He's No Monster [ Tigerstar x Reader ]

Chapter 3

    It had been moons later, and Ashfur looked like he was on the end of his lifespan.  Recently, Tigerclaw, deputy of ThunderClan, had been exiled, and he'd apperantly spoken to a patrol, causing drama.  Today, you watched as Ashfur took his last breaths, and the ShadowClan cats visited him.  Sadly, the deputy, Cinderfur, had died, but Nightstar had not chosen a new one.

    "There's nothing else we can do for him, A/N," your mentor, Runningnose, sighed.  "StarClan has made it clear that they want him to join them."

    You felt sick.  How could you watch a cat just die?  It was your duty as a medicine cat apprentice to help save cats, not watch them die!  But lately there'd been more sickness from the rats of carrionplace.  Maybe it was your fault that Ashfur was dying.  Cats had been dying from the carrionplace sickness, and you and Runningnose had been restless.  So many sickly kits. . .  So many dying cats.  It felt like all of it was your fault.  What if you weren't fit to be a medicine cat?  What if you couldn't serve your Clan?

    "Come on, A/N.  We have other work to do.  You need to go check on the nursery queens and see if any more kits or queens are ill.  Ashfur's life is at an end, there's nothing more we can do.  I'll go work on some herb mixtures for the sick cats," Runningnose meowed, and with that he padded off toward his den.  Poor Runningnose, he hasn't slept in days, you thought before heading to the nursery.

   As you entered the nursery, you were taken by surprise.  A familiar dark pelt, a familiar scent.  Tigerclaw!  A few rogues followed him.  Dawncloud, Boulder, and Flintfang were with them.  They were carrying prey.  You watched closely, entranced by Tigerclaw's muscles rippling beneath his pelt.  The dark tabby cast a glance your way, but turned back toward the fresh-kill pile.  The cats in camp looked alert as they watched.  Some of the cats with him were your former Clanmates, the ones that followed Brokenstar anyways.  The treachorous leader was gone and you didn't care where he went, as long as he was gone.  Cats whispered amoung ShadowClan as the cats carried more prey than they'd had in days.  Rowanberry emerged from the medicine den, herb-scent on her pelt, and meowed something to the cats.  Tangleburr, one of Brokenstar's followers, mewed something back.  Runningnose and Nighstar appeared from the leader's den.  You felt sick as you realised how thin your leader had become.  He was dying but he was already on his last life, his only life.

    Nighstar meowed something to the former Clan cats, and Nighstar meowed back  Dawncloud exclaimed excitedly, but Deerfoot walked forward, growling at Tigerclaw.  Runningnose had recently stated that Deerfoot had contracted the disease too, and it was already starting to show.

    Clawface and Rowanberry exchanged a few sorrowful words, and you guessed it was about the recent death of their son, Cinderfur.  You felt a pang of grief as you remembered the thin grey tom.  Poor Runningnose was helping Nighstar with the deputy duties and treating the sick cats, and it only made you feel useless to see that no cat trusted you to do either of those jobs alone.

    You watched as Tigerclaw exchanged a last few words with Nighstar, then led his group away.  You sighed, wishing the handsome tabby had stayed to share the prey, but instead he left it with the ShadowClan cats, saying that it wasn't nessicary for him to stay and eat with them.