heyo i'm not dead js
just writer's block ;u;
but i'm getting back into this fic so there might be a few more new chapters soon. c':
"Watch your step!" White Rose paused beside Forest as he called out to their friends, voice echoing between the trees. "You could get a thorn or two in your paw if you're not careful!"
Gathered behind the two cats, the familiar pelts of the rest of their group were clearly visible against the browns and fading greens of the forest, eyes flashing excitedly with the desire to see what would now be known as their new home. Blue Jay stayed close behind his best friend with Rain Fall at his side, tail constantly lashing back and forth as if he could barely hold back from charging ahead of the others in his eagerness. "A little thorn never hurt anyone." He scoffed. "I don't think anything could stop us at this point anyway."
White Rose gave the blue-furred tom a skeptical look, remembering how Rain Fall's paw had almost become infected from a bramble's thorn due to lack of herbs and constant travel. "It will if it becomes infected and makes you sick." She flicked her tail in frustration. "I don't know where I can gather fresh herbs yet, and there's not much I'd be able to do to help until then."
Rain Fall purred reassuringly at her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure this furball watches for where he's going."
Catching up to them, a silver-and-white speckled she-cat stood under the rays of fading sunlight that made it to the forest floor. "You said that the place you found is only a couple of fox-lengths ahead of here?" Her blue eyes were calm as always, but there was a noticeable note of hope in her mew.
"Yes, we're very close now, Snowstorm." White Rose dipped her head as Moonlight, Tobias, and Tabitha stepped through the undergrowth a few moments later. "Once we get there, we're going to give everyone either the job of fortifying the clearing and making nests for dens, or hunting until night comes. I think we all need a meal and some decent rest."
Forest nodded, confirming White Rose's words. The last of their group appearing behind them, the gray-furred tom flicked his tail. "Alright, let's go, everyone!"
Once again, they all started racing through the undergrowth, White Rose keeping close to Rain Fall and Forest in the lead. She kept them in her line of sight, but let her mind drift away to what had happened just that morning with Dawn and Dusk. They both had such a painful reaction to the place that she had described from her dreams… Doesn't that mean that it really is real? And close by, if they know where it's at? A thought suddenly occurred to her then. What if the place is in that other group's territory? Is that why they were upset, because they claimed it? There were still too many questions, and part of White Rose wondered if Forest really did have a point.
Just thinking about it was enough to form a heavy stone in her heart. What if my dreams really are just… dreams?
Placing her paws over Tabitha's, White Rose guided her movements in weaving another branch of bracken into the unfinished wall. "You do it just like this, see?" She glanced at the brown-and-white she-cat, who nodded back at her in understanding.
"Thanks, White Rose." She meowed gratefully, taking another stick from the pile next to her and beginning the process of adding it to the wall as well. "I think I've got the hang of it now."
Watching for a moment to make sure she was doing it correctly, White Rose then left Tabitha to her work, going back to checking around their new camp for any useful plants or bundled up cobwebs. It seemed that no one had been in this part of the forest for a while, if the lack of easy paths and abundance of undisturbed plant life were any indication. The rest of the cats in the group weaved around one another as they went about the tasks they had been given, some gathering soft moss for nesting areas while others, like Tabitha, used the naturally protective undergrowth to make a sort of barrier around their new home.
The sight did help to make some of White Rose's stress melt away, but she still couldn't keep from thinking about her dreams. Sighing, she glanced over at the wall's only opening for any activity. Regardless of how he had reacted before, she longed to confide in Forest about what had happened with Dawn and Dusk.
But what would Forest do? He had other things to worry about, like making sure everyone in the group was well-fed and sheltered for the coming leafbare. It wasn't like he could leave setting up the camp to everyone else to help her find the place from her dreams – if they could even find it on their own. What if I looked for it on my own, while everyone else was busy? It wasn't late in the day yet; there would still be plenty of time for White Rose to find her way home before it got dark. The thought continued to bite at the back of her mind, like a gnawing hunger that wouldn't go away.
Still hesitant, White Rose quickly examined everyone in the midst of their work. All of them were concentrating and looked determined… surely no one would mind if she slipped away for a little while? "Blue Jay!" She called out to the blue-gray tom, Forest having left him in charge while the rest of their group were out hunting with him. "I'm going to search through this part of the forest to see if I can find good herb gathering spots. You don't need my help right now, do you?"
Giving her a glance from his sky-colored eyes, Blue Jay flicked his ears dismissively. "I think we're set for now, so go ahead. Do you need someone to come with you?"
"No – that's alright." White Rose hastily replied, feeling nervous and guilty for lying to him. "I don't want to take anyone away from what they're doing right now, not when we're so close to having our camp set up."
When Blue Jay nodded, returning to examining the walls, White Rose quickly slipped out the camp's entrance. Where would she even start looking? She focused on her memories of the dream, trying to remember more details of what the area around the stone looked like. She started to walk as she thought, scenting the air distractedly from time to time, but in her mind she was back in that clearing with her nose pressed to the boulder's smooth surface.
Familiar scents tickled her nose after travelling for a short time, and White Rose veered away from the scent trails. She could tell Forest was among them, and didn't particularly feel like explaining – and lying – to him as well. But then she caught wind of something else; a sharp, leafy scent she hadn't smelled in a while. Goldenrod! Eyes widening, White Rose followed the scent until she came across a patch of the herb growing underneath a tree close by. She purred. If anyone ended up with an infected wound now, she felt assured knowing that this was growing so near to their camp. Taking some of the stalks into her jaws, she pulled them from the ground and carried them with her. Now, if she ran into someone from their group, at lease her lie would seem more believable.
Returning to being lost in her own thoughts, White Rose froze to a halt when she felt a sudden drop at the edge of her paws, letting out a slight gasp. A narrow but swiftly flowing stream rushed before her, seeming to mark the edge of this part of the forest. She twitched her tail in frustration. She couldn't remember hearing rushing water in her dream, and seeing the stream just made her feel further from finding the place than ever.
"…ow can I not be scared, Moss?"
White Rose froze, her heart stilling. Faintly, across the stream, she could hear the sound of an unfamiliar mew, full of worry. Listening more closely, she found that she could hear pawsteps as well, and turned away from the shore to hide herself away in the nearby undergrowth. Blood pounded in her ears. That voice… it was hard to remember exactly, but she was sure she'd heard it before.
A few moments later, two cats appeared over the horizon. Both appeared to be she-cats, one a brown tabby and the other a calico, and both pelts still held the marks of healing wounds. White Rose felt her neck fur bristle. They were both cats that she and the rest of the group had fought against only days before. Please don't notice me, please don't notice me…
Soon, however, White Rose realized that she had nothing to worry about. The brown tabby – White Rose could recall her name being Birdsong – was clearly too busy thinking about whatever was worrying her to spot White Rose's bright pelt in the shadows of the bushes. Beside her, the calico comfortingly touched her muzzle to Birdsong's shoulder. "Ash is a strong cat, Birdsong. I know you know that better than anyone." She sounded reassuring, but there was no mistaking the darkness in her expression. "He'll pull through this. He has to."
Shrugging her touch away, Birdsong faced the calico, tail bushed and relentlessly twitching. "It doesn't matter how strong he is, Moss! Without any way to treat his infection, how is he going to recover from it?" Her mew cracked, and White Rose felt a stab of pity. Forest may not be her mate, but she could recognize and sympathize with the pain and fear of a cat watching the one they loved most suffering. "I don't know what to do… W-what if he…"
"No, don't say things like that!" Moss shook her head. "He isn't going to die. There's no way! Not after everything he's done for us…"
What have we done? White Rose felt a new wave of heavy guilt wash over her. She felt sick watching this. These cats were just trying to survive too, and because of them, hunting grounds may not be the only thing they were going to lose.
I can't just sit here and do nothing.
Swallowing back the nervous lump in her throat, White Rose padded back out into the open, calling out to the two she-cats across the river. "You have a cat suffering from an infection?"
Both of their heads whipped around to face her, and Moss's hackles raised instantly, her lip curling back in a snarl. "You!" She hissed, stepping in front of Birdsong defensively. "What do you want now?! Haven't you caused us enough suffering?!"
Moving away from behind the calico she-cat, Birdsong met White Rose's gaze. Instead of the anger she was expecting to see, the brown tabby just look tired. Her blue eyes were dull, but were still cautious. "You're part of the group that helped Claw chase us out." Her mew was bitter. "Were you planning to eavesdrop on us?"
Placing a paw on the bundle of goldenrod at her feet, White Rose shook her head in reply. "No, that wasn't my intention at all. I was just… looking for herbs." There wouldn't be any point in telling them she was chasing her dreams either, especially not right now. "I… I know how to heal. At least, enough to treat most illnesses and infections."
"So what, you're here to pity us?" Moss growled, still hostile. "Just leave us alone. You've done enough to us already, what makes you think some pity is going to change anything now?"
But Birdsong seemed to understand what she was getting at, a spark of hope lighting her eyes. "…Are you offering to help?"
White Rose nodded, but Moss stared back and forth between them, fire burning in her amber gaze. "We can't trust you! What if she's just planning to finish off Ash while our backs are turned?"
Calmly, Birdsong gave her companion a grave look. "If we leave him unattended any longer, isn't it just going to end the same way?" Her murmur was tight with pain, and Moss looked away, fur still bristling. The brown tabby turned back to White Rose with an expression of gratitude. "Please, you have to help him. I can see it in your eyes… You have a kind heart. You didn't want this to happen, did you?"
"Never." White Rose swore to her, holding her gaze. Although she wanted to see his condition for herself, she knew that there was no way that Moss would allow her to see where their home was, and truthfully, she didn't blame her. "Tell me exactly what's wrong with him."
Birdsong's paws kneaded at the ground, her blue eyes round with a mixture concern and relief. "It was during the battle… Ash received a very deep bite wound, and I tried to keep him off his leg as much as possible, but he's so stubborn. And then infection started to set in." She sighed. "After that, I forbid him from leaving the den, but it just kept getting worse… Now, he's been running a fever for two days. He can't even stand if he tried."
White Rose nodded, taking note of all of his symptoms. "It definitely sounds like a common infection. Please, give him this." Taking the goldenrod into her jaws, she waded through the shallow waters of the stream and dropped them at Birdsong's paws. "Chew it up and apply it to his wound. Goldenrod is one of the best cures for infection out there. Also…"
She paused, considering her next words carefully. As much as White Rose wanted to help any cat who needed it, there was no way Forest would approve of this. Looks like she'd have to lie for a little longer. "If his fever is still as bad in the morning, or if the swelling in his wound hasn't gone down, come here. I'll be waiting by the riverbank with more herbs, and if you'll allow me, I'll try to treat him the best I can myself."
"Thank you, thank you so much." Birdsong moved closer, pressing her muzzle to White Rose's cheek and purring thunderously. "If I lost Ash, I don't know what I'd…"
"I know." White Rose gentle cut her off, returning the friendly gesture. "I would never want to wish such pain on any cat. I hope I won't have to see you tomorrow, but if I do, I'll be ready for you."
Pulling away, Birdsong gave her one last look full of warmth before Moss jerked her head with a grunt. "This stuff better work, or you'll have to answer to me about it." She muttered. "Come on, Birdsong. We have to hurry."
"You're right." Dipping her head in farewell, Birdsong grasped the goldenrod between her teeth and followed her friend down the slope, glancing at White Rose over her shoulder as they went. White Rose lifted her tail in response, turning and heading in the other direction. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
Have I just agreed to something I shouldn't have?
