The sun was shining, the rivers were flowing and prey was slowly coming out of hiding. The clan’s were slowly starting to recover from the harsh leafbare as newleaf started. Life was starting to get easier especially for Thunderclan, after the mysterious disappearance of Hawkstar Stagleap was still the stand in leader and life was continuing on. Paws were hitting the slouchy ground causing mud to kick up as ears were folded down. Limp pieces of prey hung in the patrol's mouth either it be robins that were gouging on the plentiful worms or voles that were searching the muddy ground for food. Nightshade stood among the group, her slick black fur being spotted with dried clumps of mud crawling up her legs and covering her paws. Walking over to the prey pile she sees the white pelt of Sheepstep, his underbelly covered in deep brown outstanding against his bright fur. The tom stood tall, his ears even passing Thornpad’s yet even then his head always seemed lowered and ears folded. Yellow eyes gazing out to the clearing as he was the last to enter camp from the hunting patrol. With a light flick of her tail she waited for the tall tom to join her at the prey pile to discard their caught prey together. Just as his danolion gaze met hers a sharp cough filled the Thunderclan camp. Just then she felt her heart pulse. Knowing who’s sharp, jagged cough that echoed off her ears she dashed towards the elders den only to be met by a wall of gray fur. Within the dark den were she-cat’s resting in nests, each retired warriors and queens. Deertuft mumbling to herself in the corner of her nest, her amber eyes glaring at the scene before her. Dovewish, a gentle gray she-cat and Sheepsteps mother, eyes looking worryingly at the cat who’s coughs were leaving. Then finally there was Roseheart. The fur on her back standing on end, tail curling around her as the fur around her sides clung to her ribs. Her once silky pelt that brought her kits warmth and comfort now matted as her enchanting green eyes now crusted and weak. Thornpad quickly rushed to her mothers side, eyes panicked and just as his head rose up to shout for Heronfeather did a new shadow cast over the light of the entrance. Herbs in his jaw as his eyes looked dull as he walked towards the elder she-cat. Nightshade, once standing frozen, went to stand next to her childhood friend, her tail resting along the pointed spine of the elder queen. Green eyes rose to look up at her and Thornpad. The only thing that left her mouth were raspy breaths. “Mother…” Thornpad mewed softly as he lowered his head down to lick the tip of her ear. “My kits,” her voice hoarse as she looked at the both of them. Nightshade watched in silence as her cream fur shook with coughs and the world seemed to deafen around her and those were the last words the she–cat ever spoke. Then she was gone. Roseheart; the mother of Thornpad, warrior of Thunderclan, and the queen who took the young Nightshade all those moons ago, was gone. Nightshade saw as her chest stopped moving and eyes fluttered shut in an endless sleep. She felt as Thornpad’s breath hitched next to and she had to walk next to the tom as Rose’s body was brought to the clearing. Even with the soft, empathetic whispers of her clanmates Nightshade’s eyes were stuck on the hunched over body of Thornpad. His eyes stuck on the sleeping body of his mother, not casting a look or glance at anyone else and even as he watched as her body was taken away by the other elder she-cats. –
“How are you taking it?” Nightshade’s voice was low and gentle as she walked out of the warrior den to look at the gray and russet tom that was looking up at the clouded sky. It being the same night as Roseheart’s death it almost didn’t surprise her that he was out here. Nightshade’s blue eyes tinted red as she had cried in the safeness of her own loneliness. Seeing the tom there without having shed a tear this whole day worried her. “My mother died today, what do you think?” he asked his forest eyes looking down as his paws as Nightshade walked over to his side. Ears lowering she looked away as Thornpad continued. “She was my only family, my father I never even met and she was the nicest she-cat I ever knew. Why did she need to die? Is this Starclan’s excuse for a cruel joke?” Claws digging into the ground as his tail lashed, angered eyes looking up at the sky as the clouds started to clear to reveal the starry sky. “She should’ve gotten better and live her life within the safety of the clan. Instead she died hungry and sick, in the elders den with herbs in her mouth as she was fighting to survive green cough!” His voice rose and Nightshade didn’t even realize that hot tears fell down her face as she listened to the tom slowly unravel. “She was happy, Thornpad!” The words fell from her mouth as she stood to stop the angered words from the tom, “She lived her life watching her kit grow and prove himself to his clan and starclan and became a strong warrior! She wouldn’t have wanted you to worry about her and be happy when she died, yes we can’t control our death but she hung on with all the will she’s had all her life and isn’t that better to remember then the fact she is gone?” “But I’ll still miss her Nightshade!” An emotion fueled yowl left the tom's mouth as he turned to her, tears brimmed his forest eyes as he stared with his emotion burning in his eyes. “She was the only family I had and now she’s just gone and that hurts me because by starclans name it almost kills me because I know she deserved a better life than that! I love her and now I have to live my life without her in it.” As his tears fell Nightshade’s words halted as Thornpad’s eyes looked back at hers. Both gleaming with tears and as the new found silence fell over them both Nightshade thought of words to say. For once Nightshade’s stream of words stilled and nothing came to her tongue to say. To comfort the grieving tom. Finally with no words said between them she moved close to press her body into his chest, black fur mixing with his smokey gray, and only then did the sobs hit her ears and his body coiled around her’s did she silently comfort her childhood friend as he grieved the loss of his mother.
