Eclipse

“Will you teach us some battle moves?” Toadkit begged.

Rosekit churned her paws as though she were fighting off an enemy. “We need to be ready if WindClan invades again.”

Daisy’s fur bushed out. “They won’t, will they? Not after the sun vanished like that.”

“I doubt it.” Millie was lying on her side while her kits fed. A cough shook her body, startling the kits away. Briarkit mewled angrily and squirmed back for more milk. Bumblekit sat up and yawned, his eyes hardly open, while Blossomkit snuggled into the moss and fell asleep.

“You should see Leafpool,” Daisy advised. “You’ve been coughing all night.”

“It’s just something tickling my throat,” Millie meowed. “I probably swallowed a feather.”

Daisy leaned forward and sniffed at Millie’s muzzle. “You feel a bit feverish.”

“I’ll fetch Leafpool once I’ve cleaned out your bedding,” Lionpaw offered.

Toadkit looked crestfallen. “I thought you were going to teach us battle moves.”

“Sorry, Toadkit. I’ve got to go on patrol after I’ve finished here.”

“It’s not fair,” Rosekit complained. “You get to do all the fun things, while we’re stuck in here.”

Lionpaw sighed. Cleaning out dens and patrolling borders wasn’t fun. He wished he were back in the battle, fighting for his Clan with the power of the stars pulsing in his paws. “Why don’t you ask Foxpaw to teach you?” He glanced at Daisy. “I need to clean out your bedding anyway.”

Daisy got to her paws slowly, as though reluctant to leave the nursery. “I suppose we all need some fresh air.” She glanced at Millie, who was coughing again. “You should stay inside.”

Millie nodded. “I am rather tired.” She curled around her kits and closed her eyes.

As Daisy followed Toadkit and Rosekit out of the den, Lionpaw began picking through her bedding, pulling out stale scraps of moss. Millie’s breathing was hoarse, and the air around her smelled sour.

Lionpaw pawed together the dirty moss and gathered it in his jaws. Then he wriggled backward out of the nursery and dropped it outside. Cinderpaw was trotting through the thorn tunnel, fresh moss dangling from her jaws.

“I haven’t done Millie’s nest yet,” Lionpaw called. “I think she’s sick.”

Graystripe, sunning himself beneath Highledge, scrambled to his paws. “What’s wrong?”

“She has a cough,” Lionpaw mewed. “I was just going to fetch Leafpool.”

Graystripe was already hurrying toward the nursery. “Be quick,” he ordered, his tail bushing out.

Lionpaw padded to the medicine cats’ den. A strong smell of herbs drifted through the brambles. He nosed his way in, blinking to adjust his eyes to the gloom.

“Leafpool?”

The medicine cat was crouching beside Spiderleg, her paws green with ointment. “What is it?”

“I think Millie’s sick.”

Leafpool rubbed her paws on the moss of Spiderleg’s nest.

“I’ll put some more on later,” she promised the warrior.

“I’m feeling much better,” Spiderleg assured her.

“Good,” Leafpool meowed. “But stay in your nest. You’re healing quickly, but I want to be sure you’re completely healed before you go back to the warriors’ den.” She turned back to Lionpaw. “Are the kits okay?”

“They seem fine.”

Leafpool was rinsing her paws in the pool when Jaypaw padded into the nursery with a bunch of leaves in his jaws.

“Sort them out for drying,” Leafpool told him. “I have to check on Millie.” The medicine cat pushed her way out through the brambles.

Jaypaw began to lay out the leaves beside a gap in the cave wall.

“Did you sleep okay?” Lionpaw whispered. He wondered if StarClan had told Jaypaw anything about the vanishing sun.

“You mean, did I dream?” Jaypaw snapped. “Why can’t you just say what you’re thinking?”

Lionpaw blinked, surprised by Jaypaw’s tone. “Have you got a thistle stuck in your tail?”

“Sorry,” Jaypaw mewed. “It’s been a busy night.”

Lionpaw glanced at Squirrelflight sleeping in her nest at the back of the den. “Is she better?”

“She’s getting there,” Jaypaw mewed. “But I have to change the dressing a lot to stop infection.”

“Do you want me to fetch some more cobwebs?” Lionpaw offered.

“Cinderpaw brought back plenty this morning, thanks.”

While I was sleeping. Lionpaw’s pelt prickled with guilt. He should be doing more to help his Clan. He padded to his mother’s nest and sniffed at her fur, comforted by her familiar scent.

“Lionpaw?” Squirrelflight opened her eyes. A purr caught in her throat. “How are you?”

“Fine,” Lionpaw mewed.

“Firestar said you fought like a warrior in the battle.” Squirrelflight lifted her head to look at him through sleep-misted eyes. “You don’t seem to have a scratch on you.”

Lionpaw shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.” His belly rumbled.

“You should have something to eat,” Squirrelflight murmured, resting her head down again.

“I will.” Lionpaw licked her ear gently as she closed her eyes.

Jaypaw was still sorting through the leaves he’d brought back.

Had StarClan really not shared anything with him? Or was he just keeping it to himself? “Are you hungry?” Lionpaw asked. Perhaps they could share some prey. It might make him more talkative.