Wow...I really haven't been on here in...FOREVER! Last time was December, riiiight? Well, I've been super duper busy with the swim season and stuff, but now it's over, and I again have too much time on my hands...so, back into Fanfiction, right? Well, here's the next chapter to my super fantastic story, The Power of Six, this time from Cinderpaw's POV! Oh, and something I must say. This will take a long while to catch up with real time, I know. So I don't know how the future will really play out. But I can guess what the main characters may have been feeling way back when this was taking place. So if you see anything that doesn't match up with the current books, feelings change. So I'll be going with what I believe or what I like, disregarding future books.
"Cinderpaw!"
Cinderpaw jerked her head erratically up from where she was deep in conversation with Poppypaw. Cloudtail was calling her from across the clearing. She padded toward him, her paws slapping the frosty ground.
"What is it?" she asked irritably.
"We have to find catmint," Jaypaw told her. "Mousefur is ill."
Cinderpaw gasped. "Catmint's for greencough, isn't it?"
"Come on," Cloudtail ordered. "There's no time to waste." He raced toward the bramble barrier, with Jaypaw at his heels. Cinderpaw followed closely behind them. Once out of camp, they headed toward the abandoned Thunderpath.
Jaypaw fell back into step with Cinderpaw. Their pelts brushed as they ran in unison, matching each other step for step. Cinderpaw felt her heart moving as swiftly as her paws, and though she had a slight suspicion, she couldn't pinpoint exactly why.
A tree suddenly loomed up in her vision. "Tree!" she warned Jaypaw, but he seemed to have already sensed it, too. He swerved gracefully to avoid it.
Jaypaw pulled ahead of Cinderpaw, and she was left alone in the back of the trio, feeling sort of dazed.
Cloudtail stopped by the cracked stone wall surrounding the abandoned Twoleg nest. Cloudtail jumped up onto the wall and sent a shower of grit skidding down onto Cinderpaw.
"It's not high," Cinderpaw mewed to Jaypaw, blinking dirt from her eyes and trying not to whimper like a kit.
Jaypaw reached up with his forepaws, and Cloudtail flicked his tail down to give him an idea of how far he had to jump. He leaped, and Cloudtail grabbed him by his scruff and swung him over the wall.
Cinderpaw, her eyes stinging, cried, "Wait for me!" and sprang to the top of the wall. She overshot slightly, and Cloudtail bit her tail to keep her from tumbling down the other side.
"I'll keep guard on the wall," Cloudtail mumbled through her tail, and spat it out so that she fell lightly onto the frost-covered grass.
"Cloudtail's keeping guard on the wall," she panted to Jaypaw.
"It's over there," Jaypaw mewed breathlessly, flicking his tail toward the area.
Cinderpaw was surprised that he found the catmint so fast, but she didn't waste time with compliments. She raced ahead and rooted around in the vegetation.
A cold claw gripped her heart as she realized that there wasn't any catmint. "There's nothing here but dead leaves!" she called. "The frost has killed it all!"
"Let me look!" Jaypaw hissed, belligerently shoving Cinderpaw aside. Cinderpaw didn't protest. She knew that, instead of his usual rudeness, it was fear that was making him act like mouse dung.
"It's all black," Cinderpaw whispered as he pawed desperately, looking for fresh leaves.
Jaypaw froze for a moment, then stuck out his tongue to touch the plant. He again froze, then dug carefully toward the plant's roots. Cinderpaw saw with wonder that fresh, fuzzy leaves were buried under the ground. Jaypaw took the new stalks in his teeth.
"Will that be enough?" Cinderpaw asked.
Jaypaw shrugged.
Cinderpaw understood that he was possibly even more terrified that there may be an outbreak than she was, and side by side they scrambled back over the wall and headed back to camp.
***
Cinderpaw stood next to Poppypaw, watching the labored breathing of Mousefur, Ferncloud, and Whitewing in the medicine cats' den.
"This could happen to anyone," Poppypaw whispered with large eyes.
"Stay away from them," Cinderpaw advised, nudging her sister away from the sick cats. "I don't want you getting sick, too."
"I want to do something to help." Poppypaw sighed heavily. Suddenly, her body was wracked with hacking coughs.
Cinderpaw automatically leaped away. "Oh, no, Poppypaw!" she cried. "Don't tell me you're sick, too!"
"I'm fine," Poppypaw snapped, her voice breathless. "I'll be fine. I just had a long day, okay?" Her legs trembling, she stumbled into the apprentices' den.
Cinderpaw wasn't taking any chances. "Leafpool!" she yowled. "Leafpool, Leafpool, Leafpool!"
"Quiet, would you?" Jaypaw growled, coming in through the thorn barrier. "You'll wake up RiverClan with that racket."
Cinderpaw didn't waste time. "I think Poppypaw has greencough!"
"What?" Jaypaw demanded. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, mouse-brain!" Cinderpaw hissed impatiently. "She started coughing her tongue out, and then she got all shaky and tired!"
"No," Jaypaw murmured, his eyes pained. "What have I done...?" He rushed into the apprentices' den.
Cinderpaw sat back on her haunches and set her sights to the sky. The stars were just coming out, twinkling as though there wasn't a care in the world.
Are you watching over us, StarClan? Cinderpaw thought desperately. Or is it time for my sister to join you? Please, StarClan, please.
A whisper seemed to pass on the breeze, making Cinderpaw shudder. She immediately dismissed it as her own terrified thoughts.
The other shall have no future...
