Chapt 35

Jayfeather shook with anticipation. He was helping his mother deliver his sibling. There was only one kit in there, he could tell.
"Push," He demanded. A ripple of pain passed down the former medicine cat's body. Leafpool yowled, while Crowfeather pushed his head into the nursery.
"Are you sure she's okay?" His father pleaded. Jayfeather hissed in annoyance.
"Of course she's okay! Now get out," He spat. He was more annoyed that this was taking longer than most kittings. He usually enjoyed kittings, but Crowfeather along with the amount of time it was taking was making him spiteful. Another ripple passed along Leafpool's pelt.
"Okay, when I say go, push!" He waited a few heartbeats then he said, "Push!" Leafpool grunted in pain, Jayfeather heard a small bundle slip onto the moss. He nipped the sackk and began to lick the kits fur the wrong way. The kit began to squirm and squeal, Jayfeather pushed the small tom toward Leafpool. His mother began to purr loudly.
"What are we going to name him?" Crowfeather murmured.
"Lakekit, because of his many heritages around it," Leafpool mewed. Crowfeather purred loud enough for the whole forest to hear.
"Jayfeather could I speak to you," Jayfeather broke away from his family and turned to the voice. It was Brook, she was a few tail lengths away from Leafpool. Nodding he padded towards her.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I think Mouse kit is sick, he won't eat and..." She began to whimper," and he won't play with the other kits. I'm really worried." Jayfeather sniffed the kit, now that he thought about it Mouse smelled of sickness.
"Any other symptoms?" He murmured. His younger brother was forgotten, he was focused on this small kit.
"None that I can think of," Brook's mate Stormfur walked in.
"What's wrong with Mouse?" Jayfeather could sense despair in Stormfur's tone. He wasn't sure what was wrong with Mouse, but he didn't want it to spread to all the other kits, especially Lakekit.
"I'm not sure yet, I'll have to take him to my den, if this is contagious, I don't want your other kits getting sick," Stormfur sighed with grief and Brook was silent. Jayfeather picked him up by the scruff and carefully picked the gray kit up. Placing him down in a moss nest, Willowshine padded up to him with a jawful of catmint.
"Willowshine, could you help me with something." The she-cat padded up next to him.
"I can't firgure this out, Mouse here has not eaten food in a few days. He hasn't played with the other kits, and he smells of a sickness I've never smelled before." Willowshine sniffed the kit carefully.
"You're right, I've never smelled this before either. Let's ask Stoneteller. He is the healer of the Tribe and this is a Tribe cat, maybe its something he's seen before." Jayfeather nodded. He stepped out of the den to find Stoneteller, he rarely left the camp except to make dirt. Climbing the High Ledge he made sure his pelt was brushing against the side of the rock wall. Stones tumbled down legde, Jayfeather hoped nobody was waiting there, he didn't need a head injury at the moment.
"Stoneteller? Its me, Jayeather. May I come in?" Jayfeather called quickly into the den. Something shuffled in the den. A strange scent wafted out of the den, Jayfeather knew he should recognise it, but his mind was full of kits and queens. No one answered. Slowly, Jayfeather walked into the den, ready to ask Stoneteller about Mouse.
"Stoneteller, I was-" His voice was cut off as a cat rushed him. He could scent three cats now. One was definetly Stoneteller, but by the noise that was coming from the back of the den, he was being held down. Struggling to get overcome his attacker he heard a new cat walk into the den.
"Good job Snowtuft and you too, Darkstripe. Hello Jayfeather, as you may know I am the leader of the Dark Forest." Jayfeather could hear his sister's voice from in front of him.
"How did you know I knew?" He muffled under the bigger cat's weight.
"When I saw Whitestorm there, I knew you would find out soon enough. From the looks you've been giving me, it was not hard to guess," Good, she doesn't know Lionblaze told me. Jayfeather thought thankfully.
"What are you going to do? Kill us? What?" Jayfeather struggled to move.
"Snowtuft you can off him now, just block the entrance will you?" The weight was lifted off Jayfeather, he was able to breathe again. "Well in a few moments, Dark Forest warriors will stream into the camp, taking control. We will hold the leaders hostage, don't worry they won't die, yet," She purred. "We will kill you off one by one, unless you anger me, then more will die. None shall be allowed out of camp, except to make dirt. Don't worry we'll have guards placed there as well. You will repeat these rules to the clans. Would you like to know who will die first?" Hollyleaf's words were happy and she was chattering like a kit. Jayfeather was confused.
"W-Who?" He stamered.
"You, then Lionblaze, then you. We need you to go to Starclan and explain to them that they aren't needed anymore."
"Never! I will never help you Hollyleaf," He growled. Snorting, Hollyleaf passed him, exiting the den. Jayfeather sped out of the den. The Highledge was 3 foxlengths aboce the ground. No cat in their right mind would jump off the Highledge without a good reason, and Jayfeather believed this was one. He soared through the air. He felt like a bird, until he hit the ground. Gasping for air, he picked himself up and ran towards warriors' den.
"Help! Help! The Dark Forest is going to attack!" He heard the pawsteps of Snowtuft rushing up behind him. Four warriors rushed out of the warriors' den and began to hiss. He knew Snowtuft would attack him, he remembered Hollyleaf saying anyone could attack medicine cats.
"Wait, Snowtuft, please just tell me something," Jayfeather spun around to meet his asailant. Snowtuft clearly wasn't going to talk, but he growled at Jayfeather, which was all he needed. Jayfeather leapt towards the dark tom, throwing him off balance. Snowtuft was clearly surprised by Jayfeather's attack, but not for long. Snowtuft bit down hard on the tabby medicine cat's leg. Another cat joined the battle. Not another dark forest warrior... Jayfeather was growing tired already. This time, the cat attacked Snowtuft.
"Go Jayfeather, head towards the nursery," A voice hissed in his ear.
"No, I can't leave you here," Jayfeather swiped his claws down Snowtuft's side.
"I'll be fine, please go," Jayfeather cleared his thoughts and recognised the voice of Scree, a tribe cat. Jayfeather nodded briefly and ran off towards the nursery. He ran into cats fighting, cats dying, and cats killing other cats. Finally he made it to the nursery. He could hear the apprentices and a few warriors battling cats trying to get in. He passed the fighting cats and ran into the nursery. He could hear the kits, Leafpool, Brook, and Frogclaw. The whole nursery was full of fear scent.
"Are any of the kits hurt?" He mewed loudly.
"No, no they're all fine. Flustered and scared, but fine." Leafpool answered.
"Are all cats back from patrols?" The clans needed all cats they could get to fight.
"I think so, but I haven't seen Ashfoot, Thornclaw, and Twigpaw. I think they may still be out hunting in Windclan, Crowfeather went to find them. He knows the territory the best and he's fast," She explained. A head poked into the nursery.
"Brook, we need you out here, they're pushing us farther and farther back into the back of the camp." Cherrytail wailed.
The back of the camp... the back of the camp.... The words echoed in Jayfeather's mind. Something was iportant back there. He just had to remember.
"Leafpool, we need injured cats to get in here now," Jayfeather mewed urgently to his mother.
"I can do that," Frogclaw mentioned brightly. Jayfeather didn't want the only warrior in the nursery gone. He didn't want Leafpool to go either, Lakekit needed her.
"I'll go, Leafpool, you can take care of any cats," Before waiting for an answer, he ran out of the medicine den. Scenting Bumblestripe, he passed the word on that all injured cats go to the nursery. He began spreading the news until he reached a body writhing on the ground. It was Ravenpaw. Picking the loner up by the scruff, he carefully and quickly raced back to the nursery. Placing him at Leafpool's paws, he raced back out into the clearing. Soon he had found another cat, Heavystep. He tried with all his might, but he couldn't carry the heavy elder.
"Crag! Could you carry Heavystep to the nursery," He called for the tribe tom, he was closest and he could tell from his breathing he wasn't fighting at the moment.
"Okay," Crag picked up the elder in his jaws.
Jayfeather paused to feel the emotions in the clearing. What Cherrytail said was true, the clans were being pushed back towards the medicine den. He was mad at himself. He was useless in a time like this, he couldn't fight.
"Jayfeather! Watch out!" Dovepelt hollered, she seemed to be right behind the tabby medicine cat. A cat careened into him, knocking him off his paws.
"Finally! I can kill you and your family!" Breezepelt sneered.
"I'd like to see you try!" Another voice joined him. Crowfeather! The three cats tussled. Crowfeather knocked Breezepelt off Jayfeather, giving him a chance to breathe. He joined in the battle once more.
"He's dodging your attacks Jayfeather. He's not the smartest fighter, when you hit right, he goes down. Use that," A voice in his head whispered. Jayfeather began swiping at Breezepelt. Using his other paw to claw him when he ducked, he was making good progress. Breezepelt hissed in fury then ran away from his father and half brother.
"Are you sure you're not blind?" Crowfeather gasped. Jayfeather mearly nodded, he needed to get to his den to get some herbs for injured cats. Explaining this to Crowfeather, his father agreed to help him.
"If I get hurt, I could use these herbs too," He stated flatly. The two cats scurted to the edge of the clearing, along the rock walls. Most of the fighting was going on near his den, but not in it.
"Take whatever I give you, wrap it in moss to carry it, moss is over there," Jayfeather quickly explained to Crowfeather. Jayfeather went to his stores and grabbed all his poppy seeds, cobwebs, and chervil root. Placing them where Crowfeather would see them he grabbed a few more herbs for more serious injuries. Goldenrod, comfrey, and nettle. He took a little bit of thyme for any cats that wouldn't cal down. Wrapping it in a bundle of moss, he padded out of the den.
"I wet some moss too, just in case," Crowfeather murmured with the herbs in his jaws. Jayfeather nodded, and they set out to the nursery. Thankfully they weren't stopped. When they got there, three more cats had joined Leafpool.
"Thank Starclan you've brought herbs," Leafpool added sadly, " I couldn't save Ravenpaw, he was too badly wounded." The two toms dropped their herbs and Jayfeather set to work. The she-cat in front of him was a riverclan warrior, Firefoot. She was moaning in pain, but unconscious. He found she had a head wound and applied cobwebs. She didn't stop bleeding and he quickly applied more cobwebs.
"Leafpool, I need help," He hollered.
"No, you don't Jayfeather. I'm not a medicine cat anymore. This is up to you," Leafpool answered calmly. Agitated, Jayfeather tried to apply more and more cobwebs, but Firefoot wouldn't stop bleeding.
"Fine, Willowshine! Help, Hold this down while I apply some goldenrod. The Riverclan medicine cat put her paw gently on Firefoot head, and Jayfeather began chewing Goldenrod into a pulp. Yowls of terror could be heard from outside. All the cats were now protecting the nursery, even some of the older kits like Dovepelt's kits and Squirrelflight's. Pressing the goldenrod onto the wound, the bleeding had become slower. Then it stopped altogether. The Riverclan she-cat was still asleep now, so he went to attend to the other injured cats. He cleaned up Bumblestripe's claw, which was snagged, then the tom ran out back to the battle. Jayfeather tried to tell him to wait, but he didn't pay any attention. Just like his father, Jayfeather realized that all other warriors were back in the battle, or worse, dead. He  couldn't stop wondering where Starclan was at a moment like this. Surely they would have come to help.
"Everyone out! Grab everyone and run the medicine den! It's not safe here!" Nightcloud yelled into the den. Jayfeather grabbed Firefoot by the scruff, but Willowshine pushed him aside.
"Grab Brook's kits," She hissed. Brook's kits! Mouse! Brook's sick kit was still in his den! He grabbed Water and Crowfeather grabbed Cloud. Leafpool passed them on the way out, with Lakekit in her jaws. Frogclaw tried grabbing Ravenpaw, but Jayfeather shooed him away.
"We can't risk losing you, come on, we'll get him later." Jayfeather murmured gently. When all the cats had left, he exited the nursery too. Soon all the cats were in the medicine den.
"Where's Mouse?" Jayfeather called.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him since the battle started. I thought he was with you," Willowshine answered. Suddenly, more cats were in the medicine den, fighting Dark Forest cats. Then all the fighting was in the den. Everything stopped when a cat yowled.
"Good job everyone," A black she-cat with emerald green eyes pushed the cats aside.
"Hollyleaf, what's going on here!" Bramblestar yowled.
"Oh, you don't know. I thought Jayfeather would have told you by now. I am the leader of the Dark Forest," Gasps of surprise echoed around the clearing, but not from the leaders.
"We knew Hollyleaf, we've known for a long time now, Jayfeather told us a few moons ago," Bramblestar stepped forward.
"The meeting in the Dark Forest, with Whitestorm. I was there. I know everything," Jayfeather hissed at his sister.
"Well now that you all know, let's get some rules straight. I am your leader now. Everyday one of you will die, starting tomorrow. Jayfeather can tell you the rest, any questions?"
"Yes, why are you doing this," The hold voice belonged to Leafpool.
"Because of the warrior code. All of you are traitors. Taking in kittypets, having kits with a cat from another clan, the list goes on and on. Everyone of you will die in the end." Her voice was cold.
"Oh and don't try to escape, I will know, and if one tries, two will die. You will be fed once a day, that is if we choose to feed you."