Final Effort of Jayleaf

[Longstorm]

The misty-eyed dove gray tom jerked awake.
"The one who holds fire will burn the thorns - " the tom stood and let out a terrified scream, still trapped in his dream. Jayleaf's paws shook as he shut his mouth, swiveling his once-bright eyes to the exit of his den.
"Daystar," he gasped, "I must tell Daystar..." The leader of Dewclan needed to hear this last prophecy.
The medicine cat stumbled almost all the way to the exit of his den but fell, wheezing and gasping for breath.
"Someone," he called shakily. Curses, he thought, why did I have to get the dream when everyone's out? Or is it that my voice is too weak?
He breathing went from slight gasps to loud, high pitched wheezes, paws twitching.

[Runfast]

Shadowspot, walking in the camp, heard the soft call. He looked down into the medicine cat's den and saw the older tom lying on his side, breathing in a distressed way.
"Jayleaf," he mewed concernedly as he quickly went to assist the medicine cat, "what's happened?"
He went to trying to nose the tom back into a position that would ease his breathing.
The half-Clan tom liked the medicine cat, like any cat of his Clan should, as the tom was nice to him and took time to talk to him.

[Longstorm]

"Sh-Shadowspot," he whispered into the warrior's ear, "l-listen, there's no time. Listen!" He coughed, turning his head away from the black cat for a moment. "It's from Starclan..."

[Runfast]

Shadowspot's eyes widened slightly. "A message from Starclan?" His eyes gleamed in an unknown emotion.

[Longstorm]

The old cat nodded weakly. "Yes," he breathed. "Th-the one who hold f-f-ire will," the tom slumped to the ground like a dead mouse. Jayleaf was barely breathing.

[Runfast]

Shadowspot looked at Jayleaf in shock as he went limp. "No, no, come on, you can get up!" He got close to the medicine cat's face - he smelled like death. "Come on, Jayleaf - you're the strongest cat I know, get up. Please."

[Longstorm]

Jayleaf's eye half opened, his lips not moving as he breathed, "will burn the thorns..." His head lolled to the side, the air leaving his lungs, side deflating.
Jayleaf was dead.

[Runfast]

Shadowspot looked down at the medicine cat in cold shock then pressed his nose to the tom's fur. "Be at peace in Starclan, Jayleaf," he mewed softly. "If it's really there, then you're the best cat they could ever want." He stepped back and looked out of the den and at the camp. "'The one who holds fire will burn the thorns'..." The black tom shook his head. He had to tell Daystar about Jayleaf - but what about the medicine cat's last words? They'd sounded important...
The young warrior shrugged. "Might as well." He padded out of the den swiftly.

[Rainpelt]

Skysoar met the young warrior coming out of the den. "What's wrong?" She asked, seeing the expression on Shadowspot's face.

[Runfast]

Shadowspot glanced at Skysoar and mewed, "You'll hear with everyone else..." He was never a chatty, friendly cat.

[Rainpelt]

Skysoar nodded in understanding, and padded away with many unanswered questions.

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