A/N: It's been almost half a year since I last updated—sorry. The story's going to pick up soon, I promise.

Chapter 10

Flamepaw, the young medicine cat apprentice, peered at Crowfrost, lying on a soft bed of moss. The black-and-white tom's body shook every time he coughed.

Next to him was Ratscar, a brown tom. He lay on his back, attempting to ease his stomachache. His eyes were closed in an uncomfortable sleep.

"Littlecloud?" asked Flamepaw, thinking hard. "Tansy is for coughs, right? And watermint for stomachache?"

"Yes." Littlecloud padded over from the darkness in the back of the den to check on his patients. "Crowfrost should recover soon. But we'll need more tansy."

"We're low on watermint, too," Flamepaw pointed out, looking worried.

"Can you go fetch some?" Littlecloud met his apprentice's gaze. "Take a warrior with you; you'll collect more."

The ginger tom nodded determinedly. "I know where they grow." His tail waved as he walked out of the den.

Weak beams of sunlight filtered through the dense trees overhead. Flamepaw shook himself, warming himself up in the cold air. He scanned the clearing—only one warrior was in sight: Toadfoot. He was finishing a small frog.

Flamepaw rushed over to the older tom. "Toadfoot?"

"Yes?" he replied, taking another bite.

"Littlecloud needs some herbs for Crowfrost and Ratscar. I'll need help carrying them back," he explained.

Toadfoot immediately nodded. "I'll help you. Should we leave now?"

"Of course. The sooner we return, the faster Crowfrost and Ratscar can be cured," mewed Flamepaw.

Toadfoot finished his meal and got to his paws.

The two left camp. The marshy grass was damp underpaw, and a cold breeze ruffled their fur. Flamepaw shivered.

"So what are we looking for?" Toadfoot questioned, breaking the silence.

"Tansy for coughs and watermint for stomachache," Flamepaw recited. "There should be some around the stream."

A cold wind started to blow as the two cats padded on. Flamepaw felt his fur blow against his skin, but continued determinedly. Toadfoot appeared not to feel the cold.

"Over there," Flamepaw suddenly mewed. He nodded towards a clump of green leaves. "That's watermint."

They veered towards it. Toadfood broke off some of the leaves, and gathered them in his jaws. "Should we take these back to camp and then come out for tansy?" he mewed around the herb.

Flamepaw thought for a moment. "Take those back to Littlecloud; I'll find the tansy."

"Will you need help carrying them?" Toadfoot asked.

"No, I'll be okay."

Toadfoot turned and melted into the shadows of the forest, and Flamepaw carried on alone.

The wind was blowing even harder now, and the trees shook alarmingly. Flamepaw looked up in amazement as the loose needles drifted towards the ground like snowflakes.

Some tansy flapped wildly in the wind up ahead. Flamepaw races towards it, his eyes half closed in the wind. As he bit off the stalks, the wind carried them away. "Hey!" Flamepaw yelped in alarm. He chased after them, slamming his paws onto the stems. He hoped the herbs weren't damaged.

The cat trotted back towards the plant and pulled out a few more flowers, holding them tightly. Now he wished that Toadfoot was still there with him, but hopefully the older warrior would already be back in camp.

Flamepaw closed his eyes and let the scents and sounds of the forest wash over him. Then, bracing against the wind, he started to trot back.

Halfway back, he started to hear murmurs—cat voices. He located his clanmates, and padded up to them, weaving through the trees.

"Kinkfur? Shrewpaw? What's happening?" Flamepaw asked.

The tabby she-cat turned to him, eyes wide. "We were on a hunting patrol, when we heard Toadfoot. I sent Shrewpaw to check on him, and when Ratscar's apprentice returned, his tail was all fluffed out as if he'd been scared. But look at Toadfoot."

Flamepaw set his herbs down beneath the shelter of a strong pine, and walked up to the warrior who had helped him. Toadfoot's glazed eyes stared up at the sky, and like Shrewpaw, his fur was fluffed out and his hackles raised. Only his sharp, heaving breaths showed that the warrior wasn't dead.

"Toadfoot?" Flamepaw whispered. "Can you hear me?"

"They," Toadfoot gasped. "They were here."

High above in the trees, eyes glittered. "Of course," the amber-eyed silhouette purred. "Of course we are here."

Ripples of amusement passed through the others, and then they vanished.