The Foxes Are Gone

Steelkit scanned the nursery. His eyes guarded; showing no emotion what-so-ever. His gaze fell on the mute warrior as her eyes fluttered open. Confusion was more than obvious green eyes. She sat up, only to lay down again.
Her mouth opened in a silent response. The small silver tom narrowed her eyes and simply shrugged. "Ashpaw brought you here. I assume it was because of your injuries."
The she-cat's eyes flickered with sudden realisation and Steelkit figured she remembered her tussle with the fox.
He opened his mouth to say something else, when an anguished yowl came from the clearing. Forget about the battle and Greedclaw threatening him to stay put, the kit tore out of the nursery, Riverkit and Soulkit on his heels.

What the kit saw made his stomach turn in uneasy knots. Vanstar lay limp in the middle of the clearing; Wishfeather crouched by his side; her eyes blank.
No matter how much hatred he had for Vanstar, he was still his father and, although he would never admit it, especially in front of his family, he did love him. Even if it was small than a mouse.

"V-Vanstar!" Wishfeather stuttered as she nosed her mates side.
"Is he...?" Steelkit looked over at Riverkit. Her blue eyes were wide with horror. She had let her question trail off, but he knew what she was going to say. Dead.
"No," Soulkit took the spotlight off of his older brother. "He's losing a life. It'll be his last one."
Greedclaw nudged Wishfeather gently. "He'll be okay in a heartbeat. StarClan will heal his killing wound, although he will still be weak. Ashpaw! Ghostpaw! I want you two to search the camp for any ways the foxes can come in. Be careful, there still may be some around. If you want, you can take a warrior with you."

The two apprentices nodded. Smokepelt, Ghostpaw's mentor stepped forward and together the three cats headed towards the nursery; where the foxes had come through.

"Steelkit, are you okay?"
The tom hadn't realised he had zoned off until he felt the gently nudge of Riverkit. He nodded. "I'm fine," he meowed sharply.
Riverkit recoiled and took a step back. She knew Steelkit was a cat that was against any kind of affection, but she still wasn't used to it. She nodded and went to tend to Soulkit. The black tom was nuzzle beside his mother.
Steelkit narrowed his eyes. Stupid cats need to stop worrying about me! I don't care about Vanstar! I - Don't - Care!
He turned his furious gaze on his father and was shocked to see the tom's flank already moving as he regained his breath. He continued to watch as Vanstar's green eyes shot open.
"Vanstar!" Wishfeather breathed with clear relief. She nuzzled him affectionately.
Vanstar purred as his mate began suffocating him with licks and nuzzles. "I'm alright," the ginger tom meowed. "I am on my last life. The next time I die, I won't be coming back."
"Let's not worry about that now," Wishfeather meowed.
The fluffy leader nodded and stood up. The wound on his neck that had killed him was healed, however he was still exhausted and weak.
"Cat's of StellarClan! We have stood our ground today against those foxes! Let us-" The tom was cut short as a ball of gray, white, silver, and cream fur made it's way into the clearing. The yowling made heads turn.
Following the fighting cats were Ashpaw and Ghostpaw, advancing on an angry looking tortoiseshell she-cat.

"What is the meaning of this!" Vanstar's yelled over the screeching.
The two cats broke apart, revealing a tired looking Smokepelt and a large she-cat. Upon hearing their leader, Ashpaw and Ghostpaw stopped immediately.
"These two were trying to sneak into camp while StellarClan was at it's weak point!" Smokepelt meowed angrily.
"We were not sneaking into this camp. We were simply looking to join," the tortoiseshell snapped.
"Liar!" Ashpaw retorted.
Before any more fighting could break out, Vanstar stepped forward. "Enough! StellarClan cat's know better than to attack harmless cats!"
Smokepelt looked discouraged as he looked up at his leader. It was rare to see the tom angry. "I apologise," he meowed.
"As you should," he said as he made his way to the two strangers. "Care to explain why you've made my warriors so angry?"
The larger she-cat straightened as she realised that this was the leader of the clan. "I'm Shiningsong and this is Tanpaw. We're former clan cats that need a clan."
"Oh?" Vanstar meowed curiously.

As the three became situated, Vanstar leaped onto the Highstone for the second time of the, seemingly, long day.
"Cats of StellarClan, today has been one of the hardest ever endured. I, Vanstar, have lost yet another life. It is also my last. I will continue to serve StellarClan until my last breath. Tonight, we also welcome two new members. Shiningsong, whom has requested to become StellarClan's first medicine cat, and Tanpaw. Ivyflight, step forward."
The skinny ginger tabby stepped forward, a look of determination in her green eyes. "Ivyflight, you shall mentor Tanpaw. You may be mute, but you have served StellarClan well since your short time of being here. I know you will pass on your great knowledge to this young apprentice."
Ivyflight nodded and stepped beside her new apprentice.
"StellarClan, you may rest as well as feast. That is all, meeting dismissed!"