Welcome back Feathershade! And ughhhh I know that, I just remember reading that the first lady who thought of the idea said that, so I wrote the wrong thing. *scrambles back to edit it* There, fixed!

Chapter 4

Butterflypaw placed her ears against the black pelted apprentices chest, as she'd done for the last quarter moon. Again, the tom was still except for the slight rise and fall of his chest, and the uneven beating of his heart. The medicine cat had tried the best she could to treat him, but it was clear that his fate was in StarClan's paws now. Butterflypaw eased some soaking moss to the unconscious toms jaws, gently parting them and squeezing water into his mouth. Then, she gently massaged his throat, encouraging him to swallow the water. Hefting herself back to her paws, Butterflypaw released a heavy sigh, and grasped a jojoba fruit from her herb storage. She carefully removed the hard, brown seeds and padded out of her den towards the nursery.

The young apprentice had reluctantly followed what Featherkit had told her about the strange green fruits, and had been giving the seeds to Newtpool. The reddish brown queen reported such an energy difference after ingesting the seeds for several days that Butterflypaw had even started giving them to Tidewhisper, though she hadn't kitted yet.

Now, Newtpool was curled in the nursery, watching Thunderkit and Quietkit with loving eyes as they stumbled the few paces their tiny legs would allow them to. Featherkit was nowhere in sight. Tidewhisper was out of the den as well, Butterflypaw realized with a pang of worry.

"Hello, Butterflypaw," The former ThunderClan she-cat mewed as she entered the den. Newtpool wrinkled her nose as Butterflypaw deposited the seeds in front of her. "More of those bitter things?" The medicine cat merely nodded, gazing at the kits. Their eyes were still closed, but after nearly every step, Thunderkit let out a loud mew. She purred, watching the stumbling kit.

"Where's Featherkit gone off to?" Butterflypaw inquired after a moment, fixing Newtpool with a curious gaze. The queen was swallowing the last of the seeds, and scoffed at the question. "She has way too much energy for these tiny kits. I sent her out to the main cavern to play." Butterflypaw nodded, studying Thunderkit and Quietkit. Newtpool hadn't seemed to be very accepting of feeding a kit several moons older than her own, but fortunately Hidinglight had seemed to take Featherkit under her wing, treating the young kit similar to how she had adopted Bravepaw.

"I've got to bring the rest of these to Tidewhisper," She mewed after a moment, taking the remaining seeds in her jaws and padding out of the den. Newtpool waved her tail to dismiss the medicine cat, returning her attention to her kits.

The main cavern was abuzz with life. Featherkit was sitting beside Hidinglight, curiously prodding at a kangaroo rat - that was what those strange mice were called, apparently. The small reddish kit seemed to know a lot about the prey around the area, something she had likely learned from her mother. Despite the patrols searching for Featherkit's mother, there seemed to be neither a whisker nor a tail of the missing queen.

Like usual, Tidewhisper was sitting beside Nettlefire. Her belly had grown even larger in the past quarter moon, though Butterflypaw knew that the tiny she-cat seemed to have no trouble getting around. Secretly, the medicine cat was worried for how such a small warrior's kitting would go, and she hardly strayed too far from the camp as a result. After all, Tidewhisper was due in just another quarter moon, perhaps sooner.

Butterflypaw padded over to the pair, setting the hard brown seeds down in front of the queen. "These are for you," She urged gently, and Tidewhisper shot her a grateful look before lapping up the seeds without a complaint. What polar opposites, Butterflypaw mused, remembering the bitter queen she had visited earlier.

"I'm going to go gather some herbs," She announced after a moment, studying Tidewhisper carefully. "Send someone for me if anything changes, alright?" The last thing Butterflypaw wanted was for the small she-cat to go into labor while she was away. Tidewhisper rolled her eyes at her worry however. "I'll be fine, Butterflypaw."

"Make sure you have a warrior with you," Nettlefire interjected, sweeping his gaze over the cats in the clearing. "It's almost dusk but Webstar doesn't want to risk anyone else getting bit. Rainpoppy, can you accompany Butterflypaw to gather herbs?"

Butterflypaw's heart sank. Rainpoppy had been exceptionally difficult since the death of her sister and father, often quick to anger and unsheathe her claws. At one point, while training with Hidinglight, Butterflypaw had discovered that Rainpoppy had been very exciteable and positive as an apprentice.

Cold Paw had changed everything.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Butterflypaw raised a tail in greeting as the dark grey tabby padded over, expression unreadable. "Let's get this over with," Rainpoppy mewed gruffly, brushing past Butterflypaw. The apprentice padded a tail length behind her, so as not to do anything that would tread on the short tempered she-cat's paws.

As the sun crept down and the area became more shadowed, they walked in silence, and Butterflypaw focused on the hot canyon stone beneath her paws, reminding herself that she would need to find an herb that was good for burns. She imagined that the closer they got towards what had traditionally been green-leaf, the more likely burns would occur, especially on ears and paws.

They soon made it to the area that Finchberry had discovered, and Butterflypaw set to work, nipping off stems of dock, mallow, and horsetail. Fortunately, the surrounding area had revealed to house many of the herbs that they had used in the old territory. She reflected on what she was missing as she dug up some burdock root.

Most of what she had was good for infections - nettle for swelling, dock, and marigold. For aching joints, she'd found fennel and wild daisies. The only herb she'd found for belly ache was mallow, and she had found no herbs to soothe the mind or treat shock. Another problem was the worryingly low amount of herbs for coughs around here. She'd seen neither hide nor tail of catmint, and had only discovered small amounts of chickweed in the areas with abundant canyon stone and sunlight.

Fortunately, the jojoba seeds seemed to substitute borage and burnet for expecting queens and for encouraging milk production. And the juice had proved to be soothing and have healing properties for burns or injuries. Butterflypaw only hoped that StarClan would guide her to find new herbs that would accomplish what she'd need to care for her Clanmates.

A welcomed breeze picked up, cooling her hot fur. Although dusk was often more cooler than the middle of the day, temperatures didn't usually drop significantly until after sun-down. "Are you finished?" Rainpoppy asked, watching as Butterflypaw lifted her head into the breeze. The grey and silver she-cat nodded, gathering the herbs in her mouth and padding back over to the warrior.

As they made their way back to the camp, they picked up pace to a trot, and Butterflypaw couldn't help but notice her spine prickling uneasily with the rapidly approaching darkness. As if sensing her thoughts, a high pitched wailing echoed eerily across the landscape, stopping the pair in their tracks.

Butterflypaw's eyes were wide and she set her herbs down briefly. "What was that?" She mewed, voice tinted with fear. Rainpoppy's fur bristled and she gazed out upon the landscape warily. "Let's not stay to find out," She mewed decisively, scooping up some of the herbs in her jaws, and Butterflypaw followed suit. With a flick of her tail, Rainpoppy picked up pace to a brisk run, and the medicine cat remained close on her heels, not stopping until they reached the welcome sight of the canyon caves.

They slowed down, catching their breath, and exchanged a relieved look. Rainpoppy's whiskers twitched with amusement as she panted, setting the herbs down. "That might have been a bit of an overreaction," The dark grey she-cat admitted. Butterflypaw let out a purr, tail twitching with laughter. "I was right behind you," She assured Rainpoppy. "This area is still new to us and it wouldn't hurt to be cautious."

The warrior nodded, but her eyes still held the lightness of laughter and her frame seemed more relaxed than Butterflypaw was accustomed to seeing with her. "Well, let's go back to put these away. I should check on Houndpaw and Tidewhisper, too," The medicine cat mewed reluctantly, and the friendliness in Rainpoppy's gaze clouded over, replacing it with the familiar guarded look Butterflypaw was used to. She felt a pang of worry; had she said the wrong thing? The pair had shared a moment, and Butterflypaw had been briefly hopeful that she was cracking the wall that the dark grey tabby she-cat kept up. Perhaps she was wrong.

"Don't be a stranger," Butterflypaw added quietly, almost as an afterthought, and she scooped up her herbs. Together, they padded back into the camp, splitting up as if the brief shared moment had never happened. As she made her way to her cool, quiet den, Butterflypaw couldn't help but feel loneliness sinking deep into her paws.

...

He stalked silently between the pine trees, the needles underfoot caressing his paws. It was the biggest, fattest squirrel he'd ever seen, and StarClan forbid he missed this catch. Bravepaw was finally at a close enough distance, and he waggled his hind quarters, preparing to leap, but just before his paws left the ground, the squirrel sat up and looked him dead in the eyes. "Psst! Bravepaw!" It said. Confusion clouded Bravepaw's mind, but he pushed it aside, leaping for his catch with outstretched claws...

"Bravepaw, wake up!" An uncomfortable prod in the side caused his dream to vanish quicker than a rabbit on the moor. Bravepaw let out a grunt of discontent, blinking through bleary eyes to see Riverpaw standing over him. Immediately, he scrambled to his paws, licking his chest fur self consciously. "I was dreaming, Riverpaw!" He mewed with indignation, though his tone was light towards the grey she-cat. She ignored his protest, eyes alight with mischievousness. "Let's go over to where Houndpaw got bit by that rattlesnake!" Riverpaw declared, eyes alight.

Bravepaw stared at the she-cat as if she had two heads. "What? Why?" He asked, tilting his head in puzzlement. Riverpaw stared at him as if he were a mouse-brain for not knowing. "To catch those funny kangaroo rats, of course! Have you tried them? They're better than any mouse I've tasted! We've hardly found them anywhere else, and Applesplash told me the area was heavy with their scent! There's got to be a whole nest of them there!" Riverpaw worked her claws into her feathered nest excitedly.

Bravepaw was hesitant. "Now? It's late and everyone's asleep," He mewed quietly, glancing to where Wildpaw and Redpaw lay curled up on the other side of the den. Riverpaw rolled her eyes, lashing her white tipped tail. "That's why we need to go now! The snakes will be asleep too. Maybe the kangaroo rats know that?"

He had to admit, the she-cat had a point. And the thought of leaving camp to explore the territory at night caused Bravepaw's pelt to prickle with excitement. No cats have been out here at night yet, he realized. "Alright!" He conceded, dancing on his paws. "Let's go!"

With that, the pair slunk silently out of the camp, eyes adjusted to the darkness of the cave, so that once they left the camp, the slight moonlight lit their way as good as day time. A cold chill hung in the air, as cold as a leaf-bare day. Bravepaw shivered despite himself and fluffed out his fur against the cold. "It's like this place can't decide whether it wants to be cold or hot!" He remarked jokingly, and Riverpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement.

"You know, some of the other warriors have been talking," Riverpaw mewed thoughtfully. He perked his ears up; the blue-grey she-cat was popular with most cats in the Clan, so she always heard the best gossip. "They don't think its fair that ShadowClan controls most of the Clan," She continued. "They really didn't like when Nettlefire was selected to be deputy. He hasn't even officially trained an apprentice!"

Bravepaw shuffled his paws uneasily. Riverpaw had a really good point, but he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable to hear that cats were talking behind his kin's back. Was she right? Was Nettlefire the wrong choice for a deputy?

"Who do you think should have been made deputy?" Riverpaw asked, swiveling her river-blue eyes to meet his green ones. Bravepaw thought carefully, mentally going over the cats in the Clan. "I think Sparrowdawn would have been a good choice," He side finally, thinking of his father's quick thinking and passion. Riverpaw scoffed. "Sparrowdawn? You're just saying that because you're ShadowClan and he's your father. He hasn't even trained an apprentice!"

Bravepaw's ears burned with embarrassment. "But he's loyal and brave!" He protested, spine bristling. Riverpaw's blue eyes softened and she gently butted his side with her head. "Mouse-brain!" She exclaimed affectionately. Then, the grey apprentice stared off into the distance, deep in thought. "I like Turtlespot!" She mewed finally, and Bravepaw blinked in surprise.

"Why?" Bravepaw asked, eyes wide. A purr rumbled up Riverpaw's throat, and her eyes gleamed. "He's got a backbone! He's not afraid to stand up for what's right. He's not weak, not like Webstar. He knows when the time is to talk, and when the time is to fight!" At that, Riverpaw unsheathed her claws, tail twitching with excitement. Bravepaw only felt more confused at the she-cat's response. Fight? Who do we even need to fight? He wondered.

"I guess I haven't spent much time with him," Bravepaw admitted. Riverpaw's fur lay flat, and she looked over at him with an unreadable expression. "You know, I know someone even better to be deputy," She purred. "Who?" Bravepaw asked, blinking.

"You!"

"Me?!" His voice came out as an undignified squeak. Riverpaw looked him up and down, studying him with an amused glint in her eyes. "You know, once you shape up a bit! You have the potential to make a great warrior," She encouraged, her purr growing louder. "You just gotta prove yourself to be as brave as you claim to be!"

Bravepaw stood a little straighter. "I am brave!" He protested. Riverpaw rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure, you're plenty brave, but are you willing to fight for what you believe in?" Her eyes held a glimmering challenge. Bravepaw scoffed, tail lashing. "No cat would want to mess with me!" He exclaimed boldly.

Riverpaw purred. "That's what I thought! Now lets go catch some kangaroo rats for the Clan!" The pair raced towards the canyon stone that jutted high into the sky, hopping from rock to rock. Almost instantly, Bravepaw spotted a fat, long legged kangaroo rat, sniffing at the sand beneath its paws.

However, the rat seemed to notice him as well, and it gathered its legs and leapt several fox lengths into the air, landing on a ledge of the large canyon rock. "Woah!" Bravepaw exclaimed, leaping after it. Riverpaw was preoccupied as well, trying to chase and leap after the funny looking prey. They weren't aggressive, but Great StarClan, they were hard to catch!

Bravepaw leapt from rock to rock, struggling to reach the great leaps the kangaroo rats were making. His final leap landed him a tail-length away from one of the kangaroo rat's location on a high ledge, and as it leapt into the air, Bravepaw jumped up as well, hooking out with his claws and catching the rodent in the side. He brought it close before it could leap again and gave it a swift killing bite. "I got one!" He exclaimed proudly.

By the time the first fingers of dawn crept over the horizon, Bravepaw's muscles ached, his paws throbbed with pain, bruises and scratches hugged his frame from tripping and hitting rocks, and his eyes cried for sleep. But the large pile of kangaroo rats that they would be bringing back to the Clan were more than enough to keep him awake, and he held his head high as he carried many of the prey by their long tails, stepping carefully to avoid tripping over them.

Though Riverpaw held a smaller catch than him, her eyes were still alight with pride and excitement over their late night excursion. That is, until the hammer came down hard and heavy as they entered their camp.

"Where have you been?" Webstar demanded, eyeing the apprentices - and their catches - up and down. Riverpaw held her head high and proud. Bravepaw stood up straight and tall against his leader, tail lashing. "We went hunting for the Clan!" He announced, holding not a trace of regret.

"In the middle of the night?! What were you thinking?" Sparrowdawn chided, dashing over to the pair with Hidinglight at his side. The gentle tortoiseshell she-cat ran over to him and sniffed him, carefully checking for injuries. "You're hurt!" She exclaimed, nosing his bruises and scratches. "What happened?" Bravepaw winced and brushed his mother off. "Hidinglight, I'm fine!" He insisted, but Hidinglight wasn't convinced, and she began fussing over Riverpaw in the same manner.

"I'm okay, Hidinglight. Thanks for checking though," Riverpaw mewed warmly, and Hidinglight licked the top of the grey she-cat's head. Webstar narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Where did you two find all of these kangaroo rats?" He demanded.

"Well, we went to the spot that Houndpaw caught that first one-" Bravepaw began, and Webstar waved his tail. "The place I ordered no Clan cats to go for now due to the danger with the snakes?"

Bravepaw's ears flattened against his head. "We went at night when the snakes would be asleep!" He protested. Riverpaw fixed her leader with wide, river blue eyes. "We knew how hard its been adjusting to this area and getting prey in this heat, so we thought we should hunt at night. Did we do something wrong Webstar?" She asked in a small voice.

Their black striped leader fixed the apprentice with an intense gaze. "You two put yourselves in danger and went out at night without telling any cats where you were going. I understand that your actions were well intentioned, but they are not to go without punishment. Maplerunner! Finchberry!"

The apprentices mentors trotted over at their leader's call, ears perked and attentive. "Take Riverpaw and Bravepaw on dawn patrol," He ordered, flicking his ears. Bravepaw felt dread sink to his paws. All he wanted to do was sleep! Webstar fixed Bravepaw with a solemn expression, his eyes softening a fraction.

"Since you two demonstrated the abundance of prey at night in that area, I'll order Nettlefire to begin organizing night patrols for hunting. It will be easier to move without the hot sun above us. However, you two explicitly disobeyed an order I made, and in such a careless way that could have cost your lives if you'd encountered a rattlesnake. In addition to this morning's patrol, you both shall have the sole responsibility of taking care of the elders den and nursery, and changing the bedding in the camp, for the next quarter moon, except for today, of course. I doubt you'll be able to do much after your patrol."

Bravepaw opened his jaws to protest, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. Webstar's word was law. He shut his mouth and dipped his head, ears burning with fury. We got enough fresh-kill to feed the Clan for two days, and we're being punished for it! For the first time, he agreed with the judgements against his leader, and as he cast a glance towards his partner in crime, he noticed a stoic resolve in her river blue eyes.

As they fell behind in the group for dawn patrol, the blue-grey she-cat pressed her pelt to his, her eyes alive with pride and mischief. "See," She whispered, too low for anyone else but him to hear. "Last night and what we accomplished - now that's what I call brave!"