Chapter 28: BushClan
It felt like ages since Icepaw had been allowed back out of the medicine den. She was limping heavily, her shoulder still painful as she padded carefully in a loping stride. Her ice-blue eyes had been slowly taking a shade of pink as time passed, something that Poppyclaw carefully watched out for as he assessed her.
Now, she was limping into the clearing to be in the sunlight. Her ears burned slightly, she squinted slightly after being inside the medicine den for so long. The darkness from inside it had weakened her eyes to the sunlight. However, as her eyes adjusted she felt more confident with herself.
The camp had been subdued and Nightstar had been quite for the past several moons. She approached the fresh-kill pile and snatched up a mouse for Applemist. The she-cat was still in the medicine den, resting until her wounds were closed enough for her to go back to her warrior duties. Until then, Icepaw wanted to practice walking by fetching her prey.
"Icepaw, you're well enough to walk around?" Pigeonstream meowed, his blue eyes bright.
The same blue eyes she thought hers had come from, only to now know that they never were. She nodded. "Applemist isn't allowed to move around much, so I wanted to get some prey for her today."
"Perhaps you should bring back something for Poppyclaw, too." her father suggested.
She blinked, curiosity bubbling back up. "Is something wrong?" She had forgotten how busy Poppyclaw had been.
Pigeonstream sighed softly, "Since you are doing better, it's best you know."
Worry began to make her tremble, she dropped the mouse and padded to her father. "Pigeonstream, what's going on?"
"Nightstar has been very sick. Poppyclaw says that her wounds became infected since she waited so long to be treated." he explained in a hushed mew.
"Poppyclaw said she would be alright though." Icepaw argued.
"That he did, but now he is certain it can't be good. Nightstar has lost many lives. He is afraid he might have miscounted them or that she had some she didn't speak of to him."
"What happens if she actually dies?" Icepaw asked, feeling as though the world as she knew it was crumbling and falling apart all around her.
"Blackdapple has never told you?" Pigeonstream meowed, surprised.
She shook her head. "No, but I really want to know. Will BushClan be okay?"
Her father's eyes glimmered in amusement. "Oh, Icepaw, of course it will be alright. It just means Morningpelt will have to visit Moonstone and then he will be leader. Just as Nightstar has done after Bushstar."
"That's all?" she echoed, feeling more relieved.
The gray and white tom nodded, "As long as we have a deputy we will all be fine."
Icepaw sighed softly, "But that still means Nightstar is going to die."
"It's inevitable. We can only try to prevent it and we have done what we could. Now, get that mouse to Applemist and pick out something for Poppyclaw. StarClan knows he will need a bite to eat after fighting this stubborn infection Nightstar has."
As though on cue, Poppyclaw stepped out from the leader's den, his head hung low. He stepped into the center of the clearing on the small hill. He lifted his head, dark amber eyes glimmering as the cats slowly gathered, Icepaw watched, her eyes wide in worry.
"Cats of BushClan, Nightstar has left us. StarClan healed a wound that caused her death, but they could not heal the belly wound she sustained. I did my best to clean and heal the wound, but infection set in and slowly she was weakened and taken from us."
"No..." Icepaw whispered, recalling what Bushstar had told her. If those words had been true, then why had their leader died? She dug her claws into the ground, her brother and mother had been stolen from her. The Clan had warriors taken through that battle. "Not Nightstar."
Poppyclaw waited until a hushed silence slowed the murmurs of worried cats before he continued. "I have waited patiently, but she did not rise again. Morningpelt, we must hurry to the Moonstone. We must be swift and take the secret passage. We cannot let FearClan know of our fragile moments."
The pale cream tom nodded, stepping forward. "Of course. Tangletooth, I know you have been grieving, but you will be deputy should anything happen to me between here and Highstones."
Tangletooth dipped his head. "As you wish, travel safely."
Morningpelt looked to Poppyclaw, "Would it be safe to leave Applemist alone?"
"Icepaw had watched me take care of her wounds. She will be able to keep an eye on her with the basics." He shot her a look. "Head back to the medicine den and keep a close eye on her for me. I will return as soon as I can."
"I'm not your apprentice, I don't have to!" Icepaw blurted out, "Why can't Hawk?"
"Hawk isn't here and you know enough."
"No I don't!"
"Icepaw," Blackdapple growled, "Do as Poppyclaw says. I'll help so you won't be alone."
Icepaw twitched her whiskers, wanting to argue further, before snatching up the mouse and stomping back to the den. She was supposed to be a warrior! How can Poppyclaw treat her like she was to be a medicine cat? She shook her head, already hoping that somehow things will turn out better.
She didn't get to see how they brought Nightstar out of her den, but she did see Poppyclaw take the mint and rosemary to disguise the scent of death and infection. Before officially leaving, he showed her the plants she would need for Applemist's wounds and the poppy seeds to help her rest more. Blackdapple kept her promise and was beside her as this happened and even saw them off as they left.
Icepaw looked to her mentor, eyes flashing. "If I'm going to be a warrior, I have to strengthen my leg. I need to walk more to fix it."
"We need to help Applemist." her mentor replied softly, her eyes distant. "We can't loose anymore cats. We have too few."
She watched the white she-cat, her black splotches looking like shadows that broke apart the white. Green eyes focused on the resting shape of the ginger and white she-cat. Her anger slowly melted, pity filling her. No cat deserved this or even asked for it. Slowly she padded closer and closer, her ears twitching to hear the soft snores.
"Icepaw, there is a chance your leg will never recover properly." Blackdapple suddenly mewed softly. "Poppyclaw and I talked it over and if it doesn't heal enough you might have to become a medicine cat apprentice."
"But I have to be a warrior." Icepaw meowed defensively.
"With the future being that you may go blind like Minteye and Talonshine, it is a possibility that we might have to consider." her mentor went on, her mew taut.
"Minteye only went blind because she had an eye scratched out." she pointed out in a hiss.
"Talonshine went blind over time." Blackdapple reminded her hotly, "Minteye had only one functioning eye. Your eyes still do, but that can't last forever."
Icepaw held her breath, trying to find words, only to let her shoulders sag in defeat. Her mentor was right and she had no way to talk herself out of it. "I just want to be a warrior like everyone else." she whispered hollowly.
"Poppyclaw is growing old, Icepaw. He cannot live forever and with this endless battle with FearClan if we loose him, we loose everything." Blackdapple looked to her, sorrow in her green eyes. "Ever since Hawk had said you might be one of those white cats who go blind, I never wanted to consider it."
"But you do now that she is gone."
"Yes, but only because I wanted her to be wrong. It doesn't excuse my behavior, but I want you to know that being a medicine cat keeps us from getting sick and helps heal our wounds. It's an important position that separates us from FearClan and our past."
Icepaw blinked slowly, "But, why can't someone else do it?"
"It takes time to learn." her mentor explained gently, "Time you can spend learning. Your quick to learn and it would be easier for you than catching prey."
Icepaw felt her fur prickle, she didn't want to be a medicine cat. She shook her head, not wanting to consider it. Yet, she knew it was not her choice. StarClan may have picked this path long before any of them had realized it. Looking to her dusty paws, sorrow began filling her from the inside out. Looking to her mentor, she could see it reflected in her eyes.
Blackdapple never wanted to have her apprentice go from warrior to medicine cat. Everything they wanted no longer mattered. It was about the things they needed. They needed a deputy and leader to lead them. However, they also needed a medicine cat to keep their faith strong. Something that she couldn't be prepared for at all.
"Nightstar told me to talk it over with you when I can accept it." Blackdapple meowed in a tight voice. "I am ready to accept whichever you decide to accept as your path. This is about what you want and this clan needs. Nightstar trusts you to make this choice with your heart. So please, consider your options wisely. Poppyclaw and I won't blame you for whatever path you pick."
Icepaw looked to Blackdapple, her chest tightening as she mewed softly, "Which path did Nightstar think I should take?"
"She said that as much as we needed warriors, she may have been too hasty for you. She should have known you have a destiny beyond our quarrels."
Silence fell over the den, Icepaw knew her path. Going by Bushstar's advice from when she was still just a kit, she knew. Nightstar only wanted what was best for her clan and would still want it. As much as she hated, she knew what must be done.
"If Hawk doesn't come back by the full moon, I will take the position to be Poppyclaw's apprentice." Icepaw decided, sounding much braver than she felt.
"I'm sorry that you have to make this choice." her mentor whispered.
"Don't be. If it's what Nightstar would have wanted, then it is the best decision I can make." she assured her mentor, "I know I have to trust in her decisions and I will."
Author Note:
It's getting a bit harder for me to write. It took me a while to finish this chapter.
I have an idea on how to continue this story, but that calls for ending it first.
I also have an idea for a prequel story for this AU.
Yes, I finally read Ravenpaw's Farewell so I know what really became of the territory, that is why I refer to this as an AU now.
- NightSky