¨Briarflower..¨

¨Briarflower….¨

¨W-wh..¨ 

A cat stares intensely at Briar Flower, standing tall above her Briarflower suddenly recognizes the cat.

¨Mom?¨ She purred, excited.

Suddenly the cat pushed her back down, ¨Stay. I must tell you something, and quick.¨

¨What's wrong?¨ She asked as she was pushed back down to her paws.

The cat paused for a moment before speaking,
¨The queen..¨ The voice began,

Suddenly Briarflower felt a chilling breeze over her pelt, and her fur stuck up almost immediately as a scent of blood, death and sickness overflowed her nose. 

¨The queen whom loses her kits will save us all.¨ The voice finished.

Briarflower widened her eyes as the wind became more violent, and the scent of blood violently became stronger, and stronger. And as the breeze became violent and the smell of blood overcame every other scent, she could hear barking, barking, barking..

Her mothers words echoed in her ears as the barking continued and came closer, 

¨The queen whom loses her kits will save us all.¨

What could this mean?

Briarflower awoke, cats yowling in horror, her ears bled. She quickly stood to her paws and paused only for a moment to think of the words her mother had shared with her,

Could this be a prophecy? 

At last her name was called and she returned to herself, her paws tingling, she saw an unfamiliar cat on top of a brown heap of fur that she could barely see.

¨Briarflower, help!¨ The brown heap called, and as soon as they scowled, Briarflower recognized the voice of the cat.

¨Falconwing!¨ She called, rushing forward to pounce on the cat whose claws were dug into the sleek fur of the deputy. 

Pulling the large and plump cat off of Falconwing she was flung across the medicine den, landing on her paw she screamed in agony. Suddenly the cat came closer as blood gushed down her forehead. She could barely make out who the cat was. But at last, Falconwing jumped onto the back of the warrior leaving it screeching. He too was soon flung off with his previous wound gushing, and new ones scattered all across his body. Parts of his ear were missing, patches of fur were gone or layed on the hard ground of the medicine den.

¨Falconwing?¨ Briarflower called as she attempted to stand to her paws, she blinked to get rid of the blood that dripped down into her eyes and landed on her muzzle. She got on her front paws but suddenly, Falconwing fell. She rushed over to the cat and dragged his heavy body towards the nest he had laid in before, limping around the medicine den as more cats came in injured she only focused on Falconwing. As she returned with new cobwebs to replace the ones that were ripped from the previous night she smelt a stench. A strong stench.

¨Falconwing?¨ She meowed as she pushed her muzzle into the cat's flank.

She continued to push her muzzle into the cat's flank, attempting to wake him up, but as she continued she heard familiar pawsteps and at last a familiar voice called out to her.

¨Briarflower,¨ Skullstar sighed,
¨He's gone.¨ He finished, signaling all of the warriors that crowded in the medicine den to leave.

¨No! He can't be..¨ Briarflower cried.

Skullstar nudged her, attempting to comfort her from the loss.

¨How will I ever go on without my brother..?¨ She whined.

Again the words of her own mother echoed in her head,

 ¨The queen whom loses her kits will save us all.¨

She perked up her head, 

¨We don't have any queens.¨ She said, but it sounded like she was asking.

¨No, we don´t.. why?¨”Skullstar replied.

Briarflower lowered her head and began to groom Falconwings pelt to look neat, 

Where could Nauseacrawl be in all of this chaos?

¨Let all cats old enough to swim gather beneath the Wet Rock to hear my words!¨ Skullstar yowled as Briarflower sat from outside the medicine den, mourning the loss of her brother she suddenly saw a familiar gray and white cat appear into camp, quickly the cat settled below the rock and looked around anxiously. 

Could she have something to do with the attack? 

No! 

There's no way she would do that to her own mate.

Suddenly Briarflower heard Skullstar speak as the last of the warriors, elders and apprentices gathered around the Wetrock. They all looked puzzled, twisting their necks as if they were searching for something, or someone.

¨Where is Falconwing?¨ An elder called from the side,

Skullstar looked directly into the elders' glowing eyes, and said ¨ Our deputy Falconwing has joined Starclan as he had protected his clan with every moment of his life.¨ 

He paused.

¨ We must have a moment of silence for our fallen deputy.¨ He meowed as he lowered his head for the fallen cat. Briarflower searched the crowd of cats looking at familiar faces that grieved the loss of the cat, but she came to a stop at Nauseacrawl. She was crying.

At last Skullstar raised his head high, the other cats in the clearing following, everyone but Nauseacrawl.

¨I say these words before Starclan, so that the spirit of Falconwing may hear and approve of my choice.¨ Skullstar began, 

He paused for a long moment before searching the crowd of cats and his gaze landed on one particular. Briarflower followed Skullstars gaze to see the same cat who was sobbing moments before, who was confused before the meeting, and who was happy before the battle.  

Nauseacrawl.

Skullstars eyes became small, he squinted before speaking, ¨I say these words before Starclan, so that the spirit of Falconwing may hear and approve of my choice.¨ 

He paused once more, the cats in the clearing began itching intensely waiting for Skullstar to appoint a new deputy, since it must be done before moon high, which the time was nearing. 

 ¨The new deputy of RiverClan is Nauseacrawl.¨ Skullstar meowed proudly, smiling as the frown from his face and every other cats face disappeared, they all turned to grins, surrounding Nauseacrawl, calling her name..

Was this meant to be?

¨Briarflower?¨ Nauseacrawl meowed into the medicine den.

Briarflower heard her name called and she came out.

 ¨Are you feeling sick again?¨ She asked.

 Nauseacrawl nodded, "It's worse and my belly swelling more..¨

Brairflower nodded while flicking her tail toward the closest moss bed, ordering Nauseacrawl to sit.   

After a few moments of waiting Briarflower spoke, looking Nauseacrawl straight in her dark grey eyes that shined like the stars in the darkest night,

¨Nauseacrawl, I told you this already.¨ Briarflower sighed,

 ¨What?¨ Nauseacrawl said as she couldn't remember what Briarflower had told her last time. ¨You´re kitting. You show all the signs and youŕe belly is getting swelling, like you said.¨ 

Briarflower stopped to observe the change in Nauseacrawl´s expressions, she seemed more.. Sad. She thought if this was possibly about Falconwing, and the fact that Nauseacrawl and him wanted kits.

She thought carefully of what to say, and suggested that she should move to the nursery.  ¨You should move to the nursery soon, you've gotten quite far now.¨ 

Nauseacrawl´s eyes became dull.

Was she going to cry?

Before Briarflower could finish her thought, Nauseacrawl got up and walked out of the medicine den, assuming that she was going to tell Skullstar that he would need a temporary deputy. Briarflower settled into her comfortable moss nest that lay next to the freshly picked herbs.

Briarflower watched as Skullstar walked into the nursery, where the only queen had been with her newly born kits. She still hadn't told anyone about the words that she received from her mother, including Skullstar. She heard talking from the nursery that sounded like Skullstar´s but before she could figure out what they were saying all she could hear was the rushing water of the gorge that connected Riverclan and Windclan territory. 

Suddenly she heard the barking again, and it came closer, and closer, and closer, until it stopped and the sound was replaced by the scream of Nauseacrawl, calling for her. She got up as quick as she could and dashed out of the medicine den, taking a quick turn into the nursery to see what was going on, and why she was needed.

 ¨Briarflower!̈ Nauseacrawl meowed anxiously, ¨

̈What is it, Nauseacrawl?̈¨ Briarflower panted, struggling to keep her eyes open as Nauseacrawl nudged her kits around.

¨̈My kits, they reek with sickness!¨ Nauseacrawl cried before pushing one of her kits toward Briarflower so that she as well could smell the stench of sickness that came from the kits. 

¨Please, help them!¨ Nauseacrawl begged.

Briarflower nodded, determined to save not only her brother's kits and Nauseacrawls kits, but her kin. She flicked her tail ordering Nauseacrawl to grab one of the kits, Skullstar stared from the corner with pure fear in his eyes. 

¨Skullstar!¨ Briarflower mumbled through the kit in her jaws.

Skullstar quickly glanced at the kit that laid on the floor of the nursery and then looked at Briarflower and she flicked her tail, signaling for Skullstar to grab the kit and follow her.

LATER

Briarflower heard the pacing pawsteps of Nauseacrawl, and the reassuring voices of Skullstar and Bearclaw. She peaked over the side of the private den and saw Bearclaw with tears coming from her eyes, dropping from her muzzle onto her paws. 

̈Please Nauseacrawl, please stop!¨ She begged.

Briarflower glanced at the kits that laid lifeless on the nests behind her,

Why couldn't I save them?

She walked out of the private den and almost instantly Nauseacrawl turned to look at Briar Flower, expecting an immediate response from the medicine cat Nauseacrawl got in her face and hissed, 

¨Where are they!?¨ 

Briarflower paused and thought about what she was going to say to the queen.

Before she could even think of an appropriate response to a queen who would soon find out that her three kits were gone Briarflowers mothers words echoed in her head, and Briarflower repeated after the voices,

¨The queen whom loses her kits will save us all.¨

Nauseacrawl almost instantly broke down as she heard the words of Briarflower and her warrior ancestors.

Briarflower spoke with her eyes wide, staring at the cat who laid sobbing at their paws below her, ¨You are the cat Starclan told me about.¨ 

Nauseacrawl looked up at Briarflower and shook her head, ¨I can´t be.¨

Skullstar widened his eyes and searched for words that didn't come out of Briarflowers mouth, and Bearclaw rushed forward to comfort the grieving queen.

What was going to happen?

Briarflower watched Nauseacrawl carefully every moment she was in her sight, from the medicine den she saw Bearclaw approach Nauseacrawl, and they began to speak together. She inched forward to hear what they were saying, but the only thing she could hear was ¨going out.¨ The words came from Nauseacrawl´s mouth, and they echoed in her ears. Her ears began to ring, intensely. She stood and padded towards the medicine den to take something to stop her ears from intensely ringing, but nothing helped.

What is Starclan doing to me?

Nauseacrawl was dead. The rocks around the river that separated Thunderclan and Riverclan territory covered an ugly scent of dogs and death. The warriors who had found her moved the rocks around to find where the stench was coming from, only to see Nauseacrawl, lifeless, surrounded by dogs 5 times her size, also lifeless. Everyone mourned while Briarflower sat in the back of the clearing,

At last Skullstar jumped on top of the Wet rock and yowled,  ̈All cats old enough to swim the rapids gather beneath the Wet Rock for a clan meeting!¨ 

Sleeping cats came crawling out of their dens. Bearclaw laid beside Nauseacrawl, crying as she groomed Nauseacrawls pelt.

 As other cats gathered around they gasped and Skullstar jumped off the Wet Rock to Nauseacrawls body. ̈Our deputy joined Starclan, we found remains of dogs and we assume that is the cause of her death..¨ He announced at last.

 "I will sit vigil for her..¨ Bearclaw meowed as she curled her tail around her paws, looking down at Nauseacrawls lifeless body. 

¨Before I announce who our new deputy is, we must share tongues with Nauseacrawl for the final time.¨ Skullstar said, moving forward to Nauseacrawl as everyone else inched forward.

After sharing tongues with Nauseacrawl Skullstar jumped back onto the Wet rock, almost slipping as rain had begun to pour down on the mourning cats, flushing out the scent of fear, death, blood and grief. 

Skullstar breathed heavily before he spoke, ¨I say this before Starclan and Nauseacrawl hoping they hear and approve of my choice,̈  he said as he looked around at the cats in the clearing. ¨The deputy of Riverclan shall be..¨