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Foxblaze trailed behind Mudtalon, his uneven steps better after a good night's sleep, though he felt very much like an apprentice following after his mentor.

Mudtalon walked briskly enough that it would almost appear that Foxblaze was barely keeping up, though – not that Foxblaze would say this, he liked his muzzle unscratched – the way he kept stopping to smell the air let Foxblaze keep up, as if he was slightly concerned.

Foxblaze smelled the air as well, looking for the smell of mint, he padded closer to the stream, moving into the shadow of a bridge.

"Hey! I think I found it!" he called, as he caught the faint scent of mint. He inhaled deeply, before spotting the tall stalks growing out of the still water, underneath a twoleg bridge.

Foxblaze stared at the plant, growing out of the water. He took a limping step forward, eyeing the stones that led to it, wondering if he could make the jumps.

"I'll get it." Mudtalon walked past him, "you don't have the balance to stand on those rocks."

Foxblaze lashed his tail, "I'm not going to stand here and be useless." He felt bad enough, having to be rescued, he wanted to be helpful!

Mudtalon gave him a look, "fine then, stay on look out, we are out of Clan territories. We don't know if any cats live around here."

Foxblaze snorted, giving the look he would've given Leopardwind, "all you did was make standing here sound important."

Mudtalon didn't reply, hopping from stone to stone, perching over where the plants grew. Foxblaze sat down with a huff, tail thumping against the ground. Mudtalon bit through the stalks with ease, a growing pile forming on the rock next to him. Foxblaze slowly panned his gaze around and unsurprisingly found nothing.

Mudtalon landed in front of him, dropping the mouthful and the stalks he'd tucked under his chin. Foxblaze used his good leg to scrape the pile together, neither speaking as Mudtalon turned around and repeated the journey.

Foxblaze was watching Mudtalon and the water, which is why he noticed the shadow that appeared on the water. He looked up, eyes widening when he saw the cat crouched on the bridge, muscles tense and aiming to spring.

"Mudtalon!" he yowled in warning.

The cat leapt down, knocking Mudtalon off his perch, back into the water. Foxblaze hobbled forward, standing at the edge helplessly as the two fighters rolled in the water. He moved back and forth, trying to judge the depth and whether or not he would have to swim. Mudtalon shoved the cat back, pinning his opponent down.

"What was that about?" the brown tom snarled, water dripping off his muzzle, before his eyes widened, "Swiftstep?"

Foxblaze's jaw fell open as he recognized Mudtalon's Clanmate.

"Swiftstep, why are you all the way out here?" Mudtalon asked, feigning innocence on his crime. Swiftstep was a coward, anyway. Maybe he'd run from the sickness, and didn't know.

"You know why, you traitor." Swiftstep snarled in reply.

Mudtalon watched as Foxblaze, his eyes wide, stepped towards them. "I am completely loyal to PebbleClan, Swiftstep. Why do you think I even came back here? I'd avoid it for the rest of my life if I had the choice."

"You're saying that you're loyal, but you're here, helping this OakClan cat who's still an apprentice! And he's injured. He's no use to you."

"Says the cat who just tried to maul his own Clanmate." Foxblaze mewed harshly.

Oh StarClan, why did Foxblaze feel the need to say that? "Enough, Swiftstep. If you want to be good, you can take some water mint back to PebbleClan. Both I and Foxblaze are doing just that. If not, though, well, go away." He was staying rather cool, for his standards. He was known for being quick-tempered.

Swiftstep snarled. "Don't try and sweet-talk me, you filthy cat! You're just making advances on me." And with that confusing, (why on earth would he want Swiftstep to be his mate? He had a wonderful one already) rather hurtful comment, Swiftstep sprang on Mudtalon once more.

Mudtalon snarled, and raked his claws across Swiftstep's muzzle, feeling bad about the drops of blood that fell into the river, and the yowl of pain that he let out. Foxblaze snarled menacingly, though Mudtalon doubted that he would actually get any closer. Swiftstep, seeing that he was outnumbered and outmatched in skill, no doubt, fled.

Mudtalon let out his breath loudly. He wouldn't have wanted to collect so much of the vital herb and then have it all ruined. He hissed in pain, Swiftstep had nicked one of his ears slightly when he had pounced on him from the bridge, and it was bleeding slightly.

Foxblaze looked down. "You're out here against orders, aren't you? Kestrelstar ordered you not to come. He sent Swiftstep after you."

Mudtalon nodded. "Yes. Something about how I would be doing it only for Grassfoot, which is a bunch of mouse dung."

"Those are the most mouse-brained orders I've heard! Does it matter why you're willing to go, so long as the Clan is saved? At the end of the day, isn't that who we're supposed to put first? Of all cat Kestrelstar should know that." Foxblaze mewed.

"It's the way it goes with Kestrelstar." Mudtalon mewed, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on. If we wrap these things in leaves, then we'll be able to carry more bundles in our mouths and under our chins, because we won't have to worry about them falling onto the ground."

They busied themselves with that, purposefully avoiding the things that Swiftstep had said to Mudtalon.

They started on the way back, knowing it would take over three days, what with the herbs that they had to be careful with, and Foxblaze's injury. But from the way he was walking, Mudtalon could see that it was hurting him less now.

He was on his way back to Grassfoot, the key to his life clutched tightly within his jaws.