Leaf-bare... I hate it.
Jayfeather scowled at the cold snowflakes falling on his little pink nose, his blind blue eyes threatening to melt them with burning irritation.
The half moon, just a faded glow through the dark gray snow clouds was high in the foggy sky, alerting the grumpy gray medicine cat to go to Moonpool.
The walk on the freezing pebbles was excruciatingly hard on Jayfeather's sensitive paws as he made his way up the small hill to the cave where the other medicine cats waited.
Willowshine, the annoying, nosy medicine cat of RiverClan, bounded up to him in two strides. "You're late. That's weird because you're never late. Did you crash into something on WindClan border?"
"Pesky furball!" Jayfeather snapped. "Always nosing through my business. It's cold, okay? Besides that, I don't cross the heart of WindClan border, know-it-all."
"Bossy." Willowshine sniffed. "You're more like a wet fox than a cat. And by 'wet fox', I mean wet. I wouldn't be surprised if you fell in the river on the way."
"Oh, and you say that like you aren't wet?" Jayfeather shot back, gesturing with his head to her snow dampened coat.
"Would you two stop fighting and grow up?" Kestrelflight huffed, clouds of air billowing out of his jaws. "It's like two kits fighting over the same moss-ball."
"Yes," Littlecloud added. "You two young cats act like rogues around each other. Get used to having each other here."
With that, they both slipped behind the hill, heads and tails held high.
Willowshine, hissing at Jayfeather in a mocking way, climbed the rest of the path also, not giving him a second glance.
"Stupid furball." He growled under his breath. "Just because you're older..."
He trailed off. I'll show her who's the better cat.
Kestrelflight and Littlecloud were already dipping their noses into the small pool of cold starry water when Jayfeather padded over.
Willowshine was settling next to Kestrelflight and getting ready to dip hers in as well when she saw Jayfeather. "Oh, and by the way," she meowed when the others were asleep. "It would be nice if after our Moonpool-StarClan communication we could go find catmint. RiverClan need it for greencough; we're running low. I imagine you are, too?"
Oh, StarClan. Not another sudden change of mood!
"Why are you asking a grumpy wet fox?!" He shot at her.
"Well, we do need to drop the stupid fighting thing." She mewed steadily, unmoved. "Kestrelflight and Littlecloud are right. It's no use bickering, right? Right? What started the stupid fighting thing anyway?"
"You talk too much. Tell you what; you talk less, I snap less. I show you where to find a lot of catmint. Agreed?"
Willowshine rolled her eyes, offended. "Fine! Whatever!"
Jayfeather snorted and plopped next to Moonpool. StarClan, save me from her sudden changes of nature; it gets on my nerves.
...
"Kittypets?"
"Yes." Bluestar mewed. "They have ideas."
Jayfeather's face fell into his fuzzy gray paws.
What ideas?
Why would she be telling him about kittypets?
"I've got to go." Bluestar meowed. "Just remember, when you see kittypets, don't chase them out. Listen to what they say."
With that, she faded.
"I hate it when she does that. " Jayfeather huffed to no one in particular. "Its like she's expecting the kittypets to give us mountains of catmint..."
...
"Hey, Blindface, get up! The sooner we set out for catmint, the better luck we'll have in finding it!"
Jayfeather swiped at the prod in his side. "I'm awake, Shiny, get off."
Willowshine hissed her irritation and cuffed the paw aiming for her muzzle. "Lets go already. You're already as slow as a blind badger, don't get slower."
I can't believe loudmouth asked me, of all the cats that know their herbs, to go search for catmint with her. It's like asking a dog to carry your kit... except she's the dog. I'll bet she'll run off with the catmint - if we find any - faster than you can say mouse.
Reluctantly, he sat up, stretching out his aching joints. "Right, Shiny, whatever you say."
She scowled.
He pushed past her and started down the pebbly hill.
The snow hadn't gotten better; the air was filled with flurries of cold fluff and the wind was shoving with all its strength, almost as if it wanted Jayfeather to tumble down the hill towards the lake, now covered in ice.
The catmint patches were near the abandoned twoleg nest, giving him the relief of getting back onto his own territory.
As he made his way towards the den, he heard Willowshine panting behind him.
Fish-breath. Fish-brain. Loudmouth. Shiny. Weirdoshine... perfect! Now if only-
Suddenly, a flash of pain and Jayfeather yelped, tripping and falling face-first into the snow. My paw!
"Jayfeather! Look out for the rabbit hole!"
"Too late, Shiny, thanks for the warning!"
Jayfeather touched his nose to his paw. Swollen? Already? That must've been some rabbit hole. I don't remember the last time I tripped that clumsily; especially in front of Weakshine.
"Are you okay? You face-planted in the snow! Are you cold? Are you hurt? How much does it hurt? Does marigold grow near your catmint patches-?"
"Just put a poppy seed in it; I'm fine!" He hissed.
"Oh, no you're not!" Willowshine observed. "Your paw just swelled to the size of an apple."
Why do you care how I feel? Jayfeather squinted his blind eyes at the tabby she-cat. "I can take care of myself. I'm not a kit, you know."
Jayfeather knew better than to put weight on his injured paw, so he held it up as he started towards the abandoned twoleg nest.
"Do you need any help?"
"No!"
"Yes, you do."
"No, I do not!"
"Stop snapping. If you lean on my shoulder it won't hurt as bad. I'm saying this as a medicine cat, not a know-it-all."
Weirdoshine. Weakshine. Wimpshine.
"Whatever."
"Maybe we should've brought Kestrelflight." Willowshine commented as Jayfeather gave in and leaned on her. "Triple the amounts of catmint and twice the amount of help. How about we get you inside the twoleg nest? Its freezing out here..."
She trailed off, realizing Jayfeather wasn't making smart comments. "Are you okay?"
He was half asleep, leaning on her shoulder. "I'm fine... Yeah, lets go to the twoleg nest. I'm so tired I could sleep a moon; even in there."
"Good idea. Sleep in the twoleg nest, wake up, collect catmint, get home."
Jayfeather's eyelids drooped. "Should've stayed in my nest."
...
The entrance to the den was blocked by a strange flat tree trunk with a rock stuck to it.
Willowshine pondered how to get in. There must be a hole or something, she thought. Some way to enter.
Jayfeather was unnaturally tired, falling asleep every few moments and waking up heartbeats later.
When Willowshine asked him why, he just shrugged and told her it was Yellowfang's fault.
...
(Meanwhile in StarClan...)
Yellowfang beamed at Willowshine as she sniffed the twoleg den for an entrance in.
Spottedleaf's tortoiseshell pelt caught her eye. "Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" Yellowfang cocked her head innocently.
Spottedleaf rolled her amber eyes and glared at the scraggly she-cat. "Jayfeather's tiredness. I know you have something to do with it."
Yellowfang sighed, still strangely happy. "Okay, you got me. You do know those kittypets?"
"Yes."
"I think they're in the abandoned twoleg den; so I gave Willowshine a reason to stop and rest."
"But why did you affect Jayfeather? Why not Willowshine?"
"Because Jayfeather really needs to learn to get along with her. All that arguing is driving me insane."
"True." Spottedleaf nodded. "But now Willowshine's going to be pestering poor Leopardstar for moons about the sleeping spells, you know."
"Yes, I know. Tell Feathertail she can blame it on me."
...
Well? WELL? Was it cute? Did it make any sense? Sorry if it didn't... No flames, please. Reviews welcome! Look out for my next chapter and GOODBYE! :D :D :D :D
