She Who Sulks In The Shadows: hehehe, i like this chapter, enjoy!
Pinkpelt: righto, vote in for RiverClan...
CinderDreams: Yeah, WindClan is my favorite Clan too...
Couldfire: Yeah, this one isn't as deep as the last chapter, or the chapter i think i was 'what lives and breathes and die' or at least, thats what it used to be called...
Tainted Shadow Rebel: ooo... i like Silversnow and Marshpool...
Stormfurs' Sweetie: Yeah, i want them to be freinds too...
RunningStorm: np, i like philosophical peoples
MoonfireSpan23: Meh, i'm too lazy to fix it, maybe i will when im bored XD
My father is the greatest leader in the forest, even now, in the falling of my years, I see him as the greatest, and even some of my friends from other clans agree with me, he was a powerful leader, full of pride and wisdom. His voice would carry across the Great Oak and sweep through the cats of the Island, like a swift-flowing river, some cats found his presence far too much to handle.
My father was like a boulder, hard and unwavering..
I groaned and rolled over, feeling my body reel and by belly constrict. My vision was blurred, my eyes burned, my body was icy. Next to me Marshpaw glanced over and signaled to Silverpaw, who both crept over and put a paw on my body, recoiling almost at once.
"He's as hot as fire!" whispered Silverpaw, "Marshpaw, go and get Brownleaf!" He turned and hurried away as she rolled me over and I pulled away from her, closing my eyes. My body was so cold, so freezing like the water that had numbed my body.
Marshpaw returned with the ShadowClan Medicine Cat Brownleaf, a rusty-jointed and grumbling brown long-haired tom with mottled black and gray patches. He pushed Silverpaw away and sniffed me, then rolled his eyes and eased me to my paws.
"Kits, look at the first case of whitecough of the season," he growled, "Get out of the way, he has to get to my den." The two other apprentices pulled back, clearly intimidated by the old toms' presence, as he led me out of the apprentice den and across the clearing. My body was so cold; I began trembling as a crisp breeze ruffled my fur.
"Great, you have a fever as well," he sniffed, settling me down in a mossy nest at the back of his den, I had often seen cats ill with greencough and whitecough and blackcough sleeping here, but had never imagined myself having it. He shuffled through his herbs and placed three things in front of me, two large, dark leaves and a poppy head.
"Eat only a few poppy seeds," he grumbled, continuing to shuffle through his supplies, "The feverfew will bring down your temperature and well, warm you up in your case. The poppy seed will help you rest, after your tumble in the river a day ago I imagine you're still exhausted and your immune system is lacking."
I nodded and chewed on the leaves, ignoring the bitter taste, and swallowed a few poppy seeds. I groaned, sinking into the soft mossy nest, my exhaustion peeking and letting me drift into a dreamless sleep.
Well, I wasn't fully asleep, it was more like a half sleep, I felt my body resting and my mind drifting, but heard the voices of all the cats to visit Brownleaf while I was asleep, it was quite unusual, really, and I rather enjoyed the feeling.
"Brownleaf? I heard Snakepaw was in here," a familiar meow reached my ears, Blackstripe was coming to look for me even before my father, "Oh, I see. What's he ill with?"
"Whitecough and a fever," I heard Brownleafs' gruff meow now, he still sounded distracted, and "We'll need more feverfew and catmint now. Oh shucks, where did that Chickweed go? Stars, I need more of that too."
"Would you like me to go and collect some?" Blackstripe asked, "He is my brothers' son. I would like to do all I can for him." I heard Brownleaf sniff.
"Smokestar should be the one asking to look for herbs," he growled, "I would take Darkflower as well, I believe most of it grows near the Greenleaf Twolegplace though, that calls for an invasion. Catmint can be found near the RiverClan border though. Good luck collecting all of it. But with the thrashing he took yesterday I doubt he can survive even a small infection like this, especially if it escalates to blackcough."
"He will survive," growled Blackstripe, "I still have a lot to teach him."
After a while there was age of quiet, and when I was roused from my sleep, Brownleaf gave me two more leaves of Feverfew since my fever hadn't gone down, and three more poppy seeds. I went back to sleep under similar circumstances.
A new scent entered the den, female, and strong. I was surprise, it was Darkflower. She had brought herbs too, I could smell them.
"I brought everything but the catmint," she meowed, "Blackstripe is heading to the RiverClan border now to collect some." Brownleaf chuckled and I was slightly surprised, I had never heard the old tom laugh before.
"I have a weakness for cute she-cats," he laughed, "It's easy for me to get irritated at Blackstripe, but he seems like a fine, strong tom. You're a lucky she-cat, you know that."
I felt Darkflower shift uneasily, "But my illness…" she murmured, and I could tell Brownleaf was beginning to frown.
"Only Smokestar, Blackstripe, you, and I know," he meowed plainly, "But it is true. You're mother had the same disease. You know the extent of the illness, correct?"
"My body will slowly get more and frailer," she murmured, "I'll sleep less and less, my bones will become as brittle as dry leaves. And slowly my heart will stop beating." She sighed, "It happens over three seasons, so I have three seasons left."
"Left to what?" asked Brownleaf. I felt Darkflower smile softly.
"To make Blackstripe love me."
Time passed again, and when I woke Brownleaf gave me many more herbs to eat. My fever still had not gone down, but it hadn't gotten any higher either. She gave me four leaves of feverfew now, and a few leaves of chickweed as well. Blackstripe still hadn't arrived with the catmint though, and she gave me even more poppy seeds to sleep. My body was still icy, and I could hardly shift my body without hitting a bruised muscle or bone.
Now a new scent wafted through the spicy herbs, my father had finally come to visit me.
"I heard Snakepaw has whitecough," he meowed, "Will he be alright?"
"Whitecough and a fever," growled Brownleaf, "His fever won't go down, no matter how much feverfew I give him. I give him poppy seeds every time he wakes up to dull his pain. I'm going to see if there's anymore lavender in the territory later on; mixed with feverfew I've never known it not to bring down a fever. But coupled with his incident yesterday his immune system is weak, and the infection is spreading to greencough. I need more chickweed and catmint."
"He will live though, right?" demanded Smokestar, "The snow is beginning to fall thickly, and it's almost a mouse length deep now. We need Snakepaw and his hunting skills to help collect more food-"
"Smokestar, with the condition your sons' in right now, you should be more concerned about saving his life then making him go out on a hunting patrol!" bristled Brownleaf, "There's another reason you came to visit me, isn't there? You've never shown this much concern for Snakepaw before. What's the matter this time?"
Smokestar shifted, "Blackstripe," he murmured. Brownleaf groaned and prodded my side with a paw, partially to make sure I was asleep and partially to check my temperature.
"I feel… overshadowed," Smokestar confessed to the old medicine cat, "Like, I'm not worthy to be leader. And sometimes when I fall asleep at night, I think that he should be leader instead of me. That was one of the reasons I picked him as my deputy. He's so close to the clan, it's like the clan is his family, and not just me. And Snakepaw, he's more of a father to Snakepaw then me, he even mentors him more then me. He's perfect to be leader, and I'm not, I'm…" he grumbled, "Prejudice."
"You warriors always have so many issues," growled Brownleaf, "Blackstripe is having issues with Darkflower; you're having issues with Blackstripe. Brownstripe is jealous of Blackstripes' love for Darkflower. Snakepaw is ill with whitecough, and I'm only here to listen to you all complain!" he snarled, "Get out of my den, before I change your name to Nostar when I bite off your tail!"
Smokestar grumbled and left, and a few moments later I opened my eyes. Brownleaf was clearly flustered and pushed a few herbs towards me, I spotted the soft violet petals o lavender in the feverfew, and groaned, rolling over and leaning towards the herbs.
"My father is having troubles with Blackstripe?" I murmured, Brownleaf groaned and nodded.
"Take your herbs," he grumbled, and I did as I was told.
I guess I overestimated my father. He's so strong though, his muscles are like twined iron and his mind is straightforward and unwavering. At least, I thought it was. But as I laid there on the mossy nest, almost delirious from so many poppy seeds and herbs being taken, whitecough was plaguing my chest and lungs. I realized something. That even the strongest, thickest, heaviest and densest boulders had their cracks of weakness.
POLL IS CLOSED
Anyways, here's a new question
answer it in your review
and i'll give you...
a Snakepaw snowglobe!
Here's the question...
DO YOU THINK THAT DARKFLOWER AND BLACKSTRIPE WILL GET TOGEATHER, and, IF YES, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEIR KITS WILL BE LIKE?
Go ahead and answer!
Share your opinion!
State the facts!
Just review!
And i'll write morer!