Chapter 9

Echopaw blinked, her heart thumping with fear. Thyme leaves were set at the corner of the nest she was laying in. Taking the hint, she swallowed them, grimacing at the taste. She blinked as a pelt brushed against hers. Foxtrot was curled around her, twitching his paws in his sleep. She almost laughed when he let out tiny squeaks. Her head was still spinning however, making it hard to see. She shook her head, trying to clear the dull agony. A voice made her jump, "You look funny shaking your head like that." Shimmerpaw was sitting across the room, shuffling herbs in her paws.

Echopaw grunted, "You wouldn't think it was funny if you went through it!" Shimmerpaw looked at her paws, eyes filled with shame. Echopaw quickly mewed, "I don't mean it in a mean way!" Shimmerpaw nodded, going back to sorting the herbs. Echopaw caught the scent of tansy.

Shimmerpaw glanced at Foxtrot, "You know, he was the first one at your side when you collapsed."

Echopaw blinked in surprise, "Really?"

Shimmerpaw nodded, "He carried you in here too."

Echopaw glanced at Foxtrot, who had once despised her, carried her into the medicine den? She blinked at him, before deciding to move him in the side with a paw. He just squeaked in his sleep again. She giggled, "You know, it's kinda funny when he does that."

Foxtrot opened one blue eye, "I heard that." Echopaw jumped in surprise at his sudden awakening. He got to his paws, his hind leg clearly bothering him. Shimmerpaw flicked a single poppy seed at him, "It'll take away the pain and not make you too sleepy." Foxtrot just nodded, lapping up the tiny black seed. Echopaw stretched, relief flooding over her that it wasn't as bad as the last time. There were no monster cats threatening to kill her. Amberstar poked his head inside the den, eyed filled with relief as he saw Echopaw grooming herself. Echopaw glanced up at him.

"Hi?"

Amberstar dipped his head slightly, 'Hello, feel better soon." He retreated from the den, his tail low. She was about to leave when the gray apprentice had slipped in the den, hopping on three feet.

Milknose came around a twist in the den, "What happened this time Quakepaw?"

Quakepaw hissed, "I fell into some nettles." Milknose sighed, padding to the herb store. Echopaw recognized the scent of dock, it would soothe the nettle stings. Quakepaw glanced at her, hatred cold in his eyes, "What use is a medicine cat that just sits around and does nothing?" He spat at her.

Echopaw didn't flinch, only replied, "One that had a seizure maybe. You would be doing the same!" She hissed the last words, tail lashing.

Quakepaw opened his mouth to say something before Foxtrot, still beside her, hissed, "She has a point there, apprentice."

Quakepaw shot him a glare sharper than flint, "Don't talk to me like that, cripple!" That had done it, Foxtrot rose to his paws, tail lashing, a growl rumbling from his throat.

Milknose interrupted, "Stop that right now! Quakepaw, show more respect for a these cats, would you? I bet they wouldn't fling themselves into nettles like you did!" Quakepaw flattened his ears, but said nothing as Milknose applied the poultice and eased out any nettles that got stuck in his fur.

Milknose turned to them, "Sorry about that, Quakepaw is a little aggressive." She blinked at Echopaw, "A lot to you, he didn't appreciate the scars given to him by a medicine cat!" Echopaw giggled at this, weariness soon came to her however. Sighing, she laid her head on Foxtrot's flank, drifting into sleep.

Echopaw blinked, once she realized she was dreaming; her heart started to beat quickly. It was the dark place; three things were missing though, the dead cats, shrieking, and the terrifying eyeless, see-through cats. It was just her, alone, in this dark place. Then she realized, a starry at was sitting a few fox-lengths away from her. Echopaw called to her, "Who are you?"

The starry she-cat replied, "Haiku" Echopaw stared at her, confused. She smiled down at Echopaw, "I was the start of your family. It was a long time ago." Haiku touched her nose to Echopaw's head, "You're inside your own head, me being here prevents you from getting attacked by the monsters inside it." Echopaw took a shaky breath, glancing around the empty space.

Echopaw took notice of her collar, "You were a kittypet?"

Haiku nodded, "Yes, originally. I was with my mate, Rat, and we moved into DarkClan. But that's not the point. Echopaw, you are a multiple-blooded. Not many cats have that many different combinations. Your ancestors came down from other clans and two-leg place. You have loner, kittypet, DarkClan, SweptClan, LeafClan, AshClan, SkyClan, and many more clans had made you the way you are now. You are a very special cat Echopaw, and that's why StarClan has put their trust in you."

~~ Linebreak~~

It had been a few days since she had the dream of Haiku, thinking about 'how StarClan had put their trust in her.' Since then Shimmerpaw had shown her how they use herbs and the different herbs that grew there instead of in her former territory. She twitched her ears as yowls of shock rose in the clans. She smelled the stench of blood, and immediately darted out of the den. An unmistakable scent hit her, Creekmud! Creekmud had stumbled right into the camp, with the others, Blindspot and Darkheart.

The old she-cat and her denmates were covered in claw marks and bites, big and small. Creekmud rasped in a painful, "P-please Amberstar, take us in. That leader i-is nothing but a disgrace t-to the warrior clans!" She took in a rattling breath, ears flat. The elders were skinny and wounded all over. Echopaw didn't let Amberstar answer the question, she darted forward, supporting Creekmud as she almost toppled to the ground. Creekmud wheezed, 'Please Amberstar. You can't deny the fact that I'm your half-sister." Creekmud staggered away from Echopaw, her paws shaking.

Amberstar dipped his head, the pity in his eyes unmistakable, "You may join, all of you." Creekmud breathed a sigh of relief, letting Echopaw support her to the medicine cat den. Foxtrot had swiftly grabbed three mice by their tails and followed her into the medicine cat den. The elders shared the three mice while Echopaw and Shimmerpaw checked them over.

Echopaw asked Darkheart, "How did you all manage to get into this state? This is horrible!"

Darkheart coughed out his answer, "Juniperstar used us as t-training tools for the new apprentices they recruited. H- He made us h-hunt for ourselves, but none of us could. I-If we tried t-to get prey from the fresh kill p-pile, they w-would chase us away.

Echopaw nodded solemnly, "Well, you'll be safe and well-fed here."

Echopaw padded over to the exit of the den, night was falling, and the warriors and apprentices were going to sleep. Slipping out of camp, she scrambled up into a tall tree, glancing at her paws. Her paws were rough and black, and she wondered if it was from her SkyClan ancestors. She nestled into the crook of the branches, dozing into a fitful sleep.

AN: Sorry that was so short ;u; My old laptop finally got cleared so now I can write chapters yay! ANYWAYSSS woOHOO Creekmud has arrived on the LeafClan wagon.

Hheheh the only thing that sucks is that I don't have a mouse so, yunno.