Chapter Two:

Tinypaw sat down next to Marshpaw, who's gasping had settled down to normal breathing.

"Thanks for helping," mewed the younger tom, "I didn't know where I was going, and I was worried that when I realized it was LakeClan. Cause, you know. LakeClan and WindClan don't get along very well."

"We will always help you," Tendereye interrupted. Her voice was serious, but calm and her medicine cat kindness shone.

"Do you think my clan is okay?" Marshpaw meowed, worried now.

"I don't know. We'll have to find out," Tendereye meowed grimly. She sat down next to Tinypaw.

"Would you like something to eat?" grunted Tanglefeather, an elder that was Tendereye's father, "The apprentices neglected their work this morning."

"Oh, I'm sorry," meowed Tinypaw, embarrassed.

"No worries," he meowed brightly.

"Yes, and a vole would be nice," Tendereye meowed, "And bring something for Marshpaw, a bird or a rabbit."

Tanglefeather nodded and walked away to grab some freshkill. He walked back with a vole and a rabbit dangling from his jaws.

Marshpaw tensed in excitement, just realizing that he was starving. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem, young one," Tanglefeather meowed lightly.

"Thanks, father," Tendereye meowed, taking her vole and pushing Marshpaw's closer to him, "Would you like to share, Tinypaw?"

"Sure." Tinypaw lied down next to her and they began eating.

It was near dusk when an elder, Rosefern, jumped to her paws when she was sharing tongues with Tanglefeather.

"They're back!" called Rosefern.

Tendereye and Tinypaw jumped up, and Marshpaw limped over to them. Streampool walked through the entrance first, limping heavily and looking jumpy.

"Streampool..." Tendereye ran over to her, but Streampool shoved her away.

"No. Clawstar." Streampool's voice was hoarse and trembling, but the deputy was firm.

Echopaw and Briarpaw dragged themselves through the entrance, helping a SkyClan cat drag a dark-furred, limp figure through the entrance, being as careful as possible.

"What happened to him?" wailed Rosefern, rushing up to him, "My poor son!"

Tinypaw trotted up to Clawstar and pushed his nose into the leader's fur.

"He's losing a life," Tinypaw meowed.

Tendereye galloped into her den and came out with a pile of herbs and rushed over to Tinypaw.

"Start putting the goldenrod and marigold poultice over his wounds, and then the cobwebs," she meowed, the tip of her tail twitching.

"Poppyshade!" exclaimed Marshpaw, "What are you doing here?"

A pretty gray she-cat, the SkyClan cat, left Clawstar's side and ran over to Marshpaw. The cat's beautiful face was disturbed by the depth of pain and grief.

"What happened?" Marshpaw whispered.

"Hawkclaw died." Her voice was dead and bleak, as if nothing worst could happen. "He was killed by a fox, when he was protecting my new kits."

"NO!" wailed Marshpaw, "Please, Poppyshade, no!"
Poppyshade looked terrible, biting the side of her mouth to keep from crying. "I know you miss him, Marshpaw, and I do too. I…" she broke off, unable to continue. Her voice had trembled and quivered, and now it was interrupted by sobs that ripped painfully from her chest. When she stopped sobbing, she calmed herself the best she could and meowed, "Russetstar wants you to come pay our respects…Come on. We'd better leave."

"I'm sorry, Poppyshade," Tendereye interrupted, "But Marshpaw can't go back to SkyClan camp until tomorrow, so that the cut won't open."
Marshpaw wailed. "But Hawkclaw!"

Poppyshade held her head high. "Marshpaw is…I mean, was, Hawkclaw's brother, and I need to go b-back."

"You were Hawkclaw's mate, weren't you," murmured Tendereye, walking forward and pushing her nose into Poppyshade's shoulder.

Struggling not to cry, Poppyshade nodded, tears stinging her eyes.

Tendereye whispered, "Poppyshade, it's okay to cry. You loved him. Don't let dignity between the clans get in between you and his memory."

Poppyshade started crying, hard. Her cries ripped through her throat, painful and gasping. Tinypaw finished with Clawstar and walked over behind Tendereye. Nobody else moved, watching in saddened silence.

Tinypaw stepped closer to his mentor, and realized that Tendereye was crying too. He pushed his nose in her neck fur to comfort her.

When Poppyshade couldn't cry any longer, she sat down and stared sadly at the sky.

"Okay, thank you, Tendereye. I have to go now, but a cat will come in the morning to bring Marshpaw home. I have to go back to my kits."

"Would you like an escort home?" Tendereye asked gently.

Poppyshade nodded. "That'd be nice."

"Do you have an preferences?" Tendereye meowed.

"I'd take you and Tinypaw, but seeing as you have cats to care for, can Streampool and…I dunno, somebody."

"Streampool, you don't mind? Why don't you take some other cats and check on Russetstar and see if they need help cleaning up," Tendereye mewed, "As for the rest of you, lie down in the rank dens accordingly and I'll come check the worst first."

"Tendereye," meowed Rosefern, "Clawstar is awake."

Everybody hastened to follow orders, and Poppyshade and Streampool led three apprentices out with them, Echopaw, Whirlpaw, and Nightpaw.

With a sad sigh, Tendereye and Tinypaw went to work at with the heavily injured cats.

"I hate rogues!" spat Birchfang as he painfully sat down next to Marblecloud. The she-cat grimaced.