Chapter Eleven

It was a humid, uncomfortable morning in the camp. Moonstar felt as though her pelt was suffocating her as she exited her den. There was a thick fog blanketing the clearing, making it hard to see anything farther than a fox length infront of you. Moonstar's belly cramped uncomfortably, bloated and round from her unborn kits. She was due in less than a moon, and there had been little to disturb the peace in her part of the jungle. Blight spent a lot of time with Webpelt in his den, asking him for advice on helping her or getting general healing wisdom.

Moonstar remembered, only a couple of days ago, Blight had suggested to Moonstar that one of their kits should train as the next leaf mender. "Webpelt is growing old," he reasoned, "your group should not be without a healer."

"I will not force our kits to do anything they are not comfortable," she mewed confidently. It was already customary that one of her kits were to be trained as heir, she would not force the others into their destinies. "The paths our kits choose are theirs alone to follow, we can only advise them," she purred as she nuzzled his ear.

Moonstar's attention snapped back to camp, where she could hear paws thrumming on the dirt, coming towards her. In a moment, Blight's black fur slunk out of the dense fog, his eyes shining as he looked at Moonstar. "Webpelt thinks you should rest in your den, this humid is too much of a strain," he mewed worriedly.

"I am still fit enough to lead my group," she huffed stubbornly as she pushed past him further into the clearing. He was back by her side in a second, trying to push her back towards her den. "Shadow has already taken care of all the patrols for the day, you should really just go back to your den and rest," he mewed softly. Moonstar stopped and sighed, "I guess Shadow knows my group well enough to lead it without me now."

"He just has really come to enjoy your traditions and rituals, he finds them far more interesting than what his own group has to offer him now," he mewed, his voice growing slightly harsher. Moonstar gave in to Blight's fur pushing against her and started to pad back towards her den. "I can never tell Shadow how greatful I am for his help," she purred happily, "he will have to help me for awhile, until our kits are made apprentices."

The mention of the kits made Blight's temper fade, his tail curling over Moonstar's back. "I can't wait to meet them," he whispered as they padded back into her den. She nodded slowly, her paws growing heavy as she stepped into her nest. She grew tired quite quickly now adays; a walk from her den to the fresh kill pile usually left her plenty exhausted.

As she nuzzled her nose under her paw and began to drift into sleep, Blight purred softly into her ear, "sleep now, my love. I will wake you in a little while."

An achingly familiar voice echoed from somewhere near by, "Moonstar we are here." The snowy, white leader opened her eyes and trilled with happiness as her gaze rested on Shellstar. They were once again standing on the quiet, sandy beach at the edge of the jungle. She jumped up and bounded over to him, her tail curling around him. "Oh, father. It is so great to see you again," she purred as she rubbed her muzzle against his cheek.

Shellstar seemed happy to see his daughter but his gaze was shadowed with concern. "I wish I was here with a lighter message," he mewed gruffly. Moonstar took a step back, looking up into her father's eyes, "please tell me there isn't more trouble for our group," she pleaded.

"There will always be trouble when the darkness has its grips on you," he mewed hopelessly, his head drooping. "Your kits are spawned from darkness, they will reap everything that you love," he choked, his eyes growing wild with fright.

"How can you say that about your kin," she gasped, her fur rising along her spine. "These kits are a blessing! They will unite our groups and bring peace to the jungle," she yowled angrily. All the fear she had felt leading up to this, had been replaced with a fiery anger. All this time, he thought that her kits were the darkness!

"Whatever is killing our group mates will not escape when we have so many strong, powerful warriors," she hissed, turning away from Shellstar. "My kits will not reap anything, they will be courageous and loyal; they will bring new strengths to our group," she yowled over her shoulder as she padded into the trees crowding the shore. As soon as the shadows swallowed her sight, she could feel herself shifting in her nest in her den.

Something had woken her, she could hear terrified cries out in the camp. Jumping to her paws, she shot out of the entrance in a flash. All the fog had cleared, the sun shining brightly into the clearing around her. She almost couldn't pin point where the yowling was coming from, it almost seemed like the camp was full of fearful caterwauling.

In her confusion, her mother had appeared by her side. Her eyes were dark and filled with anger and grief. "What's happening," Moonstar asked as the yowling grew louder.

"Battlescar caught Blight mauling one of our patrols near the beach. He killed Frostedpeak and Antlerheart," her voice cracked when she spoke their names. Moonstar stared at her mother in disbelief, her heart growing heavy and cold.

"That can't be what happened," she choked, her tail twitching nervously. As she turned to look around, she noticed that her group mates were bunched in a tiny group near the edge of the camp. Blight's camp mates sat several fox lengths away, looking equally frightened and some looked very confused. At that moment, a small patrol entered the camp with the deceased bodies of Frostedpeak and Antlerheart across their shoulders.

Moonstar stared in shock as she watched them lay the bodies gently onto the earthen floor, their pelts gouged with the familiar teeth and claw marks she noticed during the last two vigils she had kept for Morningsun and Pebblespots. "Those are the marks of the predator," she mewed loudly, "it couldn't have been Blight that did this to them."

"But it was him," Battlescar snarled as he padded into camp after the patrol, "I watched him sink his fangs into Antlerheart's throat." Moonstar turned her attention to the brown warrior laying on the ground, noticing that his throat was torn open and his chest fur was matted with blood. A tremor surged over Moonstar, making her crouch down in pain.

"It couldn't have been Blight," she wailed as another spasm gripped her. Maplestripe nudged her daughter urgently, "Moonstar, are you alright," she gasped.

Almost as soon as the last tremor faded, her muscles strained against another. "She has started her kitting," Palace mewed loudly from her group mates nearby. The experienced birth mother was one of her least favorite, growing an instant dislike since their prickly meeting in Blight's den the day she had spent the night.

"I'll just go to my den, Webpelt needs to tend to Antlerheart and Frostedpeak," she mewed through clenched teeth, feeling like her stomach was being raked with the sharpest of claws. Maplestripe pushed Moonstar towards her den, just like Blight had done earlier that morning.

"There is nothing Webpelt can do for them now. Your kits are quite early, you will need his help for your kits to be born strong and healthy," she reasoned. Moonstar sighed, her emotions twisting around like a twister cresting the waves of the ocean. Where was Blight? He should be here while she was kitting! There was no way he killed Antlerheart and Frostedpeak, he must have been defending them against whatever predator had attacked them. But as she turned and laid her eyes on her friend's short, brown pelt, she knew deep down that it had been him. I'm so sorry Antlerheart, please forgive me, she thought desperately as another spasm smacked into her and made her vision grow dark.