Picking Up The Pieces of a Broken Clan

[Seri]

Golden eyes cast a despairing glance around the empty Warrior's Den. Not to long ago there had been many cats bustling about in here with a sense of importance draped about them like a cloak. Nearly all of those cats were gone now and the Apprentice, Elders or even the Nursery dens were fairing any better. There hadn't been a new kit born to RiverClan in to many moons and Hawkpelt had watched as his fellow clan mates slowly dwindled in number until it had only been a pawful of them left. Now even those puny numbers were dropping. A deadly virus had swept through the clan. It had started in the Nursery and spread its way through the other cats like a wildfire on a dry summer's eve spreads through dead underbrush. Even Tigerstar had fallen ill to the virus and the deputy had only been able to stand by and watch with dread coiling in the pit of his stomach. He'd watched the unseen assailant claim at least one of his leader's lives before the tom had simply vanished. Hawkpelt had spent months searching for the cat that was both his leader and his friend without any luck. It was as if StarClan had whisked him away in the middle of the night. He had been at a loss for what to do because of the suddenness of it; not to mention that StarClan had never chosen him to be the leader. In fact they had not chosen any of the other cats to take Tigerstar's place and Hawkpelt was unable to squash the dark thoughts that whispered in his head. Perhaps StarClan wanted RiverClan to be completely wiped out. But why? RiverClan had never broken the Warrior's Code and had always been well behaved at the Gatherings. Come to think of it, there hadn't been a Gathering in a long time. At least, not one that he was aware of. He still had Sparrowpaw with him and for that he was grateful, the tom wasn't sure what he would do without the little medicine cat. Or was she still only an apprentice? There was no real way to classify her position in the clan since there wasn't even an actual medicine cat with them anymore. Perhaps StarClan was merely testing their faith in the cruelest of ways... If that was the case then he was failing that test drastically as little by little he stopped believing in the ancestors that were supposed to guide them. He never mentioned his doubts to anyone else and did his best to hide them. The rays of the rising sun filtered into the empty den and Hawkpelt yawned before stretching. It was New Leaf and at this time last year he had been anticipating the arrival of kits with great joy. Now the thought of kits was somewhat painful because of the lack of them. His clan needed saving but Hawkpelt didn't know how to do it. The pressure to do so lay heavily on his shoulders because there was no one else that was able to. At least, no one with the amount of responsibility that a deputy feels towards his clan unless one counted a medicine cat. Especially when it came to such a crippling virus such as this one....

[britters]

Sparrowpaw looked dismally around at the sick cats that now covered almost every inch of the medicine cat den. Now the sun was creeping through the moss covered entrance. Great, she had stayed up all night trying to think of something. Every cat knew there wasn't anything she could do for the sick cats. She had tried everything she could think of: feverfew, poppy seeds, borage leaves, coltsfoot, catnip, chickweed, and many others herbs she had learned. What could an apprentice do anyways? she thought with a defeated look. Wait, was she even an apprentice anymore? Medicine Cat apprentices were promoted during a Moonpool gathering, but Sparrowpaw hadn't been to the Moonpool since her first gathering there. How could she? Cats were falling ill right and left. Her mentor, Silverfeather, had been one of the first claimed by the illness when she caught it from the few kits that were infected. Sparrowpaw, being left to treat the rest of the clan by herself, had tried everything, especially when Tigerstar had fallen ill. A twinge of grief settled into her stomach.

Was the Starclan punishing them? Had they done something wrong? Sparrowpaw wondered. She thought back to the weeks before the virus had hit the Riverclan. It was pretty much uneventful, except for when Sparrowpaw had saved that osprey. Was that why? Sparrowpaw had gone against Tigerstar to save the bird. No. That couldn't be why, she tried to convince herself. She was doing what she had swore to do as a Medicine Cat, help the hurt and sick. Satisfied with her reason, Sparrowpaw wandered over to the shelf of herbs. It was desperately low, with all of her experiments in trying to find a cure, but they still had the essentials. It wasn't like she could go off and gather more herbs anyways. Sparrowpaw glanced over at the sick cats. They were sleeping as peacefully as they could, given the circumstances.

Padding out of the Medicine Cat Den, she headed over to her recently acquired bed in the Warriors Den. She used to sleep with Silverfeather in the Medicine Cat Den, but when her mentor died, and the sickness spread, there was no room for her. She would have moved out anyways, temporarily, even if the sickness hadn't taken over. Being in the den without Silverfeather felt wrong. Her mind drifted back to the Starclan. Sparrowpaw was one of the few who still had complete faith in the Starclan. Her ancestors wouldn't be doing this to them. It had to be something else, something she couldn't recognize. She had to believe that the Starclan was still trying to protect the Riverclan against this evil force. After all, she and Hawkpelt were still alive, so that had to count for something.

As she turned toward the Warrior Den, she noticed Hawkpelt was sitting inside, as serious and tired as ever. Hawkpelt had been the deputy before all of this happened, and with Tigerstar's disappearance, he had refused to take the leader spot, similar to Sparrowpaw refusing to take the Medicine Cat spot. She looked simpathetically at her friend as she collapsed next to him in her bedding. "Morning," she mewed to him, looking up after a few moments. "How did you sleep?"

[Seri]

Hawkpelt twitched slightly in surprise; he hadn't even noticed Sparrowpaw come up to him and he looked away somewhat guiltily. He had been trained better then this and they both knew it. He was letting his weariness catch up to him and it was something he shouldn't let happen. The clan was his responsibility until they either found a new leader or he was made one under the proper ceremony. "I went looking..." His words trailed off as his tail lashed back and forth while he answered her. "I don't understand this Sparrowpaw." He snarled finally, "What do they want from us? To roll over and die so that some other clan can take over our territory?" Anger flashed through his eyes, "Because that won't be happening. RiverClan cats' don't give up...they...we...." He stopped talking abruptly and looked up at the ceiling of the den. "Where are we supposed to come by new clan mates when there are no queens to kit them?" The question lay heavily in the air for a few minutes before the older tom cat arched his back up into a stretch with his forelegs extended. "Have you taken the time to watch a butterfly emerge from it cocoon?" Hawkpelt's question was seemingly bizarre and rather random. He started pacing around the empty den. "I'd like to think our clan is the caterpillar on its way through the metamorphosis within the cocoon and that we will come out of this better then we ever were." He padded over to the entry way a bit more, eyes watching the stars as they faded against the ever-brightening sky. "I don't want you sleeping in here anymore Sparrowpaw; not with the amount of sick cats that have been coming from this den lately. I think that perhaps StarClan is wanting us to decide for ourselves what the course of action should be or else they would have answered us by now." His eyes showed his conflicting feelings about what he was about to say more then his body language ever would. "Tigerstar's den is clean. I cleaned it last night with the wet moss from the riverbed. He's gone, and I don't think he'll ever be coming back. He'd want the healthy cats that are left to use the germ-free space in an effort to stay alive. I want you to sleep up there from now on."

[britters]

Sparrowpaw looked at Hawkpelt with worry as he looked away from her. He hadn't been sleeping, and she could tell, not that she was any better. She looked down with sadness as he mentioned that he had gone looking. He didn't need to finish his sentence, both of them knew who he had been talking about: Tigerstar. Sparrowpaw sat up, and rubbed against the tom trying to give him some comfort. Ever since their leader disappeared, thats all any healthy cat had been doing. Tigerstar was their symbol of hope. If he came back, then maybe they might survive. Sparrowpaw would have joined the search too, if she could have.

Sparrowpaw looked intently at the tom as his eyes flashed with anger. They. The Starclan. She looked at her paws with sadness in her eyes. "I don't think the Starclan is doing this to us." she mewed quietly, barely audible. "It's something else. They wouldn't do this to us." she said a bit louder, with a bit more conviction. "I mean, we are still here, right?" she looked up at Hawkpelt as the question left her mouth. "The Starclan will get us through this."

"A butterfly?" she asked, now completely confused. Her expression quickly turned from faithful to worried. Now he was talking nonsense. She quickly ran off the symptoms of the virus in her mind. No, talking nonsense wasn't a symptom, which brought a small look of relief to the apprentice's face. She couldn't take him getting sick too. Her attention was quickly brought back to him as he started talking again. Sparrowpaw followed him over to the entry, nodding slowly. "I know you are right." she meowed quietly, looking up at him.

"Me, in T-Tigerstar's den?" she asked him with a bit of shock. Nobody had really gone close to the den, like pretending it wasn't there was better than not having Tigerstar there. "But, that's his den. When he comes back-" she started looking over at Hawkpelt. She knew Hawkpelt wouldn't change his mind. "You will sleep there too, right?" she asked worriedly. "You are healthy too. We need you." she added quickly. Truth was Sparrowpaw didn't want to be alone. For the longest time, she had Silverfeather in the same den as her, and now Hawkpelt. Sleeping by herself suddenly seemed scarier than coming down with the virus herself.

[Seri]

"I think its time that we face the facts Sparrowpaw. Tigerstar is dead and he's not coming back. Even if he isn't dead he certainly isn't walking the Earth anymore. He's gone regardless of if we like it or not." He sighed heavily, his frame shaking slightly as he did. "We need to start taking action against whatever or whoever is causing this. Until then we are all going to keep on dropping until there isn't a cat left to drop. And if the other clans come to check on us then the virus will spread onto them as well." He whirled to face her. "We mustn't let that happen." He hissed vehemently. "It used to be the clans for themselves but we've got to keep this from spreading to them." Hawkpelt nudged her forward gently. "Just make sure you don't take a dump in his nest and I'm sure he'll be fine with you using it if he ever comes back." A slight hint of amusement colored his voice as he looked back at the Warrior's Den. The amusement left his eyes quickly though as he looked down towards the Medicine Cat den. "I'll be moving your herbs up here while you rest. One of the warriors will stay with you until I'm done. In the mean time you missy need to get some sleep."

[britters]

Sparrowpaw rubbed up against Hawkpelt comfortingly as he spoke about Tigerstar. She knew Hawkpelt was probably right. Tigerstar wouldn't have abandoned them willingly. If he was still alive, he would be here, telling them what to do. She sighed with exasperation, feeling like a lost herd of sheep. "But what can we do? There is no cure, at least not that I can find, and we have no idea what is causing it." she said with a defeated sigh.

"But-" she started as he brought up Tigerstar's den again. He still hadn't answered her question. In fact, he had completely avoided it, which gave her more worry than relief. "I don't need sleep; I am fin-" she started to protest, but was interrupted by a yawn. She looked down at her paws sheepishly. She started to pad her was over the her new den, but looked back at Hawkpelt for a moment. "You'll be there when I wake up, right?" she asked him. Knowing Hawkpelt, he was probably going to try to do everything himself, like the time he almost left the clan, and she wanted to be there to stop him.

[Seri]

[style=][/style]

Hawkpelt mewled a tired response before yawning and blinking slowly. Deciding that perhaps the herbs could wait just a little bit he frowned when he saw how her paws seemed to drag over one another. "Oh but you're not tired." He snorted in a sarcastic amusement as he gently picked her up. It amazed him how small she still was compared to him.... The deputy only set her back on the ground once he had gotten her to the new nest that he'd made earlier before he wrapped his body around hers with a soft purr of contentment. She was warm compared to the cold atmosphere around the camp and Hawkpelt couldn't stop himself from pressing closer against her. He was careful not to confine her though and certainly made sure that he was in no danger of crushing her somehow in his sleep. When he woke up later, he wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep a flash of alarm ran through him at the thought of leaving the camp unattended to for so long. It was a bit disorienting at first when he found himself in what had become Tigerstar's den and his whiskers twitched longingly as he picked up the lingering scents that had come to represent his missing friend. A sigh rocked through him before he licked Sparrowpaw's head gently and slowly got up. He was still tire but at the same time he felt much better then he had before sleeping. He was just about to leave the den when he remembered that he had promised Sparrowpaw that he would be there when she woke up. Which for all he knew could be any minute after he left. A flick of his tail beckoned one of the healthier warriors into the cave and he quietly instructed the younger tom to bring all of Sparrowpaw's medicinal supplies up here and to be careful not to touch any of the sick in the process of getting the job done. Hawkpelt knew that she wouldn't like what he had to tell her when she woke up but while it was cruel and seemingly heartless it was for the best after all...

[britters]

"No, I'm-" she attempted protesting again before feeling her feet lift off the ground. "I can walk-" she added followed quickly by a yawn. A small sigh escaped her. With a small yawn, her eyes were already closed by the time Hawkpelt had placed her on the bedding. She curled herself against Hawkpelt so tightly that her tail was almost on top of her nose. Feeling like a kit again, sleeping with its mother, she smiled slightly. "Night" she mumbled incomprehensibly before falling asleep.

When she woke up later on, her head jerked out of its comfortable position on top of her paws; her eyes wide open. She looked around a little bit with some confusion. Where was she? This wasn't the Warriors' Den. Then, she remembered; she was in Tigerstar's Den. A small sigh escaped her mouth as she rested her head down for a few moments. Hawkpelt? She lifted her head again, remembering Hawkpelt falling asleep beside her. "Hawkpelt?" she mewed tiredly, looking around the rest of the den. She felt some relief when she saw him near the entrance of the cave. She saw that some of her supplies had already been brought over to the den. She slowly stretched and padded over to the tom. "How long was I out?" she asked him tiredly, still trying to shake off the sleepiness in her eyes.

[Seri]

"Apparently not long enough," The leopard like tom answered as he turned to face the smaller she-cat. There was a contemplative look on his face as he gazed over at the accumulating herbs in the corner of the den. "I'm starting to think that this isn't a virus Sparrowpaw. If it was then surely you would have found the cure by now."
He looked back in the direction of the river.
'Do you know how many fish we've been eating since the last feline got sick?" Hawkpelt paused briefly with a scowl on his handsome features. "None. No one has eaten a single fish for a week and in that time span no one else has gotten sick Sparrowpaw." He walked over to sit down by her. "I believe that the fish that we were eating was contaminated and that is why this thing is incurable. Those of us who have survived have not eaten a single fish. The queens unknowingly poisoned the kits with their milk and that is how the younger ones got it."
His eyes hardened and a bit more authority went into his tone. "I forbid you to treat the ones who are still sick just in case it isn't poising. You can't cure so there is no sense in wasting herbs and putting yourself in jeopardy of getting it. I know you're a medicine cat but you can only be useful if you're still alive."

[britters]

Or I just don't know enough, Sparrowpaw thought gloomily. The young she-cat had only been training with her mentor and former medicine cat, Silverfeather, for a few moons. Most apprentices took the Medicine Cat spot after at least a year of training, but she hadn't gotten half of that. The key to curing the illness was probably in a more advanced lesson; a lesson she hadn't gotten up to. When Silverfeather had fallen ill, she planned to go to another clan to ask for help, but the illness had spread like wild fire. Even then, she figured that when neither her or Silverfeather had showed up at the Medicine Cat Gathering, one of the other Medicine Cats would come to check in. That never happened.

Sparrowpaw was interrupted from her thoughts as she realized she had been asked a question. Though she was sure it was rhetorical, she thought about it. Sparrowpaw hadn't been paying attention to the freshkill pile. "Uh...." she stuttered, before Hawkpelt had answered his own question. "That's possible, though the river looks healthy," Sparrowpaw replied thoughtfully. She hadn't thought of poisoning. The river, which was the clan's major food source, looked clean, but two-legs were odd creatures with a blatant disrespect for the land. It was possible that one of them had poisoned the river with just little poison not to kill the fish, but enough to kill a cat, especially if said cat had continued to ingest the poison after falling ill.

Sparrowpaw took a few pawsteps back as she listened to Hawkpelt's order in shock. "What?!" Sparrowpaw sputtered out. "Stop treating them?" She was in disbelief. How could he expect her to obey this? To stop treating them was directly violating the oath she took when she agreed to take this job. She could feel her anger boil in her stomach. She paced quickly around the den, avoiding Hawkpelt's gaze. "How-" she started, trying to formulate a sentence in her mind. "What good is me being alive if I can't help them?" she asked him, finally looking up at him. "I may not have a cure, but I can't just leave them. I can ease their pain, at least." She pawed at some of the herbs, trying to keep some composure. "I'm a- I am a Medicine Cat," she continued, wincing when she admitted her position, official or unofficial. "You can't make me," she added stubbornly. Normally she would listen to Hawkpelt, but she couldn't this time.

[Seri]

Hawkpelt's ears twitched back in response to the younger she-cat's defiant statement before a shudder rolled through his body as he turned to face her. His golden orbs glowed with an inner fire as he narrowed them slightly; tail lashing behind him. <b>"I could easily make you,"</b> He snapped in a verbal reminder of who was the stronger of the two of them. <b>"I could easily force you to stay in this den until the last of the poisoned have been buried and that's exactly what I ought to do."</b> He padded over to the entrance, letting the sun light his lithe frame with a sense of power.
Hawkpelt stared down at the silent camp before his tail twitched once more. <b>"I won't stop you but I won't be happy about it." He finished before walking out of the cave to go set up patrols with the few warriors that were left.