No no, not now! Despite her silent pleas, Silvershine couldn't stop it from coming on and gave in. She sneezed, possibly the loudest she'd ever sneezed. The mouse in front of her scurried away into what remained of a gorse bush and was lost to her.
"Mousedung," she spat.
"You alright?" Graymist bounded over a hill and was beside Silvershine in an instant.
"Yea, fine," Silvershine sniffed, drawing the mucus that hadn't escaped back into her nose. "I sneezed and scared away a mouse."
"Go back to camp right away," Graymist said. "Get Pepperface to give you something for that."
"Graymist, I'm fine," Silvershine protested. "Anyway, I can't afford to go back, we need all the hunters we can get."
"We'd be even worse off if one of those hunters got greencough or worse," Graymist scolded. "Now is not the time to be careless."
"I'll get some when we all go back," Silvershine insisted. "It's not that bad."
"I'll walk you back," Graymist said.
"Nevermind," Silvershine grumbled, "I can go alone."
Triumph glittered in Graymist's eyes as she watched Silvershine go back.
"For StarClan's sake, you'd think I was her kit," Silvershine muttered. Still, at least there's someone who cares. I guess with no mother of my own I can't complain.
She stepped through the gorse tunnel and shook herself as she entered the camp. Cats were bustling around with brambles and gorse and what remained of plants. They patched up any holes in the wall in an attempt to keep the wind out. Silvershine made her way to Pepperface's den.
"Hey, Pepperface, I need something for…" She trailed off as she noticed the medicine cat was not in. "Pepperface?"
Another cat suddenly bowled into her from behind, and the two of them toppled to the ground.
"Silvershine!" it was Pepperface. "I didn't see you there. What's wrong?! Is everyone alright!? Is it greencough?! Don't say it's greencough!"
"Are you alright?" Silvershine asked, getting up and backing away. The medicine cat was in a slight state of panic and her fur was a bit messy, probably from squeezing through entrances too fast.
"Nevermind about me," Pepperface spat out, "why are you here?"
"I…I was out hunting and sneezed," Silvershine said. "Graymist said I should get something from you. It's no big deal, I don-"
"No, no, I'll give you a little catmint to make sure it doesn't develop into greencough," Pepperface pushed aside her into the den. She disappeared into her storeroom and reemerged shortly with a bundle of herbs.
"I thought you said a little!" Silvershine exclaimed.
"I did," Pepperface dropped the stalks at her paws, "this isn't all for you." She picked out a few stalks and pushed them towards Silvershine, "that is. Chew it well; get out all the juices before you swallow."
"What's the rest for?" Silvershine asked. She hoped no one had developed a serious case of greencough.
"Blackfur, Longears, Ashcloud, and Harekit," Pepperface said.
"Harekit!?" Silvershine exclaimed. "But you were checking on her every day!"
"With all the excitement of the battle the other day I forgot," Pepperface said. "And then yesterday it got cold. The elders were complaining about aching joints and whatnot, so I cared for them most of the day. When I checked on her today, she was in pretty bad shape."
"'Pretty bad shape'?" Silvershine repeated. "Will she make it?"
"Only time will tell," Pepperface said. "It's in StarClan's paws. I keep giving her and Bluemist and Pinkkit catmint to keep it from spreading."
"Oh…." Silvershine said. She bent down and began to chew the catmint as Pepperface left. She won't die, will she?
Interesting how you only seem to talk to me when someone's about to die, Moonsong's meow was curt.
Sorry, Silvershine hunched her shoulders as she swallowed. It was true, she hadn't even thought much of her mother recently besides before the battle. I've been busy.
Too busy for your own mother? Moonsong asked. Silvershine heard a sigh, but I understand, you're a warrior now, and warriors don't listen to their mothers…
That's not true! Silvershine bit another stalk, tilting her head up so that the juices all flowed down her throat. I…I listen. You're really the only cat I listen to. Maybe Amberpelt too, and Stormstar. But no one else understands.
Thank-you Silvershine, Moonsong's meow had a tone of relief. I'm glad I could be there for you.
"…I saw her go into Pepperface's den," Silvershine heard meows outside the den.
She scooped the last stalk of catmint into her mouth and bounded out into the clearing. "Here I am!" she announced. "Was someone looking for you."
She was met by Amberpelt who was talking to her sister, Tigerstripe. "Stormstar would like to see you," Amberpelt said. Although her voice didn't show it, her eyes betrayed a sort of accomplishment and pride.
The kits! Silvershine knew instantly. He's going to ask me to mentor one of them! She twirled around with a leap and bounded to Stormstar's den. Every pawstep felt like it landed on a cloud, light and airy and thousands of taillengths above where they were. "I'm here!" She announced, coming in.
"Silvershine, good," Stormstar said. "What's that in your mouth?"
"Oh, it's a stalk of catmint," Silvershine said, gulping it down. "I got it from Pepperface because I started sneezing a little."
"Well, it's good you took care of it," Stormstar said, "you have to stay healthy, we all do."
"But I do especially, right?" Silvershine's excitement was almost uncontainable. She felt as if she were going to burst any moment if Stormstar didn't hurry up and say it. "Mentors can't get sick!"
Stormstar smiled. "I take it you know what this is about."
Silvershine nodded so fast she thought she would snap her neck. She started to tremble with excitement and dug her claws into the earth to steady herself. Her eyes felt twice their size and she worried they'd pop out of their sockets.
"Then I'll get right to it," Stormstar said. "I'm sure by Flavorkit's countdown you know it happens tomorrow. I can think of no one better to mentor one of those kits. You may lack the experience, but you have bonded tremendously with them. Will you do it?"
"Yes yes and a thousand times yes!" Silvershine leapt forward, unable to keep herself still any longer. Although she realized what she had done, she couldn't get herself to sit still again. Her tail stuck straight out and refused to curl at all even her claws would not retract.
A mrrow of laughter escaped Stormstar, but unlike Silvershine, he regained his composure immediately. "Alright then, you will mentor Sunkit."
Silvershine's tail thudded on the dusty earth and her trembling stopped immediately. "S….Sunkit?" she asked.
"Yes," Stormstar said. "Is that a problem?"
It felt like the entire den had just crashed on top of her and she fell from her lofty trail in the sky, slamming into the earth below like a mousebrained ThunderClan warrior hitting a tree in full run. She couldn't reply, couldn't even speak. Nothing made sense; it was all like a bad dream and she just sat there waiting to wake up. "B…but what about…..about Flavorkit?"
"I know," Stormstar said, "I noticed how the two of you have become great friends. But that friendship can get in the way. I question weather you would be able to discipline her properly, or if you would truly have authority over her. She has a very strong spirit, which is great for a warrior, if used properly. Flavorkit needs a mentor who will make her be serious, but allow her to be free when she can.
"I…I could…." Silvershine couldn't even think straight enough to form a sentence anymore.
"I don't think you can," Stormstar said. "Sunkit will make a perfect first apprentice. He's very well-behaved and already looks up to you. You should consider yourself lucky, I know I wish my first apprentice was anything like him." Another mrrow of laughter at his reminiscence came from the WindClan leader, but Silvershine hardly noticed. "You'll be fine. And it's not like if you don't mentor her you'll never see each other again."
"I…I guess…." Silvershine sighed heavily. Without waiting to be dismissed, Silvershine trudged out of the den. Her pawsteps were heavy and thudded on the ground as she dragged them along. As she exited the den, she caught Amberpelt's gaze and saw a sympathetic glimmer in them, she had known.
All the cats avoided her as she crossed the clearing and entered the warrior's den. She curled up in her nest and sulked.