#rindlekit

It was still. Not even his usual raspy breathing was coming from it. Speckleback stared down at the unbreathing body, his tail curled up against him. Wasn't fair. He did all he could, he was told that by everyone and everything possible, but that didn't change what had happened.

Whiskershadow was dead. A cough, all-consuming, taking and taking until all that was left was a husk, conversing without his heart in it. They both knew it. But Speckleback wanted him there.

Finchstar wandered by, tail curling around him. Speckleback jumped, turning to glare, but Finchstar's own saddened expression made the words that were climbing to his teeth slip away unsaid. Finchstar managed a smile.

"I have to appoint my next deputy." Finchstar meowed. "Already. I'm... sorry to ask you this, but..."

"I'll put him back into the den." Hidden away. Not like the smell of death wasn't hitting the air. He needed to gather more rosemary. "And then we'll bury him." It was a demand, and not a request. 

Finchstar smiled at him, and then grabbed Whiskershadow's body by the scruff. Speckleback helped pull the body towards and into the den, laying him back onto the corner nest. If Speckleback closed his ears, he could even pretend that Whiskershadow was just sleeping.

"You have an apprentice to train soon." Finchstar reminded, once the body was laid back on the nest. "I promise I'll help you bury him."

"I would too, if my bite was gone." Daisyshadow offered, irritation in her voice at the still festering snake bite. It was a wonder she was still kicking.

Speckleback huffed. "It's fine. I promised. You do not have to keep reminding me-"

"That we're here for you, like clanmates are?" Finchstar meowed, loud. "Like we're supposed to be? We were there for Lichentooth, and now we're here for you."

Speckleback didn't say anything else. He just pulled himself out of the den again. Daisyshadow shuffled over to the entrance, and Batpaw stumbled over her trying to reach the entrance, too.

Finchstar wandered over to the roots that made up her den, hopped up, and then hopped up to her announcement branch. She cleared her throat. "All cats of Needleclan, gather for a clan meeting!"

The kits burst out of the nursery, and they had obviously been looking forward to this. Boughkit even looked directly at Speckleback, who was more a part of the center of the camp this time. The warriors and the apprentices came out next, and the sight of them made Finchstar inhale. Riverflight was looking rather distant from Currentdash, but she was still glancing up at Finchstar, waiting. Currentdash glanced to Speckleback, then glanced away. Hollyspike looked as if he was growling. Lichentooth was attentive, but deliberately trying to stick to the edges of the crowd. Bogpaw and Goldpaw were sticking together, while the other apprentices, Graypaw, Larkpaw, and Buzzardpaw went around them.

So many apprentices. So little warriors to apprentice them to.

"Yesterday, Whiskershadow faded away from his greencough." Finchstar announced, as if everybody didn't already know. Speckleback despised the glances he got, and also the ones he didn't. "Life... has to go on. I will appoint a new deputy."

Riverflight, Currentdash, Lichentooth, Hollyspike.

Daisyshadow's snake bite still wasn't healing, so not her. Only the former apprentices, the ones that had been around since the start of the clan.

She knew her choice. Was it the right one?

"Riverflight."

Gasps. Riverflight blinked.

"You will be our new deputy. Your level head will mean great guidance as our deputy."

After a few moments of shocked silence, Currentdash shoved himself into her, purring. "You did it! You're deputy!"

The others cheered. Bogpaw laughed, nudging herself into Goldpaw and chattering about something Finchstar couldn't pick up on. The kits bounced on their paws.

"That's not the only thing I had to announce!" Finchstar's voice boomed, and everyone went quiet. Finchstar grinned. "We have some kits to promote to apprentices. Why don't you three step up?"

Tricklekit was the first, followed by Rindlekit and Boughkit. Speckleback took that as a cue to step up as well, and everyone's eyes followed his dappled pelt.

"First... I will let Speckleback speak for me."

Speckleback nodded. "I have-" Oh, his voice was shaking. Not great for his appearance. "Boughkit will become my apprentice. Instead of fighting out there for the clan, Boughpaw will be at my side, helping to harvest and heal."

"And talk with Starclan!" Boughpaw said, walking forward. She carefully stepped around and to Speckleback's side. "So... yeah. I'll be another healer."

Finchstar laughed. "Thank you, Boughpaw. Now, Tricklekit. You are now Tricklepaw."

The black and red apprentice nodded her head, gaze fierce.

So few warriors to go around.

"You will be apprenticed to Hollyspike."

Tricklepaw padded over, paws harsh on the ground, to Hollyspike. She reached her muzzle up to touch his, and the fire in her eyes seemed to blaze. After that, she sat to Hollyspike's side.

"Rindlekit, you are now Rindlepaw. You'll be apprenticed to Currentdash."

Rindlepaw touched muzzles with Currentdash, and then sat to his side. The pale apprentice and the pale warrior.

Leaving Riverflight more free for her deputy duties. This would be good. 

Riverflight stepped forward, paws hesitant at first but growing more determined as she sat on the other side of the leader's den. It had been a while since a deputy was well enough to do so.

"With that, clan dismissed!" Finchstar hopped down from the branch to the top root of her den. "Riverflight, you and I can discuss in my den."

Events Referenced: Whiskershadow dies of greencough. Speckleback doesn't take this well. He relies on his clanmates for comfort and company. Riverflight becomes the new deputy. Finchstar still isn't sure if she's making the right decisions, but life must go on. Tricklekit becomes Tricklepaw and swears to starclan she'll do her best for the clan as she touches Hollyspike's nose. (in her head.) Rindlekit's headache went away, and she becomes Rindlepaw, apprenticed to Currentdash. Boughkit becomes Boughpaw, the medicine cat apprentice.

"What, because they happened to explore a little bit?" Daisyshadow rolled her eyes. Her kits watched from the entrance of the nursery, glancing between each other. 

"You can't keep being defensive over them forever, you know! They'll grow, they'll have time later to explore- but right now, it's a danger. And they sparred!" Speckleback threw a paw out towards Graykit and Larkkit, who pulled back a bit once they were spotted.

Daisyshadow hissed, before glancing back to her kits and inhaling deeply. Speckleback met her gaze.

"I'll allow you to inspect them... only if you can find something in the territory." Daisyshadow grinned, and Speckleback's ears bent down on his head. Always about his own failures. How was he on the losing side of the argument here?

"Fine." Speckleback spat, getting up. "I have plenty, but I will grab some more."

"Go, then." 

Daisyshadow padded back towards her kits, and Speckleback turned to head out into the forest.

Jokes on her, he knew where some herbs were. And it was only a short jog away from camp! 

He brushed past some trees, watching as a mouse skittered away. Someone would find it, he was sure. Hollypaw was out on his own right now- he would. Speckleback walked by the small spot for their dead cats, only sparing it a glance- no rosemary there. He would have to go out further.

Fine. A bit further than he expected. He padded out past a clump of trees with moss on them, and further and further...

"Hey..."

Someone whispering. It felt like it was right in his ears. Speckleback's fur raised, and he spun around. Nobody was that close to him.

What. 

He felt something leave his back, and an urge to walk in the direction it left to. He followed it, eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out-

He stepped down a ledge, looking around and Oh.

Hidden under the natural ledge was a cat. He... knew this cat once. She had been at the first two gatherings. Spruceshadow? She got exiled. Her body was lying cold on the ground, not moving. Three small shapes pressed against her belly, trying to feed from a body that would never move again.

That feeling again. "Tricklekit." His eyes, directed at the red and black kit. "Boughkit." The light brown kit with white patches. "Rindlekit." The pale kit with a white lower body.

The presence suddenly faded, and Speckleback let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

Some rosemary was growing nearby. He plucked it and laid it out on top of Spruceshadow's body. He would come back with some warriors later to bury her body.

Right now... he had to take these kits back. He leaned down and grouped them together, pulling them away from the cold body. Tricklekit let out a small meow, paws swiping the air.

Maybe it was a lucky thing Daisyshadow was still nursing her kits. These three would be able to be nursed by her, too.

He made the trek back, jaws growing a bit more tired the more Tricklekit and Boughkit shook around. Even Rindlekit let out a weak meow. How did Daisyshadow do it so much? Over a few branches, past the graves...

"Oh, you're... b...ack." Daisyshadow paused. "What is that."

Speckleback placed the kits at his paws. They tumbled over, mewing. Speckleback's eyes remained on the three kits. "...Do you remember Spruceshadow?"

"Did you mate with her?"

Speckleback glanced up to Daisyshadow. "What? Absolutely not. Her body was found in the territory. Already dead." He glanced down to the kits, pushing them forward. "...These kits were with her. She gave birth alone, and was not as lucky as you."

Daisyshadow's expression changed, though Speckleback didn't see it. She padded forward, lowering her nose to the three kits. "... I see. I'll care for them, then." She pointed a dark cream tail towards the leader's den. "Finchstar just got back from hunting. Tell her about them."

With that, Daisyshadow pulled the kits toward the nursery, and Speckleback approached the tree that made up Finchstar's home.

Events Referenced: Speckleback and Daisyshadow argue over kits. Speckleback collected some Rosemary (between moons). While Speckleback is out in the territory, he hears whispers on the wind. Following them, he comes across the body of a dead queen and her three kits, who are still alive. Tricklekit, Boughkit, and Rindlekit.