Warriors- Dawn of An Era: Shadows of Terror {Book 2} (COMPLETED)

Chapter Seventeen

Slippaw yawned as he shifted in his nest, trying to fall back asleep. Daylight was slipping through the gaps in the bramble walls of the apprentice den and the crisp air sank into his smoky fur. As his eyes gradually opened, he quickly realized that Silverpaw and Kestrelpaw weren't in their nests. They're probably on the dawn patrol. He thought, grateful that he didn't need to be woken up with the usual sneer or snarky remark by his littermates.

Looking outside the den, something glowed at the entrance of the den, white and glistening. Snow! Slippaw shot to his feet and hurried to the white powder, awed at the sight. He was born in leafbare, so he knew what snow looked like, but it still made him feel like a kit, still suckling from the curve of his mother's belly. He padded out of the sheltered den, seeing Lilymist's kits taking advantage of the weather and playing freely in the snow. Spotting his mother basking in the sun with her eye on the kits, resentment bubbled in his belly. If only she paid more attention to me when I was that age. Slippaw shook out his pelt and headed for the warrior's den, searching for his mentor.

Lightningstreak wasn't in the clearing, so Slippaw ducked inside the den. The warrior's den was much bigger than the apprentice's den, sheltering more cats that were twice the size of a fresh apprentice. Not seeing his mentor anywhere, Slippaw felt more at ease as he slid out of the bramble den. Lightningstreak's mate, Willowsun, was padding toward the nursery, carrying two skinny frogs between her jaws. Her flanks were round with the promise of new kits as she lumbered toward Lilymist.

Sighing, Slippaw headed for the prey pile, which was pitifully small. Choosing a small mouse for himself and a scrawny blackbird for Rainpelt and Pinenose, he carried the prey toward the medicine cat's den and slipped inside soundlessly.

"Rainpelt? Pinenose?" He called, his voice muffled from the prey as he halted at the mouth of the cave.

"Be there in a moment," Pinenose's gentle voice echoed in the den as the sound of her stepping made a soft pitter padder.

"I've brought some food," he mewed, padding toward her voice and stopping at what he saw.

Splayed out in a moss nest was Blizzardstar. Her eyes were wide and glazed as she twitched and choked on something. Her paws jerked as her tail bushed out to twice its size.

Slippaw dropped the prey he was carrying and dropped to his knees, staring in shock as his leader spat out a dark substance and shuddered. "Blizzardstar!" He cried.

Pinenose whisked her tail across his mouth and nudged him to the other side of the den. "Keep your voice down," she murmured, casting Blizzardstar a worried and concerned look.

"How long has she been...like that?" Slippaw asked, his voice consumed with worry and fear for his leader. Despite her tyrannic behavior, he still respected the pale ginger leader and would follow her to the end of the world if he was told to.

"About a half-moon." Pinenose let out a weary sigh and twitched her ear. Horror and betrayal washed over the apprentice, startled that the medicine cat apprentice would keep such a thing from the rest of the Clan. "Before you mention anything about the Clan, Snowfall knows."

"But what about the rest of the Clan?" Slippaw was in shock. What if Blizzardstar lost her ninth life and joined StarClan? The Clan wouldn't know how she died!

Pinenose flicked her tail over his ears. "The Clan will know that their leader is ill and has not lost a life," she meowed, her voice stern and sharp.

"You need to tell them!" Slippaw blurted out, unable to hold back the outburst. "The Clan needs to know their leader will be okay!"

"Slippaw," a sharp hiss from the cave entrance made the apprentice's fur bristle. Rainpelt slid into her den, her hazel eyes flashing. "We do not know if Blizzardstar will be okay. That's why we haven't told the Clan yet."