Warrior cat fanfic!! :)

Chapter 9

 Blood-scent floated into Wheatstar's den, and he slunk out to meet his deputy, who was returning with the evening patrol, lugging large loads of prey from their jaws.

"It's the best catch we've had in moons!" purred Sorrowgnash, kneading his swollen and cut paws. "It took a lot of time stalking and chasing. The bunch of rabbits took at least half a day to kill." he began carefully washing a paw.

"Wait!" called a gentle, melodic voice. A sleek lavender she-cat bounded out of her den and stopped neatly next to Sorrowgnash. "Your wound is infected. Let me treat it, and it'll heal in less than a moon."

Sorrowgnash's piercing yellow eyes softened and he nodded, following the medicine cat into her herb store. She smeared a poultice of yarrow and catmint into the wound. Her soft aquamarine eyes lit up as he smiled, nuzzling her and heading towards his own den. The she-cat, Lilacnose, grunted softly in disappointment as she remembered that she couldn't have a mate.

She pushed her grief away and headed for Wheatstar's den. She nudged the dried reeds that covered the den entrance aside and padded in. "I heard from Sorrowgnash yesterday that your old wounds are playing up again." she flicked her tail as he raised a forepaw. A deep cut ran across his belly, infection making it turn brown. "Why didn't you tell me!" she meowed, sniffing the wound. "It's moons old! It'll make you cripple!" She fetched some more poultice and smeared it in, the catmint soothing it.

"You and Sorrowgnash are close." the SpoondriftClan leader finally stated, looking at her with cold ice blue eyes.

"Yes." purred Lilacnose shyly, lathering the poultice into his wound with her tongue.

"I can't have that." he said, glancing out at Sorrowgnash, who was standing waiting for Lilacnose to finish.

"Why!" Lilacnose demanded, lifting her head and flicking her tail angrily.

"Because you're a medicine cat! And–and because..." he looked at his brother, Nightingface. "Because he's not the only one who cares for you, Lilacnose." he looked back at the beautiful she-cat.

"I have to go!" she blurted, darting away. "Tansystone will be waiting for me!" Tansystone was her sister.

Wheatstar watched as Sorrowgnash stared after her, unable to chase.

Pity flashed through him as he realised that he had betrayed his deputy in suggesting that his own brother should be with his beloved over him.

Wheatstar shook the thought away and stepped towards Sorrowgnash. "You'll be on the evening patrol." he meowed, before turning to leave.

"Wait!" called his deputy. "But I promised Lilacnose that I would show her the new nest of robins I found!"

"I'm sure Nightingface will be more than happy to take your place in this purely clan-beneficial outing!" he snapped, before stalking away.

Sorrowgnash turned away, fuming. He ran for the nursery, only to be cut off by the beautiful black she-cat, Starlingpelt.

"Going somewhere?" she purred, weaving around Sorrowgnash.

"Yes, just to see Elmfur's new kits." He avoided her soft gaze as he slunk into Elmfur's den. "Hello, Elmfur." he purred, nodding politely to the young copper coated queen.

Elmfur looked up, and her exhausted expression brightened when she saw her friend come in. "Hi! Sorrowgnash! Crowstone just left to hunt."

Crowstone was Sorrowgnash's brother, and Elmfur's mate.

"What are the kits' names?" Sorrowgnash asked, curling up by her three huddled kits.

"Sunningkit," she nudged a little short haired, black copper and white tabby she-cat, with a few white spots on her pelt towards his uncle. "Meet Sorrowgnash."

Sunningkit mewed softly and turned to her brother, a wheat coloured tomkit with green eyes that were half-closed. "That's Clapkit," Elmfur explained quietly. "And this is Chillkit." Chillkit looked up at Sorrowgnash with large, pale blue eyes. Her soft brown fur was puffy and her tail was fidgeting uncontrollably.

"They're beautiful!" purred Sorrowgnash, licking their tiny backs and heads. Then he left to join the hunting patrol.