CHAPTER 5
Featherpaw groaned as Mousepaw nosed him awake. "Is it dawn?" he croaked.
"Nearly," Mousepaw replied. "You're on a hunting patrol."
Featherpaw groaned again, stretching his aching muscles. He got to his paws and shuffled out of the apprentice den.
It had been a quarter moon since ThunderClan had come to WindClan's aid. In that time, Mousefur, Ferncloud, and Whitewing had been diagnosed with greencough - and so far, Cinderpelt had not been able to aid her ailing Clanmates. The camp was tense with worry.
In the clearing waited Sorreltail, Spiderleg, and Cloudtail. Featherpaw assumed they were the hunting patrol he was assigned to, and headed over toward them.
"Poppypaw's ill," Sorreltail meowed as greeting.
"Oh no," Featherpaw sighed. Poppypaw falling ill meant that the sickness was not yet contained.
"We're to hunt and catch as much as we can; the Clan needs to eat to keep up our strength," Cloudtail grumbled. His paws kneaded the earth. Whitewing was his daughter, and he was sure to be worried.
"Let's start by Sky Oak," Sorreltail suggested. "I want to see how Featherpaw's climbing skills are coming along." She glanced at her apprentice. "You can try for a squirrel up there."
"Yes, Sorreltail," Featherpaw agreed, stifling a yawn.
"Let's go," Spiderleg meowed, then turned to lead the way.
The patrol filed through the thorn tunnel and headed toward the lake. They treaded lightly and didn't speak, for fear of alerting their prey.
Featherpaw could hardly put one paw in front of the other. His eyes drooped as he followed Sorreltail through the forest, and his tail dragged against the earth. He stifled a loud yawn.
Dart under, slash forepaws, he thought. Back out, hook their paws. Dart under, slash forepaws, back out, hook their paws. His claws flexed as he reimagined the battle move, over and over. Dart under, slash forepaws, back out, hook their paws.
Despite the instructions to hunt, Featherpaw was still half-asleep, dreaming of training with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost. The tabby warriors had been training him for half a moon now, and Featherpaw had improved immensely. Even Sorreltail had been impressed during battle training.
"You've come along spectacularly!" she had meowed. "That battle with the dogs really brought something out in you." Little did she know that the moves he'd used in WindClan territory weren't her teaching, but Tigerstar's.
But despite the greatness that came from training with his ancestors, Featherpaw found that he was dragging his paws during his waking hours - almost as if he'd actually been awake the whole night, practicing battle moves.
"Well?"
Featherpaw looked up. Sorreltail and the others were staring at him expectantly.
"Oh - sorry, Sorreltail. What?"
Sorreltail flicked her ears. "I wanted to know what you can smell," she meowed.
Featherpaw took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Um…vole," he meowed. "And…shrew."
"Where?"
"The vole is stale. The shrew is…over there," he meowed, lowering his voice as he pointed his tail toward a bramble thicket.
"Let's start the hunt here, then," Cloudtail meowed. He turned and padded away into the woods. Spiderleg dipped his head and did the same, in another direction.
"Go for that shrew," Sorreltail instructed. Featherpaw nodded.
Featherpaw sniffed the air, making sure he was correct in the shrew's placement. It was indeed under the bramble thicket - he could hear it now, its tiny paws scrabbling against the hard earth.
Featherpaw slid across the ground, paws light as they could be. He dropped into a hunting crouch and began the wait for the shrew to reveal itself.
There! The shrew's long nose stuck out into the open, sniffing the ground. Featherpaw's muscles tensed. The shrew's tiny paws led it out into the open.
Featherpaw blinked a few times, unable to clear the sleep from his eyes. As soon as his vision was clear, he pounced - but it was too late. The shrew had spotted him, and it darted away. Featherpaw landed in a heap, his paws catching nothing but dirt.
"Bad luck," Sorreltail called. "You waited just a heartbeat too long."
Featherpaw sighed. He closed his eyes, wishing he could fall back asleep right there in the forest…
"Hey, don't get down on yourself," Sorreltail meowed, padding up to him.
Featherpaw's eyes snapped open. Huh?
"There's plenty more prey in the forest," Sorreltail went on. "Come on. Let's climb a tree."
"Yes, Sorreltail," Featherpaw meowed, eyes only half open.
The two padded deeper into the forest, toward the Sky Oak. Once they arrived, Sorreltail placed a paw on the trunk. "Alright," she meowed. "Get into position."
Featherpaw nodded, stifling another yawn. He approached the tree and lifted up onto his hind legs, placing his front paws in the preferred climber's starting position.
"Very good," Sorreltail meowed. "Let's start by climbing and hanging."
Featherpaw nodded. He unsheathed his claws and dug into the tree's bark, then lifted one of his hind legs from the ground. He placed the paw onto the tree, then lifted the other hind leg and climbed higher. He rearranged his front paws to go even higher, then higher, until he was no longer resting on the roots of the tree.
"Good," Sorreltail meowed. "Let's hang there for a while. Then we'll go into the branches."
Featherpaw nodded. He pressed his nose against the tree and closed his eyes. Images of battle moves danced in his head. Dart under, slash forepaws, back out, hook their paws. Dart under, slash forepaws, back out, hook their paws.
"Alright, that's good," Sorreltail meowed. "Let's go to the lowest branch, now."
Featherpaw's eyes snapped open. "Yes, Sorreltail!" he meowed. He reached up with his front right paw, then his front left. Once he had a good grip, he adjusted his hind legs. He continued, claws gripping the bark, until he was nearly at the closest branch.
Featherpaw bit back a sigh of exhaustion. His eyes crossed slightly. Everything was blurry. He gave his head a sharp shake, trying to clear his mind.
"Don't think about it," Sorreltail meowed, mistaking his exhaustion for fear. "Just keep putting one paw in front of the other."
Featherpaw nodded numbly. Come on! He shuffled up the trunk, listening to his claws scratch against the bark, until finally the branch was in range.
Featherpaw reached out with his front paw, but his claws just missed the branch. He frowned, and tried again. His claws barely made contact with the branch.
"Go a little higher!" Sorreltail suggested. "You're not in reach!"
But Featherpaw could hardly hear her. His heart pounded faster than ever before. He blinked several times, but he couldn't get his vision to clear.
What's…wrong…with me? Featherpaw wondered. Then his eyes fluttered closed, and his claws sheathed. He could feel himself tumbling down, down to the ground, and he heard Sorreltail screeching his name before all fell into nothingness.
"Cinderpelt! Cinderpelt!"
Badgerpaw looked up from the vole she was sharing with Sunpaw as Cloudtail burst into camp. Sunpaw leaped to his paws, undoubtedly ready for a fight.
The gray medicine cat limped out from her den. "What is it?"
"Featherpaw's ill!" Cloudtail announced.
"Featherpaw!" Badgerpaw gasped, leaping to her paws. She and Sunpaw exchanged horrified looks.
"What's wrong?" Cinderpelt demanded, limping toward the white warrior as quickly as she could.
"He was climbing a tree, and he collapsed! He won't wake up."
"Where?" Cinderpelt meowed.
"The Sky Oak. Spiderleg and Sorreltail are bringing him back now."
"What's this about Featherpaw?" Brambleclaw meowed, poking his head out from Firestar's den.
"He's collapsed, Brambleclaw," Cloudtail meowed grimly. Brambleclaw's face fell. Firestar appeared at his deputy's shoulder.
"Is it greencough?" Firestar demanded.
"We don't know yet!" Cinderpelt snapped.
Sorreltail and Spiderleg squeezed through the thorn tunnel, supporting Featherpaw between them. His head hung limply, and his tail dragged as they carried him into camp. Cloudtail turned and helped his patrol lay the apprentice down in the middle of camp.
Badgerpaw and Sunpaw rushed toward their brother, but Cinderpelt blocked their way.
"Don't," she meowed. "If he's infected, we can't afford you getting exposed."
"But he's our brother!" Sunpaw meowed fiercely.
"And he's ill," Cinderpelt meowed, lashing her tail. "Now let me work."
The camp had begun to stir with all the commotion. Brambleclaw and Firestar stood on Highledge. Brambleclaw's eyes flashed with worry as he watched the medicine cat sniff at his son. The apprentices had left their den and stood beside Sunpaw and Badgerpaw in solidarity. Warriors, elders, and queens poked their heads from their dens. No one spoke.
ThunderClan watched with held breath as Cinderpelt raised her head. "It's not greencough," she meowed finally. The Clan sighed with relief. "But he's very weak. He needs to remain in the apprentices' den until he regains his strength." She rounded on the apprentices. "If any of you even sneeze, I need to know about it. He's very susceptible to illness while he's like this."
Badgerpaw nodded numbly, barely aware that the other apprentices were doing the same. She stared at Featherpaw, asleep on the ground, and felt her heart clench.
"I'll go get him some fresh moss," Poolpaw offered, haring away.
"I'll clear his old moss away," Mousepaw added.
"We'll bring him to the den," Sunpaw meowed, nudging Badgerpaw. Badgerpaw nodded.
"I see he's in good paws," Cinderpelt meowed. She looked around the Clan. "If you feel anything," she meowed solemnly, "be sure to -"
Her warning was cut short by a rustling on the slope outside the thorn barrier. Badgerpaw tensed. She smelled WindClan.
Firestar leaped down from Highledge and sniffed the air.
Two cats padded into the ThunderClan camp. The older of the two spoke first. "Forgive us for trespassing on ThunderClan territory."
"Weaselfur!" Firestar sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I've brought Kestrelpaw to speak with Cinderpelt," Weaselfur meowed.
Kestelpaw stared at Featherpaw in alarm. "Oh, good. He's breathing," he murmured. "Is he alright?"
Cinderpelt limped toward the WindClan apprentice. "He's not sick, if that's what you're asking. What is it?" she asked. Badgerpaw knew the answer before Kestrelpaw spoke.
"There's greencough in WindClan," he meowed. "Barkface was hoping you could share your catmint."
Cinderpelt sighed. "We have none. The frost killed it. We have sick cats, too, and there's nothing we can do to help them."
Squirrelflight padded to join Cinderpelt. "RiverClan have catmint," she meowed. "They would share it with us, wouldn't they?"
"I've wondered about that," Cinderpelt sighed. "Yes. Yes, let's go and ask Mothwing."
"Excellent." Kestrelpaw sounded relieved.
Brightheart stepped forward. "Cinderpelt, I can look after the sick cats while you're gone."
Cinderpelt nodded. "Thank you, Brightheart," she purred. She faced the two WindClan cats. "We'd better be going."
Firestar padded over to block the entrance before Cinderpelt could head out. "I want Thornclaw and Brambleclaw to go with you," he meowed.
Cinderpelt's tail lashed. "We're medicine cats!" she pointed out. "No cat will dare stop us."
"You're going to have to skirt the lake around ShadowClan territory," Firestar meowed. "I don't trust ShadowClan right now."
"Very well," Cinderpelt sighed. She waited impatiently while Firestar signaled Thornclaw from the warriors' den and then the patrol raced out of the camp like rabbits.
Poolpaw returned just as the patrol left. "Was that WindClan?" she meowed, her voice muffled by a bundle of moss.
"I'll let your denmates tell you the story," Firestar meowed, looking after the patrol with worried eyes. Finally, he turned and joined Sandstorm in the hollow.
"Come on, let's bring Featherpaw to the den." Sunpaw's voice roused Badgerpaw.
Together, they lifted Featherpaw from the ground and carried him into their den. Poolpaw was just finishing his nest, in between his littermates' nests.
"There!" she purred. "Nice and comfy."
Badgerpaw and Sunpaw lowered Featherpaw into the nest and rearranged his limbs to be more comfortable.
"Badgerpaw?"
The apprentices looked up to see Brackenfur sticking his head into the den.
"Brightheart asked me to take you on my border patrol," Brackenfur meowed.
"Coming," Badgerpaw promised. She crouched and licked Featherpaw's ear. "Get better soon, mousebrain," she purred softly. She looked up at Sunpaw. "You'll watch him?"
"Until you get back," Sunpaw promised.
Badgerpaw left the den, padding after her mentor. Greencough, collapsing apprentices - what is happening to ThunderClan?
After border patrol, Brackenfur insisted that Badgerpaw hunt for the Clan. Badgerpaw suspected that her mentor was trying to take her mind off of Featherpaw. Or was it that Brackenfur needed to take his mind off of Poppypaw? Badgerpaw would never know. But she was grateful for the tabby tom's consideration.
Unfortunately, leaf-bare was unkind to the pair. They returned to camp with naught but a mouse and a squirrel.
"Take that squirrel to Brightheart," Brackenfur meowed. "Then, go get some rest."
"Yes, Brackenfur," Badgerpaw agreed through a mouthful of squirrel.
Badgerpaw approached the medicine den, meowing her arrival. Badgerpaw's mentor appeared, looking haggard.
"Badgerpaw," Brightheart meowed. "It's you. Stay back."
Badgerpaw deposited the squirrel onto the ground. "I just wanted to bring you this," she meowed.
Brightheart's eye softened. "Thank you," she meowed quietly. "I'm sure this will be very helpful."
"How are they doing?" Badgerpaw couldn't help but ask.
Brightheart looked back into the den. "I'm no medicine cat," she meowed in a low voice, "but…I'm sure that this catmint is much needed."
"I'm sure you're doing what you can," Badgerpaw reassured. Brightheart's eye flashed with gratitude. Badgerpaw dipped her head to her mentor and turned away. She trotted across camp and squeezed into the apprentice den.
Featherpaw was still fast asleep, curled in his nest just as Badgerpaw had left him earlier. Sunpaw lay in his own nest, tail curled over his nose. As Badgerpaw strode in, his ears pricked.
"Good, you're back," Sunpaw sighed. "I'm starving. I think I'll go out for a hunt."
"I'll stay here with him," Badgerpaw promised, nodding to Featherpaw. "Brackenfur told me to rest, anyway."
Sunpaw got to his paws and stretched, his tongue half-sticking out of his lips. He gave his pelt a shake, then trotted out of the den. Badgerpaw tiptoed her way over to her own nest and circled it twice before lowering herself into the soft moss.
Featherpaw's scent washed over her. Comforted by its familiarity, Badgerpaw closed her eyes and fell asleep.
It felt as though she had slept all night when her eyes opened, but it was still dark. Badgerpaw groaned. StarClan, why? she thought. She was dreaming again. Or, was this a dream? She was once again outside her own body, made of starlight.
She got to her paws. She peered at Featherpaw carefully; his flank rose and fell, just like her own. At least he's okay, she supposed.
She sniffed the air. The stench of sickness wafted through camp. A high-pitched laugh carried across the night. Badgerpaw's fur prickled. Poppypaw? Badgerpaw rushed to the medicine den. Can I catch the sickness while I'm dreaming? she wondered, but shook off the worry and squeezed into the medicine cave.
She skidded to a halt and stared, wide-eyed, at the scene before her. Brightheart hunched over Poppypaw, murmuring to the apprentice.
"Come on," Badgerpaw's mentor breathed. "Just a little longer, please. You can make it."
But Badgerpaw knew better. Because outside of Poppypaw's body was Poppypaw herself - star-furred and bright.
Poppypaw peered around. "It's strange," she giggled. "I don't feel sick anymore."
"That's because you're home, Poppypaw."
It was a voice that Badgerpaw didn't recognize. She stared in astonishment as another cat padded into view. His black fur shone with starlight, and his gray muzzle seemed nearly white.
"Molepaw?" Poppypaw clearly recognized the newcomer. She rushed forward and pressed her muzzle against the StarClan cat's. "Molepaw! It's so good to see you again!"
Molepaw. Badgerpaw's heart sank. That was the name of Poppypaw's dead brother. That meant…
"It's time to go, Poppypaw," Molepaw meowed softly.
Poppypaw cast a glance at her body. For a moment, she seemed unsure. "But…"
"Sorreltail and Brackenfur will be okay. Eventually." Molepaw twined his tail with his sister's. "Come on. There's plenty of prey and sunlight where we're going."
Badgerpaw finally found her voice. "Wait!" she yowled.
Poppypaw and Molepaw looked over at her. Poppypaw's eyes were round with shock.
"Badgerpaw!" she gasped. "Are you…I mean, are we both…?"
Molepaw dipped his head. "I'm sorry, Badgerpaw. But it's her time. Not yours."
"I can't convince you?" Badgerpaw pleaded. "Please! It's not fair! She's so young!"
Poppypaw glanced between her brother and Badgerpaw. Molepaw sighed. "No," he meowed firmly. "There's nothing you can do."
"Then why?" Badgerpaw demanded, stepping forward. "Why let me witness this if there's nothing I can do?"
Molepaw's ears flattened. "I…" He looked away.
Badgerpaw's whiskers twitched. "You…didn't let me witness this. It wasn't StarClan's doing," she guessed. Molepaw didn't answer.
"Molepaw?" Poppypaw meowed. "What's she talking about?"
"Nothing I can explain now," Molepaw meowed. He turned around. "Come on. We have to go."
Poppypaw glanced at Badgerpaw one last time. "I'm sorry," she meowed. "Goodbye, Badgerpaw."
"No!"
The two starry cats turned and stepped away, into the rocky formation of the medicine den. Badgerpaw rushed forward, paws outstretched, to catch them before they disappeared -
And then she awoke. Badgerpaw's eyes snapped open. Her paws were outstretched, as though she could still reach Poppypaw and Molepaw.
"No," she breathed. She leaped to her paws and rushed to the medicine den, but she already knew what she'd find.
Brightheart emerged from the den with a defeated look in her face.
NOTES
Goodbye, Poppypaw... Without Jaypaw's dream-walking ability, she was lost to StarClan. Sorry to all Poppyfrost lovers out there!
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