Chapter 6
My three sunrises of walking have brought me to a dome building. It smelled like the forest inside, so I walked inside.
Inside were all the plants you could imagine! I smelled horsetail, yarrow, marigold, juniper, lavender, raspberry…you name it, and it was in here!
As I started to explore, I noticed a ragged tree with peeling bark and low hanging branches. The leaves smelled minty.
"Weird tree, huh? I hear the humans call in eucalyptus."
I turned to see a caramel colored she-cat sitting next to me.
"I'm Swoop." She meowed. "What's your name?"
"Thrushpaw." I replied. "What is this tree good for? I've seen it a lot where I live."
It was true. Poppywind discovered this tree, but she found no uses for it, though moss grew well on it.
"This tree's leaves are used in cough drops." She meowed.
"What?"
"It soothes humans throat and cure their cough. They eat it when they're sick."
Sick? Cough? That's it!
I took a leaf in my mouth and bit it. It had a minty taste that soothed my throat.
Could this be what I've been looking for?
"Bye Swoop." I called, turning to leave.
"Wait!" she meowed. "Could…I come with you?"
"What?! I live in the forest, you know."
"I know, I smelled the forest on your fur when you walked in, though I take it you've been with humans for a while. I do know how to hunt and fight. My human died and I've been living in here."
I was about to leave, but I reconsidered it. She was young and strong, another mouth to feed, but another set of paws to hunt!
"Ok." I meowed. "You can come. But you have to promise me you won't catch birds with twisty beaks. They make you sick."
She nodded, and the two of us set out for ThunderClan territory.
* * * * *
We're home! We're home!
In my mouth I had a bundle of eucalyptus leaves, Swoop standing beside me.
"Ok Swoop." I mumbled around the leaves. "Just pretend we've been here for the last few sunrises and you've returned from hunting. Drop your fresh kill on the pile, then follow me to the medicine cat den."
She nodded, picking up her thrush, crow, and blackbird. She had a knack for leaping for birds.
I squared my shoulders, then pushed my way through the thorn barrier. No one seemed to notice us. Swoop laid her kill on the pile, then followed me to the medicine cat's den.
Poppywind was laying by the entrance, laying out catmint to dry before she stored it.
I padded up to her and dropped my leaves in front of her.
"Thornpaw, why did you bring these leaves back? I told you, we need lavender."
Casting a glance over at Swoop, I replied in a low voice.
"I'm sorry Poppywind, I've forgotten what it looks like."
Poppywind sighed, rising to her paws. "Thornpaw, I've shown you three times. Please tr-"
Poppywind gasped when she saw me looking at her teasingly.
"Thrushpaw! You're back! You have a kittypet collar on? You brought a loner?" She babbled.
"Yes, I'm back." I meowed calmly. "I was captured by twolegs. They forced a kittypet collar on me. This is Swoop. She can be a warrior! I need to alert Dapplestar…"
Poppywind hung her head. "Dapplestar is dead." She rasped. "Her last two lives were taken by the illness."
I hung my head too. "Who is the new leader? Smokefur?" The smoky black tom was so annoying!
Poppywind shook her head. "He too was killed. Fernflower was granted her lives, and is now Fernstar."
I nodded. "I need to see her. I'll be right back. Swoop, follow me." I meowed. She nodded, and we scrambled up the tumble of rocks to Fernstar's den.
