A Clan's Tragedy #1

Chapter 6 (COMPLETED)

   Chapter 6

   Six moons later, Hazelfur watched the cats in the clearing go to their nests. Tonight she and Featherpaw will go to the Starcave to make Featherpaw an offical medicine cat. She was exited to recieve her full name. Hazelfur thought of what her name should be.

   "Featherpaw!" she mewed to the apprintice."It's time to go now. Say good-bye to Cloudfur!" Featherpaw mewed something to her mother and ran off to Hazelfur. "Come on, we're going to be late!" The two cats padded out of the camp and walked beside the river in silence.

   When they got to the cave, Featherpaw mewed to Hazelfur, "Am I going to get my full name today?" Hazelfur nodded in awnser and went inside where Jaminefur, Twigtail and his apprintice, Turtlepaw were mewing quietly.  "Hi, Turtlepaw!" Featherpaw mewed.

   "Hi." was all the little she-cat said. 

   Hazelfur walked over to the back of the cave and mewed, "Medicine cats, I want to make a special announcement. Featherpaw is ready to recieve her full name tonight!" The cats cheered for the apprintice. Featherpaw dipped her head in embarrassment. "Come up here Featherpaw."

   "I, Hazelfur, call Starclan apon this apprinctice, and may you guide her throughout her life. Featherpaw, do you promise to seek Starclan in your times of need and worry, and to heal your clanmates with sympathy and comfort?"

   "I do." Featherpaw squeaked.

   "Then by the powers of Starclan, I present this apprintice her full name. Featherpaw from now on is Feathersong. May Starclan light your path." Hazlefur touched noses with Feathersong. 

   The medicine cats each layed down by the wall, and fell fast asleep. When Hazelfur woke up,she expected to see Feathersong. But instead she saw Treepaw. He was fast asleep in a meadow surrounded by mist. Hazelfur got up to check on him, but she couln't get through the rock hard mist that made it impossible so reach him. When she looked closer, she saw he was bleeding from his neck. With horror, Hazelfur tried to jump over the mist, but It was too hard to climb. She clawed the mist, but it didn't give way. She screeched his name to try and wake him, but she saw his breathing stopped, but the blood came on gushing out.

   Hazelfur woke with a start. Her breathing was frantic. Feathersong was just begining to yawn when Hazelfur shook her awake.

   "Feathersong, we need to get back to camp now!" She whispered."Treepaw may be hurt!"

   "What?" Feathersong jolted up."Come on then!" she started to run out and then said,"Good-bye! We need to get home!" to the other medicine cats. They glanced at each other in confusion. When the two she-cats ran home, they passed a jumble of twigs. Hazelfur tripped, but then got up and started running again. By the time they got to the camp, a screech sounded in Hazelur's ears. She raced into the camp to find a cat's body in the middle of the clearing. Baderfur was sprawled over a brown pelt wailing.

   "What happened?" Hazlefur demanded."Why is Treepaw hurt?" She rushed over to him. Just like in her dream, he had a neck wound. "Go get marigold and cobwebs... and poppy seeds." The poppies were for the grieving mother. Feathersong raced away. Hazelfur put her paw on Treepaw's belly. No breathing. She felt his heartbeat. It was faintly there. She pushed his chest up and down- a rapid breathing came to his lungs. Feathersong returned with the herbs, and Hazelfur quickly put on the dressing and put some poppy seeds in to his mouth.

   "Here." Hazelfur said to Baderfur."Eat them." Baderfur shook her head."Eat them! It'll make my job easier!" She snapped. The mother reluctantly ate two poppy seeds and layed down close by. 

   "Feathersong," she mewed." Can you go collect some moss and feathers? We can't move him so he has to sleep here this morning." The silver and black she-cat raced off out of the camp. Hazelfur checked his breathing as Rabbitstar came up to them.

   "I'm sorry Hazelfur." he mewed sadly."Fireclaw got him while on dawn patrol. Treepaw went over to some bushes and was attacked before any other cat could help him. We carried him home and hoped you came soon."

   "It's okay." she soothed."At least he didn't do anything more terrible than this. It wasn't your fault." Feathersong ran over to them and dropped a pile of moss and feathers. She began to make a nest around Treepaw to make him comfortable. Treepaw moaned in pain. Hazelfur began to treat his wounds with more herbs.

   "I'll go calm Baderfur down." mewed Feathersong, and padded over to the queen. Feathersong grabbed her scruff and carried the sleeping she-cat over to the warriors den. Hazelfur noticed her unusualy round big belly. She suspected she was going to have more kits soon. Hazelfur slept by the young tom and closed her eyes.

   When she woke, Treepaw was still sleeping in his makeshift nest. She put a paw on his head-hot. He must be exhausted by this heat. Hazelfur got up and went in her den to soak moss in the fresh pool a cat brought in. She picked up the moss gently and carried it over to Treepaw. Hazefur shook him awak.

   "Wha-?" Treepaw mewed tiredly."Why is it so hot?"

   "Here." she dropped the moss by his muzzle."Drink this." he started lapping at the moss. As soon as he stopped, he flopped down on his nest.

   Rabbitstar came up to them once again."Can I do anything?" he asked.

   "Um.." Hazelfur was busy putting a new layer on his wound."Yes- you can go ask Feathersong to go down to the river and get more water for him." Rabbitstar nodded and walked towards the medicine cat's den.

   "I'm tired."Treepaw complained."And my throat hurts." Hazelfur felt a rush of fear.

   "Are you hot inside?" she asked

   "Yes. My flesh is burning like fire!"

   Hazelfur concidered this, and went to go get burdock for infection. She looked to see in her den where it was, and a shock came to Hazelfur. There was no brudock! There was some yesterday, a whole mouthful!

   "Feathersong!" she called."Where is the burdock?"

   "I just gave the rest to Vole for his infected paw by a thorn." she meowed back."Why? Do you need it?"

   "Yes! We need some quickly!" Hazelfur raced out of the camp, and over to where Cloudclan borders them. A whole clump grows there all year. But when she go there, all she could find was black plants. All of it was killed by frost! Snow-melt was here and so is the frost. Hazelfur went back to camp to tell Rabbitstar to look out for some. When she walked into camp, Frostail raced over to her. 

    What does he want now? She thought bitterly.

   "Hazelfur!" he gasped."Treepaw is dead!"