Chapter 2
The clan exchanged worried looks and Ripplepool let out a yowl of fear. Rainpaw however, didn't flatten her ears and stretch her eyes wide like Cedarpaw did. "Badger?" she repeated, confused.
Icetalon looked at her and explained, "A badger could kill any cat with a swipe of the paw. It's a huge creature that kills just because it can. Many cats have been killed by a badger before."
Rainpaw nodded, her heart pounding. What would Birchstar do?
"Meadowclan, gather!" he yowled. Most of the clan was already present, but Pinetail padded out of the warrior den and the elders stretched and walked towards their leader. "Mosspelt's hunting patrol has told me about a badger on our territory!" looking at the she-cat, he asked gently, "Will you tell me what happened?"
She nodded and padded over to the base of the boulder before she sat down, "we were hunting near the Great Cedar. I had just left to chase after a squirrel when I heard snarling. So I ran back to the others. The badger had made its set by the tree's roots. Skycloud was already badly hurt, and Fernwind is getting close to kitting, so re retreated."
Rainpaw looked at her mother in surprise. I didn't know she was expecting kits!
"Is the badger still there?" asked Birchstar.
"Yes. We couldn't chase it off," Mosspelt answered, her head hung in defeat.
"You did your best," said Birchstar kindly, laying his tail on her shoulder. "I will lead an attack patrol. Mosspelt, are you well enough to come with me?"
"Yes," she said and raised her head.
"Then I'll take you and Reedclaw." The warriors stood up and waited for him by the entrance. "Dawnwhisker, you're in charge while we're gone." The brown calico nodded at her leader. Birchstar ran over to the rest of his patrol. Rainpaw felt a pang of disappointment. She was hoping she could go.
"Aren't you going to take any apprentices?" she asked.
Birchstar looked over at her and his eyes softened, "Mosspelt, it wouldn't hurt for you to stay here. Icetalon, you come instead and bring Rainpaw." Mosspelt left the patrol with no signs of hostility and went into the medicine cat den to wait for Silvershadow.
Rainpaw padded over to where her mentor was waiting with the patrol. He looked down at her as they set off at a fast pace, "remember to do exactly as I tell you to. If I tell you to go back, you have to obey me."
She nodded to show she understood. However, Rainpaw was barely listening to the fighting tactics Icetalon was telling her. She was much too excited to pay attention. This would be her first battle! Even if all she was fighting was a badger, this is her first change to protect her clan.
She left over a fallen tree and almost ran into her mentor. Icetalon whispered, "Shhh! We're getting close." Birchstar motioned for them to creep forward quietly. Rainpaw peered through the ferns and saw the badger. The black creature with white markings on its head was larger than she expected. It was digging under the floor of dead leaves, looking for grubs.
Birchstar sprang out of the bushes, the patrol hard on his heels, and let out a battle cry. The badger looked up at him and let out a challenging snarl. It stood up, revealing how tall it was. Rainpaw could see the fresh wounds the earlier patrol had given it.
The badger lashed out at Reedclaw, who was trying to approach it. Birchstar had already clung onto its back and was swiping at its ears. Icetalon raced up to the badger, who was still busy with Reedclaw. He clawed at the badger's face, making it be blinded by the blood trickling into its eyes. It roared and stumbled around the clearing.
Rainpaw dodged its trampling paws to bite down at its tail. The badger reached around and hit her hard with a paw. She staggered and saw stars. She shook her head to clear it before racing back to help. She saw Birchstar biting on the badger's ear until he too was thrown off. She saw Reedclaw running around the badger until it was spinning in circles.
Rainpaw couldn't see her mentor. Then she noticed him lying on the ground behind the badger. Confused and dizzy, the badger stepped back before Rainpaw could reach Icetalon. With a sickening crunch of bones, the badger stepped on him. Filled with rage, Rainpaw battered its hindquarters until it gave up. The badger aimed one last swipe at Reedclaw before ambling off into the bushes.
Rainpaw raced to her mentor lying on the ground. One leg was hanging out at a weird angle and she could see where some ribs had cracked. Was Icetalon alive? She wondered desperately if he would be all right. "Birchstar!" she yowled to her leader. He ran towards her, limping from a torn and bleeding claw.
He nosed Icetalon then told her, "Get back to camp and fetch Silvershadow. Quickly!"
She turned and raced away into the undergrowth, hardly noticing anything around her until a log loomed in front of her. She let out a cry of surprise as she hit it head on. Her head ached, and she crumpled to the ground. She was willing to lie there forever until she remembered the state Icetalon was in.
Rainpaw forced herself up and continued running, even though her throbbing head was telling her to stop. Finally, she saw the tunnel entrance. She raced through it into the clearing. "Silvershadow!" she yelled.
The dark grey cat scrambled out of her den, "Rainpaw! Is it the badger? Who's hurt?"
Rainpaw was so tired out from her run back that all that she could say was, "Badger stepped on him." She collapsed on the ground. "Icetalon". Once she had fulfilled her mission, all the pain she had been holding back flooded her mind and she fainted.
When Rainpaw awoke, she was in the den for sick or injured cats. She tried to get up, but a blast of pain in her head made her lower it back to the ground. She glanced over at the shape beside her. Her heart gave a jolt. It was Icetalon.
Only it didn't look like him. Reed and cobwebs covered him almost completely. Sticks and rushes held his limbs in place. She closed her eyes, and tried not to think about all the pain he must be in. "Silvershadow?" she called.
She heard pawsteps, and then the medicine cat appeared. "Good, you're awake. How does your head feel?"
Rainpaw tried to look up at Silvershadow, but it hurt too much. "Painful," she replied, "How's Icetalon?"
Silvershadow's face darkened, "I can't say yet. So far, he's been recovering."
Rainpaw rested her head on her paws, "what happened?"
"You mean after you fainted?" Rainpaw nodded, "Well, Mosspelt immediately set out with Dawnwhisker and me. We met Reedclaw halfway. He went back to camp to have Willowpaw check him over. When we got there, Birchstar was sitting by Icetalon. I bandaged him up as well as I could, then we made our way back to camp."
The medicine cat looked sadly at the white warrior, "I'm not sure how he will heal. One leg was broken. I set it in a cast of rushes and sticks to keep it from moving while it mends. I'm sure his leg will be fine. As for the scratches, that's nothing. It's his back and ribs I'm worried about. I didn't my best fixing his ribs, but I haven't had experience with that. His spine didn't break, thank Starclan. It is very tender, because of the three broken ribs. It should be fine, but it's very fragile now. He is in the paws of Starclan." Silvershadow finished, and was quiet with her head bowed.
Rainpaw looked at her mentor. She could see him breathing steadily, which is a good sign. His paw twitched, as if he was catching a mouse. Maybe in his dream, he is. "What about me?" asked Rainpaw.
"You? You just had a concussion. Willowpaw gave you a goldenrod poultice along with some poppy seeds. Are you hungry yet?"
Rainpaw nodded; she had just realized how much her stomach was growling. Silvershadow left the den. Rainpaw stretched slowly and sat up. She started grooming her fur and smoothing down the places that were standing up. Silvershadow came back with a rabbit in her jaws.
Rainpaw looked up from her washing and nodded her thanks to Silvershadow as the medicine cat dropped the prey at her paws. Rainpaw crouched down and finished the rabbit in a few gulps. Satisfied, she curled down and went to sleep.
When Rainpaw blinked open her eyes the next day, the first thing she saw was Icetalon awake and eating a chaffinch. "Icetalon!" she mewed joyfully. Her mentor turned to look at her, his eyes clear of pain.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Me? I'm fine! It's you I'm worried about!"
"Don't worry about me. I'm going to be fine. Silvershadow said that I just couldn't do any training for a moon once I'm better. Some other cat will mentor you for the time being," said Icetalon.
"But you'll still be my mentor, right?" asked Rainpaw fearfully.
"Yes. They're just going to help you train, but you'll always be my apprentice."
Silvershadow came into the den with more herbs in her mouth. "Are those for me? They look yucky!" asked Rainpaw.
"No," replied Silvershadow, "they're for Icetalon. You're all better. You can go back to the apprentice den now. Just be careful and take it slow."
"Thank you, Silvershadow!" Rainpaw said. She touched noses with Icetalon, and then left the den. She padded out into the clearing to see Birchstar talking with Mosspelt on the boulder. She walked over to them.
"Good, you're awake," said Birchstar.
"Yep! Silvershadow let me out."
"We were talking about who will help you train until Icetalon is better. Mosspelt said she is willing to be your temporary mentor," Birchstar announced.
I'm lucky. Mosspelt should be a great mentor.
"Rainpaw!" she turned around to see Cedarpaw bounding towards her, "you're all better!" he rubbed his head along her flank.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said distractedly, "Have you seen Shadepaw?"
He backed away from her, his eyes narrowing, "fine. Spend all your time with Shadepaw. I don't care." He turned and raced away just as Shadepaw came out of the tunnel with freshkill in his mouth. Cedarpaw flattened his ears and hissed at Shadepaw as he passed.
Rainpaw went over to him, hoping their last encounter would have been forgotten, "Hi, Shadepaw! Good catch," she nodded towards the squired he had dropped.
"Thanks," he replied, "what's up with Cedarpaw?"
"I don't know. He's been in a foul mood since Pinetail's warrior ceremony. I don't know what's gotten into him," she said.
Shadepaw shrugged, "oh well. He'll come around." He picked up his prey and walked past her to the freshkill pile.
Rainpaw felt upset about the way the other apprentices had been treating her lately. She didn't know what to do. It seemed like all her friendships were disappearing like mist in sunshine.
