The Roaring Winds

Chapter Twenty-One: Stars

Chapter Twenty-One: Stars

"Here you go, Meadowpelt," Rosepaw gave the tabby a wad of herbs. It was a mix of chamomile and lavender. Meadowpelt accepted the herbs gratefully, flashing Rosepaw a warm smile.

"The chamomile will give you strength for your body and heart, and the lavender should help with your fever. The scent is also sweet and comforting, so it might help you sleep," Rosepaw informed her.

Meadowpelt nodded, eating the herb mixture. She laid her head on her forepaws, her whiskers drooped. Her condition hadn't improved in the course of an entire half-moon. The queen had lost a lot of weight, and she frequently experienced bouts of weakness and vomiting. And, with the cold season overhead, she had gotten a fever, which was brutal, with her weakened immune system.

The queen met Rosepaw's eyes, sorrow clouding her gaze. "Am I ever going to get better?"

"Of course, you'll get better!" Oakstump intervened, his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness of the den. "You'll fight this fever off, in no time. And, your condition is slowly beginning to improve as a whole."

Meadowpelt flashed the elder medicine cat a doubtful glance. "I haven't noticed any improvement. I seem to be getting worse, with this fever and all."

"Just give it some time. By next moon, I'm sure you will be ready to return to the nursery," Oakstump smiled at the queen.

Meadowpelt had continued to reside in the medicine cat den. Her symptoms weren't contagious, but the medicine cats wanted to keep a close eye on the queen, especially if her condition worsened. Three days ago, Oakstump had woken up in the middle of the night to see Meadowpelt drinking water from a pool in the medicine cat den. At first, Oakstump thought this was a good sign, as she had been experiencing dehydration. Then, he realized that the she-cat now had a fever. Oakstump was able to treat her right away, since she was in the medicine cat den.

Rosepaw's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of light pawsteps. She turned her head to see Daisykit, her yellow eyes gleaming with hope. The she-kit came to the medicine cat every morning and night to check on her mother. Rosepaw's heart warmed, and she gave the small kit a smile.

"Hi, Rosepaw," the cream kit mewed. Her eyes glittered. "Is Meadowpelt getting better?"

The question was so innocent, and Rosepaw wished she could say 'yes.' Daisykit asked the question every single day, and Rosepaw always had to be the one to turn her down.

"I'm sorry, Daisykit," Rosepaw's shoulders slumped. "She's not feeling better yet."

Daisykit blinked at her, tilting her head. "It's okay, Rosepaw. It's not your fault that she's sick. Maybe, she'll feel better tomorrow. Can I see her?"

"Of course," Rosepaw murmured, stepping aside. The cream kit beamed at her, then bounded through the medicine cat den, to her mother's side. Meadowpelt purred at the kit's presence, bringing her close with her tail. Rosepaw smiled. The kit brought so much life back into Meadowpelt.

Meadowpelt nuzzled her kit affectionately. "Hi there, Daisy. How are you feeling?"

Daisykit looked up at her mother and shrugged. "I feel okay. I played a couple of games with Flintkit today. Then, he hid from me during one of our games. I followed his scent trail, like you taught me. His trail led outside of camp. He was hunting frogs. And, then, I stalked him, and then, I pounced on top of him! He was so startled that he ran halfway through the pine forest! I chased after him, but then, we ran into a patrol and were taken back to camp."

"I heard about a couple of naughty kits today," Meadowpelt cuffed her daughter over the ear. "You're not supposed to sneak out of camp!"

Daisykit's fur ruffled. "I know, I know. But, I had to find Flintkit——it was part of the game!"