Fawnpaw sadly rubbed a large wad of lavender on Pinenose's cold black fur.
"I've seen so many deaths." Muttered Littlecloud as he cleaned off the blood. "In my kithood, I was born with death in the tyranny of Brokenstar. I doubt you know him. Anyway, he trained kits early. I was one of those kits."
Fawnpaw looked up at her mentor with tragedy glimmering in her eyes.
He went on, "You would think after seeing StarClan knows how many deaths… you'd think I'd be casual about accepting death at this point in my life." He took a thick pause and coughed out. He turned around, and Fawnpaw noticed that he has used all of the remaining catnip on Smokefoot's cough. He coughed and continued, "However, each death I see if still sad. It's not exactly heartbreaking of me to see. But it's heartbreaking to see each cat cry out like it's a physical pain."
Fawnpaw sorted through the herbs randomly and whispered, "But there's no herb to cure grief, is there?"
He shook his head and stepped away from Pinenose's body. "It's done. If you would like, you can go out into the woods and gather some catmint. We're dangerously low."
Fawnpaw smiled and set her paw on her mentor's shoulder, "I know, I promise I'll be back in a twitch of a whisker. "
He smiled warmly and shut his eyes, "You are a lot like Flametail." He said, "You know he… had a history with your mother."
Fawnpaw blinked, remembering the nursery stories and the occasional Clan rumor that even after all those moons, Fallenstar is still grieving over Flametail. When she gets back from tending to Snow, she'll ask Fallenstar about it.
She jogged out into the pine forest and followed the trail of raven feathers to the hollow. She sprinted at this point, memorizing the path by memory. Flurries of snow flew upwards and she breathed in the crisp nighttime air.
The she-cat trotted up to the hollow. Inside was a shivering black raven that chirped at the very sight of her. Fawnpaw smiled warmly and carefully removed the leaf wrappings on the wing, sure that it has healed fully by now.
Snow chirped and stretched out her wing. She glanced across her large black wingspan then glanced over at the brown she-cat.
Fawnpaw blinked and ducked low shyly, "Can you show me how to fly?"
The raven cawed out then hobbled over to the edge of the tree hollow. Fawnpaw watched as the bird slowly spread her beautiful jet black shining wings in the dusk's light.
Then she took off.
The raven soared high, staying in the area of the clearing. Fawnpaw stared as the circled her. She smiled and thought to herself, I wish I can fly.
The raven fluttered back down and ruffled her wings. The bird tilted her head almost like she was asking how was her flight.
Fawnpaw grinned and carefully reached out a paw. The bird hesitantly touched her beak to the paw and fluffed out her wings.
"I'm going to moonpool tomorrow." She said happily, "I want to see you there, is that okay?"
The bird made a shrill chirp and without warning, reached out her cheek and pressed it up against Fawnpaw.
Fawnpaw was gripped with a feeling of warmth and love for the bird like a mother. Fawnpaw nuzzled the bird carefully, feeling her feathers brush against her fur. Fawnpaw knew that she was treading on dangerous grounds always being with this bird and taking care of it, but she is willing to tread those waters for Snow.
Fawnpaw huffed out a cold breath of air and looked up at her mentor. Now she was heading up to the moonpool, and she always disliked going there. The first time she went, Mothwing and Willowshine didn't even dare talk to her after what happened with Sparrowfang and Troutstream.
She carefully placed her paws into where ancient cats have repeated theirs. She looked up and saw the blind medicine cat named Jayfeather. The grey tom huffed when he scented ShadowClan.
"Hello, Jayfeather." Said Littlecloud happily, "I heard that your Clan has contracted greencough. If you'd like, I can give you some feverfew. I still owe you from the days when Fallenstar was still a wee apprentice."
Fawnpaw looked up at her mentor and asked, "You owe Jayfeather?"
He nodded and grinned knowingly, even though the grey tabby couldn't see it.
A dark grey tabby she-cat with green eyes flicked her fluffy tail and hissed, "Let's get on with this. It's freezing outside."
Mothwing sighed and looked at the moonpool, "I'm sorry for being cold to you, Fawnpaw. It was still instinctual, especially since the battle."
"It's been a whole year, Mothwing." Said Kestrel flight, "Isn't it about time we're over it?" He smiled and said calmly, "Anyway, I think I might have found a new apprentice. Even though Heathertail's daughter; Tunnelpaw, is a warrior apprentice, I think Onestar and I can make arrangements so that she is my apprentice."
Fawnpaw's eyes gleamed at the very thought of finally having an apprentice just about her age that's also a medicine cat. It gets a little boring when all the apprentices in ShadowClan are toms that mock her and say that it's a shame that she didn't become a warrior.
Especially Twigpaw, he says it's a shame especially since she's such a pretty she-cat.
She shivered at the memory. Then Twigpaw proceeded to flirt with her, and try to get her to become a warrior. Each time he begged, she grew more and more agitated. Eventually she had to tell Littlecloud about Twigpaw always harassing her. They brought it to Fallenstar, and no one ever spoke another word of it.
Jayfeather blinked and replied, "Briarlight and I are still deciding what to do about her and the moonpool situation. We were thinking perhaps we could send the leader in her place. Bramblestar can communicate with StarClan."
"But only when you die, correct?" Mothwing said quietly, "You and I both know that your death is many, many moons away."
Jayfeather nodded and didn't say another word.
"It's time to sleep next to moonpool." Said Kestrelflight sitting down next to the gleaming water trickling down a stream of a cracked boulder.
The six medicine cats all laid down together in a warm bundle and each cat took a lap of the water.
Fawnpaw licked up the cold water and she felt a chill crawl down her spine. Starlight swirled in her vision within the darkness of her sleep and the starlight formed together like a puzzle to the body of a cat. The stars gained definition and color, slowly becoming the dark ginger form of Flametail.
Fawnpaw grinned seeing Flametail. She walked up to him and meowed, "It's nice to see you again, Flametail, but will there be a time when I can meet the older medicine cats of the past or maybe even Blackstar?"
"In the future." He said calmly. He sat down and said in almost a sad tone, "How is Fallenstar? Is she fine? I know she hasn't lost her third life yet because StarClan didn't call me down there to her yet." His crystal blue eyes got wide and he lifted a paw, perking his ears forward, "Can you tell her that I miss her dearly?"
Fawnpaw nodded. She has known about Flametail's and Fallenstar's affair when she was still in the nursery. It was a forbidden love so strong, that not even Fallenstar's secure, clever lips can lock that secret up forever. "I promise I'll tell her, Flametail." Then she remembered Littlecloud's project about counting the moons. "Hey Flametail, did you know about Littlecloud's project of counting the moons?"
He shook his head and responded, "He only told you. He started it after I died and when Fallenstar first got impregnated with you and your siblings." He smiled and walked in a circle around her. Then a worried face plastered over his ginger smile, "How is Flamepaw? He's stubborn, just like his mother. I understand he was named after me, but we're total opposites."
"Still stupid." Fawnpaw sighed. "He was totally spooked a few nights ago, and I had to give him some thyme so he could go to sleep."
"That was Yellowfang's fault. She and I don't really get along. Anyway," He composed himself and sat back down as he delicately curled his fluffy tail around his paws, "I understand that your Clan is seriously low on catmint."
Fawnpaw frowned and nodded grimly. "No one is sick yet, but I'm worried that it's going to spread. Smokefoot had a slight cough, but we fixed that up within a night."
"Great sickness is coming, and you need to commit a crime to fix that." He stood up and sweeped his long tail across the ground, "Follow me." He began to trot into a glowing silver forest made of pine trees and the bark glowed pure white. A thick mist flooded the area and Fawnpaw had a hard time following the dark ginger tabby's gleaming starlit pelt.
The two cats approached a pool of water that reflected like a mirror. Flametail splashed his paw into the water and a figure appeared and the air began to scent of ThunderClan.
In the water, Fawnpaw peered in to see a small abandon twoleg nest with a garden outside. In that garden were tall stalks of catmint. The warm, aromatic scent wafted into her nostrils and she resisted the urge to drool.
"That is Jayfeather's stock of catmint." He said quietly. He hung his head and went on, "If ShadowClan is to survive the remaining leaf-bare, you must steal all of Jayfeather's catmint."
Fawnpaw looked up at him, horrified. "I'm not going to cause the death of ThunderClan! You and I both know that ThunderClan is hit with deadly greencough. Some cats are on the verge of death. ShadowClan is mostly healthy, and you expect me to steal some for the healthy Clan?"
"Birchpaw is carrying the sickness!" Growled Flametail, "Either you kill Birchpaw before he spreads it, or you steal the catmint. Your choice."
Fawnpaw gasped as she was slammed back by the moonpool. She woke up gasping, and Mothwing looked at her worriedly.
Fawnpaw swerved her head to face Jayfeather who was starting to wake up. He yawned and stretched his tired body. She bit her lip and looked away guiltily. Flametail said she either had to murder Birchpaw or all of ThunderClan.
She had to make that choice now, otherwise one of two Clans are going to suffer heavy losses from their warriors.
Littlecloud looked down at her and didn't dare to ask about her dream, knowing it was forbidden to even mention their dreams. She stood up weakly and the Clans slowly parted away onto the separate paths to their Clans.
Birchpaw or ThunderClan.