Chapter 27: Love Gone Wrong
On the third morning when Brackenpaw got promoted to being a warrior of ThunderClan. Spottedleaf and Cinderpaw had been working hard to restock after the invasion of WindClan and ShadowClan. Spottedleaf sent Cinderpaw out on her own mission to track down the herbs she knows to restock the medicine chamber, at early dawn. So Spottedleaf can work hand in hand with Yellowfang about a rare medicine to help with Brokentail's infection. Once Spottedleaf made sure Cinderpaw was on her journey, Spottedleaf crept over to the elder's den. Most of the elders were still fast asleep. Only Dappletail was up and grooming herself. The elder eyes Spottedleaf, "Who are you looking for my dear?"
"Yellowfang…is she still sleeping?" Spottedleaf asks.
"No…..in fact I haven't seen her sleep in her since you appointed Cinderpaw as your apprentice. Check by Brokentail's den. She spends a lot of her time over there…wouldn't surprise me if she took her sleeping spot over there." Dappletail stated. "Do you know why she spends a lot of her time with that…..that blood thirsty creature?"
Spottedleaf knows the truth why Yellowfang was so close to Brokentail, but she didn't want to reveal it to the elders, "No….Although he was from her Clan…maybe their were extremely close back then when she was a medicine cat."
"Perhaps…anyway, I need to get back to my grooming…Good luck Spottedleaf…" Dappletail meows.
Spottedleaf left the elder's den and moves a few paces to an old log, which was Brokentail's small den. Dappletail was right, Yellowfang was by Brokentail's side monitoring his every breathing. When Spottedleaf approaches inside, Yellowfang looked up, "I have been waiting for you young one…what took you so long?"
Spottedleaf chuckled to the old cat's rude comment, "I have an apprentice now, remember….my duties to her is to teach and lead…"
"Right…okay…enough small talk. Lets get on with it.." Yellowfang pushes out of the den and into the clearing. She was defiantly on the move to get it started. They move quickly through the gorse tunnel and back around through the woods.
Spottedleaf walks in line with the old cat, "So where are we going…"
"I need adder venom." Yellowfang stated.
"What? Why?" Spottedleaf asks.
"Don't ask why….I am making the herb I used back in ShadowClan. It is the only thing that will help slow and kill what ever is in his back paw. And adder venom is the main ingredient." Yellowfang stated.
Spottedleaf is not familiar with this technique although she has seen her former mentor use adder venom on some of his cases. Spottedleaf looks up at the old she-cat, "And you need my help to, what, hold the adder?"
"No…I'll be holding the adder, and milk the venom…it is way too dangerous for you, and you have never done it. What I need your help is collect the venom in this…" Yellowfang slides a small skull to her. It looks like a squirrel skull.
Spottedleaf eyes it, "Why a squirrel skull? I have extra turtle shells in my de.."
"Thanks but that is too big of space for such a small and dangerous task. Squirrel skulls work just fine. Plus also need you to collect these herbs for me…" Yellowfang hands her a list of the herbs to make the medicine.
"Now that I can do." Spottedleaf purrs.
They came up upon what many warriors in ThunderClan called Snakerocks. It is called Snakerocks, because of many adders are found here. Yellowfang places the bag of herbs on the ground and crouches low to hear hissing from adders. Spottedleaf did the same. Catching adders are no friendly business. Yellowfang scans the area, and sighs.
"Maybe we can do this another time…" Spottedleaf suggest.
"No adders like the early dawn. If they hide away when the sun is high in the sky." Yellowfang stated. "Now be quite and listen.."
As soon as Yellowfang said that, Spottedleaf zeroed in a an adder, "Yellowfang….pist…over by the big bolder with the smooth top." Spottedleaf said in a soft whisper only meant for a mouse.
Yellowfang saw what she saw, and softly whispers back, "You stay back. Adders are tricky creatures. I'll call you over when I have a good hold."
Spottedleaf nods in agreement. She watches as the old cat slowly stalking the creature, like she was hunting for pray. As soon as Yellowfang was in a good position, she sprang at the adder. The Adder hissed and reared back. But Yellowfang was a master. She trapped it with her sharp claws. The Adder twisted it's tail all over the place, but still it was trapped. "Alright Spottedleaf, hurry, before it gets loose."
Spottedleaf dashes over to the adder, it's yellow eyes glare up at her with vengeance. Spottedleaf was scared to go up to it. But Yellowfang hissed at her, "Oh it won't bite you…place the skull downward, so it pools into front of it.."
Spottedleaf did what she was told. Yellowfang began the process of milking the venom. The venom filled the skull like water. Spottedleaf had to admit, Yellowfang was quite a master at it. Once Yellowfang had milked the snake, Yellowfang meows to Spottedleaf, "Okay…now stand over by that tree…When I release this snake, it will go into a furious state of mind. I want you to have great distance so you won't get hurt."
Spottedleaf nodded. She started to trot to the tree, but Yellowfang stopped her, "Wait…grab that skull…I don't want to lose that venom."
Spottedleaf quickly grabbed the skull and went to sat by the tree. She was about 5 fox leaps from Yellowfang. Then she saw the old cat let go of the adder. And Yellowfang was right, it started to go and attack the old she-cat. But Yellowfang was too cleaver for the adder. She jumps backwards avoiding the bite, and jumped up onto the bolder. Then the adder hissed and slithered away.
Then Yellowfang came back to Spottedleaf, "There thank you…it is a two cat process to get adder venom."
"How did you pull it off when you were a medicine cat in ShadowClan?" Spottedleaf asks.
"You don't want to know the outcome to that one Speckles." Yellowfang chuckles.
Spottedleaf chuckled alongside the old she-cat. Their moment was short lived when a panic yowl came from a cat approaching. Both Yellowfang and Spottedleaf turn their heads to see who it was.
"Spottedleaf! Spottedleaf! Hurry Cinderpaw needs….needs." Brackenfur pants when he reaches the two medicine cats.
"Speak up, while we are still young…" Yellowfang snapped.
Spottedleaf ignores the old she-cats tone. But the look on Brackenfur's face, something is indeed wrong. "What is the matter Brackenfur, is it Cinderpaw?"
"No…it's a RiverClan she-cat…she is delivering kits! And she needs your help! Now!" Brackenfur stated.
Spottedleaf knew who Brackenfur was referring to. "Sorry Yellowfang, I got to go."
"What? A RiverClan cat in our territory! Spottedleaf!" Yellowfang calls out.
"Where are they Brackenfur!" Spottedleaf stated to the young warrior.
"At Sunningrocks…" Brackenfur stated to her.
Spottedleaf and Brackenfur raced to get to Sunningrocks, but ran into Tigerclaw who was furious. Spottedleaf looks at her nephew with concern eyes, "Tigerclaw what happened?"
Tigerclaw glares at her, "What happed? What happened is we have a disloyal cat who mated with another cat from another Clan. And now we have half breeds coming into the Clan!"
"But what about the Cinderpaw? And the RiverClan queen?" Spottedleaf asks.
"Cinderpaw is fine. She and Fireheart are bringing the kits to the Clan. The mother of the kits died." Tigerclaw growls. "She doesn't need you, so you might as well come back with me." Tigerclaw moves ahead and Spottedleaf and Brackenpaw have no choice but to follow.
When she reaches the camp she thanked Brackenfur for the message, and went to her den where Yellowfang was meeting her. Brackenfur stopped her, "Will my sister be alright?"
Spottedleaf looks down at him, "Yes….I went through this same experience when I was an apprentice myself. It is difficult to bare, but she will find her confidence and faith in medicine again. Just keep encouraging her. That is what my brother did to me to overcome this experience."
Brackenfur nodded and went over to be with his mother. By that time the whole clan new about it. Tigerclaw went and blab the whole thing. Bluestar awaited by the entrance to the nursery, to await for the new kits to come. She knew that Bluestar will ask if Goldenflower will take on Graystripe's kits, because a few days ago, she went into labor, and Spottedleaf helped deliver those kits.
Then a several minutes past and Spottedleaf heard crying of kits, coming from the gorse tunnel. A few seconds later, in comes Fireheart and Cinderpaw. Spottedleaf was by the nursery when Bluestar climbed down to her den and Fireheart and Cinderpaw approach both her and Bluestar. Spottedleaf got a good look at the two kits. One looked like Silverstream and the other look like the spinning image of her nephew, Graystripe.
"Come inside." Bluestar spoke to Cinderpaw and Fireheart. With command they both followed her into the nursery.
A few days ago, Cinderpaw had helped Spottedleaf deliver Goldenflower's kits. It wasn't an easy task, and she knew that it was Cinderpaw's first time delivering kits. Just then she saw Cinderpaw coming out of the nursery. She avoided the look on her mentor and went to the other side of the clearing.
Fireheart came out to her. Spottedleaf walks over to her apprentice. "Cinderpaw? What is the matter."
Fireheart looks into her eyes. His eyes held grief, "Cinderpaw saved Graystripe and Silverstream's kits. She was a natural at that."
Spottedleaf looks down at her apprentice, "I have seen Tigerclaw, and yes he was furious about the kits, but not at you sweetheart. You did the best you could have done. Just as I would have done."
Cinderpaw glanced up at that, "I'll never be a medicine cat! I am useless to this Clan!"
"Cinderpaw that is not true." Spottedleaf stated. "You did your best."
"But it wasn't good enough was it….If you'd would've been there when I sent for you, you could have saved her!" Cinderpaw spat at her mentor bitterly.
Spottedleaf knew it is a hard lesson to learn. She felt the same way. Fireheart looked at her and she knew he felt sorry for her. "Cinderpaw sometimes cats die, and no cat can do anything about it…not even if they are the best medicine cats ever."
"But I lost her, Spottedleaf." Cinderpaw eyes her with tears.
"I know…I walked this path when I was your age. I know how you feel in this moment, because I lived it." Spottedleaf stated.
Cinderpaw looks up at her and was silent for a moment. Fireheart eyes her now. Then Cinderpaw spoke out, "How can you know what I am feeling…"
Spottedleaf looks at her apprentice, "Because when I was an apprentice, and delivering kits without my mentor, I lost my sister. For awhile I thought I was doomed to kill every cat in the Clan. Because I couldn't even save my own sister. What I believed for a long time was that StarClan cursed me, because I couldn't save my own sister from her death. And still to this day, I have lost more cats than I could count. Every medicine cat goes through this process. It sucks and kills you on the inside, but you live with it. You go on. And I come to now know that my sister's death wasn't my fault, but it was her time. Silverstream's death is not YOUR fault Cinderpaw okay. Now come on, there is still work that has to be done. Smallear is complaining about his aching joints again." Spottedleaf nudges the small apprentice with her head. She looks up at Fireheart who never heard of that story before. She gave a sympathy look to him, and herded Cinderpaw toward her den.
By sundown the Spottedleaf had made the medicine for Yellowfang. Yellowfang looks at her, "What is up with Cinderpaw?"
"She's fine…she is just going through some tough times." Spottedleaf stated.
"Tell her she needs to stop the moping and be strong. She is an apprentice." Yellowfang stated.
"Yes…but you as well as I know, dealing with a patient that you lost, is hard to come out of your own grief. Especially your first." Spottedleaf stated. "I am teaching her…"
"Better you than me…thanks for the help today. Now I need to look after my patient." Yellowfang disappears into the den where Brokentail is. Spottedleaf passes the clearing, and on her way to her den she sees Fireheart approaching the camp with Graystripe. She sees her nephew, and her heart goes out to him. Later on, she plans to give him some comfort, and sympathy.
By the time the moon rose, Spottedleaf places the herbs into the stock and hears paw steps entering her small clearing. She didn't have to turn to see who it was. Her heart told her.
"I was just going to turn in for the night. You need any herbs?" Spottedleaf asks.
Fireheart shook his head without any reply. Spottedleaf looks at him, "How is he?"
This time Fireheart answered, "He just lost the love of his life, how do you think he is feeling…"
"I wasn't going to bash him Fireheart. I want to help him." Spottedleaf stated.
Fireheart eyes her, "I'm not so sure you can help him….he is brokenhearted. And seeing her die…and seeing his pain…may me think….I don't want to go through that pain."
Spottedleaf came to him, "I won't let that happen."
He came to her and nuzzled his face with hers. "Please don't die like that… I need you, with me."
She purrs to comfort him, "I can't control StarClan's destiny for me. But I will be here with you if you need me."
Fireheart looks into her moonlight eyes, as stars sparkled in them. Then he bent down and kissed her deeply. So deeply, it caused her to stop breathing. She never felt him kiss her like that before, like he thought he was loosing her too.
Spottedleaf had no idea but they were in her den making out. She had no conscious memory of moving from the small clearing to in her small den. It wasn't until a hoot of an owl that broke their spell of being in each other's embraces. Panting Fireheart moved away, "I don't know what came over me there."
Spottedleaf smiles to him, "I think you better go….Graystripe needs you now more than ever."
Fireheart gazes at her, "I know…but….I miss you. And…"
Spottedleaf holds a paw up to him, "I know you do. But right now, Graystripe needs your support. Go to him. We will find another time to confine our love, but right now you need to be a friend to him. I'll be fine. Besides, I got a shattered apprentice here, that needs my support." Fireheart agreed to that, and he thanked her for comforting him when he need her comfort. Then she watches him disappeared from her den, and Spottedleaf turned in for the night. Fireheart's scent still lingered there, and the thought of his scent comforted her. She began to doze off as she sleeps away the tragic day that had happened.
