Chapter 5
"We have to get out of here!" exclaimed Grassblade looking around.
"I know, but we can't alone," Applepaw answered, "We need to wake up the other cats."
"Yes, that's true."
They ran around trying to wake up the other cats by shaking and pushing them around but it just seemed to not work. Just then the log was opened a crack and another cat was pushed into the den. It was Littlepaw; the black and white body of this rather small cat was familiar from walking around the camp so many times. She was strewn across the floor in a heap. She picked her head up a little looking around very weakly.
"Mm, ow," she flinched after she got up and looked around, "Hi guys,"
"Hi," both cats responded.
"I have a cut here, anybody see a cobweb?" she asked.
"I see one in the corner over there," Applepaw pointed with her tail over at a big cobweb up 2 cat-lengths high.
"Thanks, now if I could only get it," Littlepaw looked at Grassblade, "Can you reach it Grassblade?"
"Yes, I think I can," he reached up, grabbed the cobweb, and pawed it to Littlepaw, "There you go,"
"Thank you, now what seems to be the problem with them?" she pointed at the sleeping cats on the floor.
"They ate some fresh-kill laced with Poppy seeds," Grassblade explained.
"Ah,- if I was back at the Medicine cat den I would know exactly what to give them, a poultice with Juniper Berries, Ragwort Leaves, and some Yarrow. The Juniper Berries are to help them recover faster, the Ragwort Leaves in case the seeds leave a sore in the mouth, also because they work well with Juniper berries, and the yarrow to make them throw up the seeds because cats' stomachs usually can't digest that many seeds."
"It would be risky, but we could go out the crack in the back wall and sneak to the Medicine cat den and we could take as many herbs as we need and mix the poultice back here," Grassblade suggested.
"Its way to risky, what if a NightClan cat is in that den?" Littlepaw asked.
"That was my point, and hey it doesn't hurt to brainstorm," Grassblade answered.
'Take risks for friends even if they have a low chance of succeeding' Applepaw remembered the prophecy, "Let's try it, something tells me that no one will be there."
"What?" Applepaw told them about the prophecy and they looked on in awe.
"That's amazing, because I had a similar dream, a cat named Fernstem, WaterClan's medicine cat at the time of Velvetleaf, came to me and told me that I should stock up those exact herbs but the weird part is she also told me to stock up on Lamb's ears, Broom, Goldenrod, Marigold, Wild Garlic, Dock leaves," Littlepaw recalled, then moved on, "She said I should make a lot of the poultice that uses those herbs. If I remember correctly, that poultice is used to heal wounds during battle. That probably means that we are going to have a big battle, because the Lab's ears are used to strengthen weak cats, the Broom is used to heal broken legs, the Goldenrod is used to heal severe injuries, the Marigold and Wild Garlic are used to stop infections, and the Dock leaves are used to soothe scratches. Those all have to do with battle, and that's what worries me."
"That's a lot of berries," Grassblade looked at Littlepaw, "I'm surprised that you remember them all, but how are we going to carry them all?"
"I have an idea," Applepaw suggested, "Why don't we bring the first batch by ourselves, you know for the Poppy seeds, wake up the cats, then get their help to get the other ones,"
"That's a good idea," Littlepaw thought for a moment, "We are going to need the same amount of Juniper Berries as Yarrow and Ragwort leaves but that's and awful lot of berries and leaves so lets get going."
They crept out the back crack stepping over the sleeping cats carefully. The turned the corner, and looked around, "I don't see anybody."
"Neither do I," Littlepaw looked around, "I think that the coast is clear."
"So do I, let's go," Grassblade went first, and as he started to creep across the clearing he asked, "You guys coming?"
"Yeah," they whispered to him when he got across, "We're coming."
They crept across the clearing to Grassblade and tip-pawed inside the Medicine cat den, "Okay now that we are here lets get those berries."
They grabbed the bottom of a cleaned out bee hive to use as a bowl, and grabbed all the berries and leaves they needed and put them in the unused hive. They dragged it back to the crack and slipped inside.
"Okay let's get this poultice started," Littlepaw took half of the berries out and put left half of the berries and leaves in the hive and used the stick that was inside to crush them and turn them into a poultice. She scooped some up onto the stick and placed it into the nearest cat's mouth which was Cedarheart. He immediately started to shift and turn then he opened his eyes and coughed up a blob of black goop. He looked at it and then around the room.
"Where am I?" he asked.
They explained what happened and he insisted on helping waking up the other cats.
"No, you must rest for a bit, since we didn't take any Chamomile or Thyme leaves you just need to sit and relax as much as you can," Littlepaw was taking charge of the whole process, "Actually, Applepaw could you go outside and see if there are any Dandelion leaves?"
"Sure," Applepaw crept around in the grass until she found a large patch of Dandelion; she picked a bunch and brought it back in. Littlepaw took the dandelions and gave them to the cats she had woken up. They all ate them and immediately started to get their strength back and started helping wake up the other ones. Once everybody was awake Grassblade took over and started to explain the plan. They got the other herbs for the other poultice and then whipped up a battle plan.