Flowerpaw glanced around. She was a medicine cat apprentice, but she just couldn't learn the herbs. The young tortoise shell she cat sniffed around for some juniper. Soon, she caught a scent of berries. Flowerpaw shot towards the scent. But the problem was, she didn't notice it was the wrong berry, and that difference almost ruined her life...
Dawnfall sat, sniffing the herbs. Her apprentice, Flowerpaw, was out finding juniper berries. It was nearing leaf bare, and she wants to be prepared. Dawnfall sniffed at the yarrow. Perfect. They had a God stock of farming, so Riverclan was prepared for an outbreak of greencough. Suddenly, Gingerflake, a tall, ginger colored shecat with amber eyes, burst into camp. "Flowerpaw! Dawnfall, Flowerpaw... Come now!" The medicine cat detected fear and concern in her voice. That is what made her so worried. "I'm coming. Where is she?" Gingerflake replied, "Near the windclan border, by the patch of red berries." Dawnfall's eyes widened. "Oh no." She whispered. She grabbed the yarrow from her den, and ran out the entrance, heart pounding in her chest.
Flowerpaw sniffed the berries. No scent...? She took one with her claw and stared. It looked just like a juniper berry... She licked the juice off of her claw to identify. That was the fatal mistake. She suddenly fell. "I'm feeling dizzy..." Her eyes closed. The last thing she remembered was the soft, blurred voice of Gingerflake, "Flowerpaw!"
Dawnfall surged towards the Deathberry Bush. "Mousebrain!" She cried. "I thought my apprentice knew better than to eat something she doesn't know!" Gingerflake was following close behind, eyes wide. Dawnfall reached place where Flowerpaw laid. "Oh starclan no..." She whispered. The apprentice was lying, eyes closed and body limp. Dawnfall stuffed the yarrow into her mouth, helping the unconscious she cat chew and swallow. After a moment, she sat back and watched, heart about to pound out of her chest.
Flowerpaw looked around in the place she woke. It was a rustling forest, the scent of prey everywhere. Immediately the Medicine cat knew where she was. "I'm dead, aren't I?" She whispered. Suddenly, she heard a soft voice behind her. "No, you aren't. But Flowerpaw, please try not to eat random berries. It isn't your time yet, so you should try not to fasten it. The only reason you are still alive is because Gingerflake brought Dawnfall." Flowerpaw turned and saw the former Riverclan leader, Leopardstar. "Oh. Alright." She looked to where the leader was watching. There, The medicine cat saw her own body and Dawnfall watching. "Shall I return?" Flowerpaw asked. "Yes, you may." The beautiful she cat replied, her warm gaze settling on Flowerpaw. "Return, just remember my warning." Flowerpaw nodded and vanished.
Dawnfall sat, almost grown to tears. Suddenly, Flowerpaw moved. "W-where am I?" She gasped. Dawnfall felt a wave of relief roll over her. "Flowerpaw!" She exclaimed, running forward and hugging her apprentice. She stopped abruptly. "I thought you had more sense than to eat a Deathberry." She cried, glaring. "What do you have to say for yourself?" "I'm sorry, Dawnfall. I thought it was a juniper berry." Flowerpaw said, eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you for saving my life." She said, bursting into tears. Dawnfall was so relieved, she hugged Flowerpaw again. "Let's go back to camp." The golden tabby she cat said. They padded through the forest back to camp, vowing never to near the Bush again.
Flowerpaw entered the camp, sniffling and wiping her pretty violet eyes. The warriors immediately looked up at her, but her mother rushed to her, licking her roughly. "Oh, Flowerpaw! I thought you were... dead." She whispered, breaking into tears. Mistystar padded out of her den, curious of all the noise. "What happened out here?" She exclaimed, seeing the medicine cat crying Her mother crying as well.
Dawnfall padded to the leader. "Let's talk in private?" She whispered. Mistystar nodded and flicked her tail, indicating to follow. Dawnfall followed, a feeling of peace spreading over. Now that her apprentice was safe, she could relax. As th medicine cat settled, Mistystar sat. She said, "Now what happened with Flowerpaw?" Dawnfall replied, "Well, we were sorting herbs..."
Dawnfall sniffed around the den. Flowerpaw separated the herbs, the good ones from wilted or broken. As she sniffed around, Dawnfall took stock of the herbs. There was a lot of catmint, no worries about that. And the yarrow was overflowing. There were 3 honeycomb full of honey in the back, and she had lots of horsetail and water mint roots. The cobwebs were wrapped in the largest leaf she could find, But there was one thing missing... "Flowerpaw." She called, turning the the young apprentice. "Yep?" The reply came. "Can you go out and get the juniper berries from that Bush I showed you the other day?" Flowerpaw strained to remember, then brightened and nodded. "Sure." She padded out of the camp, tail waving in the air. Dawnfall sighed and re checked the herbs. Way more than needed. Dawnfall sighed and padded out of the den, warming herself under the sun. She went back in after a while to place Flowerpaw's herbs back, and then, Gingerflake burst in. "Flowerpaw... Dawnfall, Flowerpaw! Come now!"
"And that's what happened." Dawnfall finished, trying to read The awed leader's face. "Well. That makes more sense." Mistystar said. Dawnfall sighed. "Yep." She got up. "Now, I may leave." "Go ahead." The leader replied.
"Thank you. I have to check Flowerpaw in case something else happened." She padded out, and went to her apprentice, grabbing yarrow. "Are you felling alright?" She asked, setting e yarrow down. "Don't need any?" She shook her head, much to Dawnfall's relief. "Alright. Go rest for today, you need to gain your strength back after that... encounter." Flowerpaw nodded and padded back to the medicine cat's den. She fell asleep shortly after. Dawnfall sat, happy with how it turned out.