MUFFLED murmurs caused Sedgepaw to stir. As she rustled, she could feel a sharp pang against her side, which resulted in her bolting upward in surprise. Her rapid movement only caused the pain to become more severe in her side, and she let out a sharp gasp as it gripped her lungs and restricted her breathing to pained gulps. The dark den around her was blurry, and her amber eyes darted around in dazed panic. Where am I? What happened?

"Easy does it, Sedgepaw," a deep voice rasped beside her. The sharp scent of herbs and marigold wafted around her, and Sedgepaw recognized the voice as Redleaf's. She was in the medicine den, his den.

Glancing to her side, she slowly focused on his stocky frame. She was familiar with his deep, golden eyes and thick, dark ginger fur, and his look of concern made her stiffen. Why am I here? She felt short of breath, for every inhale stabbed into her chest in an attempt to impale her weak lungs. Sedgepaw struggled not to panic as she felt a dull ache in her head grow more apparent while her vision sluggishly cleared. She tried to stand, wanting to get some answers fervently, but Redleaf's big paw pressed softly against her shoulder. His golden eyes glowed with sympathy, and Sedgepaw's stomach lurched. Why is he looking at me like that?

"You need to settle down," Redleaf advised. "You're still recovering."

"Recovering from what?" she rasped, breathing shakily.

Redleaf smiled ruefully as Sedgepaw settled back into her mossy nest. "You took a nasty fall from the Great Cypress. You've been unconscious for almost a day now." His explanation did not comfort her in the slightest; in fact, Sedgepaw was more alarmed because she could not remember a damn thing. "You'll recover without difficulty," Redleaf promised, "but you need to relax."

Sedgepaw's eyes darted around the medicine den nervously. The strong aroma of marigold surrounded her, sickly sweet, meant to mask the stench of blood and sickness from the patients of the past. The bur marigold stems hugged one another, creating a fortress of green stalks and yellow blossoms. Above, the den was sheltered by a thick roof of soft-stem bulrush; they overhung from within the margold, shading the den and reinforcing the sweetness in the air with a thick collection of orange flowers at their tips. Sedgepaw curled her white toes anxiously. She found no solace in the flowery walls and friendly face of Redleaf..

Redleaf must have sensed her apprehension, for he caressed her rigid spine with his short, fluffy tail. "Calm down, Sedgepaw," he soothed.

"I-I don't remember what happened." Her mind was blank.

"That's common for an injury like yours." Redleaf stood and walked slowly towards an old leaf sheath that a palm tree must have shed moons ago; it was forked like a rattlesnake's tongue, and the russet edges of it were frayed into thin, intertwining hairs. The thick, wooden peticle cradled various piles of herbs that Sedgepaw did not recognize. "You could have been much worse off, but your fall only resulted in bruised ribs and a mild concussion."

"Only? That sounds pretty dangerous to me." Sedgepaw did not even know what a concussion was, let alone what it meant, or how long it would take to heal. The buzz of questions in her head made it pound, and she flattened her ears as she struggled to withstand the pain.

Redleaf nodded, dexterously pawing through the collection of herbs that rested on the old leaf base. His eyes were pensive and narrow as he studied each medicinal plant intensely. "Not to worry, Sedgepaw. I'll have you on your paws in a few days."

"Days?!" Sedgepaw exclaimed, ignoring the pain in her side when she shouted. "I can't! I will be set back in my training."

"You'll do whatever it takes to recover." Batface's voice sounded outside the den, where the sunlight was oddly dim and fog stalked the entrance.

Redleaf's ears perked when he heard Batface's response, and an amused smile crossed his face. "Are you still pacing out there?"

Sedgepaw narrowed her eyes, unable to see her mentor's dusky black pelt within the fog outside. He was pacing? Sedgepaw wondered if her mentor was pacing with worry or frustration. The latter seemed most likely. She ducked her head sadly. He was probably disappointed in her for losing training time in recovery. Falling sounded like a silly way to hurt herself, Batface must have been livid with her stupidity.

Her mentor hesitated before replying again. "N-no, of course not! I don't have time to waste loitering outside your den; I was merely stopping by to check on my apprentice," he explained in a rush.

Sedgepaw smiled at his frazzled tone; he was probably spitting in his haste to explain himself. Even if he was upset with her, she found comfort in his voice. When he appeared, the senior warrior glanced at her, and Sedgepaw thought she saw a glimmer of relief in his expression. He turned towards Redleaf before she could decide whether or not she was imagining it.

Redleaf did not sound convinced. "Sure, sure, that would make the most sense." He did not flinch when Batface stalked towards him with a grumble. "Temper yourself, Batface," Redleaf warned. "You'll disturb your precious apprentice's recovery."

Sedgepaw noticed Batface's stocky shoulders stiffen. She doubted she was his "precious apprentice," but the idea made her giggle. When she laughed, her mentor turned to her with a stern look on his broad face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Sedgepaw squeaked, trying to hold back another laugh when Redleaf chuckled too.

"Can't a mentor check on his apprentice without being harassed?" Batface protested.

Redleaf pressed his nose to Batface's scarred cheek and smiled. "She's just as healthy as she was when you checked on her last," he assured the frazzled warrior.

Perking her ears, Sedgepaw wondered when Batface last saw her. How frequently did he visit while she was unconscious? Her amber eyes grew wide with the notion that her mentor may not be angry with her at all, but honestly worried. She felt warmth blossom in her chest at the possibility.

"Well, she wasn't awake when I saw her last," Batface countered. "So I venture to say she's healthier."

"I feel fine!" Sedgepaw agreed, though the den around her blurred when she stood. "I should be able to go out and train now. Thanks for your help, Redleaf." As she took a step out of her mossy nest, however, the world around her seemed to shift and slant; her confused, unsteady paws betrayed her mid-step and she stumbled like a newborn fawn.

"You aren't going anywhere." Batface was by her side in a heartbeat, helping her to her paws with a nudge. The rasp in his voice was smoother as he let her balance on his side. "Once you are fully recovered, we can train as normal."

Sedgepaw rolled into her nest with a grumble. She rested her chin on her paws and drew out a sigh, accepting the reality of her imprisonment. As her mentor said, she would not be able to leave for training without a complete recovery. Days… Days wasted. Sedgepaw wanted to screech her frustration to StarClan, but the tightness in her lungs kept her silent.

Redleaf hovered over her, rasping his tongue across her ear reassuringly. "We are only doing what's best for you, Sedgepaw," he reasoned.

The sight of Batface moving to leave the den made her heart sink. "Listen to Redleaf," Batface added scoldingly. "What he lacks in guts he makes up for in knowledge." A chuckle resonated from his chest as he left, entering the fog that lingered outside, disappearing.

"He's a piece of work…" Redleaf muttered, and Sedgepaw nodded fondly. She still felt warmth in her heart for the rare gesture of kindness Batface displayed.

Fatigue caused her eyelids to droop with the weight of longing she had for sleep. However, she could not settle in the comfort of her moss bedding. She ached for sleep to rush her healing, but her mind warned her of what darkness lingered in her dreams. The last time Sedgepaw willingly slept, her dreams were haunted with visions of dead cats and a bloody river. Shivering, Sedgepaw curled up in her nest and prayed to StarClan for a seamless sleep.

Hope for rest was shattered when Fernstream barged in like a startled doe. Her long, muted brown fur was bristling, and her face was the epitome of concern when she regarded Sedgepaw with her green gaze. Fernstream rushed her with licks and nuzzles, and Sedgepaw could only squeal and squirm in protest. Her mother's scent was comforting, but her forceful affection made her chest pound in protest.

"You're awake!" Fernstream purred. "Oh, you're awake!"

"Of-of course!" Sedgepaw replied, grunting as her mother's licks raked feverishly against the top of her sore head. When she finished, Sedgepaw was sure her fur was sticking up like a quail's plume. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Redleaf approached her in an instant, gently brushing Fernstream off his patient with a sigh. "Fernstream, she is still recovering. Please, give her space."

"You fell from the top of the Great Cypress, Sedgepaw!" Fernstream exclaimed in panicked frustration. "Do you not remember? I mean, how mousebrained can you be?! Climbing to the top of the Great Cypress like that...You could have died!"

Though Redleaf tried his best to maintain a barrier between Sedgepaw and her erratic mother, it felt like her distressed meows were sounding right into her ear canal. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sedgepaw tried to drown out her anxious rambles, which seemed to travel through her ears straight to her head, where they pounded against her skull like a hatchling trying to break from its fragile eggshell. Redleaf's murmurs of consolation failed to qualm Fernstream, and she only seemed to grow more irritated as time passed. Sedgepaw tried to piece together what she was saying. She fell from the top of the Great Cypress? The thought was absurd. No one ever climbed that high. However, an image of a bird's-eye view of the territory flashed in her mind, and Sedgepaw began to believe there was truth to Fernstream's words.

"Fernstream, I implore you, lower your voice," Redleaf continued to try and calm her down. "Sedgepaw needs peace if she is to heal properly."

Opening her eyes slowly, Sedgepaw heard her mother give a shaky sigh and grow silent. As if regaining her composure, she spoke with the utmost solemnity. "How is she coming along, then?"

Sedgepaw saw a smile of relief cross Redleaf's broad face. "Very well, actually. She should be back out and training in a few days."

"Good…" Fernstream wrapped her plume-like tail around her paws as she took a seat. Her green eyes were downcast, and her face did not convey the slightest hint of satisfaction at Redleaf's words. Sedgepaw felt her chest tighten. She felt as if she harmed her mother more than herself in the incident. Never before had she seen her mother more worried than now.

"I've given her a concoction of lavender and mint to help relax her and tame her headaches." Redleaf replied somewhat robotically, as if he had recited that same explanation several times already.

"Not primrose?" Fernstream pressed. "For bruising and muscles pain?" She edged closer, eyes wide. "Or perhaps greenbriar? Did you rub it against her chest to ease the soreness?"

"I know how to do my job, Fernstream," Redleaf replied in a clipped tone. He eyed her warily. "I do not want to mix too many different herbs when she is responding to the ones I started her on well enough."

"I want to make sure she is being properly taken care of," Fernstream asserted.

"I understand." Redleaf seemed to be growing agitated; Sedgepaw did not recall him ever sounding so stern. "But that is not your duty. Do not question me."

Sedgepaw was still confused as to why her mother seemed to know so much about herbs. If her suggestions were accurate, something to ease the pain in her chest sounded delightful. Why was Redleaf so unreceptive? In the midst of her pondering, an image of a pale brown tabby with mangled shoulders flashed through her mind's eye. That's right! Sedgepaw bolted upward abruptly, causing Redleaf and Fernstream to leap to her side.

"Sedgepaw? What is it?" Redleaf prompted.

"Are you in pain?" Fernstream pressed.

"I remember… a cat," she began. "When I was at the top of the Great Cypress… I saw a strange cat. And before, I saw them before, when I was at the river's edge. A strange cat, one I've never seen before."

Fernstream and Redleaf exchanged confused glances. Fernstream pressed her nose to Sedgepaw's ear. "Sedgepaw… You hit your head hard. I'm sure there are memories that got mixed up, and you probably won't be able to recollect certain things properly for a little while."

"Yes," Redleaf agreed. "Your concussion has inflicted you with temporary amnesia, but it'll pass as you heal. What you recall now is likely a figment of your confused memory and imagination."

"I know what I saw!" Sedgepaw bristled and looked away from them. They thought she was crazy, but the more she dwelled on it, the gravity of the strange cat became clear; they were real and they trespassed. The recollection of those ghastly green eyes made Sedgepaw tremble. "They trespassed, I saw."

Redleaf and Fernstream exchanged another glance, and Redleaf sighed softly. "Perhaps another dosage?"

"That'd be best," Fernstream murmured.

Sedgepaw watched warily as Redleaf whisked away to the far side of the medicine den. When he returned, his mouth carried a bundle of herbs. Setting them at his paws, he gazed down at Sedgepaw warmly. "This mixture of mint leaves and lavender will help you relax. The best remedy is rest."

Wrinkling her nose, Sedgepaw turned her head defiantly away from the herbs. "I can sleep on my own."

Fernstream grumbled sternly, nudging Sedgepaw's cheek. "It'll help you sleep better on your own." She gazed up at Redleaf, extending her paw to the pile of herbs. "Please, allow me."

Redleaf hesitated before sighing, pushing the herbs toward her wordlessly.

Sedgepaw tilted her head questioningly. Fernstream was a warrior not a medicine cat. And yet, she effortlessly held the leaves on her paw, bringing the other to gently squash the tender fibrous herbs together. Sedgepaw's ears flicked in surprise as she watched her mother dexterously mash the mint leaves together, the moisture that was once trapped in their green veins squished softly and released a sharp, fresh aroma. Faint sweetness filled the air as the pale purple lavender petals were added to the mix. Redleaf stood be his herb stores, which were framed by shreds of lemongrass to keep pests out, he seemed distracted as he pawed at the clumps of grass; then, Sedgepaw noticed the melancholy gleam in Redleaf's eyes. She could not help but wonder what her mother's relationship with the old medicine cat was.

As Fernstream conjured the poultice, there was a rustle at the entrance to the medicine den, and Heronpaw appeared with a mouthful of fresh herbs. The blue tabby tom regarded Redleaf with a respectful nod, but when his blue eyes rested on Fernstream, Sedgepaw noticed him visibly stiffen. His long legs carried him swiftly to the herb store of the den, and he materialized by Fernstream's side in a heartbeat, his eyes narrowed.

"I didn't realize Fernstream was playing medicine cat today," he observed dryly.

"Ferstream's paws are smaller than mine. They can knead the leaves together into a richer poultice, whereas I would just blend the leaves into a thin residue." Redleaf was unphased by his apprentice's sour tone, and Fernstream carried on as if the miffed apprentice was not even there.

"Heronpaw," Fernstream murmured, "had you been here, I'm sure Redleaf would have tasked you with making the poultice for Sedgepaw."

Heronpaw lashed his tail wordlessly and stared sharply at Sedgepaw. She matched his glare, but she failed to understand why he seemed agitated. The apprentice was usually very accommodating like his mentor.

"Why do you look like you swallowed mousebile?" Sedgepaw teased, making Heronpaw flatten his ears.

"Here," Fernstream urged, holding her paw before Sedgepaw's nose as if to prevent her daughter from making another goading comment. "Eat."

Sedgepaw made a face before grudgingly lapping up the poultice. When the concoction hit her tongue, her face spasmed in disgust. "Ugh! Are you trying to make me lose my appetite?"

Redleaf and Fernstream chuckled, but Heronpaw rolled his eyes. "The mixture of mint and lavender is meant to induce sleep and promote relaxation in the muscles." He recited the purpose of the poultice effortlessly just as a bird would its song. "And I found roots from the cardinal flower tree to apply to her head if her headache worsens."

Heronpaw behaved so dutifully, Sedgepaw almost forgot about his tempestuous entrance. Redleaf dipped his chin to his apprentice appreciatively. "Sedgepaw may need that after she's rested some more. Combining remedies is risky."

Heronpaw flattened his ears testily, but his tone was icily calm. "I know that. I just wanted you to know we have it." He bowed his head and gave Fernstream a pointed stare. "As the medicine cat apprentice, it's my duty."

The silence that followed was accompanied by suffocating tension. Though Sedgepaw had a paw in dreamland, she was not immune to the oppressive atmosphere wafting around the cats like a storm threatening to break. Her mind was too foggy to perceive the reason behind the unease. All she could do was bear with the discomfort of the pressure in the air, which seemed ready to collapse on them all when Fernstream stood with a lash of her tail.

"I'll be excusing myself now," she announced coldly. Sedgepaw felt a brisk lick scrape across her snout, and Fernstream's warm scent washed over her. "I'll check on you in the evening." Her whisper seemed far away, echoing from a distance.

Redleaf cleared his throat as the she-cat made her way towards the entrance. "Actually, I need to speak with you."

Fernstream paused. "Oh?"

"Yes, in private," Redleaf added. Her flicked his tail at Heronpaw. "My lemongrass is becoming wilted. Go fetch more fresh stalks, please, before the bugs catch on."

Heronpaw merely flicked as his mentor spoke, grooming his forearm with practiced licks. Though he was quiet, Sedgepaw could see the rigidity in his frame as he was dismissed once more. Standing on his tall legs, Heronpaw nodded and whisked out of the den, but not before flashing Fernstream with one final glare. "I'll be back in the evening," he murmured.

Sedgepaw felt like she was walking in on a story halfway through; there were missing pieces to these relationships. As Fernstream stepped into the shadows of the far side of the medicine den, she felt her head become heavy and her muscles unwind. The concoction she consumed burbled in her belly, and her limbs felt warm.

"Sleep well, Sedgepaw," Redleaf murmured before following after her mother.

The edges of her vision grew blurry as Sedgepaw struggled to focus on the medicine cat and her mother. Ears perked, she listened in on their conversation in secret. Their hushed murmurs rose from the darkness ethereally, fading into the air so fast she struggled to catch the words. It was only when their conversation seemed to grow a shade darker in intensity that she began to hear what was being said.

"All I am suggesting is that this could be a sign." Redleaf's voice was stern once more, almost frustrated.

"You're suggesting more than that." Her mother's hiss was harsh. "StarClan is trying to take them from me."

Sedgepaw's ears twitched. StarClan? Taking who… Me? She felt her blood turn to ice. No, there's no way that's what they meant. She was a good apprentice. Why would StarClan want her gone?

"As they should," Redleaf argued. "You know the prophecy. StarClan warned you; They warned us both, and did not heed Them."

"I'll not be having this discussion with you again, Redleaf." Her mother sounded scared. "I made my choice. StarClan allowed me to give birth to them. You cannot tell me They can be so cruel as to take them away?"

So they were speaking of her? And what's worse? Her and her siblings. Sedgepaw felt her blood run cold. StarClan wanted her dead? She fidgeted in her nest, pelt prickling with unease. The weight of divine justice grew heavy on her; she felt like her ribs would collapse at the idea of her holy ancestors condemning her since birth. Sedgepaw could only wonder… why?

"You underestimate Them." Redleaf's tone was grave. "You had a destiny."

Fernstream laughed ruefully. "A destiny," she muttered bitterly. "I never wanted to be you, Redleaf. I wanted my own life. I fell in love. I could never be the medicine cat you wanted me to be."

"You misunderstand!" Redleaf snapped. Fury painted his voice in angry hues of crimson. "Your life is not yours to live! Just as my life is not mine to live. StarClan chooses our destiny, and we are born to accept it and fulfill our purpose. By betraying Their dominion you have doomed yourself and your family." A hiss escaped him, but his voice grew hoarse and tired, so much so that his words almost gave out in the end. "It was never what I wanted. It's always been what They wanted. It always will be."

Blood like ice in her veins, Sedgepaw's heart hammered painfully inside her chest. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed for sleep to save her from hearing such monstrous claims. StarClan did not want her alive. Could it be that she was never meant to be born? Please, let this just be a bad dream… please.

"I love my family," Fernstream murmured. "If that is a crime in the eyes of StarClan, so be it. I can be doomed to oblivion, but I will never regret my choice."

"Then you are a fool," Redleaf hissed. "You know the prophecy. Your kits should have never been born."

Fernstream growled and Sedgepaw stiffened when she heard a struggle erupt in the shadows. An exchange of hisses and thuds caused the marigold to shiver. Though every muscle in her body screamed to come to the aid of her mother, her body was frozen and numb; between the shock of the words being said and the strength of her medicine, Sedgepaw was rendered helpless. Suddenly, the disturbance stopped, and Sedgepaw could hear heavy breathing between the two cats.

"Forgive me," Fernstream mewed shakily. "I did not mean to strike you."

"No matter," Redleaf grunted. "It is not my forgiveness you should covet. There is only one divine judge you should fear."

Sedgepaw promptly shut her eyes when she saw Fernstream emerge from the shadows. She placed one paw purposefully above her eye, peeking from beneath it so she could see the rest of this exchange unfold. Her heart sank when she saw the fatigue and fear in her mother's face, and she felt her stomach do flips in her belly when Redleaf emerged to shadow her. He looked so angry. Sedgepaw never knew Redleaf could even muster such rage.

"I am resigned to my fate," Fernstream decided. "Do not speak to me again about this, Redleaf."

"You may have accepted your fate, but have your kits?" Redleaf suggested. Sedgepaw could feel his gaze singe her fur. "They were never given the option. StarClan giveth and taketh away."

Sedgepaw could hear the pawsteps of Fernstream as she exited the den. As silence settled in the atmosphere, Sedgepaw could hardly breathe. She was never meant to be born. Her mother was supposed to be a medicine cat… but she chose a life with a family. Sedgepaw felt as small as an ant as her role in the cosmos became grimly clear.

As if to accentuate her existential dread, Redleaf murmured a prophetic hymn: "The birth of three who were not meant to be will give rise to revolution."