The squeal of a kit awakened Aurorastar. Typically she would ignore these types of noises, but the ears of a mother told her to get up.
She pried her eyes open, resting her gaze on her three-day-old kits. They were snuggled at her belly, curled around one another as the slept.
"Five kits is a lot," Starwhisper had told her the day before. "I've never heard of a queen having that many kits." The medicine cat's eyes had then drifted, clouded over with thought. "I wonder if it is an omen."
Aurorastar didn't want to think about that.
She became alert when she noticed Mosskit pawing at Lifekit, letting out aggravated mews. Aurorastar's blood turned cold when she saw that Lifekit didn't move, didn't even make a sound.
"Starwhisper!" her hoarse cry echoed through the medicine cat's den. "Starwhisper!"
Immediately the medicine cat charged out from the herb storage and ran towards Aurorastar. She didn't even speak, just gazed at the kits, a solemn, knowing look in her eyes. Her small pink nose moved over Lifekit. Then, as gently as a mother, she picked the kit up and began moving towards the den entrance.
"No!" Aurorastar screeched. "Don't take my kit!"
"He's dead, Aurorastar," Starwhisper's defeated voice enveloped the leader like a wave. Starwhisper had admitted that Aurorastar's greatest fear had occurred.
She lashed out, claws extended and teeth bared. She knew attacking was hopeless, but something inside of her thought that if she fought hard enough, she might bring back her dead kit.
"No!" she cried out once more, tears blurring her vision. She no longer knew where she was swiping, or if they had ever connected with flesh. Eventually she gave up, staring at her paws.
"Please," she whispered. But her words were not to the medicine cat, but to StarClan. She didn't want them to take anymore of her kits.
She felt another body curl around her, and recognized Nightsun's warm scent. However, his scent did not mask his overwhelming grief.
He didn't speak, just wrapped himself around Aurorastar and their kits, desperate to protect them.
Exhaustion crept over Aurorastar. She did not want to sleep, but didn't fight it when it drowned out her vision, taking her away from the world of grief that had surrounded her.
•••
When she awoke, it was sunhigh, newleaf's golden sun casting its warm rays upon the camp.
Nightsun had left, probably on patrol. Her four kits were still nestled at her belly, now drinking the milk Aurorastar had to offer.
She bent down, resting her nose on the feather-soft moss. It still carried Lifekit's scent.
She wanted to talk to someone. A friend. Someone who she could tell all her troubles to, and they would listen and understand.
The first cat that came to her head was Eclipsewing, her very sister. But as she looked out the den entrance into the camp, she did not see her sister's familiar pelt.
The other cat she thought of was Starwhisper. She was the medicine cat, so she had no patrols to make or orders to receive.
She turned her gaze to the den entrance, hearing a set of paw steps. At first she thought it was the medicine cat herself, but then she realized it was Starwhisper's sister, Bluemoon.
"Aurorastar," Bluemoon started, "I'm so sorry for your loss. I know my words will probably mean nothing, but is there anything I can do to help?"
Aurorastar ignored the sadness that threatened to take over her. "Yes, actually," she mewed. "Could you please take care of my kits for a little bit? I wanted to go out for a walk."
Bluemoon's eyes lit up, obviously pleased that she was able to help. "Of course," she meowed, padding over.
Aurorastar slid out of her nest, relieved when the kits did not protest. Instead they snuggled in as Bluemoon curled around them.
"Thank you, Bluemoon," she murmured, gratitude washing over her.
Bluemoon nodded, and Aurorastar moved towards the herb storage, wondering if Starwhisper was busy with their medical supplies. Instead, she saw Birchleaf's pale brown pelt.
"Aurorastar," Birchleaf sounded surprised. "Do you need anything?"
"I was just looking for Starwhisper," Aurorastar replied in her now usual raspy voice.
"Oh," Birchleaf murmured. "Well, I believe she went out searching for herbs."
"Okay," she replied, turning to leave.
"Wait," Birchleaf meowed, "Aurorastar, are you doing okay?"
The leader met Birchleaf's green eyes. You have no idea how it feels to lose a kit. Instead, she forced a slight nod.
"Thank you, Birchleaf," she meowed, clearly dismissing the medicine cat apprentice. She spun around, trotting to the den entrance. She casted Bluemoon one more grateful glance before heading out of the den.
The sunlight immediately grabbed at Aurorastar's pelt, warming her body. A light breeze brushed through her ears, making her realize how much she was yearning the outside land.
As she moved towards the camp entrance, many grieving pairs of eyes became fixed on her pelt.
Feeling overwhelmed, Aurorastar changed into a sprint, racing out of the camp before she did something like cry.
Starwhisper's faint scent immediately engulfed her nose. It was tinged with the sharp scent of herbs, and Aurorastar stiffened when the faint scent of death was also mixed with it.
Lifekit.
Then another startling thought came to Aurorastar's mind.
Has Starwhisper been to camp ever since she took Lifekit last night?
Panic began to swell through Aurorastar as she rushed into the forest, intent on finding her friend.
Her blood turned to ice when the pungent scent of blood hit the roof of her mouth.
"Starwhisper!" she cried out, her stomach clenching.
"Aurorastar." The weak cry sounded nearby, and immediately the SunClan leader plunged into the undergrowth where the sound had been heard.
And what she saw was unimaginable beyond compare.
Starwhisper's torn body was sprawled onto the grass, the green stalks now stained with red. The medicine cat's back legs were twisted at an awkward angle, and blood was slowly spilling out of her belly.
"Great StarClan!" Aurorastar shrieked, frantically checking over the medicine cat's body.
"I'm still alive, mousebrain," Starwhisper rasped, her voice sounding so lifeless, it made Aurorastar wonder if she was just imagining it, and that Starwhisper was really dead.
"You will remain that way. I'm not gonna let you die." She looked around, her gleaming eyes scanning the area for any moss. "Stay still, I need to go find some moss," Aurorastar said as she began to race off in the opposite direction.
"Aurorastar, stop," Starwhisper huffed, green eyes flickering open.
"I need to get moss for you!" Frustration and panic was overwhelming her.
"It's too late for me. StarClan approaches the edges of my vision," came the medicine cat's reply.
"Don't say that!" Aurorastar snapped, crouching down by her friend's dying body. "You have to live."
Starwhisper's cloudy eyes narrowed. "Aurorastar, listen to me. Nightglow is planning an attack against SunClan. It's badgers. Badgers everywhere. I don't know how, but they will attack SunClan, and it's exactly what Nightglow wants."
Aurorastar was stunned. "Did Nightglow do this to you?"
She nodded. "I learned about the plan, I was eavesdropping. When she found out..." Starwhisper winced in pain. "Well, you know what."
"Well, I'm not gonna let you die," Aurorastar persisted. But the light was already beginning to leave the medicine cat's eyes.
"Don't turn your back on this, Aurorastar. You must be ready." Starwhisper coughed, gasping in a final breath, and then lay still forever.
Aurorastar stared at Starwhisper's body, to appalled and struck with grief to move.
You must be ready.
A/N: I'm sorry, guys, but I had to do it. Starwhisper is probably one of my favorite characters. It killed me to kill her off. :( As for Lifekit, well, five kits was a lot, and remember when Starwhisper thought the kits were an omen? Well, she was correct. If you wish to learn more about it, please read my sequel, A Darkening Path. :) I will greatly appreciate it! Thanks for all those views, guys! Please leave one last review before I finish this story ;) I may finish it today, so...
Review Reply:
Lazy Watermelon: You're welcome! ^~^ Sorry, I was just kinda frustrated, but thank you so much! ;D