Chapter ten
Eaglepaw blinked in the cold leaf-fall sunlight. Her wounds were covered in bloody cobwebs and the air was thick with the scent of blood. She recoiled, looking around the medicine cat den. Tigerfur was gone. Wondering where he was she slunk out of her nest and into the camp clearing.
"Fernmist." She heard his soft purr.
Realizing who he was with she ducked back into the den, then poked her head out again slowly to watch.
"Tigerfur," she replied. "I, I really like spending time with you."
"Me too," he mewed. "I mean you, not me."
She chuckled softly. "You're so funny… and kind."
"And you're the most caring, wonderful she-cat I've ever met." He purred.
"Tigerfur, I want to tell you something," Fernmist mewed quietly. "I… I love you!"
"I love you too." He sighed.
I guess there mates now… she felt bad for eavesdropping and backed away.
"Up already, Eaglepaw?"
She spun around. It was Whisperingbreeze. "Oh, hi Whisperingbreeze."
"Good morning. I trust you slept well?" his eyes glittered with worry.
"Ah, yes." She remembered her wounds and winced.
"Come here. I need to change the dressings." He beckoned to her with his tail.
She obediently padded over to the medicine cat. He peeled off the old cobwebs and patted some new ones into place. He looked up at her. "You seem troubled, what's wrong?"
She shifted uncomfortably. I can't tell him about the prophecy!
"It's alright if you don't want to tell me," he assured her. "I won't interfere."
She smiled gratefully at the slender tom. "Thanks."
"No problem." He smiled back.
She padded out like she had just woken up and Tigerfur and Fernmist looked at her briefly.
"Good morning" she chirped, hoping she sounded cheerful.
"Good morning, Eaglepaw." Purred Fernmist, her tail was entwined with Tigerfur's.
"How are you two today?" she smirked.
Tigerfur shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Good…"
"Bye." She padded out through the dirt-place tunnel.
When she came out Whisperingbreeze was changing Tigerfur's dressing and his tail was flicking impatiently.
Poking her head back in the medicine cat's den she saw Nightpaw awake and taking a bite from a plump mouse. Her heart swelled with delight when she saw her injured sister eating. Sunpaw was sitting next to Nightpaw, her eyes shining. Seeing Eaglepaw, she got to her paws and padded over to her.
"Did you manage to convince Nightpaw to eat?" she asked happily.
"Well, no. It wasn't me," she admitted. "It was Whisperingbreeze."
"That's not important!" she purred. "The important thing is she's eating, so she must be getting better!"
"I hope so," Sunpaw mewed. "How are your injuries?"
"They hurt a bit," she sighed. "But I'm sure I'll get better soon."
"Yeah, you don't have any serious ones, but you should eat. You need to keep your strength up."
"You need to eat too," she pointed out. "Come share with me."
Her sister hesitated. "There're so many injured cats, though…"
"Don't worry about that, Sunpaw," called Whisperingbreeze. "Eat with Eaglepaw!"
"See? It's fine!" She led the reluctant medicine cat apprentice to the fresh-kill pile where she picked out a squirrel for her and Sunpaw to share.
"Have the first bite," Eaglepaw mewed. "Go on."
She looked at the prey for a moment before slowly bending down and taking a bite. "Thanks, Eaglepaw."
"Sunpaw, can I sleep in the apprentice's den?" she asked after eating a little. "The medicine cat's den is too full and my wounds aren't that bad."
"I'll talk to Whisperingbreeze about it." She bent down to have another bite, Eaglepaw after her.
They ate in silence for a bit until Sunpaw looked hard at her. "We need to talk about the prophecy. Get Hawkpaw and meet me in the usual place."
She nodded and they finished off the squirrel. Sunpaw slunk off and Eaglepaw buried the carcase. She began to look for Hawkpaw.
She found him sharing tongues with Duskpaw outside the apprentice's den. Moonpaw was staring at him with cold hatred in his eyes.
"Hawkpaw!" she purred. "Do you want to go hunting?" she flashed a meaningful look at him.
"Oh, okay. Bye Duskpaw, see you later!" he mewed.
"Bye, Hawkpaw!" she purred.
She walked with him towards the thorn tunnel, veering away at the last moment into their secret place. Sunpaw was already there.
"This is about the prophecy, isn't it?" mewed Hawkpaw. "I've thought about that and I think I might have an idea as to what it means."
"Well?" demanded Sunpaw. "Tell us!" hope was shining in her eyes.
"I think it's about us. Most of us have had a dream about it. Two mighty birds unfurl their wings as the sun leaves for night. Mighty birds, the hawk and eagle. Sun, you, and Night, Nightpaw."
"Yes, but why are we in a prophecy? What does it mean?"
"We'll have to wait and find out." She sighed.
Many, many sunrises had passed and it was time for the gathering. Most of the cats were better although some had scars. And there was Nightpaw. At least I'm going to the gathering, she thought. I'll tell Nightpaw all about it.
Sootstar signalled with his tail for the clan to follow him out through the thorn tunnel. The cats all bounded forwards. Stormpaw, Snowpaw and, of course, Sunpaw were coming as well.
RiverClan and WindClan were already. Oakstar and Heatherstar sat in the tree. The deputies, Firestorm and Berrywhisker, sat at the foot of the tree. The medicine cats, Blackpelt, Cloudfeather and Robinpaw, were in a group near the edge, the cats milling about and talking. Eaglepaw watched Sunpaw and Whisperingbreeze pad over to the medicine cats.
A scrawny brown-and-white tom came over to her. It was obvious he was going to try and use her to spy.
"Hi. My name is Mousepaw." He mewed.
"Hi."
"I heard you and ShadowClan got in a bit of a battle. I hope you didn't get hurt." He began.
"We had a border scuffle, but we're fine." She responded coldly. Sootstar might decide not to mention it.
Just then ShadowClan arrived. Leafstar leaped onto the tree, shooting Sootstar a glare. "ShadowClan will speak first."
"Very well." Heatherstar mewed. Oakstar's features were curious, while Sootstar was beginning to bristle.
"As we all know leaf-fall isn't an easy time, and leaf-bare will bring sickness and less prey. Our clan is growing, and our territory just wasn't big enough. So we helped ourselves to a bit of ThunderClan territory. We also have two new warriors: Silverfeather and Icepool." She yowled.
ShadowClan cats cheered, ThunderClan cats hissed and the other two clans shuffled their paws.
Sootstar stepped forwards. "Yes, perhaps we did lose the battle, but this is only the start. Leafstar, if you think you can help yourself to territory you are very wrong. We will survive fine without that worthless patch of land, but we will take it back!" he hissed, stepping back.
Leafstar lashed her tail, but could say no more because Oakstar had stepped forwards. "RiverClan is well. We have three new apprentices: Redpaw, Brightpaw and Thistlepaw."
The clans cheered for the three new apprentices.
"The fish is plentiful. We have nothing else to report." He stepped back, Heatherstar taking his place.
"WindClan is strong. However, we would like to report we found a fox on our territory. Pouncefur, Goldfrost and Scorchpaw have chased it off our territory but we don't know where it's gone." She leaped of her branch, and bounded away.
As they ran along the muddy shore Eaglepaw thought about the gathering. So, we're going to battle them again?
Fernmist went straight to Tigerfur, who had been waiting for her. They greeted each other with purrs.
Eaglepaw slumped down in her nest, exhausted. She wasn't looking forwards to the battle.