Hello, my lovelies! You know, I've noticed something about myself. When it comes to FanFiction, I write a few chapters, post them every day to every other day, and then wait a bit before I write again. I don't do this on purpose, it just happens. Another strange thing is that I tend to write a whole lot more over the week then the weekend, when I actually have more time. Odd right?
Anyway, thanks SO MUCH for the reviews. Wolftaco was our 100th reviewer, so a big thank you to her for getting us over the 100 mark, and thanks to the rest of you for keeping up with this story and reviewing so much. It really means a lot. Tell me what plushie you want in your review, and enjoy this next chapter!
Disclaimer: Don't own Warriors.
Hailblaze wrapped Rabbitfoot's shoulder in cobwebs carefully. The ginger and white tom was one of the three cats sitting in the medicine den at the time. Poppyfall had been leading a patrol with Rabbitfoot Oakshade and Lionpaw when they had come across a two foxes. Lionpaw had been sent back to get help while the other three fought the foxes off. Frozenpaw couldn't help but scowl deeply, knowing that Lionpaw had intentionally been put out of harm.
She dabbed some horsetail on a deep claw mark on Poppyfall's hind leg before wrapping it with cobweb. The dappled she-cat watched with wonder as Frozenpaw's claws worked quickly.
"Wow," Poppyfall murmured. "You sure are skilled at this."
Frozenpaw grunted in response. "So I've been told before." She quickly turned away. "Just rest for a little bit. I'll be back in a while to change the cobweb and put on some fresher stuff."
Hailblaze had just finished up with Rabbitfoot, and was now turning towards Oakshade.
"Oh no," growled the dark brown tom. "I don't need to be fussed over like a kit. I'll be fine."
"In a few days, Oakshade," Hailblaze hummed, padding closer, "you go tell that to your infection. Now let me see those wounds."
He snarled in defiance, but showed the medicine cat his ear, which had been shredded badly. Frozenpaw imagined a fox ripping it off and couldn't help but smile.
Serves him right, that arrogant fur-ball.
Her mentor didn't look up from Oakshade as he spoke. "Frozenpaw, since you're done with Poppyfall, why don't you go check on the kits. I think Dusksky mentioned Sweetkit having a fever yesterday."
Frozenpaw nodded. Dusksky gave birth to two kits a half moon ago. She padded to the nursery and stuck her head in. The gray-brown she-cat lay curled up with her head raised, watching as her two kits stumbled around. She looked over at Frozenpaw as she entered and gave a warm smile.
"Greetings," she purred.
Frozenpaw nodded. "Hailblaze mentioned that you thought Sweetkit had a fever yesterday?"
Dusksky pricked her ears with recognition. "Oh yes. I think she's okay now, but you better look her over just in case."
With a dip of her head, Frozenpaw padded a few steps to where the kits were playing. The smell of milk and youth reminded her of her days in the nursery. The days when she slept soundly beside Lionkit and the days her pelt burned with anger at Snowshine filled her mind. Then came across the memories of her apprenticship, as she grew apart from her brother and hatred bubbled inside her ever time she saw her parents.
"Hello, kits," she said, sounding as cheery as she could possibly. The two looked up at her and blinked with their round eyes. Sweetkit, an exact replica of her mother, and Mumblekit, a tabby tom, named for his low voice.
"Hi," he rumbled. "Are you medicine cat?"
"Medicine cat apprentice," Frozenpaw corrected. She looked thoughtfully at Sweetkit. "And I hear that Sweetkit wasn't feeling all that well yesterday. I am right?"
The little she-kit shrugged. "Not really, but I am better now! Hey, we saw a butterfly this morning, and it was so pretty. Have you even seen a butterfly before, medicine cat?"
Frozenpaw forced a smile. It badgered her how quickly kits lost focus. She was never that spacy as a kit, but she tried to look pleased. "Well, no I haven't." She cleared her throat. "Even though you aren't feeling feverish, I should still look you over, okay?"
Sweetkit shrugged and bounded forward. Frozenpaw touched her pad to the kits's nose, feeling her temperature. Then she sniffed her. "You do feel normal. I wonder what that could've been." She looked up at Dusksky, who had been watching curiously. "Just watch over her carefully. If the fever comes back, let me know."
She nodded. "I will, Frozenpaw, thank you."
She shrugged and padded outside. I guess everyone really does see me as medicine cat now. Frozenpaw tried not to let it bother her, but she couldn't help but feel the irritation churning in her belly. Most of her wanted to scream to the Clan who she really was, a warrior through and through, but the part of her that held her self-control forced her fur to lie flat. There could be no way for her to outshine Lionpaw. Even Stoneclaw and Smallfeather, proving to be strong warriors, were lost in his shadows.
Frozenpaw saw the light brown tabby tom across the camp, speaking with his mentor, Mousewhisper. I just have to face it. Lionpaw will be leader and I, his medicine cat.
She slipped into the medicine den to see the three warriors sitting in their nests. Rabbitfoot was in a doze, while Poppyfall stretched and Oakshade just looked incredibly uncomfortable. She padded up to him without even realizing it. The last things she really wanted was to get involved an argument about her and Lionpaw, but that didn't stop her from sourly remarking, "See? This is why you don't get foolishly involved in a battle with foxes."
Oakshade snapped his green gaze to her sharply. His look was challenging. She noticed his claws unsheathe in front of him. "What did you expect us to do? Run like cowards? Ha! If this is what bravery costs, I'll fight a fox any day."
"Oh, Oakshade," she murmured. "You don't have to protect your self-security by calling yourself brave, because deep down, everyone knows it was just stupid."
She flicked his injured ear with her tail. That's when he lashed out on her, teeth bared in a furious snarl. "Watch what you say, kit or I'll-"
"Another sign of stupidity," Frozenpaw sighed. "This is really getting pathetic. You can't hurt a medicine cat. We have more power than you do."
It struck her as she said that, that she should've said it to Stoneclaw the day eHe became a warrior, but she was distracted with her grief towards Nettlepaw to mention it, she supposed.
Oakshade stared at her through the roundest eyes she had ever seen. Then shot up to look down on her, like he was supposed to be intimidating. "Maybe so," he snarled. "But are you a medicine cat? No. You are just a naive, ignorant apprentice. I am a warrior, and your father I-"
"What?!" screeched Frozenpaw, snapping Rabbitfoot out of his doze. Poppyfall and Hailblaze both looked there way, startled. "What did you call yourself?! Did you just say you were my father?"
"I am," he snarled back at her.
"No!" Frozenpaw yowled. "You do not have the right! You do not just ignore me and hate me my whole life just to come crawling back and suddenly act like you own me! Don't you dare call yourself my father! Because you do not deserve that title!"
Oakshade snaked forward, forcing Frozenpaw back. "You're lecturing me? How dull do you think I am? I've been in this world long enough to know that if I am part of the reason you are here, I am your father, whether you like it or not, Frostpaw."
"You don't even know my name!" she yowled. Just as she was about to strike him over his shredded ear, Hailblaze threw himself between them.
"That is it!" he growled. Frozenpaw waited for him to turn to her and scold her, but he faced Oakshade, and Oakshade alone. "How dare you?" he growled. "Who do you think you are to talk to your own daughter like she is your slave? You do not deserve the name of a warrior."
The dark brown tabby didn't back down. "I passed my assessments didn't I? Besides, what would you know about a warrior's honor? You gather leaves for a living."
Poppyfall gasped behind him.
Hailblaze's gaze grew wider. "I'm a typically calm cat, Oakshade. It takes a whole lot of idiotic cats to tip me off, and I think your own ignorance did the job." He shoved the tabby vigorously away, into his nest. "If you have the nerve to speak to your daughter and your medicine cat that way, you are the fool. Frozenpaw has every right to feel the way she does, and so do I. Stop holding yourself above everything else in this world for a change, and open your cold. Blind. Eyes."
"I bet your son won't like hearing about this," Frozenpaw said softly.
Oakshade looked past Oakshade at her. "Oh come on. It takes more than a couple of sweet-smelling medicine cats to lure him onto their soft side of the war."
"Get out of my den," Hailblaze suddenly snarled.
Oakshade reluctantly got up and limped out of the medicine den with a sprained paw. Frozenpaw turned to Hailblaze, shaken by the dispute. "Looks like we have enemies within our own Clan," she meowed.
I hate you Oakshade! Go to the Dark Forest! *grabs Oakshade plushie and chucks it at a brick wall before giving to let dog to chew to pieces and then tosses the remains off a cliff into the ocean where a bunch of hungry sharks are waiting.*
Just so you know, the point of Frozenpaw going to the nursery to check Sweetkit was to A. Fill up the chapter. B. Announce the birth of Dusksky's kits. And C. Explain how Frozenpaw was feeling about the way kits really were compared to how she was.
Review!
~Destiny