The young she-cat was making for the clearing where Clear Sky had made camp, but before she reached it she veered off into the trees. A low moaning came from up ahead, making every hair on Clear Sky’s pelt rise with horror.
Skirting a bramble thicket in Acorn Fur’s paw steps, Clear Sky emerged into a small clearing. In front of him he saw Petal and the two kits, Birch and Alder, lying in a makeshift nest at the foot of an elder bush. All three of them had the bloated bellies, the sores on their skin, and the foam around their jaws that were the signs of the sickness. The moans were coming from Petal as she made pitiful efforts to lick and comfort the kits.
“What are they doing here?” Clear Sky asked, stunned.
“One Eye made them come,” Acorn Fur mewed, her voice shaking with a mixture of pity and outrage. “He wouldn’t let us help them. He posted a guard and said we should leave them here to die, because they weren’t doing us any good.” She almost broke down, beginning to tremble, then forced herself to continue. “I couldn’t get here until today, when One Eye and his rogues left for the battle.
Quick Water and I brought them water and food, but I’m afraid it’s too late!”
“Maybe not.” Cloud Spots shouldered his way past Clear Sky and rushed over to the sick cats.
“Tall Shadow and Gray Wing have gone to fetch the Blazing Star from the other side of the Thunderpath. We must find tansy, quickly, to use until they return.”
There was a rustle in the undergrowth as Shattered Ice, Acorn Fur, and Sparrow Fur darted off immediately to find the herb.
Clear Sky’s legs felt shaky as he padded forward and stood looking down at Petal. As if his scent or the sound of movement had alerted her, she stirred, and her clouded eyes focused on him. “Clear Sky!” she whispered through cracked lips. “You came!”
Crouching beside the nest, Clear Sky lowered his head close to Petal’s. “Of course I came,” he murmured. “I couldn’t let that rogue—”
“I knew you would come!” Petal interrupted, her voice suddenly sounding stronger. “Of course you would! I’ve always been able to count on you, Clear Sky, ever since…” Her voice faded, the brief flash of strength ebbing away. Her eyes clouded again.
“Petal!” Clear Sky mewed urgently.
He could see the huge effort Petal was making to focus on him again. “I have to get better…” she croaked. “I want to help you, Clear Sky… to repay all you’ve done for me!”
As she spoke the last words her eyes seemed to fix on something in the distance. Her body gave a massive shudder, and went limp.
“Petal!” Clear Sky called out, sickness rising in his belly.
There was no response.
Cloud Spots padded up with Acorn Fur just behind him, a bunch of tansy in her jaws. He gave Petal a brief sniff and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Clear Sky. She’s gone.” As Clear Sky dug his claws into the ground, rigid with grief, the older tom continued, “She went untreated for too long. The kits are younger, more able to fight it. There’s hope for them still.”
“When we brought Petal the food she wouldn’t eat it,” Acorn Fur mewed, setting her herbs down beside the nest. “She took one bite and gave the rest to the kits.”
“They weren’t even hers.” Clear Sky’s voice was bleak. “But she was dedicated to them, right up to the end.” He was still struggling to accept that he had lost Petal, the cat who had given him unfailing support from the first time they met. I didn’t deserve her.
“We should bury her… quickly,” Cloud Spots meowed. They covered Petal’s body with leaves so that the sickness would not spread. Then with the help of Shattered Ice, who had also returned with tansy, Acorn Fur gently lifted Petal’s body out of the nest, trying not to disturb the kits. Finally they began to dig a grave at the side of the clearing.
Meanwhile Cloud Spots chewed up some of the tansy and began trickling the juices into the kits’ mouths. They were barely conscious, but their tongues lapped eagerly at the moisture as if they were tormented by thirst.
Clear Sky dipped his head until he could nuzzle the kits affectionately, not caring about the risk of infection. “Hello, my little ones,” he murmured. “You’ll feel better soon, I promise.”
Birch blinked up at him. “Where’s Petal?” he asked.
Clear Sky’s heart ached. “She’s gone back to camp,” he lied, fixing Cloud Spots with a gaze that forbade the other tom to contradict him. They’re too weak to bear the truth now. I’ll tell them when they’re stronger. He wondered what had happened to the expedition led by Gray Wing and Tall Shadow. They can’t get back with that plant soon enough.
Birch sighed and snuggled down in the nest again, pressing himself close to his sister.
“Should we move them back to camp?” Clear Sky asked.
Cloud Spots shook his head. “They’re better than Petal, but they’re still not doing well. They need the Blazing Star. Besides, it’s best to keep the kits away from the cats who are still healthy.”
Clear Sky nodded. “When we’ve buried Petal, Shattered Ice can go find Gray Wing and ask him to let us have some of the flowers.”
Leaving Cloud Spots with the kits, Clear Sky limped across the clearing to where Shattered Ice and Acorn Fur were digging the grave. His injuries made it hard for him to help, but in any case they had almost finished, and he contented himself with tidying up the scattered earth and removing the bigger stones.
“That’ll do,” Shattered Ice meowed after a few moments, standing back with a nod of satisfaction.
Clear Sky gently nudged Petal’s leaf-wrapped body into the hole and raised his head to the sky, his eyes closed, as the other two cats covered her with earth.
Please take care of Petal, determined and loyal to the last, he prayed silently to the spirit-cats.
Let her join your ranks and give us guidance. I will miss her.
Opening his eyes again, he wondered if the spirit-cats had heard him. Oddly the prayer had made him feel better.
Shattered Ice and Acorn Fur stood silently beside the grave for a few heartbeats, until Acorn Fur gave her pelt a shake. “Clear Sky, we ought to go back to camp,” she mewed.
Clear Sky nodded. “Right. Shattered Ice,” he added, “will you go to the hollow, and when Gray Wing comes back with the Blazing Star, tell him we need some here?”
“I’m on my way,” Shattered Ice replied briskly, loping toward the edge of the clearing.
“I’ll stay with the kits until the herb comes,” Cloud Spots offered. “I need to make sure it will help them.”
“Thank you.” Clear Sky dipped his head. “Will you be okay on your own here?”
“I think One Eye’s rogues are long gone,” Cloud Spots responded. “But on your way to camp, will you keep an eye out for Sparrow Fur? She went to collect tansy, and she hasn’t come back.”
Uneasiness tingled through Clear Sky from ears to tail-tip. Sparrow Fur was one of the bravest cats he had ever known, but she was still only a half-grown kit. And we don’t know there aren’t still rogues lurking about.
“I’ll do that,” he promised Cloud Spots. “And if she hasn’t turned up when I’ve spoken to my cats, I’ll send a patrol out to look for her.” Turning back to Acorn Fur, he flicked his tail in the direction of the camp. “Lead the way.”
All of Clear Sky’s senses were alert as he followed Acorn Fur, but he didn’t see or scent any sign of Sparrow Fur. I’ll get my cats to follow her scent trail from the clearing, he decided. Thorn is good at tracking. We’ll find her.
When he and Acorn Fur emerged from the undergrowth and entered the camp, Clear Sky saw the rest of his cats huddled around the pool in the center. They spun around, their shoulder fur rising apprehensively as he padded toward them.