Fawnpaw awoke in her den the early morning sun illuminating the entrance. She yawned as she stretched, still finding it weird that she was able to get a full night's sleep. At home she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't woken up in a fit of worry.

The medicine cat could hear movement in the camp; her clanmates had been awoken by the sunrise. It had been a few days since she the half-moon when she had traveled to Moonstone. Fawnpaw had told Honeystar that she was given an apprentice's name and would hone her skills as a medicine cat before earning her full one. It was enough for the leader to know that she had been accepted by StarClan.

So, Fawnpaw had spent the days since gorging the den of of its stale and rotten herbs and collecting new ones. She was lucky that it was greenleaf: sickness was rare and most cats just needed cobwebs for scratches. She still didn't know where all the herbs were in this territory and she had exhausted Dawnheart's knowledge on the matter.

Fawnpaw left her den letting the morning sun warm her cool pelt. She purred to herself as she saw Mothcloud's three kits playing outside of the nursery. She suddenly felt a pang of longing. She missed her brother, Stagpaw. Sure, they got on each other's nerves but she still loved him. And back home they were all each other had.

"Fawnpaw~!" A voice squeaked with glee. An ashy brown and white she-cat was dragging a fat rabbit behind her. "Do you want to share before we go looking for herbs?"

"Sure, Fernpaw!" The medicine cat smiled. "That'd be great." The apprentice plopped down next to her present the piece of prey. Fawnpaw dug into her share, purring at the delicious meal.

Before the medicine cats left Moonstone ThunderClan's medicine cat, Mintflower, had warned the cats of a fox in their territory. She had said the scent was stale and it was possible it had fled to another clan's land. Due to this, Honeystar asked Fawnpaw to always bring another cat with her when she went out. Fernpaw had volunteered the first day and they had gone out everyday since.

Fawnpaw liked spending time with the apprentice. It was nice hanging out with somebody her own age. Fernpaw was the eldest apprentice so she had a sense of maturity but she still had a playful side

The two young cats finished their rabbit before leaving WindClan's camp behind them. "So where are we off to today?" Fernpaw asked her, falling in step.

"Well..." Fawnpaw trailed off now knowing how her comrade would react. "I'd like to find some catmint."

Fernpaw raised an eyebrow. "And? What about it?"

"When I went past the twoleg barn on the way to Highstones I thought I smelled some," she explained.

"The barn!" The apprentice exclaimed. "But there's dogs and who knows what else there!"

"I know," Fawnpaw replied sheepishly. "And I know Honeystar wouldn't want us going there. And I know catmint didn't solve the sickness that came during leaf-bare. But it's whats best for green cough or white cough. I have to be prepared if one of our clanmates gets sick."

Fernpaw shook her head and sighed. "You might be insane, Fawnpaw, but I'm with you. We better hurry up if we want to be back before the Clan suspects anything!"

The two young cats bounded off through WindClan territory. For once, she was glad the clan was so small. There would be no one to spot them leaving past the border.

Fawnpaw followed behind her clanmate, trusting the warrior apprentice. She knew the she-cat would better know how to keep their scent downwind and away from the dogs nearby. The two cats stayed low in the foliage as they approached the twoleg barn.

"I don't smell the dogs," Fernpaw whispered. The medicine cat had realized the same thing. Maybe the twolegs had them inside their nest?

"Let's hurry up then," Fawnpaw said. "There's a garden over there. I think that's where the catmint is." The WindClan cats sprinted across a clearing until they reached the cover of the garden.

Fawnpaw mouth watered as she smelled the sweet scent of catmint. Yes! There was so much here. Fernpaw and herself would be able to carry plenty back to camp. With any luck they wouldn't have to make this journey for a long time. She began to nip the springs of the plant, careful not to ingest the plant's sweetness.

"Fawnpaw-" Fernpaw began to usher a warning to the medicine cat but a large figure suddenly appeared before the two cats.

Fawnpaw froze, dropping the catmint as she stared at the cat in front of her. His lips were pulled back in a snarl and the gray and white fur on his spine was sticking up. She noticed Fernpaw unsheathe her claws, ready for a fight. That cat would rip her apart!

"W-we don't want any trouble!" Fawnpaw squeaked out. "We just need catmint and then we'll leave!"

The tom suddenly broke out into laughter. "Oh, you sounded like a terrified kit. Am I really that menacing?" He questioned, his demeanor changing instantly. "Take all the catmint you need. I'd never attack WindClan cats."

Fernpaw looked at Fawnpaw with a questionable expression. Who was this cat? And he knew they were from WindClan!

"I can see you're confused," the loner told them. "I'm Patchfoot and I live in the twoleg's barn." That was a Clan name! Had this cat been from a Clan? Perhaps even WindClan? "Where's Poppybreeze? I haven't seen her in many moons. She used to collect the catmint all the time. She could have at least warned you about me." He knew Poppybreeze? Just who was this tom?

"Poppybreeze is dead," Fernpaw said rather bluntly. "She passed a few moons ago." Patchfoot looked taken back, like he had just been struck by something heavy. His eyes widened and he stumbled back a step until he collapsed on his paws. Fawnpaw realized it wasn't just the shock that had made him stumble, it was also his awkwardly shaped front paw.

"No," his voice was filled with sorrow. "She can't be gone. She was fine when I saw her last. She needed some catmint for some sickness-" Patchfoot's eyes held tears as he looked to the two WindClan cats. "What happened?"

"There was a sickness that was incurable," Fernpaw explained, her expression stoic. "A lot of cats died." Fawnpaw could hardly bear hearing about the horrible sickness. She couldn't even imagine Fernpaw having to retell it.

"Dawnheart? Swiftpaw? Berrypaw?" Patchfoot began to list names in desperation. Fernpaw hesitated. "Please! Just tell me. I know I'm a loner and that I have no right to know anything about WindClan but please just tell me if they're alright."

After a moment, Fernpaw spoke: "Dawnheart is fine. Swiftpaw earned his name and is Swiftrabbit now. Berrypaw-" she shook her head, another causality.

Patchfoot put his head in his paws, weeping uncontrollably. Fawnpaw wished there was something she could do. But she knew too well the sorrow of losing someone and that there was nothing she could do it mend it.

"I'm sorry," the tom got to his paws. "Take as much catmint as you need. Thank you for telling me. I-I have to go." Patchfoot fled – limping in fact – into the twoleg barn.

"Do you have any idea who that was?" Fawnpaw asked her fellow apprentice.

"He looked a little familiar but I don't know," Fernpaw told her. She stared off towards the barn. "Let's just get the catmint and get back to camp."

Fawnpaw agreed and quickly nipped the sprigs and the two apprentices were soon off with mouthfuls of catmint. But she couldn't get Patchfoot out of her mind. Who was he? And how did he know her Clanmates?

A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! Ah, I conjured up Patchfoot when I made the alliances list but I didn't really come up with his story until now! I can't wait to tell it ;) Maybe you'll be seeing more of him in chapters to come!