This is for the Collaberation Challenge on the Warriors Challenge Forum. The authors are Wolfgrowl (myself) and Steve the Icecube.
Disclaimer: Neither of us own Warriors.
Foxblaze shivered, even as the sun struck his ginger coat. Standing this close to the medicine cat's den it was impossible not to hear the low moans. He flattened his ears, torn between staying where he was or actually visiting the cats.
"Surely you have some idea of what to do?"
Foxblaze's ear pricked up at that, Swanstar's question was a desperate plea. How bad were things? He crept forward, catching Tigertail's response, "I've tried everything. The juniper berries help, but they're not working and cats are getting weaker. They won't eat, and they need to if they're to regain strength."
Foxblaze swallowed, summoning his courage stepped into the den. "Is there any other herb?"
The leader and medicine cat both turned to look at him, he blinked yet refused to flinch.
Tigertail shook his head, "someone would've figured it out Swanstar." The ginger tabby studied Foxblaze, "you're aware of the creek that divides the territories, of course."
Foxblaze nodded once, envisioning the water that marked the border, carving a path through solid rock.
"There's a plant that grows near water, called water mint." The medicine cat's whiskers twitched slightly, "yes, fitting. Now it doesn't grow in our territory, because the creek is surrounded by rock, the ground isn't wet enough."
Foxblaze let out a slow breath, "what about it?"
"Water mint is a cure for bellyaches, it would likely work better than the Jupiter berries." Tigertail's ears flattened, "it's something."
"What's the point though, you said it doesn't grow in our territory." Foxblaze bounced on his paws, tail lashing behind him, this plant was worthless to him!
"It grows outside our territory. If you follow the creek you'll find places where there's soil. That's where water mint grows; it's a bit of a trip."
"I'm healthy, and the Clan can spare me." Foxblaze was bouncing faster now, the idea of leaving, the journey itself would be amazing, and to do something for his ailing Clan…
"We need every healthy cat we have Foxblaze." Swanstar meowed softly, "we can't spare you."
Foxblaze curled his lips in a snarl, "you can't spare me now while we still have several healthy warriors? Would you be able to spare me in a moon, when everyone has this and I'm coming down with it myself?"
Swanstar's yellow eyes snapped up, piercing Foxblaze with a cold stare that made him still. "You will not speak to me that way Foxblaze. I know you're worried but you will not use that tone with me."
Foxblaze looked down, "I'm sorry Swanstar." He mumbled to his paws. Slowly he looked up, "please, let me go."
Swanstar shook her head, Foxblaze swallowed and continued to beg, "Swanstar, the apprentices still look up to me, they asked me to see what I could do, you know Icepaw was supposed to be a warrior days ago. Mousepaw's siblings are worried about her." He flattened his ears, trying to appear as convincing as possible, "and…" he glanced past Swanstar, easily finding the dappled golden pelt, "Leopardwind's ill."
Swanstar's gaze softened, glancing back at her deputy, Foxblaze's former mentor. "He's strong Foxblaze. The apprentices…"
She looked at Tigertail with a sigh, "what do you think?"
"I think he'll go one way or another. Might as well be with your permission." The medicine cat replied calmly, watching Foxblaze out of one eye. "I do think the water mint will help. We need it."
Swanstar hung her head, "would you go Foxblaze, even if I ordered you not to?"
The ginger tom hesitated for a heartbeat, "yes, Swanstar."
She nodded, "are you sure, Tigertail, that feverfew won't be enough?"
"It will help with the chills, though those would go away on their own I think. I want them strong enough to fight this off."
Swanstar was silent for several heartbeats; Foxblaze slowly rose out of his crouch.
"Go. Foxblaze you have my permission, go." Swanstar murmured, not looking at her newest warrior, "and may StarClan go with you."
Foxblaze felt the energy surging through him, the hope returning. "Thank you. How much do you need Tigertail?"
"As much as you can bring me."
Foxblaze met the tabby's gaze, dipping his head once. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned around and hurried out, ignoring the cats that called out to him. His paws were on fire, he was already mapping out his route in his head, if he took the trail to the Scorched Birch he'd be almost to where the territory ended, the creek would be right there. He didn't glance back, his focus entirely on the task he'd undertaken.
Mudtalon shivered as he got out of his nest. He thought he'd had a bad dream, but he couldn't remember it at all. He might have just woken from the noise of another cat getting out of their nest. But then again, that didn't happen much anyway, let alone with the current circumstances.
He looked into the darkness of the den and sighed. It was much more empty than it should be, but what with the sickness, many cats had to stay in the medicine den because they were simply too weak to do anything else. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, praying to StarClan that Grassfoot would be okay. He hadn't yet caught the sickness, but it sprung so quickly and Grassfoot was the only thing that he really had left, his mother dead from the sickness and father long dead.
Looking around, Mudtalon froze. Grassfoot wasn't in the den. He panicked for a moment, but then realised that he'd probably just gone out for some air, and nothing was wrong, so he weaved his way around the nests, half trying not to disturb other warriors, half pretending that there were actually warriors in all of the nests.
He felt much better when he was out of the den, the air was fresher and clearer, though the air in camp still reeked of sickness. He was sure that the sickness was in the other Clan as well, many of the warriors he knew from OakClan, and many of the apprentices, hadn't been seen for many patrols.
He couldn't pretend he actually cared about the other Clan, though Grassfoot did always reason with him about those kinds of things, that all the hawks would come for their kits, that the badgers and foxes could endanger them in fights if there was no back up. In his opinion, the other Clan was still a waste of space and a lot of the warriors were just bumbling around all the time when they tried to be friendly, because they'd meet each other in battle anyway.
That was why he didn't have many friends, other than his unnerving scar. He didn't care for anyone except Grassfoot and himself.
Mudtalon padded out of camp, because he knew that if Grassfoot had gone out for air at all, he wouldn't have stayed in camp where the sickness was everywhere, he would have gone over to the border, where there was a clearing where fights and small border spats often happened. He didn't really know why Grassfoot liked it at all, he didn't like fighting much. He wouldn't be surprised if sometimes he even let younger cats go right in the heat of battle. But you could see Silverpelt so well from the clearing, and he knew that Grassfoot had quite a connection with StarClan for a warrior.
The forest was silent and dark. It was still very cold at night, though the end of leafbare was approaching and Mudtalon was glad. He was hoping that the sickness would go with leafbare. He was sick of being constantly worried about Grassfoot.
He wasn't surprised when he saw Grassfoot at the clearing, looking up to the sky. He was worried, though, when he saw that he was shivering. "Grassfoot!" He called quietly. The tom turned around, looking tired and shivering violently. "Are you okay?" He rushed up to him and buried his muzzle in Grassfoot's neck. Under his pelt, he was burning up. "No, don't answer that. You'll be okay. We just have to get back to camp."
Grassfoot nodded weakly. "I trust you. Can-" He broke off as Mudtalon put his tail to the sick tom's mouth.
"You can lean on me." He mewed quietly. "And when we get back to camp, you're going to rest, and I'm going to find a cure."
"Please, Kestrelstar!" Mudtalon mewed. "I really want to go and find the cure."
Kestrelstar's face was unsympathetic. "I understand that you care very much for Grassfoot, but the Clan needs hunters and protectors should Swanstar feel the need to attack us."
Mudtalon snarled in annoyance. He knew that it was disrespectful, but he honestly didn't care because Grassfoot was his only thing left. "You still don't accept us." He mewed coldly. "We still have warriors, and we're managing fine. You know and I know that I'm the only cat capable of going into the unknown."
"I doubt that, Mudtalon. You are a good warrior, but your abilities don't lie in herbs."
"No, but they aren't in fighting or hunting either. They're in traps, training and battle strategy, and you have no use for that at the moment. I can't train the apprentices, or trap enemies when they all have fever and can't leave their nests. Please, just let me go and find this, for the Clan!"
"You'll be doing it for Grassfoot, Mudtalon. I forbid you to go and look for the watermint."
Mudtalon nodded meekly and padded out of Kestrelstar's den, his tail drooping. "I'm going hunting!" He called to Deerfall, and he nodded.
"Bad luck, Mudtalon. But Grassfoot's strong. We'll get through all this." He mewed, the sympathy in his voice not quite reaching his amber eyes. But then again, it never did for anyone when they thought of him and Grassfoot.
And as soon as Mudtalon was out of camp, he broke into a sprint, following the stream as fast as he could. He would find the watermint and cure Grassfoot even if Kestrelstar exiled him for it.
