DuskClan Camp

Smokeheart lifted his head from the scrawny mouse he was sharing with Graycloud and stood up, walking over.

Stormpoppy shook her head, turning away from the water. "Need...to go on patrol," she rasped, attempting to get to her paws and feeling her stomach clench from hunger.

Carnelianpaw tsked and pushed the shecat back down. "No you need to eat." She looked to Silverpaw. "Get some prey please."

Silverpaw nodded quickly and sprinted out, grabbing a plump bird from the fresh kill pile and running back. She set it by Stormpoppy, backing out.

Blizzardtuft entered the medicine den and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell of sickness and death. He felt his vision go blurry for a moment but ignored it and padded over to Carnelianpaw. "Hey, I know you're busy, but can I speak with Coldfoot?" he mewed, not knowing of the medicine cat's passing.

Carnelianpaw looked to the warrior at the sound of Coldfoot's name, her heart aching as she sighed. "Blizzardtuft.. Coldfoot-" She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing, "Coldfoot died while we were at the Mooncave," she mewed weakly, blue eyes dim.

Applepaw finally spotted Adderpool by Silverpaw and Oakpaw, and not wanting to interrupt them, she sighed went to go get something from the pile of freshkill.

Dovefrost breathed gasps of air as pain hit her. She glanced around wildly, looking for help, and caught Stormheart's gaze. "My kits!" She meowed, her eyes wide in fear.

The older shecat nodded and left the den, heading towards the medicine cat's den. "Hello?" She meowed, her fur spiked up from being ungroomed, her sickness getting worse. "Dovefrost is giving birth!" She repeated, more urgently this time.

Carnelianpaw jumped and nodded. "I'll be right there!" She looked around frantically, wrapping borage leaves and raspberry leaves up before grabbing a large stick and sprinting to the nursery. The small ginger tabby shecat pushed inside, setting the stick by Dovefrost's mouth and putting the large leaf with the herbs to the side. "Bite down on that, Dovefrost," she commanded, gently feeling the queen's belly.

Dovefrost nodded, clamping her jaws around the stick. She glanced up at Carnelianpaw, worry filling her gaze. Is one apprentice enough? What do I do now? What happens when they're- Her thoughts were cut off as a spasm hit her, she bit down on the stick, her eyes squeezed shut as her first kit made it's way out.

"Push with every pain, Dovefrost," Carnelianpaw instructed, grabbing the kit and licking its fur backwards before setting it by Dovefrost's belly. She looked around for Hollyshade, her heart sinking when she remembered the shecat was out getting herbs. And so is Tulippaw.. Come on Carnelianpaw, you can do this. She breathed out slowly and rubbed Dovefrost's belly with her paws.

Dovefrost wanted to curl up around the kit, and warm it up, but another rush of pain hit her as the second kit, as well as last kit, made it's way out. She let go of the stick, craning her head to see the two kits. "Are there more?" She questioned, her flanks heaving.

Carnelianpaw groomed the kit's fur backwards and set it by Dovefrost, shaking her head. "No, only two," she mewed, pushing the herbs to the queen. "Eat these. If you have trouble sleeping, have someone come get me and I'll bring some dandelion root," she mewed.

Dovefrost nodded, the whole event causing the small shecat to become shaky. She lapped up the herbs, despite the bitter taste along with it, although her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

Carnelianpaw offered a smile and padded out, letting her shoulders slump as she breathed out slowly. Damn that was stressful. She padded to the medicine den, hoping Tulippaw and Hollyshade would get back soon.

Cinderpaw sighed as her mew was unanswered and turned away from the medicine den, bursting into a bout of coughing.

Carnelianpaw jumped at the cough and rushed over to her sister. "Inside, now," she commanded.

“I’m not that bad I need to-“ She was cut off with another bout of coughs. She glanced up and Carnelianpaw wearily. “I’m really sick, aren’t I?” She said, her mew fearful and soft.

Carnelianpaw sighed and nodded, leading her sister inside. She looked around, searching for an herb to keep her sister awake.

Cinderpaw lay down in one of the nests warily and yawned. "I'm tired..." She said.

"Stay awake," Carnelianpaw snapped, worry lacing her voice.

Cinderpaw sighed and forced herself to stay awake, although she was exhausted from a sleepless night. "Alright sheesh." Cinderpaw rasped.

Dovefrost licked at her kits, wamrth filled in her loving gaze. After a while of watching them suckle at her belly, she noticed Riverswoop hadn't visited yet. Where is he? She lifted her head, staring out the den expectantly.

Carnelianpaw went over the herbs Featherwhisker had told them to use, glancing round for them. She padded forward, sniffing the small pile of thyme before grabbing what she guessed is the correct dose. She went around the medicine den, finding few things of juniper, tansy, and feverfew, but possibly just enough for her sister. I should really wait for Hollyshade and Tulippaw.. She cast a glance at her sister and her heart throbbed. But I can't lose Cinderpaw!

Riverswoop continued snoozing in the warriors den, oblivious to the things going on around him. It was almost as though the sleep was holding him down with invisible vines, relentless in their grip.

Stormpoppy blinked blearily at the goings-on, her tail flicking slightly. She tried to get to her paws again but collapsed.

Spiderfang jolted his head up from his short nap, and dragged himself, clumsily, over to Stormpoppy. "Stop!" He meowed, his eyes round with worry, "You'll only make things worse."

Stormpoppy hissed weakly. “You’re not a medicine cat. Let me do what I want.” She got to her paws again, managing to stumble out into the sunlight and relaxed a little as the albeit weak warmth hit her fur.

Spiderfang frowned, his ears flattening. Ever since he had been stripped from his rank, the clan treated him as if he was a pesky apprentice! I still remember all the herbs! Plus I spend almost all my time in the medicine den. He dragged himself out the den, hoping to keep an extra eye out for Stormpoppy as she sunned in the clearing. With slightly shaky forepaws, he dragged himself over to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a small shrew.

Carnelianpaw looked over and her eyes widened. She quickly scrounged up enough herbs for two doses, mixing them into a poultice and dribbling it into some water for Cinderpaw and Stormpoppy. "Cinderpaw, Stormpoppy, come get some water. It'll help your throats," she mewed.

OOC: Don't they have to search for the herbs that make the cure? Hollyshade already went out searching for the correct ones.

ooc: they have some left over, they're common enough herbs.

ic: Stormpoppy glanced at Carnelianpaw, padding over. "W-why is it green?" she mewed, swaying a little on her paws.

OOC: I put that they had a small supply of the herbs earlier. If it was such a big problem, Willow would've had me correct it.

Carnelianpaw smiled comfortingly. "I added some herbs into it that'll soothe your throat and your cough," she meowed, gently pushing the water to them.

OOC: Okay dokay. I didn't see it as a problem, I was only asking since I didn't know.

IC: Goosepaw padded into camp with (insert hunting patrol here) and carried the plump pigeon dangling from her jaws, straight to the medicine den. She poked her head in, and flicked her ear in greeting. "I brought this for Stormpoppy!" She called after placing the bird onto the ground.

Cinderpaw weakly stood up and slowly made it over to where her sister was, her eyes weary from the short distance. “Can I sleep after this?” She murmured.

Carnelianpaw hesitated before stating, "After you've eaten and once either Hollyshade or Tulippaw get back, yes."

Cinderpaw weakly lapped up at the moss, her face scrunching up when she got an herb in her mouth. She forced herself to swallow and felt sick after, she didn’t feel like drinking or eating anything before.

Stormpoppy stared blankly at Goosepaw, not moving to even touch the food. 

Eveningkit lay on her back in one of the only sunny spots in the camp, batting at a piece of moss and attempting to keep it in the air. She succeeded, then immediately it fell on her face.

Skypaw padded in with Creampaw at her side, dropping the prey she caught on the fresh kill pile before immediately heading to the elder's den. All the while she never once glanced at Scarletpetal. 

Creampaw dropped her mouse and bird in the fresh kill pile, glancing at her sister before padding to the medicine den to check on Dragonmoon.

Scarletpetal padded into camp, her fur fluffed up and sticking at different angles. She sighed as she watched Skypaw go to the elder’s den, then decided to go to a shady spot and lay down. “Guess i won’t have an apprentice soon..” she mewed quietly, more to herself.

Skypaw padded into the elder's den, tail lashing as.

Creampaw gulped and sat down, sighing lightly.

Carnelianpaw looked at her and smiled, nodding. She gently pushed the water to her. "Go ahead. Just leave some for the others," she mewed lightly.

Nightfrost stretched a little as he padded into camp, then looked around for Scarletpetal. He padded to her, brushing up beside her. "You were eager to report to Littleflower," he reminded her softly.

Sunflight, who was coughing hard, couldn't breathe. He looked up at the stars and saw one shining. He saw the star come down to him and saw his lost love, Shiningsplash. He gasped and she smiled. "Its your time, Sunflight. Lets live together again." He watched as she nodded at him. He felt his life drain away and soon he was following his love into the stars.

“I know... i’ll find Littleflower soon. I just wanted to rest.” Scarletpetal replied to Nightfrost. She purred softly and laid down, licking some fur on her legs that stuck up.

Spiderfang dragged himself back into the medicine den to get some rest, and noticed Sunflight's limp body, laying peacefully as if he was only asleep. The dark brown tabby flattened his ears as he pressed one of his paws on the warrior's chest, feeling no heartbeat. "He's dead." He whispered, sorrow filling his gaze.

Echorose wrote:Carnelianpaw looked to the warrior at the sound of Coldfoot's name, her heart aching as she sighed. "Blizzardtuft.. Coldfoot-" She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing, "Coldfoot died while we were at the Mooncave," she mewed weakly, blue eyes dim.

Blizzardtuft's throat blocked with emotion, and his eyes swelled with tears. He followed Carnelianpaw as she continued treating the ill cats. "What-what do you mean he died?" he managed to choke out. "What happened?" The hectic tom paid no attention to how busy the medicine cat was.

Gingerpatch gave off a few small coughs, lapping at the water hesitantly. She gagged at the taste of the herbs, but the added honey still soothed her throat. She limped towards the exit, but collapsed mid-walk. "I need to see... Rainpaw." she rasped.

Carnelianpaw flinched and sighed. "The sickness killed him, the journey was too much," she mewed sadly and pushed Gingerpatch back. "You need rest."

Gingerpatch growled, catching a glance at the sunny clearing outside. She longed to be back out there with Daisyleap, going out and hunting, and with Rainpaw, going out to train. Another sunrise stuck in the medicine den, she thought. I've been in here for five days. Why did I, of all people, had to get sick? Her auburn tail twitched with irritation. She had heard of cats going mad with loneliness, becoming so unstable they couldn't tell right from wrong. Am I going to turn out like that? She frowned and curled up in her nest again, watching the rest of the ill limp across the den, agony staining their faces.

Blizzardtuft bit his tongue and left, not wanting to disturb anyone any longer. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the worrisome thoughts. He decided to seek out his good friend Beetlestorm in the warriors den. He was too proud to admit it, but he felt better and safer in his presence.

Rainpaw padded up to the medicine den entrance, two mice and a rather scrawny looking sparrow in his jaws. "I brought these for you," he mewed to Carnelianpaw. "And the sick cats."