have gotten that scar in the ThunderClan battle," Windfeather murmured, "That's why she must've retired."
As Cloverfur disappeared into the elders' den, the Clan turned toward Gorgestar. "And I believe that is all I have to share with you for the time being," he meowed, "Meeting dismissed." He leaped off of the Pinebranch and whispered something that Foresteye couldn't catch into Echowing's ear before vanishing into his den.
Murmurs echoed around the camp as the cats broke away from the Pinebranch and returned back to their duties.
"Well," Windfeather breathed, "On that note, let's go hunting."
xxx
By sunhigh, Foresteye and Windfeather had caught a decent amount of prey, and they both had agreed they would go back to camp to help with repairs or reinforcements.
Foresteye dropped her prey into the pile and grabbed a frog. Windfeather joined her and they began to eat in silence.
"So," Foresteye meowed, trying to break the unsettling silence, "How does it feel to be a warrior now?"
Windfeather purred. "It feels great!" he meowed, his eyes lighting up. "But…I wish Umberpaw could be here with us, as a warrior." He looked down at his paws.
Foresteye pressed himself against the gray tom. "She is with us, we just can't see her," she reminded Windfeather, "Maybe one day she will visit your dreams."
Windfeather looked up, his eyes hopeful. "You really think that? I could see her again?" he asked. Foresteye bit into her frog before nodding.
"Of course," she meowed brightly, "I know she misses you, as well."
Windfeather sighed in relief. "Thanks, Foresteye," he mewed, "I needed that."
"It's what a friend would do, wouldn't it? You would do the same thing for me if Nightfang died," Foresteye purred.
Windfeather pressed his head under Foresteye's muzzle. "I really like you, Foresteye," he whispered. "Do you know that?"
The breath caught in Foresteye's throat. You do? "I really like you, too," was all Foresteye could manage.
Windfeather's chest vibrated as he let out another throaty purr. He rested his head onto Foresteye's paws and closed his eyes.
Foresteye sighed.
Thistlestep ducked out of the nursery, a happy and relieved look playing on her face. She bounded into the warriors den and reappeared with Icepad right behind her. He hurried into the nursery, his tail flicking nervously.
Turtlemist must be ready to have visitors, Foresteye thought, Gorgestar is right. With new life, ShadowClan will prosper.
