The Ferns

I wish I could be a medicine cat. If I was I'd have a purpose in the Clan. I could train very hard and someday learn each herb, but I have almost lot all of my hearing. I tried to learn. I really did!

But I can't be a medicine cat. So I gave up and resumed the 'dream' of becoming a warrior. My apprentice ceremony will be in a few days. Nine sunrises exactly.

I was sitting at the entrance of the medicine cat's burrow. I just call her the 'medicine cat' since I don't know her name. I sat back in the cool fern fronds and let the risk dew cling to my fur. The evening sun was already setting, and it was warming my amber pelt nicely. But that meant nighttime was coming. Nighttime is terrible.

Finally, the medicine cat was awake. She had been taking a nap. I saw her stirring in the shadows, so I padded in. Her yellow eyes were glowing harshly in the dim light.

I could smell the tang of bitter herbs in her gray tabby fur. She knew what I was here for. She took on orange poppy head shook four seeds into a beech leaf. It was the only thing that made me rest peacefully.

But I shook my head. "Medicine." I meowed. "L... learn." I tried to say.

The medicine cat widened her eyes. Was she surprised? "Tomorrow." She said loudly into my ear.

I was happy for the first time. I picked up the leaf and padded to the nursery. The ferns brushed my pelt as I left. The ferns have been my only friend.

The cool air rushed through my nearing-deaf ears. It battered my face and made me squint. Remembering what happened yesterday, I ducked down and held the poppy seeds under my paw. These were fresh seeds. Good seeds. They would let me sleep peacefully. I am not going to lose them again.

The wind finally calmed down. I looked around. The trees overhanging the camp were still. I picked up my leaf and scurried into the den.

Snowdapple and the other queen, I believe her name is Redflower, we already asleep, but the other kits were playing leap tag. I don't really know the names of the other kits. And it's sad that I have a sister but I don't know her name.

Pikekit leapt at me and pinned me down. "Tag!" He shouted so I could hear.

But that was it. My poppy seeds were scattered. And Pikekit KNOWS I don't play leap tag. How do you think I lost my hearing and half of my left ear? Playing leap tag...

I swiped my claws across his face. I heard him yowl. Snowdapple and Redflpwer woke up. I watched Pikekit explain what happened.

My mother looked at me with a disappointing glare.

"Poppy!" I wailed in retaliation. "Lost!"

Snowdapple began to scold Pikekit. The other kits were laughing. The oldest kits were lame, is what they are thinking.

I searched frantically for the black seeds. But it was dark outside so the den was dark too. I shuffled my paws across the soft earth to feel them.

I found three of them. Three poppy seeds don't work, so as my eyelds began to droop, I looked for them even harder. I finally felt a bump under my paw.

I cuddled into the fur of my mother while the other continued to play. I lapped up the seeds. Finally, some good rest...

Then I swallowed a rock. Literally! I must have accidentally picked up a rock instead of a seed. You know what this means...

I was running. So fast that my paws fell off. They. Fell. Off. My mottled tabby paws poppy right off my legs! I can't run anymore!

I flopped over like a piece of prey. My nubby legs were working. They ran and ran, but I was still on my side, not moving. Stop this nightmare, StarClan!

The sky turned from blue to blood red and the golden sun turned black. The forest around me turned to bare trees as if it were leaf-bare. The grass and undergrowth burst into hot flames. The earth became bare dirt.

The smell of acrid stench assailed my nose. The temperature turned unbearable. I wasn't sure if it was freezing cold or scorching hot.

Then, like mole hills, black paws burst from the ground in hundreds of pairs as far as my mind's eye could see. They clawed their way out revealing orange legs. Then long white snouts poked out. The head of foxes rose from the earth. Their bodies followed.

They ran towards me, jaws wet and slobbery, dripping with blue blood. Instead of beady black eyes, they had amber eyes like me. Like my brother. Like my father.

I couldn't move. I couldn't run. My paws had fallen off. Finally the foxes were upon me. They all swarmed around. They grasped my pawless legs in their jaws. The stentch of thrush was on their breath. Their amber cat eyes were burning with hatred. They snarled and pulled.

I lay there limbless. Just a head, a body, and a tail. The foxes were fighting over my legs. Oh! A fox just yanked off my tail. Never mind. I'm just a head and body. The sound of fox barks were loud and pelted my ears like pebbles,

I woke up trashing. Pikekit and my sister were both sitting on my legs. Rain was dripping through the bramble ceiling and plopping on my ears. I pushed them off and slipped out of the nursery.

I stood in the rain. The cold water seeped into my pelt. The forest smelled damp and wet. Puddles pooled at my paws. I looked down at my reflection. My left ear was ugly and ragged. But my face was okay. I had a pretty pelt.

I looked up saw some warriors walking out of their den getting ready for dawn patrols. I didn't really like them. They were kind of mean to me.

I padded to the place behind the nursery where thick ferns grow. I laid down under them, feeling the water under my body. It was bon chilling but the ferns brushed my fur and me feel good. Then ferns are my only friends.

I try to sleep, but I get nightmares. I try to be a medicine cat, but the medicine cat gets frustrated and I can't hear about what the herbs do. I try to play but it's traumatic.

But everything is okay as long as the ferns grow.

This was going to be just a one-shot, but you guys liked it so I'll just post this and one more chapter. Read my one-shot titled "Daughter Problems" so you know how she lost her hearing. And read "Amber Fur" to learm more about her brother.