Bluestar's Prophecy/Chapter 20

Chapter Summary
Bluefur's PoV


 * Bluefur wakes up in the middle of the night to stabbing pain in her stomach and has to leave the warriors' den to go to the dirtplace. On the way back to her nest, the blue-gray she-cat passes by the nursery and realizes that Featherwhisker and Swiftbreeze are still with Leopardfoot and her newborn kits. In the clearing, she encounters Rosepaw, who is also heading for the dirtplace. The tabby apprentice has stomach pain as well, as does Sweetpaw, so Bluefur concludes that their shared illness must be related to the mouse that they had shared the previous evening.


 * Bluefur returns to her den and falls back to sleep, but she is still uncomfortable from the pain and ends up going back to the dirtplace against just as dawn breaks. As she pads past the nursery again, she hears two thin wails rising from the den, and is relieved that at least two of Leopardfoot's kits had made it through the night. While out of the den, she also spots Lionpaw exiting the camp through the gorse barrier. She is surprised to see the golden tabby leaving camp alone so early, but smells Pinestar's fresh scent and guesses that the ThunderClan leader be taking him out. However, she also finds this possible explanation odd, as she thinks that Pinestar would want to stay in camp and see his kits instead of going out so early. She considers the fact that the reddish-brown tom might have an urgent mission to go on, but then questions why, if it was so important, he would take only an apprentice to accompany him.


 * The blue-gray warrior again heads back to her den, but soon all the other warriors get up to go to their duties. Snowfur, knowing that her sister is ill, says that she will tell Sunfall about Bluefur's sickness and leaves her to sleep. Bluefur sleeps until sunhigh and then emerges into the clearing again. Her belly is still sore, but it doesn't hurt as much and her head feels clearer. She immediately heads over to Featherwhisker to see how Leopardfoot and the kits are doing, to which the medicine cat responds that they're alive, for now, and the blue-gray she-cat thinks that he doesn't sound very hopeful. Bluefur informs the silver-gray tom of her stomachache, and Poppydawn in turn tells him about Rosepaw and Sweetpaw. Rosepaw is said to be very ill, but Poppydawn adds frightfully that Sweetpaw is worse. Featherwhisker tells the dark red she-cat to make sure her kits have plenty to drink, but that herbs would be pointless until they stop being sick.


 * Bluefur then asks the silver-gray tom if Leopardfoot's kits had names yet, to which he responds that the two she-kits are named Mistkit and Nightkit, while the tom is Tigerkit. Bluefur is surprised at the choice of Tigerkit as a name, saying that it was very fierce sounding. Featherwhisker agrees that it is, and says he thinks Leopardfoot wanted him to be a fighter. Grimly, he adds that the tom-kit will have to be, in order to survive his first days. The medicine cat apprentice then sends her to get herbs to soothe her stomach from Goosefeather.


 * Bluefur heads into the medicine cats' clearing, and calls out to Goosefeather. The speckled gray tom's appearance, with wild eyes and ruffled fur, frightens Bluefur when she first sees him. However, she recovers herself and explains how she has a stomachache. Goosefeather responds that there are evil omens everywhere, but she argues that it was just a bad mouse. He is outraged with this statement, saying that it was much more than a bad mouse; it was a warning sign. The medicine cat demands to know how she, of all cats, with the mysterious prophecy hanging over her, can ignore the omens, and says that there are just too many right now that are unfavorable for the Clan. He points out how Bluefur, Rosepaw, and Sweetpaw had been poisoned, and that the two apprentices are so sick that they could die. He adds that Leopardfoot and her kits are also barely alive, especially Tigerkit, and questions why the Clan leader's mate had such a difficult birth. Goosefeather finishes that he should be helping all these cats, but then asks how he can when the signs are clear.


 * Bluefur is confused, especially by his last statement, so she decides not to get herbs for her belly and instead rushes out of the medicine den. Frightened, she wonders if Rosepaw and Sweetpaw are really as ill as Goosefeather made them out to be, so she goes to the apprentices' den to see how they are doing. When the blue-gray she-cat enters, Rosepaw lifts her head and mews a weak greeting to her friend, but Sweetpaw doesn't stir. Bluefur tells the tabby she-cat than she had the same bellyache, but that she now feels better. She assures Rosepaw that she will eventually feel better, and with a glance at the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, says the Sweetpaw will also. Poppydawn brings her daughters water, and while Rosepaw is able to drink some, Sweetpaw isn't.


 * Bluefur leaves the apprentices' den and heads out of camp for some fresh air. Out in the forest, she meets Lionpaw, and blue-gray she-cat, upon spotting him, wonders where Pinestar is, since the two had left camp together. Bluefur asks the golden tom about why he had been out with the Clan leader, and Lionpaw answers awkwardly and evasively. She then questions where Pinestar is, and Lionpaw says he's coming back to camp now. The golden tabby adds that he isn't supposed to tell what the reddish-brown had done or where he had been. He then stalks away, murmuring that his venture out with Pinestar is a secret. Bluefur, however, scents catmint on his fur and guesses that the secret Lionpaw was keeping from her is that the Clan leader had taken him to Twolegplace. She wonders if they had met Jake or other kittypets if they had been there.


 * As Bluefur heads back into camp, Pinestar also returns, so she doesn't have an opportunity to further question the golden tabby apprentice. The warrior notices that her leader's pelt is smooth and smells of fresh bracken, and she knows he must have rolled in it to disguise the scent of Twolegplace. She wonders how he could be going there and meeting with kittypets when he is supposed to be their Clan leader. However, as soon as Pinestar reaches camp, he heads into the nursery to see Leopardfoot and his three kits for the first time. Poppydawn and Swiftbreeze, speaking together, comment that it's about time that he did this, as the kits might have died the previous night and never met their father, and wonder what the mottled black queen must think of her mate's actions. Bluefur realizes that other cats are also beginning to question the reddish-brown tom's loyalty, but that they probably don't know just how far from the warrior code he is straying.