Eclipse

“She’s hardly breathing.” Her mother’s eyes were beginning to close. “Stay awake!” Hollypaw begged. She spotted Lionpaw and Foxpaw returning with wads of cobweb hanging from their jaws. Thank StarClan! “Over here!”

Lionpaw darted to his mother’s side.

“Give me those.” Leafpool dragged the cobwebs from his mouth and began padding Squirrelflight’s wound. She beckoned Foxpaw over, taking his cobwebs too. “Go to the pool in my den,” she told him, not looking up. “Fetch soaked moss.

Quick as you can.”

Lionpaw was staring at his mother in horror.

“You too!” Leafpool growled. “Quickly!”

Lionpaw and Foxpaw darted away.

Jaypaw must have heard the commotion. He left Brambleclaw, his paws still wet with ointment, and began weaving his way through the wounded warriors.

Brambleclaw watched him go, surprise lighting his eyes, then looked past him and saw Squirrelflight. He charged around the clearing, Jaypaw’s poultice crumbling from his flank as he ran. He stopped beside Hollypaw. “What’s wrong?”

“Belly wound,” Hollypaw whispered.

“How’d it happen?”

Sandstorm shook her head. “She was fighting beside me on the shore, but I thought she was okay. She was never down for more than a moment.”

Brambleclaw crouched beside his mate. “Don’t leave me,” he begged.

Squirrelflight’s eyes flickered open at the sound of his voice, then closed again.

He nudged her with his muzzle. “You’ll be okay. Leafpool won’t let you die.”

Hollypaw stared hopefully at Leafpool, but the medicine cat was too busy working on Squirrelflight’s wound to look up. Jaypaw slid in beside her and began holding cobwebs in place as Leafpool applied fresh padding.

Lionpaw returned and dropped a wad of dripping moss beside her. She snatched it up and began washing away the blood. “Fetch more!”

Squirrelflight didn’t flinch at the cold water. She was too deeply unconscious.

Hollypaw leaned in closer. “She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?”

Brambleclaw started to lick Squirrelflight’s cheek. “Sleep well, my lovely. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“What’s happened?” Firestar was staring down at Squirrelflight, his eyes round with shock.

“Get back, all of you!” Leafpool suddenly snapped.

Blood roared in Hollypaw’s ears. She’s going to die! She stepped back, numbly, and brushed against Brambleclaw. Her father was trembling.

“Hollypaw!” Leafpool was staring directly at her. “Go to my den and fetch oak leaves.”

Oak leaves. Oak leaves. She tried to focus, terrified she’d forget, her mind in a whirl of panic.

In the medicine cat’s den, she reached into the gap in the rock and dragged out a pawful of leaves. Sifting through them, she separated out the oak leaves. At least they were easy to recognize. She picked them up in her jaws and hurried back to Leafpool.

“Do you want me to chew them up?” she offered, dropping them beside Leafpool.

“Jaypaw can do that.”

Hollypaw stepped out of the way. Lionpaw was staring down at his mother, his eyes lit with fury. He wants to know who did this.

She realized she was trembling like a kit. She closed her eyes and felt Sandstorm press against her.

“If anyone can save her, Leafpool will.”

Hollypaw leaned against Sandstorm, thankful for her warmth, while Leafpool and Jaypaw finished packing Squirrelflight’s wound.

Leafpool looked up. “I’ve done all I can,” she meowed. “It’s in the paws of StarClan now.” She picked up a wad of moss and held it to Squirrelflight’s lips, letting the water drip into her mouth.

After a few moments, Squirrelflight swallowed. Was that a good sign?

“She needs a warm nest,” Leafpool explained. “But I daren’t move her yet in case her wound opens up again.” She gazed at Hollypaw and Lionpaw. “Can I rely on you to build a nest around her?”

Hollypaw nodded. Of course they would!

“Fern, moss, feathers, whatever you can find,” Leafpool went on. “She needs to stay warm and still.” She got to her paws. “Jaypaw, watch her, and report to me if there’s any change. I have to see to the other wounded cats.” She looked at Brightheart, who was moving among the warriors with a bundle of herbs in her mouth. “Brightheart can’t manage all this alone.”

Firestar stepped forward and rested his muzzle on Leafpool’s head. “I’m proud of you.”

“I just hope I’ve done enough,” Leafpool murmured.

Firestar turned to his mate. “You must be exhausted. You should eat and rest.”

Sandstorm’s green eyes flashed. “She’s my kit! I’m not leaving her!”

Hollypaw felt a thorn-sharp stab in her heart. She’s my mother, too! She can’t die!

“Come on.” Hollypaw felt Lionpaw’s tail brush her flank.

“Let’s build her a nest.”

Foxpaw and Icepaw sat huddled a tail-length away. Had they been watching all the time?

“Can we help?” Foxpaw mewed.

“We need to find stuff for a nest,” Lionpaw told them.

“Anything soft and warm will do.”