CHAPTER EIGHT
"Daisyfur, we need to talk."
The ginger tabby brushed xem off, turning away without breaking stride. "Yellowstar's health is fine. Your concern is unwarranted."
"Daisyfur," xe persisted. "It's not about xem. It's about Redfang and Ravenfur."
"Still coughing?"
"Yes, but—"
"You'll have to make do with what herbs you have." With that, xe started to leave camp, crossing from the camp clearing into the thicker part of the forest.
"It's about your kits!"
Daisyfur stopped. "Redfang and Ravenfur aren't my kits."
"No, you mouse-brain." Xe twitched xir whiskers, knowing that Daisyfur was still trying to put xem off. "Adderpaw and Emberpaw. Emberpaw still goes to listen to them and their stories, doesn't xe?"
Xe turned xir white muzzle around to face the medicine cat and blinked once, holding xir gaze steady. "...Yes."
"You should drop by and listen to them sometime. See how they've been talking to the apprentices."
"Are you taking after Molenose now?"
Doveheart had no answer to that.
The deputy stepped toward xem and turned xir body around, coming closer into the gray cat's gaze. "You're overstepping your bounds, Doveheart. Emberpaw isn't your apprentice."
"Well if xe were—"
"Well xe is not."
The two cats glared at each other, and Doveheart felt xir pelt prickle with all the things between them that for so long had gone unspoken, and which Daisyfur still refused to say. Xe didn't need to say it outright for the medicine cat to feel the scorn. Xe still blamed xem, even after all this time. Perhaps xe always would.
"Regardless, Daisyfur," xe continued on, despite the sting, "you should be concerned what ideas Redfang and Ravenfur are spreading through our Clan, beginning with the young ones who are our future."
Daisyfur seemed to consider that for a moment, though xe said nothing, xir face unexpressive. The yellow tabby cat was so much unlike xir mate.
"Where do you think Emberpaw got the idea to try eating water hemlock?"
The deputy scowled, hesitant to believe xir insinuation. "You can't blame the elders for that."
"Do you think it was something that Leechwhisker or Lilyfang was talking about?"
"It could have been. Or it could have been you."
"Daisyfur, think about this," xe pleaded, stepping closer. "They spend so much time at the elder's stump. Aren't you curious what they're learning?"
"Our Clan's history," xe replied, brushing past xem on the way back into camp, "and the loyalty of its warriors." That, Doveheart was fairly certain, was a jab at her, for tending to the wounds of the rogue. Xe must've talked with Yellowstar. The gray tabby stood there watching him go, feeling powerless to effect change, until the deputy added in a different voice, "Come on, Doveheart. We'll go talk to them."
Raising xir tail as straight up as a sapling, the medicine cat trotted up to xir side, relieved to have broken through xir stubbornness. Though xe was grateful and heartened by the invitation, xe wasn't going to say anything, for fear of risking this tenuous concession and tipping the scales back toward the deputy's deep-seated and long-nurtured resentment.
So it surprised xem when Daisyfur spoke, telling her, "Yellowstar has always told me that foolish is the deputy who does not listen to the medicine cat."
Xe wasn't sure what politics were behind Daisyfur's decision to tell xem this, or whether the saying was anything that Yellowstar would still be saying now, but xe decided to reply in kind, answering, solemnly, without reservation, "KnollClan is honored to have xem as a leader."
As the two of them headed toward the elder's stump, Doveheart swept xir gaze over camp for any sign of the apprentices, but xe didn't catch sight of them before they reached the elder's favorite sunning place. Having watched them approach, Redfang and Ravenfur were lying beside the stump as always, their ears pricked forward and their expressions betraying a patronizing disinterest.
Daisyfur stopped before them and dipped xir head in respect, making Doveheart feel obligated to do the same, though the feeling was no longer in xir heart. The deputy took a seat, xir tail draped out behind them, while the medicine cat remained on xir paws.
"Tell us another story," Daisyfur said. "It's been so long since I've heard one from you."
"That's because when you were apprentices, we were still out killing mice and keeping MeadowClan off the rocky slopes," Ravenfur remarked.
It was true; Doveheart could remember the days, back when xe expected to become a warrior, that xe looked up to Ravenfur, hoping to one day be as great. Most of xir kithood had been spent in the anxiety that in xir smallness and with xir inhibitions, xe would never make as good a warrior as xir siblings. Spiderkit was quick and fierce, and Molekit was sharp and perceptive, but though xe had some skills of xir own, xe was certain xe would never amount to as much. Later, xe decided that healing was xir true calling, but only after the leader had assigned xem to the medicine cat as an apprentice.
Xe had never been given the chance to fully test xemself and develop xir hunting skills, and there was no telling how good xe would have been, but there was no chance for that now, now that xir mentor was gone and xe remained the Clan's sole medicine cat without an apprentice.
"You're grown up now, with a whole Clan to run," Redfang added toward Daisyfur. "Don't you have more important things to do than to listen to stories?"
"Nothing is more important to me than my Clan," xe returned.
Redfang and Ravenfur looked at each other.
"Did the medicine cat put you up to this?" Ravenfur asked.
"Yes," Doveheart interjected, answering for xemself. "Tell xem what you've been telling the apprentices."
"Oh, nothing much, really," the black cat replied, rolling onto xir back to wriggle and scratch an itch. "Just a few detailed accounts of the time that I took revenge on BrookClan and killed their deputy."
Doveheart's hackles rose, but it was Daisyfur who spoke. "KnollClan owes you no thanks, Ravenfur. If you hadn't done that, Silverstar would have conceded to end the war much sooner."
"Silverstar was a thief and a coward. Xir Clan got what it deserved. Anyway, the rest of the story is boring."
"So you choose the ugliest parts of our history to glorify to our young ones?" Doveheart asked, angry with the elder's complacency.
"It's our history, medicine cat, like it or not," Redfang replied, sitting up and eying xem with a hostile look. "Our apprentices have to face these realities personally, and there's no point in shielding them from the truth."
"But the truth isn't—"
"Show some appreciation for the ways of those who feed you."
"It's not—"
"Don't you get bored, sitting around your den doing nothing all day?"
"I don't— Look, I'm worried what effect on Emberpaw and Adderpaw it has had that you tell them stories that cherish bloodshed. They already—"
"You're going to blame us for the antics of a couple of kits?"
"I know how much trouble is normal for—"
"Listen to your elders, Doveheart. We're just preparing the warrior apprentices for the harshness of the life before them. We aren't ordering them to attack each other," Redfang pointed out, and Ravenfur chuckled.
Picking up where the ginger tabby had left off, the black cat continued, "And anyway, aren't you glad that they're giving you something to do?"
The medicine cat was floored. The serious injury and poisoning of an apprentice was not, in xir mindset, just a task to keep xem busy.
"You do like healing and all that rot, don't you?" When xe didn't answer, Redfang pressed on, "Isn't that why Yellowstar gave you the position?"
"No, it very much is not," xe answered, recovering from shock just enough to counter the question. "I became medicine cat because KnollClan needed one."
"If only there'd been someone more qualified for Yellowstar to choose at the time."
Doveheart looked to the deputy for help, unable to manage the way the elders could ram right through all xir attempts at discussion. The younger ginger tabby had remained quiet all this time, letting the exchange take its course. Xe met xir gaze now and continued to keep the silence, xir observance bare of any sympathy.
"They may get hurt, but at least it's nothing even you can't handle," Redfang stated.
"The apprentices don't visit you as often as they do us. Think of it as sharing."
"You should be happy for the company."
So why wasn't xe?
At that same moment, Doveheart's ears picked up on some troubled murmuring around camp as Adderpaw raced into the clearing, a panicked look in xir eyes. Xe skidded to a stop for a heartbeat before laying eyes on the medicine cat and sprinting toward xem. "Help! Wrenface is hurt!"
Despite feeling gripped by a jolt of alarm, Doveheart meowed, "Adderpaw, what happened?"
"We met another patrol—"
"What happened to Wrenface?"
"One of their warriors had xem pinned— xe's all bloody and— I think xe's alive but—" The apprentice was breathing too fast, xir eyes huge, xir voice mangled with the trimmings of guilt and fear.
"Lead me to xem," the medicine cat ordered.
Spiderclaw had already leapt to xir paws. "Let me come with you."
"Right, get me some— Nevermind." Doveheart ran to xir den to fetch it xemself, as xe was the only cat who would know what to get, the only one in camp who could recognize them by name. Then the two of them set off without a moment to lose to find their injured warrior.
They met the rest of the patrol half way between camp and the border, in the thicket where the holly berries grew. Browstripe was helping the smaller brown tabby to walk, for xir pelt was shredded with scratches, xir blood seeping from every wound, though the worst by far was xir face, bright red dribbling from where the claws had left their mark. During the fight, the warrior who had fought Wrenface must've hooked xem in the eye, because it looked nearly gouged, though still intact. What remained of xir eyelids were tightly clenched shut, thin streams of scarlet dripping onto xir cheeks.
As Brownstripe caught sight of the group approaching, xe muttered into Wrenface's ear, "The good bird is here."
Doveheart went straight to work in cleaning the wound, with Spiderclaw doing everything xe could to help, while Brownstripe took the distraught Adderpaw back to camp. Though Doveheart did not stop to dwell on the matter, the wounds were extensive, such as xe hadn't seen since the last major war. It didn't make sense. Patrols weren't supposed to attack each other—unless one of the other Clans had invaded. No one had given any sign of such intentions at the medicine cat gathering. Those little stinking clumps of dirt... It would be just like Fogstone to remain stonefaced before a cat whose Clan xe hoped to bring down. That cat rarely betrayed any of xir thoughts. And Spottedpaw had been acting funny... But it couldn't have been. Xe should have seen it coming. Xe was there, on their territory; there should have been some sign. Even though the other medicine cats owed xem no loyalty, xe felt as though xe had been betrayed. They couldn't have done this... but the evidence was right there before xem, in Wrenface's mewls of pain and the herb-ridden cobwebs covering xir face.
The two of them helped to guide the warrior back to camp, warning xem of anything underpaw on which xe might stumble. Spiderclaw was silent, concerned only with helping Wrenface make it home, and Doveheart's mind continued to wander over the other Clan's actions up until this point and what anyone could think to gain by attacking KnollClan now. The rogue on their land was a detriment, but that hadn't caused the whole Clan to crumble enough to enable an easy territory grab. On the other paw, there were fewer kits in their nursery than had been announced by other Clans at the last gathering... and KnollClan might've seemed the weaker for it. Now Doveheart was doubly glad xe hadn't taken Blacktail with xem to the medicine cat gathering, but xe was still fraught with worry over how it had come to this, at a time of relative good will and honest peace, and how Yellowstar would respond to the attack, xe did not know.
As they entered the camp, they continued on, guiding Wrenface to the medicine cat's den, passing by Daisyfur and Adderpaw on the way. The apprentice was always respectful of the deputy, but Doveheart had never seen xem so deferential as now, xir ears flattened, making xemself small before xir tail-lashing parent.
Doveheart could almost smell how much Spiderclaw was bristling with questions, anxious whether Wrenface would be alright, but unlike Molenose, xe was not inclined to speak them. Xe knew better to press the medicine cat when it was already clear Wrenface's recovery would be xir top priority, and as for Wrenface xemself, xe was holding xir tongue about what had happened, too focused on making one pawstep after the other. In silence they brought the injured warrior to into the cool shadow of Doveheart's den, and there they let him lie down to rest. At that point, Doveheart turned xir head to look at xir old littermate, as if to give xem a cue to leave, but the black cat only stared back. No words were spoken. Doveheart dropped the issue and resumed examining the cat under xir care, prompting xem with a few questions about xir condition. The poppy seeds had been too much to carry, so xe asked the brown tabby, who had not received any, whether xe was in any pain, and continued the treatment from there.
"What's the forecast, Doveheart?" Wrenface asked at last, relaxing onto xir side. Xe wasn't the sort of warrior to make light of things, but xe also didn't want to seem too worried for xemself and was probably curious how long xe'd be here.
"You'll live," was xir curt answer. Xe was still looking xem over and making an assessment of how long it would take the wounds to fully heal. Xir mobility hadn't seemed impaired on the way here, save for a slight limp. The scratches weren't very deep, either. Doveheart didn't think any of these would last long. Xe didn't say as much, though, because it always took some time to tell.
"I mean my eyes. When will I be able to see again?"
Doveheart stiffened. After a quick glance at Spiderclaw, who was still staring at them both, xe brought xir face close to the warrior's and scrutinized xir inured eyes once more, only to admit, "I don't know."
