The sun held lofty over the cool blue waves of the ocean, the scent of salt floating through the chilled air. Near the sand's edge, a dense bush began to rustle, revealing the yellow eyes of a grey tom.
"Is this the place?" Rockthroat groaned, his pads sore from nearly a day's worth of travel. He took a brief moment to rest his weary paws as his sister, Turtlefoot, peered through the thick foliage to spy on a small coastal cottage as white as the fresh-fallen snows of leaf-bare.
Equally as fatigued from their journey, Turtlefoot snarled at her grey, spotted brother. "Of course this is it. Have you seen any other Twoleg nests along the way?" She crept closer to the cottage, sniffing the air with each muted step on the lightly tanned sand of the coast. "Another cat is nearby. Smells like a kittypet, but keep your guard up nonetheless. Spottedhead doesn't need more warriors to tend to."
Rockthroat rose and swiftly joined Turtlefoot's silent approach towards the backside of the Twoleg nest. A miniature black wire fence came into view, short enough to be cleared by a strong leap. It wrapped itself around a small portion of land just behind the Twoleg nest. A gate, fragile in appearance, savagely split the inky fence into two equal halves. It gently drifted open and closed by the course of the ocean breeze. The ground within the twisting, ebony bars erupted with vibrant green stalks crowned with delicate pink and purple-spotted flowers. A path of soft grass and decorative stepping stones drove a wedge between two distinct rows of the herb. As the cool, intoxicating aroma fluttered around their nostrils, the two warriors knew this must be the precious catmint they had been sent to recover. Turtlefoot took the lead, slipping in while the gate remained open with Rockthroat trailing behind her. The brown she-cat turned to whisper.
"Get as much catmint as you can carry and quick. That kittypet scent is fresh, and it could be close."
Rockthroat sunk his jaws around one of the tall, succulent stalks of the medicinal herb and violently pulled with his full bodyweight against it. The soil beneath sprayed in all directions as the roots tore from the ground and suddenly snapped, the force pushing the ash-colored tom flat on his back. His upside-down gaze caught two pairs of ginger and silver paws amid the opposing row of catmint. With one violent flip, Rockthroat was back on his paws, fur standing on end and claws unsheathed as he unleashed a deep growl at the previously undetected presence. The mysterious foe leaped out of the sweet-scented brush with the rattle of many pet tags. A long-haired tortoiseshell she-cat stood before the lion-voiced warrior. Rockthroat swiftly pounced to subdue the kittypet, catching her tail as she ran to dodge her foe. She came in low, teeth bared, but Rockthroat put an end to her weak retaliation and placed his large front paws firmly against the soft fur of her back. Turtlefoot joined the fight and further incapacitated the she-cat.
"What are you two savage brutes doing in my garden?" She snapped. "Look what you've done to my precious catmint! And release me at once!"
Turtlefoot's voice rang out, "We shall release you once you stop your squirming, and give us your name."
The tortoiseshell she-cat's resistance ceased as Turtlefoot and Rockthroat removed their paws from her back. She shook her ruffled fur back into its normal position and rested herself upon the soft grass.
"My name is Lady. Now, calmly explain to me why you have come to my garden."
Turtlefoot stepped forward. "We are Rockthroat and Turtlefoot, warriors of CoastClan. We have been sent to collect as much catmint as possible. Many of our clanmates are suffering from an epidemic of deadly greencough and catmint is the only thing that can save them. "
Lady's eyes seemed to widen for a brief second at the mention of the name CoastClan. She gave a quick nod and stood up.
"I see this is serious. Greencough doesn't usually strike outside of leaf-bare, never mind in the middle of greenleaf. Though usually visiting clan cats know to ask before brutishly uprooting the whole garden." With her last comment she gave an accusing look towards Rockthroat. He returned with a nervous smile.
"Please excuse my brother's behavior. He's never been one to solve his problems without charging straight into them. …When did you learn so much about greencough?"
"You see, catmint doesn't grow naturally in this area. When medicine cats from all three clans need to prepare for whitecough and greencough during leaf-bare, they usually make their way here towards the end of leaf-fall before the catmint begins to wilt. This is the first time warriors have been sent to take their place, as well as the earliest visit this year." Lady padded over to the nearest edge of the garden, Rockthroat and Turtlefoot following closely behind. They watched as Lady carefully chewed at the base of one catmint stem, her eyes seeming to telegraph some sort of silent struggle against the herb's affectionate allure. The herb fell with a gentle thump on the grass. "If you are strong enough to resist its effects, this is the proper method of harvesting the whole plant. However, if you can't, your claws will work just as well. My owner once said the roots keep the soil in place for future catmint to prosper."
The two warriors bowed their heads and began to chew the juicy stems of other catmint plants. Rockthroat grimaced as the taste of the plant pervaded his pink tongue. "Yuck! How could any cat actually like this stuff?"
Turtlefoot simply rolled her eyes at her brother's antics and continued to chew down the plant, unaffected by its taste. She looked over at Lady, who seemed to nervously shift her paws ever so slightly as she helped gather the herb. The kittypet paused.
"Is Spottedhead in good health?"
Turtlefoot, after letting the stalk she was working on fall, replied, "He is, but he's quite busy taking care of our sick clanmates the best he can. He sent us here because he dared not leave CoastClan without a medicine cat. Even his apprentice has fallen ill. "
Lady gave a small smile. "Glad to hear he serves his clan well. Bring him my greetings when you return."
Turtlefoot nodded. "I'm sure he thanks you for serving all clans during the tough moons of leaf-bare, and greenleaf too, it seems."
The sun had nearly set below the ocean waves before the warriors returned down the path through the forest towards the coast they knew as their camp. So many stalks of catmint had been cut down that both warriors had a tough time balancing all of them in their mouths as they walked. They said their goodbyes to Lady, who with a cheerful flick of her tail retreated into her Twoleg nest for the night. During their journey home, Turtlefoot turned to Rockthroat, mouth stuffed with catmint, and mumbled" Did anything seem… odd about that she-cat, brother?"
Rockthroat, taking this opportunity to relieve his tongue of the plant's taste, replied "What do you mean? She seemed plenty friendly to me."
"I'll tell you when we get back to camp."
