Well, uh...I got a flame. Huh. Look at that. -blinks- I guess Flames are Welcome! I'm happy now! -puts on badge- I've been flamed! Yay!
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter peeps! Took me awhile, I know, and I...certaintly didn't make up for it, because I didn't write it up to well, but...eh...enjoy! And please review!
A flake fell from the stone-gray sky, and a blanket of frost was starting to cover the ground around her. From her tail-tip to her nose, she felt the chill of leaf-bare blowing through her. Prey was getting scarce. The first snow was early. Rosepaw could tell that even the prey was surprised at Leaf-fall's early survival.
Rosepaw sniffed the air. The scent of the forest around her instantly filled her nostrils, and a shiver coursed through her, when she realized that wherever the disease had come from, it was in the forest around her.
"The Blood…" she murmured, naming the sickness as RiverClan had. It suited it well.
Raykit was dead. Cause of death? Blood loss.
Rosepaw hadn't told Turtlefeather about it yet. Only Streamstar. And only Streamstar, Spottedlight, and she knew of the dark cloud looming over the Clan. The Blood.
"Rosepaw,"
A voice behind her jerked Rosepaw from her thoughts, and she turned to see a gray ThunderClan warrior bounding towards her, flicking his tail in a greeting.
"Hey," she meowed, flicking her tail as well – in an attempt to flirt. Thorntail nodded at her, his eyes as bright as the shining sun above them.
"Hiya, Rosepaw." He purred, his voice as smooth as the river would be, if it froze over. "Out collecting herbs?"
"Actually, I was..." Rosepaw trailed off. She truly was trying to find the cause of The Blood, but she couldn't tell Thorntail that – Streamstar didn't want a panic. So she left her sentence as is 'Actually, I was.'
Thorntail waited for her to continue, but she didn't, so he did. "I sent Scornpaw out on a wild goose chase," he meowed. "So I have some time to goof off, before he realizes what I did to him."
"What did you send him to do?" Rosepaw asked curiously.
"I sent him to hunt an OwlRabbit." Thorntail answered, giving Rosepaw's ear an affectionate lick. "And they don't exist." He added, matter-of-factly.
Rosepaw couldn't control herself. "Why'd you do that?" Rosepaw burst out. She could have handled that better, but what else could she do? Scornpaw was out there, alone with some disease spreading about! Well, actually, he might be safer out there, then in the camp… But Thorntail was acting awfully irresponsibly!
"So I could have some time to myself." Thorntail answered, looking at her as if she had asked him if he was truly a cat, and had not asked him why he had deceived his apprentice. "And Swiftfoot taught me the same thing. I don't care what the Warrior Code says, orders shouldn't be carried out blindly." He grunted, nodding in agreement with himself. Rosepaw regarded him for a moment, and then sighed. That did make sense, she supposed. But still! "Thorntail," she mewed, changing the subject. "Did you happen to see Blackshadow?" she recalled the black tom explaining to her how he was going to scare Thorntail a bit. She couldn't help but wonder if he had been successful.
"Yeah." Thorntail purred with amusement, as he started to give his tail a wash. "He pounced on Scornpaw right in the middle of our training session. He chose a good moment to." Rosepaw looked at him, so Thorntail explained. "I had just finished telling Scornpaw to expect the unexpected." Rosepaw purred, and the two cats were silent for a moment. Thorntail's story couldn't help but remind Rosepaw of her own mentor, Flamesoul, and how they had once been so close…until…
"What herbs are you looking for?" Thorntail asked, interrupting Rosepaw's thoughts. "I could help you out."
Rosepaw stared at the smoky gray tom for a heartbeat, quickly thinking up something to say. "Juniper berries." She mewed, naming the first herb she could think of. "I should…uh…stock up, before the snow totally covers them."
Thorntail nodded, and the ThunderClan warrior lowered his head, and started sniffing around. "So," he mewed starting conversation. "Why'd you decide to be a medicine cat, and not a warrior?"
"My father," Rosepaw began, starting to sniff around as well, even though she knew Juniper Berries didn't grow in the area that she and Thorntail were in. "Told me how much he respected Flamesoul for what he was doing – it was shortly after Flamesoul healed an injured shoulder of his," Rosepaw murmured, her sapphire eyes clouding as she recalled. "I was always Daddy's Little Kit," she purred, recalling the countless dawns they had spent in one another's company. Her father's emerald eyes, glowing with warmth and love when he looked at her. "And I wanted nothing more then to please him. When I told him my decision…he was so proud. I remember…when Flamesoul announced who he was taking on an apprentice, he was…amazed. His eyes lit up…" Rosepaw chuckled to herself, recalling how he would go out of his way to see her when she first started staying in the medicine cat's den. "And at that Gathering, before Streamstar even made the announcement that her daughter was becoming a medicine cat, he had made sure he had told every cat in the hollow. Twice."
Thorntail purred with amusement, and batted Rosepaw's side playfully with his tail. "That's nice." He purred his voice as warm as the previous Newleaf. "Your father loves you very much. Who is he?" he seemed to pause for a moment, in thought. "Swiftfoot, maybe? No…his mate is Sandpelt…"
Rosepaw looked at him in utter horror – as if he had told her that he had found a river of mouse-bile, and had suggested that they swim in it together. But she suddenly remembered that she had never told Thorntail that her father had passed on to StarClan. "Uh…he died." She rasped, thinking about it now. "Shortly after I was apprenticed."
Thorntail's tail stopped moving, and the warrior was silent for a long time. One sure fire way to end a conversation. Talk about how great your father was, and then tell your partner that he died.
"I'm sorry…I didn't know…" Thorntail rasped his voice as rough as tree bark. "Did he die in a battle?"
"Greencough," Rosepaw murmured, recalling her tawny father lying in hers and Flamesoul's den, breathing his last breath. "Your mother's gone too, right?" Thorntail blinked at her surprised, and Rosepaw remembered that Blackshadow had told her of Thorntail's mother – not Thorntail himself. "We're kind of alike," she purred.
"Yeah. Anyways, I bet you did all you could to save him," Thorntail meowed, as if Rosepaw hadn't mentioned his mother.
"Yeah…" Rosepaw meowed, taking Thorntail's hint – don't talk about the mother. "But he still died." After a moment's pause she murmured, "I have no right to call myself a medicine cat."
"Sure you do. I bet'cha Flamesoul lost cats too. Blueherb too." Thorntail purred, trying to comfort her. "Don't be so hard on yourself."
"No, its not that. Flamesoul…taught me how to deal with losing a cat."
"It must be cool," Thorntail purred, changing the subject, "To be able to talk to StarClan every night in your dreams." Thorntail looked at her in wonder for a moment, his eyes full of wonder and astonishment. "You get to speak to all the greatest warriors. Like Kindleheart, and Shallowleaf…and that one cat you liked…Tigertail, too." Rosepaw stared at him blankly, thinking of the few time she had met with StarClan before IT had happened. She recalled Hollowstar, the former leader of ThunderClan, with his pale amber eyes that seemed to stare right through her. Hollowstar's pelt, which was both as dark as the night sky, but somehow…at the same time had seemed to glow. She remembered how Hollowstar had welcomed her as a medicine cat. A shiver ran through the dark ginger she-cat, and she suddenly realized that Thorntail hadn't stopped talking. "…and you get to get to hear the future from StarClan and stuff…"
"It does sound nice." Rosepaw meowed without thinking about the consequences of her words. But as soon as the words escaped her, Rosepaw wanted to recapture them and force them back down her own throat! Great StarClan!
"What do you mean it 'sounds' nice?" Thorntail asked her looking at her like she had told him StarClan had told her to tell him that he should be nicer to mice, because they were very well organized and could get revenge.
"I don't do that." Rosepaw murmured, fighting to let the words come out of her mouth. "I don't speak to StarClan."
Thorntail looked at her as if she had said that she didn't eat anymore. "StarClan doesn't speak to me…" Rosepaw's eyes widened as she said that. She had known herself for awhile. Then how could she have gotten a sign from them? StarClan didn't walk in her dreams, why would they bother to send her a sign!? Why her, and not Streamstar? So…that Spottedlight sign…
…
"StarClan knows that I don't deserve to be a medicine cat, so they don't speak to me." Thorntail's eyes widened as Rosepaw went on. "I can't be the medicine cat my father wanted me to be." Thorntail stared blankly at her for a moment, his eyes as wide as full-moons.
"Why wouldn't you deserve to be a medicine cat?" Thorntail asked, his voice not accusing, but thoughtful. Thorntail could tell he had comforted the apprentice with his tone, so he hated to go on. But he had to find out why. "Are you HalfClan or something?" Rosepaw looked at him like he had told her that he was secretly a medicine cat himself, so he explained. "You know. Was your father in RiverClan or something?"
Rosepaw's eyes suddenly glowed with understanding. "So that's what HalfClan is. I've never heard the term before…" Rosepaw meowed, sounding as if she was talking in her sleep and not having a conversation with a tom-cat. "But no. My father was a ThunderClan tom through and through. His name was Crimsonheart…"
"Then if StarClan disapproves of you," Thorntail snorted, unable to hide his distaste. "Then they're all mouse-brains. Every one of them. You're a fantastic medicine cat, Rosepaw." His words didn't seem to convince her, so he swept on. "Your father was a great warrior, I bet. Your mother is ThunderClan leader. What could possibly be wrong with you?"
"Uh-huh." Thorntail's answer evidently hadn't soothed the medicine cat, it was as clear as the fact that Rosepaw's fur was scarlet.
Rosepaw was silent for a moment. "Want to go to Sunningrocks?" she asked, her voice hardly even audible.
"Why?"
Rosepaw was secretly wishing that they would meet a RiverClan patrol – or even a RiverClan warrior STEALING from Sunningrocks. It didn't matter how, but Rosepaw needed to see a RiverClan cat. She silently hoped that maybe the situation had gotten better, and Blueherb had either found a cause or cure.
"I know a few good herbs there. I would go alone, but its close to the RiverClan border…" and Rosepaw really enjoyed the gray warrior's company.
"So you need me to protect you if any of them decide to get rough, yes?" Thorntail flexed his claws, as if he was seeing a RiverClan warrior right before him. Rosepaw was curious about his hostility, especially after recently learning that Thorntail had been born in RiverClan.
"That's right." Rosepaw purred, lying between her teeth. But uh…don't attack unless they seem hostile…"
"I'll threaten them first. Got it."
Rosepaw rolled her eyes. "Well, let's go." She meowed, taking a few paw steps towards where SunningRocks was.
…
Thorntail let Rosepaw rush forward into SunningRocks, while he watched the dark ginger she-cat with curious eyes. He couldn't help but be curious. Why didn't StarClan speak to her? He had meant every word he had said to her. Rosepaw's blood was as pure as grass was green, and had come from a powerful heritage. Thorntail couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the emotion that flared up inside him whenever he saw her. Most likely she felt it too. But he had only been friendly like this to Rosepaw for about a moon. Rosepaw hadn't even gone to Moonstone again yet, so she wouldn't have known for sure yet. So it couldn't have been his fault!
Besides, technically, if you searched for a loophole, medicine cats could HAVE mates. They just couldn't do what mates did. And that thing was, mate. At least that had always been Thorntail's assumption.
"Awfully close to RiverClan, aren't you, Thorntail?"
The voice knocked Thorntail from his thoughts of Rosepaw, and he jerked his head around to see Applefur's elder brother, Bearmoon trotting towards him, Shrewtail and Robinwing beside him.
Thorntail ignored the scorn in Bearmoon's tone, and dipped his head at the deputy. "Hello Robinwing. Assessing the apprentices?" he asked referring to Bearmoon and Shrewtail. He could be scornful too.
"You looked like you were longing for that stretch of land beyond the river," Robinwing meowed as if he hadn't spoken. "Are you truly loyal to us, Thorntail?"
Thorntail stared blankly at her for a moment, gaping. He had NOT been looking at RiverClan territory! He had been looking at Rosepaw…well, neither one was exactly a good thing to be longing for, so he just retorted,
"Yeah." Thorntail shrugged his shoulders. "The cats over there are nicer."
The patrol of cats looked shocked that Thorntail hadn't denied it, and he turned his head back to look towards RiverClan territory, this time trying to look even more fascinated.
"Or are you looking at RiverClan?" Shrewtail asked, the golden tom settling himself down at Thorntail's side. "The whole Clan's noticed, Thorntail. You haven't gotten a new mate since Gingerleaf. You've been spending a lot of your time with her recently." Shrewtail was referring to Rosepaw.
Shrewtail paused for a moment, and Thorntail fixed the warrior with a look that he hoped would make the warrior fall over dead.
"RiverClan cats never did have any respect for the warrior code." Bearmoon pointed out, in mock helpfulness. Thorntail opened his mouth, to agree with Bearmoon – he enjoyed that sort of thing, when to his surprise Robinwing flicked her tail for silence.
"That's enough." She growled, her hackles rising. To Thorntail, she meowed, "There are plenty of she-cats in the Clan." Her voice was soft now, to Thorntail's surprise. When he stared into her robin-egg-blue eyes, they were warm enough that he almost got a burn. She continued. "Rosepaw's an innocent medicine cat without a mentor to guide her. Why don't you look elsewhere? Weren't you looking at Featherfrost on a patrol earlier?" she looked thoughtful, for a moment. "And Applefur looks almost exactly like Rosepaw. And I know she has an eye on you. Just some advice, Thorntail." She gave him a curt nod. To the two toms, she added, her voice with its normal authority, "Alright. WindClan border. Now. No more side tracks."
With that, the ThunderClan deputy started to race off. Bearmoon and Shrewtail watched her go for a moment, before they too followed her.
…
Rosepaw was acutely aware of the conversation Thorntail was having with his Clan mates, as she looked around. No sign of RiverClan. Rosepaw sighed heavily. She'd be able to see Blueherb soon, when she went to HighStones for the HalfMoon, but she wanted to hear how Blueherb was doing NOW. Not later.
Rosepaw sighed, and was about to turn back towards Thorntail when a voice called out to her.
"Rosepaw? You're Rosepaw, aren't you?"
Rosepaw turned her head, to see where the voice was coming from. Unsure whether this was a trap or not, as she remembered Applefur, she turned her head to check to see what Thorntail was up to. But the smoky tom was still talking to the patrol of warriors. Rosepaw doubted anyone would come after her, now, right under a fresh patrol's nose.
Rosepaw pricked her ears. "I'm Rosepaw. Where…are you?"
"Oh, sorry."
Rosepaw suddenly heard a splash in the river, and in a heartbeat, saw a beautiful she-cat step onto the shore. Her fur was as black as a raven's, and was as shiny as the stars of Silverpelt. The cat's eyes, which burned into Rosepaw's, were like sapphires, and sparkled like the gems they looked like. This mysterious dark she-cat's tail was almost as long as he body, and she was very tall. The cat carried the scent of RiverClan, anad from her height, and age, she seemed to be a young warrior.
"Blueherb sent me," the cat explained breathlessly, her voice as beautiful as she was.
"And who are you?" Rosepaw asked.
The black she-cat chuckled nervously. "Oh, we haven't met yet. I'm Blueherb's new apprentice. My name is Shadenight."
Rosepaw stared at the she-cat in pure jealousy for a moment. Rosepaw had always thought of Blueherb as her mentor, once Flamesoul had left. Now, Rosepaw had to SHARE the medicine cat, with another.
"Well…why are you here?" Rosepaw asked. "You say Blueherb sent you? Good news, I hope?"
Shadenight shook her head. "We were hoping you'd have some."
"If we get any, I promise I'll send someone over." Rosepaw murmured, staring into Shadenight's sparkling eyes. "Is RiverClan getting worse?"
"We're coping." Shadenight meowed, after a moment's pause. "We're not doing…as good as we could, but it's not a crisis." Rosepaw had a feeling that Shadenight was lying, to protect her Clan. Rosepaw didn't pry.
"Tell Blueherb to send someone over if you find anything out. And if Duststar is…reluctant," Rosepaw knew leaders didn't always jump to help other Clans. "Tell him that a disease in ThunderClan could spread to RiverClan in a heartbeat. Same goes for us."
The other medicine cat apprentice dipped her head. "I'll tell him." Shadenight promised, turning around to go into the river. "StarClan light your path." With that, the RiverClan she-cat swam on home.
Rosepaw turned around, and saw that the patrol Thorntail had been speaking to had left. And the gray tom had been looking at Rosepaw and Shadenight the whole time.
"She's a medicine cat apprentice." Rosepaw explained breathlessly, as she bounded towards him. "Shadenight."
"Shadenight?" Thorntail asked slowly. "Shadenight What'd she want?"
"Uh…just reminded me of some things that Blueherb had to teach me, that's all." Rosepaw purred, straining to keep The Blood a secret.
"Oh. Want to go back to camp?"
"Uh…yeah." Rosepaw sighed, realizing she wasn't going to find anything right now. "Let's go."
…
Rosepaw bounded through the gorse tunnel, with Thorntail right at her side. Rosepaw purred to herself. She felt safer in the camp, then out. Especially now, with an invisible threat stalking around.
An invisible threat that had invaded the camp. Rosepaw didn't get to enjoy her safety long. Instantly, Furrytail rushed over, her words spilling from her mouth.
"Something's wrong with Cheerypaw! I started to groom her for the ceremony, and," Furrytail's voice was drowned out by Turtlefeather, who Rosepaw hadn't noticed come up. "I went into your den Rosepaw, to check on Raykit, and he's dead! And…and…there's something wrong with Morningkit too! She was with the elders, and Swiftfoot says she just started bleeding!"
Rosepaw stared at Turtlefeather and Furrytail with horror. Turtlefeather and Furrytail were older, and stronger then the three other cats who had gotten sick. But both of them had been grooming the sick cats at some point. Which, according to Blueherb's realization, meant that they weren't going to be around much longer.
"Whoa!" Swiftfoot was rushing towards her now, the elder's voice sounding out above the other two worried she-cats. "There's something wrong with Heatherpelt…"
Rosepaw nodded. Heatherpelt had probably groomed one of the kits…
"Thorntail," she hissed turning to her companion. "Go help Heatherpelt to my den, okay? Do not groom her."
Thorntail looked at her like she had told him to shove Morningkit down Heatherpelt's throat. "Why not?"
"Just listen to me!" Rosepaw snapped. "Furrytail, Turtlefeather." She growled, suddenly taking authority. "Go to my den. Help Cheerypaw and Morningkit in there. Don't groom them. They'll have to walk for themselves – don't carry them." Rosepaw watched Thorntail help Heatherpelt to her den, and winced. Grooming was one way to get the disease, but what if there was another way to catch it? Too late, Rosepaw realized she might have just sentenced Thorntail to death.
She didn't have time to tread on that long, as Furrytail and Turtlefeather rushed off to carry out their orders, and Swiftfoot spoke.
"Should I do anything?"
"Yes," Rosepaw meowed. "Try to calm them down. Don't groom them though. They respect you. They'll listen to you."
Swiftfoot dipped his head and turned tail, and rushed into Rosepaw's den.
Rosepaw sighed. She had to do something. She had to do something now! "You killed Raykit."
A voice startled Rosepaw out of her worries, and she turned to see Dawnshimmer there, the dark she-cat's hackles rose.
"That's even more ridiculous then your accusation that Thorntail and I are mates!" Rosepaw snapped, impatient. She didn't have time to argue with Dawnshimmer!
"You are seeing Thorntail!" Dawnshimmer argued, lashing her tail. "You were with him, when you should've been with Raykit! And StarClan probably brought this upon us because of you! You're a medicine cat! You can't have a mate!"
Rosepaw's eyes flashed blue fire. She and Thorntail weren't mates! Rosepaw started to wonder why Dawnshimmer cared so much about Raykit, when she remembered that Dawnshimmer was Turtlefeather's sister, and Raykit was her nephew.
"Thorntail and I are friends. Nothing more." Rosepaw growled, digging her claws into the ground.
Dawnshimmer seemed to not have heard her. "What, Thorntail couldn't nab any normal she-cats? Intelligent She-cats? Pretty She-cats? So he lowered himself to picking up trash like you? I guess he isn't what Applefur thought he was. He's just a disloyal RiverClan tom, who doesn't even know the first thing about the Warrior Code, or StarClan."
"Shut up," Rosepaw snapped, rage burning through her. "You don't know him! He knows far more about it then you!"
Dawnshimmer unsheathed her claws, and Rosepaw did the same. Dawnshimmer had bunched her muscles together to pounce. Rosepaw did the same.
"You piece of fox-dung!" Dawnshimmer snarled, and leaped into the air.
Rosepaw cringed, and closed her eyes expecting the she-cat to fall right on her.
But she didn't.
She slowly opened one eye, and saw the most peculiar thing.
Dawnshimmer was lying on her side, right before Rosepaw, staring up at another cat in pure shock. Rosepaw knew why she was shocked.
A dark ginger she-cat had Dawnshimmer held down, and her emerald eyes gleamed with a hate that Rosepaw was used to being directed at her.
"Now that's just plain harassment, Dawnshimmer." Applefur snarled, staring down at her friend with disgust. "You're a warrior. You should be above harassing medicine cats."
"B-but…" Dawnshimmer began, but Applefur cut her off.
"Flowertail's kits will be apprenticed soon. Streamstar will be looking for good mentors. You're a young, strong she-cat – a good candidate. But she won't even choose a cat that is so disloyal; they'd bother the medicine cat!"
Applefur crawled off of the other cat, and sighed. "Run along, Dawnshimmer."
Dawnshimmer, still in shock, scurried off to the Warrior's Den.
Rosepaw was just as shocked as Dawnshimmer. She stared at Applefur curiously. Who was she, and what had she done to the cat that had been terrorizing her?
"Th-thanks." Rosepaw meowed, not knowing what else to say.
"Don't thank me." Applefur snapped. "I just didn't like hearing how she talked about Thorntail." Applefur's tone was enough to make Rosepaw run into Streamstar's den, and get comfort from her mother.
Applefur's gaze softens. "I didn't expect you to snap like that at her. I…guess even you have a limit, don't you, Rosepaw?"
Rosepaw nodded.
"You're…serious about Thorntail, aren't 'ya, Rosepaw?" Applefur asked curiously.
Rosepaw sighed heavily, and lowered her voice. "I like him in a way I shouldn't…yeah." She wasn't sure about admitting this to Applefur, but…already had once before anyways. So…
"He gets this softest look in his eye, whenever he…is looking at you." Applefur meowed, wistfully. The warrior jerked her head towards Rosepaw's den. "Well, I'll shut up about it. But either way, you need to help those cats."
Rosepaw had almost forgotten about The Blood. She dipped her head at Applefur, in another way of saying thanks, and bounded into her den.