(Genders of kits were edited into my last post
Jadekit and Brackenkit are the males. And as I keep saying, all these cats are too cute ;-;)
(Medicine cat is 40 moons old, Male - Named Bendingriver)
After Lilykit’s burial, the cats of Duskclan went their spearate ways. Mornigdew went back to her sleeping kits in the nursery, Silverpelt to the warrior’s den to rest after the battle, and Hickorystar to his den. The events from the fox attack echoed in his mind, mocking him. The young leader... had died already. He remembered it like it was still happening:
~~
“Silverpelt, do you know that smell...?”“Hmm...?” Silverpelt began to sniff, and caught the scent.
“That’s... fox.” she said, her ears going back with fear. Hickorystar’s eyes widened.
“We have to go get it now then! Before it gets to camp where the kits are!” he called and began running towards he scent. Silverpelt reluctantly followed behind her leader until they came to the fox. Terrified of injury, Silverpelt hid in the bushes and watched with terror as Hickorystar ran at the fox. He jumped onto the hunches of the fox and began biting and clawing at its back and neck. The fox went into a frenzy and started trying to get Hickorystar off. Hickorystar was terrified, a small cat like him couldn't hope to take down a fox alone! The fox rolled and Hickorystar got crushed, losing his grip and being left on the ground in pain. He groaned and tried to get up, faltering and falling back to the ground. The fox grabbed Hickorystar without hesitation and began throwing him around, biting down deeper and deeper every time it grabbed him. Silverpelt closed her eyes with terror, Hickorystar’s screams of pain and the fox’s relentless tearing into the helpless leader. Then, Hickorystar wasn’t being attacked anymore. He couldn’t feel anything, but being weightless. He opened his eyes and there was white trees all around him, and a cloudy ground under him. He looked around, then saw that same white cat from his prophecy before.
“Welcome to Starclan.” he said, then looked around him to see cats emerging from the white trees and bushes. One of those cats was Growingweed, from Fadedclan. The old medicine cat smiled at Hickorystar and stepped towards him.
“My dear Hickory...” he began,
“You have grown so much... I remember finding you in that Yewberry bush and nearly dying myself!” he chuckled, then looked down as he sat down in front of the leader.
“But now is not the time for you to reunite with this old ball of fur... you have lost two lives and are terribly injured. If you don’t leave soon, you will leave your growing clan leaderless and broken. I love you my Hickory, and I’ll wait for your return.” the old tom said and touched noses with Hickorystar, sending him back to the world of the living. Pain overtook the small leader as he opened his eyes ince more to see the beautiful white fading away and the familiar world coming back. He heard the fox howling in pain and a cat helping fight, and as his vision came out of its blur he saw Silverpelt begin to tear into the fox and kill it. Silverpelt got off the fox and looked to Hickorystar.
“Are you alive, Hickorystar?” she asked him, and the leader rose to his paws with great pain. He could feel pain halfway up his tail, and then nothing for the rest. His left ear was torn up and he was bleeding from his body in many places from the teeth of the relentless fox.
“I’m fine.” he coughed and began to limp away, urging Silverpelt to follow. She did, holding one of her ears down with some pain from minor injuries, until the leader came to some rocks surrounded by bushes. He begam placing leaves and cobwebs on his bleeding so loosely that it seemed to do close to nothing for him. He then went back to the clan with Silverpelt following.
“We’ll bury Lilykit here...”~~
He laid in his lonely nest, the pain biting him everywhere. He winced at the memory of the battle, but was so happy that Silverpelt saved him from losing all his lives. Though, he didn’t want anyone to know he lost any. Then, he heard the purr of a cat entering camp he had never caught scent of before.
“I seek Hickorystar!” the tom called. Hickorystar rose from his nest and left his den with great struggle to confront the strange tom that knew his name.
“Who are you?” the leader called, and the tom sat down, his eyes widening at the poor state of the leader.
“I was given a message from Starclan in my dreams, ‘Hickory in the river, Silver following the Morning, Duskclan needs your help.’ So I came to help you, and join your clan.” the cat said. Hickorystar began to think of the prophecy that the cat came with...
Hickory in the river... he looked to the cat.
“So you’re the medicine cat I asked for...?”“Yes, my name is Bendingriver.” he purred in response, then rose.
“Now let me fix your wounds.” he said, going to the baren medicine den.
“Oh... let me find stuff to help you then!” he instantly stated then turned and hurried out of the camp, leaving Hickorystar alone in the medicine den. He prayed there was enough food for the clan...
———
Morningdew nuzzled her kits gently as they nursed from her. The few that weren’t feeding she groomed to keep clean until they began to fight her hold.
“Mom! Stop it!!” Brackenkit mewled in protest, his sister Dovekit agreeing.
“Can we please go play?” she asked with wide, begging eyes. Sighing, Morningdew let them and they happily ran to the other end of the nursery to play fight while Lilackit and Jadekit continued to feed peacefully. Morningdew watched her playing kits with a smile.
[Silverpelt rests in her nest]
[Hickorystar lost two lives, has a broken tail and major bleeding]
[Morningdew feeds her kits]
[Bendingriver searches for herbs]
(Sorry, I know you said Hickorystar only lost one life but for my plot I said he lost two from his bleeding and injuries. Hope that’s okay! Toom forever to type this ;-;)
