Heronpaw awoke rather suddenly from a thick and dreamless sleep. He laid motionless for a heartbeat, trying to figure out what it was that woke him. It hadn't been pain. In fact, his muscles felt like they needed a stretch. Had it been a sound? Cold fear rushed through his veins. Had it appeared again?
His heart bounded in his chest at the thought of what he had seen the day before. Could the cat be here now? Is that what had woken him?
He took a few breaths to calm himself. He couldn't smell or feel anything strange. After a moment Heronpaw slowly opened one yellow eye. He felt the scratches on his face sting. He had forgotten about those. Hissing slightly, Heronpaw surveyed the scene before him. Nothing really stood out. He opened both eyes and lifted his head. He was nested underneath an overhanging lip of fern-draped rock. Other empty nests were lined up beside him.
He peered through the screen of ferns. No other cat was in the tiny clearing. Relief washed over him.
His momentary panic fading, Heronpaw opened his jaws in a mighty yawn. The stretch felt good. He would've quite liked to stand up and stretch every muscle in his body. Before he could get to his paws however, Petalpaw emerged from a crevice in the rock a few foxlengths away. She had a bundle of herbs in her jaws. Her green eyes did a double take when she caught sight of Heronpaw. Her tabby tail shot up in delight. She hurried over to him and dropped the herbs next to the nest.
"You're awake!" she said. She proceeded to sniff him all over.
"Yeah." Heronpaw replied. It took him several tries to get the word out. His voice felt as though it hadn't been used in days. How long had he been asleep?
"You look good. No pain?" Petalpaw said. She started closely examining his injured shoulder.
"No. Just sore." Heronpaw croaked. He suddenly realized what had woken him. "Water?"
Petalpaw looked up from her work and gasped.
"I'm sorry!" She dashed over to the little gurgling stream at the edge of the clearing. She expertly stripped some moss off of a nearby tree root and dipped the clump in the stream. Petalpaw bounded back, the glistening moss sprinkling the ground with its precious burden.
Heronpaw stretched out his neck, desperate for a taste of the sweet, cold droplets. When Petalpaw was near enough, Heronpaw didn't hesitate to start lapping at the dripping moss. After he had sucked all of the moisture out of the bundle, Petalpaw dashed off to get some more.
It took four more trips for Heronpaw's thirst to go away. After he had drunk his fill, he swiped his tongue around his whiskers.
"How long was I asleep?" he said, slightly out of breath.
"A full day." Petalpaw replied. She took a seat next to Heronpaw's nest and began sorting through the bundle of herbs she had been carrying. Heronpaw watched as she unrolled a tightly wrapped leaf to reveal a variety of soft yellow flower petals.
"Where is everyone?" Heronpaw said. The nests around him were notably empty.
Petalpaw looked up at him, flicking her ears to indicate confusion. Her mouth was full of leaves she was chewing into a pulp.
Heronpaw reworded his original question. "Slatefang and Kestrelfeather fell in the river too. Shouldn't they be here resting?"
Petalpaw spat the pulp out onto a large leaf and began squeezing the juice out of the yellow petals.
"They were here yesterday evening. Plumleaf couldn't keep them here any longer if she tried." The medicine cat apprentice said. She mixed the pulp and juice together, creating a runny poultice. She paused for a moment, staring down with unblinking eyes at the herbs she had in front of her.
"What are you forgetting?"
Both apprentices jumped at the sound of Plumleaf's voice. Heronpaw turned to see the gray medicine cat pushing her way through the thick fern tendrils. She padded over to give Heronpaw a sniff, then turned to face her apprentice.
"Well?" she said. She flicked her ears a few times in Petalpaw's direction.
"I have marigold juice and celandine paste." Petalpaw said. She kept her head down as she shifted through the pile of leaves at her feet.
"Heronpaw has cuts around his eye." Plumleaf said. "What else do you need in that ointment?"
Petalpaw stared down at her mixture for a heartbeat. Then she slowly raised her head.
"Nothing." She said Her worried expression was gone, replaced instead with confidence.
Plumleaf purred and nodded. "Good."
Petalpaw pulled the leaf over to Heronpaw's nest and began spreading the balm over his scratches.
"Close your eye." She ordered. Heronpaw did as he was told. The remedy stung slightly as it was applied, but the discomfort quickly faded. He couldn't help but purr as cool relief spread over his face.
"How are you feeling Heronpaw?" Plumleaf said. She sat and began sorting through Petalpaw's herbs.
"I feel good. A little sore and hungry though." Heronpaw meowed out of the side of his mouth. He was trying to keep from disturbing Petalpaw's work by moving too much.
Plumleaf hooked a fat yellow flower head to her foreclaw and got to her paws.
"Chew this." She said, offering it to Heronpaw. He took it with his teeth and chewed. The taste wasn't like any herb he'd ever tried. It wasn't bitter or pungent. It was pleasantly earthy and nutty. He swallowed the flower and licked his lips.
"That will ease the soreness." Plumleaf told him.
Meanwhile, Petalpaw had finished applying her poultice and went to wash her paws in the stream.
"So, when can I go back to apprentice duties?" Heronpaw said. He was careful about how he posed his question. Plumleaf was known for her impatience with equally impatient sick or injured cats. Yesterday wasn't the first time she and Kestrelfeather had butted heads.
"We will see." Plumleaf said. She waved her tail, dismissing his question like a bothersome cobweb. "Can you stand?"
Heronpaw planted his good paw underneath him and pushed upward. His sore muscles simultaneously cried out and sighed as he stretched them. He was able to get to three paws with a little effort. He stood with his injured leg hovering above the ground. He was a little apprehensive about trying to put any weight on it.
"Go on. Test it out." Plumleaf said. Her voice had switched again from harsh to gentle.
Petalpaw had returned from the stream. She took her place at Heronpaw's good shoulder, waiting to steady him if he fell. Heronpaw took a deep breath and began to lower his paw. Before he could touch the ground, however, another unexpected voice caused him to lose his balance and almost topple over.
"Is he awake yet?"
Kestrelfeather had entered the den unannounced, followed by a crowd of Heronpaw's other friends and family. Plumleaf's motherly demeanor vanished as she whirled to face the crowd of visitors. Her brown eyes smoldered in her kindly face.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. She stalked right up to Kestrelfeather and looked him straight in the eye. Even though she was at least a head shorter than the warrior, it was undoubted which cat was in control.
"What possessed you to barge in here? This is a medicine den for StarClan's sake!"
Kestrelfeather didn't look remotely abashed. On the contrary, he tried to contend with Plumleaf's dominant air by puffing out his chest and looking down at the gray medicine cat.
"I wanted to see my apprentice." He said.
His command of the situation lasted all of three heartbeats before his confidence wilted under Plumleaf's withering presence. Kestrelfeather dropped his gaze and backed up a few pawsteps.
"And the rest of you?" Plumleaf demanded. "Anything to say?"
She had cut down the strongest of the group with a simple look. What could she do to a cat like Dawnheart? Heronpaw felt amused and fearful at the same time.
The rest of the group exchanged worried glances.
"I thought so." The medicine cat said. There was a finality in her meow that no cat could deny. The group of well-wishers slowly began to backtrack through the leafy entrance. Heronpaw waved his tail at each cat. He wanted them to know that at least he appreciated their visit.
"When can we visit him?" All eyes fell on Crowpaw as he spoke.
Heronpaw was amazed that his usually quiet brother had been the one to speak up.
Plumleaf opened her mouth but didn't say anything. She too was looking at Crowpaw as though he had sprouted wings and flown away.
"You can come see him after sunhigh." Petalpaw piped up from Heronpaw's shoulder. "Now shoo!" She flicked her tail at the group.
They all turned and began filing out of the clearing with murmurs and grumbling. Before Kestrelfeather left, he looked over his shoulder at Heronpaw. Heronpaw waved a reassuring tail at his mentor. Kestrelfeather visibly relaxed and nodded. He then disappeared with a flick of his reddish tail.
"Well, I never." Plumleaf said, her tail twitching with irritation. She stomped back to her cave and went out of sight.
Heronpaw and Petalpaw looked at each other.
"I suppose you're my responsibility now." Petalpaw said. Her whiskers were quivering in amusement.
Heronpaw spent the morning doing special stretches /describe. What they doin and hopping three-pawed around the clearing. Petalpaw followed his every step, coaching as they went.
"Let's try your injured paw now. No good? Okay let's do some more stretches then."
"Left, right, left, right, and forward, back, forward, back…"
"One more lap. You can do it, come on!"
Plumleaf came and went throughout the day. Sometimes she would sit and watch, making comments here and there. Other times she would dart in and out of her storage den several times in a short period, muttering all the while.
By the time the sun was reaching its apex in the sky, Heronpaw felt as though he had been through a full day of combat training. He collapsed back in his nest the moment Petalpaw announced that their workout was "enough for one day". He gave himself a thorough wash while Petalpaw was off fetching some fresh-kill for the both of them. When she returned, the apprentices sat together to eat.
"Why do I have to exercise so much?" Heronpaw said. He gratefully took the large vole Petalpaw was offering him.
"If you don't stay active then your muscles will get weak." Petalpaw explained. "And since you fell in the river and got chilled, moving around will keep you from getting sick." She took a bite of her squirrel.
"I see." Heronpaw said. He chewed his mouthful slowly and swallowed.
The two spent the rest of the meal discussing trivial things. When they had both eaten their fill, Heronpaw's mind started to wander back to the events of the previous day. Should he ask Petalpaw about the white cat? He wondered if she could tell him what the visions meant, or if they were real at all. There was a lull in the conversation while Petalpaw cleaned her paws and whiskers. He hesitated for a moment. Should he ask? Would she think he was crazy?
"Hey Petalpaw, "
His question was cut off abruptly by another unexpected visitor.
"Hello?"
Both apprentices looked up to see a pretty white and gray she-cat poking her head in through the entrance. It was Ferntail. Heronpaw was pleased to see his mother. The heavy thoughts weighing on his mind dulled as he took in her familiar face and scent.
"May I visit with Heronpaw now?" Ferntail said in her soft mew.
"Of course!" Petalpaw said. She scrambled to her paws. "I'll give you some privacy."
The tabby apprentice padded past Ferntail and out into the main camp. Ferntail watched her go and then turned her attention to Heronpaw. She hurried to his side; her blue eyes full of worry.
"Heronpaw I'm so glad you're alright." She gave the top of his head several licks. "I'm so proud of you. Your father is too."
Heronpaw froze at the mention of Falconstorm. Ferntail sensed his discomfort and stopped her grooming. She sat down next to his nest and put one of her paws over his.
"He would be here but he's on the sunhigh patrol." Ferntail said.
Heronpaw was avoiding his mother's eyes. He highly doubted that Falconstorm would've been there with him, regardless of warrior duties or not. Ferntail seemed to understand that Heronpaw didn't want to talk about his father. She changed the subject.
"How is your leg?"
"It's fine. Petalpaw has been helping me stretch it." Heronpaw said. He was grateful to Ferntail for noticing his reluctance to talk about Falconstorm. "I can't put all my weight on it yet, but Plumleaf says I should be back to full apprentice duties in a quarter moon."
Ferntail purred.
"That's wonderful."
They talked for a little while longer. Heronpaw described the events leading up to his injury. Ferntail listened intently. He got to the part where he had seen the white cat and he stopped. Ferntail tilted her head.
"I, uh, saw something weird." Heronpaw admitted. His mother's eyes grew curious.
"What was it?" she urged.
Heronpaw hesitated. Uncertainty and fear had a grasp on his tongue and wouldn't let go. He felt like if he spoke the words, it would become real. Right now, it was an event he could forget, if he tried hard enough.
"Just a cat I didn't recognize." He said quickly. Ferntail searched his face with earnest eyes.
"Oh." She said after a moment. There was silence between them. Heronpaw felt the awkwardness crawling under his pelt like ants.
"Anyway, so then the WillowClan patrol shows up and- "
He continued the story, trying to act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Ferntail went back to listening sincerely but Heronpaw could see the worry in her eyes. Thankfully she didn't press him again.
As the sun began to inch towards the tree line, more visitors arrived. Hawkpaw, Crowpaw, and another apprentice, Specklepaw, came bounding into the medicine clearing all at once. Ferntail said her goodbyes and left Heronpaw to brag about his injuries to his peers.
While Crowpaw sat quietly with his black tail curled around his paws, Hawkpaw and Specklepaw were clamoring for details about the "battle" with WillowClan.
"It wasn't a battle." Heronpaw repeated for the fifth time. "Yarrowfang came at Dawnheart and Slatefang stopped him."
"Did some cat bleed?" Hawkpaw demanded.
"Yes! Me." Heronpaw said. He was getting a little exasperated.
"Ah-HA!" Specklepaw burst out. She leapt to her paws as though she had caught Heronpaw in an incriminating lie. "Blood was spilled. That makes it a battle."
Hawkpaw nodded so hard his ears flapped. Heronpaw glanced over at Crowpaw. Their eyes met in a meaningful glance.
I'm glad you're alright. Crowpaw's ardent blue gaze said.
Hawkpaw and Specklepaw only stayed for a short period. Hawkpaw jumped to his paws and announced that he needed to sleep because he was chosen for the dawn patrol again. Specklepaw followed him.
After the others left, Crowpaw got to his paws as well.
"Are you leaving? That's too bad. I was looking forward to some real conversation." Heronpaw said with a good-humored twitch of his whiskers.
Crowpaw swept his tail over Heronpaw's ears with a purr.
"Don't go falling in any more rivers, okay?" he said.
"That I can't promise, but I can try." Heronpaw replied, also purring.
A rustling of leaves announced another visitor. This time it was Petalpaw. Heronpaw called out a greeting. Petalpaw looked up from the huge bundle of freshly picked herbs she was carrying. She gave Heronpaw a friendly wave of her tail and then turned her head to see who was with him.
As her eyes fell on Crowpaw she raised her tail again to greet him and stopped looking where she was going. Her paw caught a protruding root and she lost her footing. She managed to stay upright but ended up losing her grip on the herbs. They exploded around her in a cloud of pungent green confetti.
Crowpaw leapt forward and helped steady Petalpaw's precarious arrangement.
"Are you alright?" Heronpaw called.
"Fine!" Petalpaw said lightly. She started to gather the herbs back into a neat pile with her small white paws. Crowpaw bent down to help her without saying anything.
"Thank you." Petalpaw purred to Crowpaw as he scraped several fuzzy leaves together. Crowpaw looked up at her. Their eyes met for a moment and Crowpaw's eyes grew huge. Petalpaw blinked. Heronpaw looked from one face to the other, confused.
"I can take it from here." Petalpaw said kindly. She tugged a flower head out from under Crowpaw's forepaw. His claws had pinned it to the ground. The black apprentice jolted slightly and dropped his gaze to his paws. He stepped back and let Petalpaw re-bundle the pile.
Crowpaw shot a sideways glance at Heronpaw before excusing himself with a muttered comment about duties. He bolted from the clearing a heartbeat later.
Heronpaw watched him go, bemused.
Petalpaw gathered up her herbs and disappeared into Plumleaf's den without another word.
Once again, Heronpaw found himself alone. He hated it. Without distractions his mind was forced to dwell on the dull ache in his shoulder and the thoughts of the white cat. A hot stinging ball of anxiety formed in his chest and his breaths felt too shallow. It was like he couldn't quite fill his lungs no matter how much he relaxed his body.
A rustling sound caused Heronpaw to jump. He whipped his head around to see a pair of auburn ears poking their way through the fern screen and into the clearing. Kestrelfeather emerged, followed by Dawnheart and Slatefang.
The storm in Heronpaw's belly quieted a bit.
"Is Plumleaf around?" Kestrelfeather said. He looked around, his tail twitching.
"Nope." Heronpaw forced a purr. "You're safe."
"For now." Kestrelfeather grunted. He padded over to Heronpaw's nest and sat down. The other warriors followed and settled down as well. Kestrelfeather looked down at his apprentice.
"How are you?" he said.
"I'm doing pretty well." Heronpaw said. "Hawkpaw came to see me so I'm pretty exhausted."
Slatefang twitched his whiskers in amusement. "Quite the furball that one." He said. Dawnheart mrr'ed in agreement.
"You're telling me." Heronpaw purred.
"You did well yesterday." Kestrelfeather said suddenly.
Heronpaw felt his ears grow warm under his mentor's praise.
"I just did what you taught me."
"But you did it well. That is what counts." Kestrelfeather flicked Heronpaw with his tail. "I'm proud of you." He added.
"You helped save Slatefang's life." Dawnheart put in. His blue eyes were shining with admiration. Slatefang was nodding at his friend's side.
"Did I?" Heronpaw couldn't help but ask. His ears flattened under the praise from the warriors. Surely, he hadn't done anything that special. Besides, he still felt like the entire conflict could've been avoided if he hadn't been distracted by…that thing.
"Yes." Slatefang said. The word was firm and final. "I wanted to thank you."
Heronpaw accepted the thanks without argument. He returned Slatefang's bow and met the warrior's solemn gaze. His belly squirmed again.
Kestrelfeather glanced at Dawnheart and twitched his ears.
"We'll give you two some privacy." Dawnheart said, nodding to the senior warrior.
The young warriors dipped their heads to Heronpaw and rose to their paws. With a final nod of respect to Heronpaw they left.
There was a moment of silence. Then Kestrelfeather spoke again. His tone was much different this time. It was more solemn.
"Your recovery is going to put you back in training."
Heronpaw looked down at his bedding. He began shredding a clump of moss with his claws. He hadn't thought about that until now.
"Blizzardstar wanted you to know that this probably means that your brothers will become warriors before you." Kestrelfeather's meow was flat. Heronpaw could hear his mentor's discontent behind every word.
"I see." Heronpaw said. He still wasn't looking at Kestrelfeather's face. There was another moment of heavy silence.
"I don't want you feeling like that makes you less of a warrior." Kestrelfeather finally said. Again, his voice sounded different. Heronpaw looked up, taken aback. He had hardly ever heard his uncle talk like this before.
"I know you struggle with seeing yourself as good enough." He continued. Kestrelfeather looked down at Heronpaw's stunned face. He quickly broke eye contact.
"When you get your warrior name it will be because you are ready." He said quickly.
Kestrelfeather leaned down to give Heronpaw a quick lick on the forehead. When he drew away, Heronpaw could see pride burning in his mentor's green eyes. Before Heronpaw had even found his voice in order to respond, Kestrelfeather continued.
"Blizzardstar thinks that WillowClan may be looking for a fight." He said. "We'll need every cat to be ready in case that happens, so do everything Plumleaf says. She'll have you back to training in no time."
Heronpaw straightened up and nodded firmly. He could do that.
Kestrelfeather's gaze darted around the clearing.
"I have to go. If Plumleaf finds me here she'll have my pelt." He looked down at his apprentice one last time with a joking twitch of his whiskers.
Kestrelfeather made his way over to the exit gap. Heronpaw watched him go.
"Thank you." He called after his uncle. Kestrelfeather paused before he went through the leaves.
"No problem." His jaunty meow was back. "If I see Falconstorm I'll send him in."
Heronpaw felt a rock fall into his stomach. What did he need Falconstorm for? Fathers were supposed to be proud of you. They were supposed to teach you and make you strong. Kestrelfeather did all of that already.
After his mentor had gone, Heronpaw readjusted himself in his nest. He rested his head on his outstretched paws and sighed. He watched the sun's final rays start to disappear through the trees. His thoughts that he had tried so hard to chase away were rumbling at the edge of his mind like an approaching thunderstorm.
A day ago, he had woken as a healthy apprentice in a Clan that was strong and at peace. Now everything was wrong. He was going to be stuck in this medicine den for StarClan knew how long, and even if Plumleaf could heal his wounds, it seemed his mind was also dislocated.
The visions he was seeing couldn't mean anything good, but who was he to tell? He could be accused of lying or thought to be insane. His warrior ceremony could be pushed back even further. If his Clan was in danger of a war, they needed every warrior they could get.
Fear, confusion, and anxiety swirled in his belly like a writhing pit of snakes. His breaths came shallow again and he found himself gripping the edge of his nest with unsheathed claws. He pushed his face into the moss and feathers and tried to calm down. He stayed like that until night had fallen.
When darkness finally fell, Plumleaf returned to the clearing. Heronpaw squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. Plumleaf sniffed at his cuts and gently prodded his shoulder. Her touch drew away and he heard the shuffle of leaves near his head. A moment later Plumleaf heaved herself to her paws with a huff and padded away to her den.
After a few heartbeats of silence, Heronpaw opened one eye. An upturned leaf lay beside his nest. Laying on top were two tiny black poppy seeds. Obviously Plumleaf had not bought his ruse. He leaned over and licked them up gratefully.
Heronpaw laid still in the chill night air and waited for the poppy seeds to take effect. With every beat of his heart, he felt his anxiety fade. He sighed, feeling his chest relax again.
He gratefully gave in to the closing darkness and calm that the poppy seeds brought. Within a few minutes he had fallen deeply asleep.
. . .
Heronpaw's eyes shot open. Pain staggered through his injured eye. For a moment he panicked, unable to see anything. It took him a few seconds of unwarranted alarm to realize that it was still the middle of the night. He groaned and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep.
An odd pricking sensation in his back set his fur on end. Heronpaw rolled over, trying to get comfortable. When he finally had settled again, he opened his lids slightly.
A pair of bright white eyes greeted his gaze.
Heronpaw jumped so violently that he fell out of his nest. He managed to avoid landing on his injured shoulder, but pain still shot up his leg. He scrambled to three paws, ready to cry out if something was there. He scanned the entire clearing and even squinted at the trees beyond the stream. Nothing. No white shapes. No glowing eyes looking at him from the brush.
He breathed heavily for a few moments, trying to pull himself together. As his heart slowed, the pounding in his ears lessened. He curled himself tightly into a ball and squeezed his eyes shut.
He did not sleep well that night.