Another chapter done instead of writing my final paper for chemistry... but yet writing helps me cope so maybe posting this will give me the strength to finally tackle it.
Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews and feedback, I love to hear it! And thanks to those who haven't reviewed, but are silently reading, as many people on here are. You are respected and valued. Thank you. To da guest review:
Scourge 13: Ooh good job making the connection between Shrewbite and Shrewstar! I'd think that's a yes, and that she's probably using her warrior name to hide any suspicion from cats who may remember her. And yeah, Invisiblepelt is now deputy...
And one more PSA: review other people's stories! An author is encouraged x10000 to keep writing when they get feedback, so if you love a story, leave a review or two (I especially have fun adding reviews to completed stories each chapter, though that's a lot of work lol). The author will thank you! (Well, usually, sometimes they don't answer but usually they do)
"I hate greencough." Spottedkit groaned, burying her muzzle into her paws. "It's so yucky."
"Almost as yucky as romance!" Rosekit piped up, making Firekit roll his eyes.
"Yes, greencough is rather nasty." Brackenleg replied, looking a little grim. "But don't worry yourselves with that right now. It's greenleaf. Enjoy the warmth and plentiful prey." The elder had seen many seasons, mild and harsh leafbares, droughts, floods, blizzards, and more. And a greencough outbreak or two. But it was still heartbreaking to hear about.
The kits were cozied up on either side of him, and as he continued the story, he tried to focus on his peaceful surroundings, instead of the grim cold leafbare that was ahead for the clan in the story.
Birchtail's POV
Within days the medicine den was filled with ill cats, coughing, wheezing, running fevers, creating an atmosphere of collective suffering. Birchtail could hardly bear to remain within the den for long, so he busied himself with an equally pressing matter: finding another supply of catmint.
He could only imagine the SkyClan medicine den: nearly bursting with the amount of catmint stolen, definitely way too much to possibly use. He imagined Morningdew gently feeding a sick apprentice the catmint, while Flickerwing looked on with satisfaction in his yellow eyes. But in the back of their minds, they'd wonder about what their actions had cost ThunderClan. But they'd push the guilt aside, telling themselves that their clan came first.
Maybe he could ask WindClan to spare some catmint. ThunderClan and WindClan seemed to be on decent terms, at least in comparison to their relations to SkyClan.
After feeding another round of tansy to Stormfang, Bluefrost, and Dewpaw, Birchtail went to let Flakewhisker know of his intentions. Stepping over ill cats, he found Flakewhisker in the back of the den, soaking a ball of moss in the pool.
"Help me with this," She commanded, nodding to a sodden pile of moss at her paws. Birchtail nodded, and tucked it under his chin, wincing as water trickled down his chest fur. Normally he would have put it in his mouth, but Flakewhisker had instructed him to not put anything in his mouth around the sick cats. The old medicine cat had discovered a few leafbare's back that sharing contact, especially by mouth, seemed to spread the sickness more easily. Cats that groomed a sick cat or shared prey or water with them often got sick as well. And ThunderClan had no use for a sick medicine cat.
While Flakewhisker placed her bundle in front of the group of cats that included Stormfang, Birchtail walked over to the other side of the den, toward another group of nests.
Unlike Stormfang's group, which had greencough, these cats only had whitecough, though their condition was still worrying. Occupying two of the nests was Lilacfall and Hawkscream, the two she-cats dozing fitfully, while the third had yet to be filled. And the grim truth was that it wouldn't remain empty for long. The entire clan seemed to be on edge, waiting for the next cat to fall.
"Flakewhisker?" Birchtail called as soon as he'd set the dripping moss down.
Flakewhisker grunted from across the den.
"I think I'm going to go to WindClan to ask for some catmint." Birchtail meowed, scanning Flakewhisker's face with a little anxiety. She couldn't refuse; not now. Would she?
He sagged with relief when he saw her nod, her stature drooping. "Yes. That would be best." She left the cats with greencough, sticking her muzzle into one of the shelves storing herbs. Pulling her head out, her muzzle returned with a tiny stalk of catmint. She padded over to Birchtail, dropping it as his paws.
"Do me a favor first. Two of Pansyheart's kits have started coughing." Seeing Birchtail's alarm, Flakewhisker continued, "I don't think they have greencough. Perhaps not even whitecough. But I don't want to risk it if they do, so please give them each a small dose."
Birchtail swallowed nervously. "Is that the last of it?" He asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Flakewhisker shook her head. "No, but this is the freshest bit of it left. The rest is very old, so I'm not sure how strong it is. And we don't even have much of that." She nearly shoved Birchtail out of the den, and he quickly scooped up the catmint. "Go on! We don't exactly have a lot of time."
Birchtail hurried over to the nursery, the sharp wind tugging at his fur. Leafbare is truly upon us, he thought, shivering. In comparison, the nursery was very cozy, though part of this was due to the heat of the kits' fevers. If he remembered correctly, Fiercekit and Whisperkit had been sick. But Willowkit, the tiny brown and white kit that was a spitting image of her mother Pansyheart, also had heat radiating off of her pelt. She had a fever.
"Thank you." Pansyheart murmured, staring at her kits worriedly. "Is that catmint?"
"Yes." Birchtail answered, breaking the stalk into three roughly equal-sized pieces. "Come on, little ones. It's going to help."
Willowkit opened her big blue eyes, which were starting to turn green around the edges. They were sticky with mucus, and she opened her tiny pink mouth wide, letting out a weak cough. "It hurts."
"I know." Birchtail sighed, pushing the catmint toward the kit. "But if you eat this, it will make you feel better."
Willowkit nodded, focusing on the herb in front of her. Carefully, as if it were a fragile butterfly, she picked it up in her teeth, and chewed slowly. She let out a raspy purr, closing her eyes. The other kits did the same, barely complaining. Even at their young age, they were aware the herbs were meant to help.
"What about Mintkit?" Pansyheart asked, glancing toward the back of the den toward the fourth kit, the only kit who wasn't sick. The gray she-kit was batting a feather, clearly bored. She looked up at her name being mentioned.
"Can my lit-mates come play soon?" The kit mewed expectantly, paw hovering over the feather. "Did you fix them?"
Birchtail couldn't help but smile at Mintkit's blatant honesty. Pansyheart chuckled as well. "Birchtail gave them some herbs to feel better, yes, but only StarClan and time will make them better." Her voice held confidence, but Birchtail could see the worry glimmering in Pansyheart's eyes.
"The herbs will help them." Birchtail reassured her. "And ask Sleetfur to get you some prey. You also need to keep your strength up."
"I'll tell him." She agreed, her green gaze lowering to her kits once again.
With a call of farewell, Birchtail left the den, and began to head in the direction of WindClan.
"Um, where do you think you're going?" Redthorn meowed, seeming to appear out of nowhere from the other side of the nursery. Birchtail gasped, then relaxed, catching his breath. Honestly, she was as bad as Hawkscream sometimes, showing up without any warning.
"I'm going out." Birchtail said slowly, then realized that having an escort would be better. "I'm off to ask WindClan if they can spare any catmint. Want to accompany me?"
"Are you really asking?" Redthorn responded with amusement. "Let's get going! Let's make that greencough cry for mercy!" The ginger she-cat padded ahead of him, each step brimming with energy. Despite both her mother and brother being sick, Redthorn had remained optimistic, working hard to provide for her clan. She went on at least two patrols a day, brought back many pieces of prey, all with a smile on her face.
Birchtail had absolutely no idea how she did it. She'd burn out eventually. He could already feel dread and exhaustion creeping up on him, weighing down his paws and adding a droop to his shoulders. He hardly dared to hope that WindClan could help- the diseases that came with leafbare were a burden to every clan.
The frost-encased undergrowth crackled as the two cats pushed their way through, tiny white fragments spotting their red and brown tabby fur. Redthorn looked like a dewy red berry, pelt covered in melting frost. Birchtail felt sodden, and stopped to shake the dampness from his fur. His paws tingled, and he moved faster, trying to stay somewhat warm.
"Over here!" Redthorn called, making Birchtail's ear prick curiously. The ginger she-cat was standing in a patch of sunlight, grinning over a patch of herbs.
"I'm pretty sure this isn't catmint, but any herb helps, right?" Redthorn meowed, gazing at Birchtail proudly. "Isn't this… tansy?"
Birchtail nodded politely. "Yes, that's right. It'll help with the coughing, for sure." Though it's not nearly as effective as catmint… Plus he and Flakewhisker already knew about this patch of tansy, but he decided to let Redthorn have this moment of victory. "We can fetch it when we get back."
"Oh, alright." Redthorn responded, looking a little disappointed. "Hopefully we won't lose it."
I seriously doubt it. "No, we won't." If I did, Flakewhisker would probably skin me alive.
When they arrived at the stream, Birchtail noticed the current was weaker, and the stream was much more shallow. Thank StarClan. The stream was pretty easy to leap across, but unlike Redthorn, who was a seasoned warrior, Birchtail wasn't sure if he'd make the leap, being a medicine cat who rarely ventured out of camp other than to gather herbs and go to Gatherings.
"What are you waiting for?" Redthorn asked beside him, glancing at him curiously. She flicked her tail. "You can make it. Barely even a few tail-lengths wide. Watch!" Bunching up her muscles, she crouched, then took a running leap over the stream. Her form was graceful, and she landed neatly on all four paws on the other end. Swishing her tail, she turned to Birchtail with a reassuring smile. "See? Easy! You just need some confidence!"
Easy for you, maybe. Birchtail grumbled inwardly. He was insecure, alright? And for a good reason. He could name any herb, treat a multitude of ailments, even communicate with StarClan. But this? This was daunting.
"Come on!" Redthorn called, starting to pace a little.
"Alright!" Birchtail responded, a little bit of a bite to his voice. It's fine. Waggling his hindquarters as if he were pouncing on a piece of prey, he also took a running start, entering the air in a flash. He extended his forepaws desperately, reaching for the other side. With a thump, he landed with a stumble. He blinked. I did it!
"Now, was that so hard?" Redthorn teased, nudging him with her muzzle.
Birchtail rolled his eyes, mood souring. No need to rub it in…
"Let's go." He meowed, starting to walk through the woods. He could see the open moor ahead, and didn't look forward to being exposed to the chilly wind.
Fortunately, he didn't have to be quite yet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a patrol rounding the corner of the stream. He signaled with his tail to Redthorn, who bristled once she saw the patrol.
"We're in their territory on peaceful terms, remember?" Birchtail reminded her, though he was also trying to flatten his fearfully spiking fur. The way the patrol began to speed up upon spotting the ThunderClan cats was anxiety-provoking.
"Halt! State your business!" Growled the head of the patrol, a broad-shouldered gray she-cat. She flicked her head to the side, signalling the rest of the patrol to fan out, and Birchtail saw a deep scar across her cheek as she did this.
Birchtail quickly bowed his head, and he was relieved to see Redthorn do the same. "We don't mean any harm. I just want to speak to Willowstep. I'm ThunderClan's medicine cat."
The gray she-cat's stern expression didn't change, but her stance became less aggressive. "Very well. Willowstep?"
A jolt of shock coursed through Birchtail as the patrol parted to reveal the brown and white medicine cat. She was with the patrol? Why?
Willowstep seemed to register Birchtail's surprise, her eyes holding a glint of amusement. But her voice was serious as she addressed her patrol. "Go on without me. This business is between medicine cats only."
"But what about-" A young WindClan warrior protested, but they were silenced by the gray she-cat. She nodded respectfully to Willowstep.
"We will be close by." She meowed, leading the patrol deeper into the trees. Willowstep watched them leave, ears pricked.
After they were a substantial distance away, she turned back to Birchtail and Redthorn, and he saw that the amused look in her eyes had vanished. It was replaced by a more mellow look, though her tone was still affable as she addressed them.
"So, Birchtail, what brings you to WindClan territory on this frigid day? All is well in ThunderClan, I hope?"
Birchtail and Redthorn exchanged glances. Redthorn's eyes seemed to plead caution, but Birchtail silently shook his head. Medicine cats were supposed to stand apart from clan rivalries, and though certain medicine cats (cough cough, Flickerwing, cough cough) didn't obey that part of the code when it didn't suit them, Birchtail felt he could trust Willowstep.
"Not as well as we'd like." Birchtail said finally, sitting down. "We have some cases of green cough." Willowstep's eyes widened, and she nodded with understanding.
"You came to ask for catmint." She meowed, her words light, but Birchtail saw the worry swimming in her eyes.
"You… have any you can spare?" He asked hesitantly. He didn't like the feeling that he knew what the answer was going to be.
Willowstep stared at her paws guiltily, not answering right away. Redthorn stiffened beside Birchtail.
"Well, do you or not?" The ginger she-cat meowed impatiently, causing Birchtail to let out a quiet sigh. Willowstep looked up, opening her mouth slightly, as if she were choosing her next words carefully. Then she set her shoulders firmly.
"I'm… I'm sorry. W-we can't spare much. We're also dealing with greencough among our own ranks." Willowstep answered, shifting her white paws. "But I can give you a little." She chuckled. "I was actually accompanying the patrol to ask if you had any to spare. But I see that's not the case."
Redthorn looked like she wanted to argue, but Birchtail willed her to be silent with his eyes. Willowstep was being very kind, especially since her clan could barely spare any catmint to begin with.
"Thank you." Birchtail told Willowstep, dipping his head politely. "That's so generous of you."
"Of course!" Willowstep exclaimed, gesturing with her tail for Birchtail and Redthorn to follow. "We medicine cats must help one another."
Running across the moor, the trio were soon rejoined by the WindClan patrol, and as one patrol they ran back to the WindClan camp. Of course, there were still suspicious glares, sent especially in Redthorn's direction, since she was a warrior. But it seemed to go without saying that if they had Willowstep's trust, then they could be trusted to be led into the heart of WindClan.
Birchtail marveled at the expanse of the moor, though he was less fond of the biting wind that came along with it. He fluffed up his fur, regretful that his winter coat hadn't finished coming in yet. How did WindClan even do it?
"Because we're the best clan, obviously." Fierystar meowed.
"I'm not going to argue with you, but if you keep interrupting, the 'best clan' will no longer have a leader." Brackenleg meowed.
Honestly, he was as bad as the kits.
The broad-shouldered she-cat introduced herself as Bouldertooth, who was still a little gruff, but had significantly grown more friendly with the ThunderClan cats as the time passed. She was actually very curious about ThunderClan life.
She and Redthorn soon were talking about tree-climbing, distinguishing between scents in the undergrowth, and agreeing that RiverClan was definitely the weirdest clan.
Meanwhile, Birchtail was listening to the two other members of the patrol speak to one another. There was a young buff tabby tom, who was called Stonewatcher, and Pebblepaw, a dilute tortoiseshell who was also Bouldertooth's apprentice.
When Birchtail offhandedly mentioned how alike the patrol's names were, Pebblepaw and Stonewatcher grinned at one another.
"That's right! It's so cool when someone notices." Stonewatcher mewed with a grin.
"We like to call ourselves RockClan." Pebblepaw added, shooting a mischievous glance in Bouldertooth's direction. "Though Bouldertooth hates it and pretends she doesn't hear us."
Birchtail looked at Willowstep, who smiled reassuringly. "Yes, they're actually telling the truth. To be honest, it gets to be a pain sometimes for Fognose, when tries organizing patrols. Somehow, those three always end up together. I think he's given up at this point."
Pebblepaw and Stonewatcher chose this moment to yowl at the sky: "RockClan forever!"
Bouldertooth stopped talking with Redthorn to shoot the younger cats a nasty glare, then she gazed ahead.
"Thank StarClan." The large gray she-cat breathed. "We're back." She nodded at Redthorn. "It was very nice speaking with you. I look forward to seeing you at Gatherings."
Redthorn smiled back. "Likewise." She smirked. "Good luck with your 'clanmates.'"
Bouldertooth let out a long sigh. "Thanks. I'll definitely need it."
Parting ways with 'RockClan,' Willowstep waved Birchtail and Redthorn over to her den, which was a cleft in a rock. They waited politely outside, shivering slightly, as Willowstep fetched the herbs.
"I'm surprised her den isn't full of sick cats," Redthorn whispered, and Birchtail nodded back. Where were they?
Willowstep returned with a few leaves of catmint. Birchtail knew it wasn't nearly enough for the quantity of sick cats back at camp, but it was better than nothing. But he couldn't help but wonder about the lack of sick cats. But it would be impolite to ask-
"Where are all your sick cats?" Redthorn asked abruptly, making Birchtail wince. Well, so much for being polite. But Willowstep didn't look like she minded.
"We have them in a rabbit warren a little ways outside of camp." She answered, setting the catmint down at Birchtail's feet. "That way they aren't exposing the rest of the clan. Plus, my den is rather small."
"Oh." Redthorn meowed, shoulders slumping as she relaxed.
See? Birchtail thought as he gingerly picked up the catmint, shooting Willowstep a grateful glance. The WindClan medicine cat dipped her head in return, waving her tail in farewell.
"I hope it helps." She meowed. "May StarClan light your path."
"And yours as well." Birchtail echoed through the sweet tasting leaves. His jaws watered, but he resisted the urge to chew. He and Redthorn exited the camp, while WindClan warriors watched them leave from the entrance.
Birchtail wondered why they weren't getting an escort, until after a short distance from the camp, Redthorn piped up.
"They don't have enough cats to patrol, defend the camp and escort us." She mewed, as if she were just realizing this herself. "Willowpelt didn't say quite how bad it was, did she?"
"No," Birchtail agreed incredulously. "A lot of their clan must be in the warren." He blinked in the WindClan camp's direction gratefully. "She really shouldn't have given us any."
Redthorn nodded. "Yeah. It really feels good, you know? When other clans help one another." She wrinkled her nose. "It's a little weird, but encouraging. Like none of us wants the other to die."
"We're not going to die!" Birchtail exclaimed, shooting Redthorn an alarmed glance.
She rolled her eyes. "I know that. I'm just being hypothetical."
Birchtail sighed. "Okay, but just be careful what you say, especially around medicine cats. We hear the word 'die' and we go all foxdung on you."
Or in Flakewhisker's case, you don't even want to know.