"A kit, you had us risk our lives for a kit!"
Darkkit trembled as he stood before the massive black tom, his large claws unsheathed and making the smaller black tom tremble underneath his fur.
"Can't you see, he's so young… you'd rather let him die at the teeth of those creatures?!"
The black tom raised himself up to full height as his fur bushed out more, claws gripping the ground. "What use would I have for a little runt like him, it will take forever to train him to hunt and in the meantime he would be a burden to us all."
"He will learn quickly, I will train him myself!" argued the dark brown tabby she-cat stepping forward, "Nonstop if you are so keen on not having him as a burden!"
A large dark gray she-cat stepped up to the tom's side snarling. "Don't you raise your tone, if it weren't for his kindness you would already be dead remember?"
The dark brown tabby she-cat took a large step back as she wrapped her tail around, and keeping her head up and her fur bushing in an attempt to uphold an air of defiance. "I stand by what I said; I will train this tom if it means so much to you."
Darkkit saw the large black tom bear down on the she-cat, his size large enough to make every cat in a reasonable distance shake as he loomed over the two of them. But the she-cat still attempted to look strong, but Darkkit could still see her fear through her twitching fur. But the tom looked down at Darkkit, and he pressed further into his fur before he spoke…
"Fine, train the tom… but cinder will be in constant observation over his progress, if he is useless he will be cast out promptly."
Darkkit looked wide eyed at all the cats around him, his thoughts wandering to his sisters and mother who were probably dead by now.
"Hey this is my storage!"
"We're all a part of the same clan Gorsetail; share the herbs with everyone here!"
"Move your tail, it's invading my nest."
Shimmerpaw looked among the other medicine cats as they bickered, wrapped up in a dark corner of the medicine cat's corner of the twoleg den. Shimmerpaw remember them getting along fine at meeting, but this… this was different. Gorsetail was always on edge, but here's he's even bitterer as the large tom loomed over the others.
Berryleaf wasn't doing so well either, the tom was trying to reorganize as the others bickered over how it should go.
"Yawn, boring isn't it?"
Shimmerpaw jumped a little as she looked over at the MountainClan apprentice who took up seating beside her. Shimmerpaw felt her ear tips burning a deep shade of red, before she settled down. "Yeah, it's really dumb?"
"I've never seen Gorsetail this aggressive since I was assigned his apprentice, old stone brain just can't help himself I guess."
Shimmerpaw giggled at this as a cold gust blew into the den. The MountainClan she-cat edged a little closer, their pelts touching as Shimmerpaw shifted beside her. "I-uh…"
"It's getting colder isn't it?"
"Well I guess so…"
"Well, two she-cat's sharing a nest won't have bad consequences, unless they really don't like each other." Quickpaw murmured, as she closed her eyes.
Shimmerpaw smiled as she settled down beside the she-cat, as she watched the other medicine cats continue to fight amongst each other before sleep stole her away.
…
"Keep up Clanners; we need to make sure everyone is keeping up."
"That tom is impatient." Grumbled Ebonypaw to Shimmerpaw, as they, Jaypaw, Raggedpaw, and Moonpaw walked a few steps behind the rest of the cats.
Shimmerpaw flicked her side as she kept eyes on the elders and queens limping behind the others. "Perhaps we should be careful though, I'm not sure if they can keep up."
Ebonypaw whipped around her head. "Don't bet on a whisker that I will let you lay a paw on any of my clan's!" she snarled.
Shimmerpaw jumped back as the black she-cat settled down. "Sorry… that was uncalled for, but let me help mine and you guys can help the rest."
Shimmerpaw nodded as she was left with the other cats, Jaypaw nudged her side before bounding away. Moonpaw smiled at her before he headed off to Shortsight's side.
Shimmerpaw watched Raggedpaw disappear, when she noticed a limping bright ginger she-cat not too far behind. The cat was not of clan origin, but Shimmerpaw could feel the she-cat's pain.
Shimmerpaw jumped to the she-cat's side, as she pressed up the bright ginger she-cat jumped a little. "Don't be afraid, I just want to help." She murmured to the cat.
The rogue settled down as Shimmerpaw gave her a quick look over, there was a pretty bad wound that wasn't properly treated on her left hind leg. Shimmerpaw weaved around and looked at it more carefully, after Shimmerpaw nosed it the she-cat flinched and she kicked Shimmerpaw hard in the face. "What do you think you are doing back there!" she snarled.
"I need to get a better look at that wound, please… I don't mean you any harm!"
The ginger she-cat relaxed as Shimmerpaw caught back up, as she went back to carefully looking over the wound on the leg. Shimmerpaw looked up to the front of the group; Berryleaf was carrying some of the herbs out of her reach.
"Come with me, and don't be hostile… our clan mates don't like getting their tails bitten off."
The rogue grumbled as Shimmerpaw weaved through the warriors, despite the she-cat's larger size than the silvery gray she-cat… Shimmerpaw led her carefully, the rogues and clan cats glared at the two she-cats as Shimmerpaw arrived at Berryleaf's side. "I need Horsetail and Cobwebs!" she meowed.
Berryleaf looked over his shoulder, before searching through his storage and handing her what he could. "We need to gather more, I hope this is for a good use." He murmured, looking over her shoulder at the bright ginger she-cat.
Shimmerpaw nodded as she turned back to the wound, right in front of everyone else as the she-cat stumbled forward and Shimmerpaw did her best.
"Get… your… paws off of her!"
Shimmerpaw jumped back as the black tom arrived at her side, he didn't seem to be any older than she was and was only slightly taller. But his aggression was frightening, before the tom stopped to look over the she-cat. "What was that she-cat doing to you Flame?"
Shimmerpaw stepped forward. "I was treating that wound on her leg, I don't mean any disrespect." She answered with a calm voice, looking to Berryleaf for support but the tom was remaining silent.
The black tom raised himself up to his full height, his fur bushing as he took a threatening step forward. "And what grounds do you have to handle my warriors!"
Shimmerpaw stepped back as she shrunk into her fur. "I am a medicine cat; it's in my duty to help others… I can leave you the herbs to treat it but it needs to be healed before the infection grows!"
The black tom looked at the wound, and looked back at Shimmerpaw as he relaxed. "Fine… but if further work is needed, she is not leaving the group so you will stay over here with us!"
Shimmerpaw nodded.
"I understand."