Chapter 1 Eagle Trouble
Mosspaw woke up with a ray of sunlight stinging her eyes. She opened them in slits, trying to escape from the bright sunbeams. "Oh," meowed her beautiful mentor, Bluerain. Her head poked up in Mosspaw's den. "I see you've awaken. Come on and get some fresh-kill the other apprentice's brought you. We have a big day ahead of us." Bluerain concluded, picking up a vole and dragging it back to the entrance of Mosspaw's den.
Mosspaw slowly erupted from her comfortable den. Why do I always have to get up so early? Mosspaw thought, annoyed. She stretched out her back legs, following up with an enormous yawn. She sniffed at the vole and licked her lips in hunger. Mosspaw hadn't realized how hungry she had been until now. She took a big bite out of the vole and purred with satisfaction. Bluerain licked in between Mosspaw's ears.
"I didn't know you were so hungry," Bluerain meowed in amusement.
"Mean either," Mosspaw replied, looking back up to Bluerain. Mosspaw quickly finished off her vole, shoving it over to the side of the den to clean up later. She began to lick her right paw. "so why are we having a big day today?" Mosspaw asked in between various licks.
"Of course you know new-leaf is coming," Bluerain meowed while sorting some borage leaves into a separate pile. "that means a lot of herbs will be growing. We need to get as much as we can and bring them back to camp. It will probably take a couple of trips."
Mosspaw heaved a sigh. She liked being an apprentice medicine cat and all, but collecting herbs was the worst part. You always ended up smelling bitter and sour like herbs, and your mouth and paws would hurt after it was done. Mosspaw felt a fly land on her ear. She impatiently flicked her ear, making the fly come off in a heartbeat.
"Why don't you come out and get some sunshine?" Bluerain encouraged, flicking her tail towards the entrance to the medicine den. "You look awful tired." She meowed.
"Okay," Mosspaw mumbled, getting up and padding out of the den. She looked up at the bright sky. The warm sun making her eyes ache when she looked at it. She flinched away from the light, her eyes shut tightly in escape from the sun. She opened up her watering eyes once more, and took a look around her Clan. Some cats were stirring, mostly warriors and apprentices. Mosspaw's brown eyes lit up when she saw her friend, Dewpaw padding up to her.
"Hi Mosspaw!" Dewpaw said excitedly, brushing her cheek against Mosspaw's. "How's it going?" She meowed, sitting down.
"Good I guess," Mosspaw replied. She noticed Dewpaw smelt of the forest trees, and fresh prey. She guessed she just got done from hunting with her mentor, Whiteblade. She saw the white she-cat chatting with some other warriors.
"I've been having so much fun lately!" Dewpaw chirped, bouncing around. Mosspaw wasn't seeming to pay any attention and didn't here Dewpaw. She was distracted by a huge eagle that was circling up above MeadowClan Camp. "Mosspaw? Mosspaw!" Dewpaw angrily meowed, noticing Mosspaw wasn't paying attention.
"What?" Mosspaw meowed, breaking her glance from the eagle and switching it to 2 Dewpaw's angry green eyes.
"Nevermind," Dewpaw mumbled, padding away from Mosspaw with her tail drooping. Mosspaw tilted her head in wonder about why Dewpaw was so angry all of the sudden. Mosspaw looked back up at the shining blue sky, noticing the eagle getting lower and lower. She could almost hear the pounding of the eagle's huge wings."What's that sound?" Meowed Bluerain from the medicine den. She came out beside Mosspaw and looked up at the sky. "Great StarClan!" Bluerain gasped, her grey eyes stretching wide. Mosspaw looked confused. What was the big fuss? It's just a bird. "Eagle!" Bluerain yowled above the Clan's chatter. "Eagle everyone!" Bluerain said again, quickly running back into her den. Mosspaw saw Thunderwind sweeping up her three tiny kits in her tail, and running back into the nursery. All of the cats were panicking and running back into their dens. Mosspaw wondered why everyone was scared. "Come on Mosspaw! Get in, quick!" Bluerain yowled from the medicine den. Mosspaw scuddled in the den.
"What's going on Bluerain?" Mosspaw questioned. "Why is everyone so scared?"
Bluerain looked at her like she was the dumbest cat around. "Didn't your mother tell you when you were a kit?" Bluerain asked.
Mosspaw thought for a second. But all she thought was, it's just a bird. It's just a bird. "Tell me what?" Mosspaw asked.
"That eagles are feared by all the clans. And hawks and falcons too. The reason why, is because we're their prey. They catch you very fast, and take you way up in the air, and feed you to their kits." Bluerain explained, the fright not leaving her eyes.
Mosspaw finally understood. A noise interrupted her thought. It was a kit yelping. Oh no! Mosspaw thought. An eagle has one of the kits! Mosspaw and Bluerain ran out of the den to see what the sound was. One of Thunderwind's kits, Dunekit, was being carried up in the sky by the huge eagle. It's huge talons seeping into the tiny kit's shoulders.
Thunderwind came charging out the nursery. "No!" She yowled. "Hold on Dunekit, I'm coming!" Dawnsplash, Thunderwind's mate, was staring up in horror at his struggling kit. The kit was hissing and whimpering in pain as the eagle was getting higher. Thunderwind finally jumped up and held on to her kit with her claws. The eagle shrieked in anger and struggled to go up higher. But Thunderwind was obviously not letting her kit go that easily. She started to claw at the eagle's feet, leaving the eagle giving up, and dropping the two cats. Thunderwind and Dunekit fell down together. The Clan began to cheer with joy. But a ringing voice interrupted all the cats' voices.
"Silence!" The voice got quiet and looked over to Goldenstar. His shoulder blades rippling out from his skin. "Why is everyone cheering?" He meowed.
Everyone looked at each other. Expecting another cat to speak up, including Mosspaw. But Thunderwind spoke up. "An eagle tried to take Dunekit but I saved him." She meowed shakily.
Goldenstar stared at her for a couple of seconds. "No reason to interrupt my nap!" He angrily snapped back.
Dawnsplash sat up in pure anger. "No reason to yell at my mate like that!" He hissed. His tortoiseshell fur bristling in the little breeze.
"Whatever," Goldenstar muttered. His mate, Larksong, quickly padded out from his den and wrapped her tail around his back.
"Come on Goldenstar," she whispered comfortingly. "It's time to go rest." She soothed, leading him back to his den.
What's his problem? Mosspaw thought. He's not acting right.
Bluerain whispered in Mosspaw's ear, "Come on, let's go get those herbs."
But the thought still remained in Mosspaw's head. What's happening to MeadowClan's leader?
Thunderwind rushed in to the medicine den. "Bluerain," Thunderwind meowed urgently. "can I please get some cobwebs for Dunekit? His shoulders are bleeding from the eagle." Thunderwind added, the small brown kit in her jaws. He was wailing and twisting in her mouth.
Bluerain came over to the loud kit and sniffed him all over. "Mosspaw," Bluerain meowed. "please come over here and examine Dunekit some more as I get cobwebs and some comfrey." Bluerain ordered as she rushed to the herb isle. Mosspaw followed Bluerain's order and sniffed Dunekit. He seemed fine. Just some punctures in his shoulders from the eagle's talons. "Just some scratches," Mosspaw declared sitting down and staring at the kit's bloody shoulders.
Thunderwind looked at Mosspaw in bewilderment. "Just some scratches?" Thunderwind repeated in shock. "These are more like deep punctures!" The paranoid queen sat down her kit, and began to lick his shoulders ferociously.
Bluerain finally come over with some cobwebs, and a leaf filled up with herbs. Mosspaw could identify comfrey, dried oak leaves, and poppy seeds in the leaf. Bluerain sat down the leaf, and grabbed her wad of cobwebs. She gently wrapped the soft cobwebs on the kits shoulders, letting the oozing blood slow down. "There," Bluerain soothed, gently pressing down the cobwebs. "not so bad right?" She meowed, almost in a whisper. Mosspaw wished she had the patience of Bluerain. Will I make a good medicine cat? Mosspaw thought.
Thunderwind licked the Dunekit's forehead. Her slow strokes making him purr. Mosspaw envied the care of Thunderwind. Is being a mom fun? Mosspaw thought again. She was always so curious and loved thinking about things she could do in her life.
Bluerain padded over to her leaf full of herbs. She neatly unwrapped the leaf, and dragged out the comfrey. That must be for soothing Dunekit's wound. Mosspaw guessed. Mosspaw ran over all the herbs at least a dozen times so she felt pretty confident on identifying them all. Mosspaw watched Bluerain chew up the leaves, making them into a poultice.
Bluerain collected the wet poultice on her pad and looked up at Mosspaw. "Mosspaw, would you mind crumpling up the oak leaves? I need them to stop any infection that can creep up on Dunekit's wound." Bluerain asked padding back over to the kit, and unwrapping the cobweb. The bleeding finally slowed.
"Of course," Mosspaw meowed, collecting the dry leaves in her pads and smooshing them all around. This made them look all crumbly and in little bits.
Thunderwind stared at the leaves in horror. "You mean my little kit is going to get infected?" Thunderwind piped up in fright.
Bluerain began to rub the comfrey in to Dunekit's scratches, making him squeal and then settle from the soothing plant. "No Thunderwind," Bluerain answered, her gaze fixed on the kit. 4 "this will just lower the chance of these scratches getting infected."
Thunderwind relaxed a little more but still looked frightened. Mosspaw swished the crumpled up leaves toward Bluerain with her tail. Bluerain nodded her thanks at Mosspaw, and pressed her paw at the leaves, collecting the little bits. She then gently dabbed the bits on Dunekit's shoulders.
When Bluerain was done, she looked at Mosspaw again. Mosspaw prepared herself for another order. "Could you get me some more cobwebs?" Bluerain asked, collecting more leaves in her soft pink pads.
Mosspaw sighed, "Sure," and padded back toward the herb isle. She looked around, searching for the little stack of cobweb. She spotted them almost instantly. They were right in between the chervil and coltsfoot. She grabbed a wad and went back to Bluerain and her young patient. Mosspaw dropped the soft cobwebs in front of the blue-grey she-cat, and sat down again.
Bluerain didn't thank Mosspaw this time, but grabbed the cobwebs gratefully. Mosspaw thought that maybe that was something they would have to stock up on on their herb trips. She noticed not a lot was left, and cobwebs are always something good to have in your herb store. Bluerain began to wrap the cobwebs back on to Dunekit's shoulders. But they're not bleeding anymore. Mosspaw thought curiously.
Bluerain opened her mouth again, ready to speak, "I'm just putting on more cobwebs in case his wound starts bleeding again, and to keep the herbs in his shoulder so that they don't fall out." Bluerain explained, now wrapping up his other shoulder.
Mosspaw new just what to do, and grabbed the poppy seeds left in Bluerain's tidy leaf. She passed the tiny seeds over to Bluerain, and waited once more. Bluerain took the poppy seeds and nodded at Mosspaw again.
Bluerain picked up the seeds, and began to speak again, "Now these are really yucky but they're not too bad. They'll make you rest a good sleep." Bluerain convinced, nudging the tiny seeds into the young kits mouth. He whimpered and tried to dodge the herb, but soon enough Bluerain got him to eat the bitter seeds.
"Thankyou so much Bluerain," Thunderwind meowed in gratitude. "MeadowClan is very lucky to have a medicine cat like you." Thunderwind crouched down by her now slumbering kit, and licked his fur, for it had been all roughed up.
"Your welcome Thunderwind," Bluerain meowed. A light sparked through her eyes. A spark full of sympathy and proudness. Mosspaw gazed at Bluerain's pretty grey eyes. "Now I want Dunekit to stay in here for a day or two more if that's OK." Bluerain meowed, looking at Thunderwind in question.
"I suppose," the queen nodded and licked her kit again. "Just take good care of him." Thunderwind finished her washing, and walked out of the den.
Bluerain waited until she was gone, then switched her gaze back over to Mosspaw. "How are we supposed to leave the camp if we have a wounded kit to take care of?" Bluerain asked helplessly. Mosspaw could really see that Bluerain was worried and anxious.
"Can't we just have Thunderwind come in and take care of him and let us know if anything happens?" Mosspaw suggested. She didn't really want to go collect herbs, and Dunekit 5 was a great excuse to not have to. But Mosspaw thought the better of it and made up her mind that collecting herbs was a must and now she understood that.
Bluerain looked at her in wonder and flicked her tail back and forth. "That could work. Can you go and get Thunderwind and tell her?" Bluerain asked. Mosspaw nodded and headed out of the den.
She popped her head in the nursery reeds and instantly smelt the warm milky scent of the nursery. She spotted Thunderwind at almost the back of the den, spreading out beside her two other kits. They were curled up in her soft belly fur, and looked comfortable and warm. Mosspaw broke out the courage, and put a paw in the den. She then walked right in and looked around. She spotted Meadowbreeze curled around her two kits as they suckled, and then Winterblaze who was in deep sleep. Her swollen belly rising and falling her deep, slow breaths. Mosspaw walked right over to Thunderwind's nest and nudged her back. Thunderwind popped her head up over her shoulder and looked at Mosspaw. "What is it?" She asked. "Is Dunekit okay?" Thunderwind was now on all fours.
"Yes, yes." Mosspaw answered amusingly. "Bluerain was just wondering if you could come back in the den and watch him because we need to go collect herbs."
"Oh of course," Thunderwind answered urgently. "I'll do anything to watch over my kit." She was now grabbing up her two other kits and walking out of the nursery. Mosspaw quickly followed and went back to the medicine den with Thunderwind.
Bluerain looked up and purred. "Good," Bluerain mumbled settling down the rest of Thunderwind's young kits. "Thank you Thunderwind." Bluerain meowed, nudging at Thunderwind's hips to make her sit down. Thunderwind sat down and curled around all of her kits now. Mosspaw noticed she wasn't so close to Dunekit. She must of been paranoid she would smear off his medicine. "Come on Mosspaw." Bluerain urged outside the medicine den. Mosspaw tumbled towards her and set off toward the Clan entrance.