Ch. 9 Erase
"Why are you taking us to the nursery"? Icebreath asked, leaning on Redmoon for support as they made their way towards the brambles near the center of the camp. By now, several of her clanmates had already dispersed, checking on each other's wounds and assessing the damage caused by the attack.
As they moved closer, Redmoon's attention was briefly caught by the sight of the search party returning. Ravenstorm, who led the patrol, shook his head while speaking to Flamestar. "Their trail vanished on the Thunderpath." He stated, the tip of his tail twitching with frustration. "Going any further than that meant crossing into ShadowClan territory."
Flamestar sighed. "Thank you, Ravenstorm," the white tom mewed quietly. His short fur stuck out in several directions, clearly still troubled by the loss of the medicine cat and one of his warriors, as well as the betrayal of two of his clanmates. He no longer looked like the proud leader he once was, but instead, his demeanor resembled that of a scared kit frozen on the Thunderpath, its eyes locked with the gleaming eyes of a monster.
"I'm sorry." Hazelpaw stared at his paws, shifting them uneasily against the snow. No doubt, he was also shaken up by their parents' sudden betrayal, and with a heavy heart, Redmoon wondered if things would ever be the same again. Will their loyalty to ThunderClan be put into question as well?
She held on tighter to her bundle of herbs and shook the thought out of her mind, doing the best she could to refocus on her role. She had a job to do, and she was the only cat that could do it. But still…
"It's because of the attack," Redmoon finally said, responding to Icebreath's question. She kept her voice low as she spoke, and gestured towards Willowbranch's body, which had been carried out of the medicine cat den and placed in the center of camp. "There's a lot of blood…"
Icebreath's eyes widened, and Redmoon suddenly felt a sense of relief that she didn't dare ask any more questions. The situation was already challenging enough, and she hated the idea of bothering Goldenear, but she had no other choice.
Sparkpaw, meanwhile, trailed behind them both while carrying a bundle of herbs in his jaws. He was also injured in the battle; the fur on his back was bloodied and matted from a particularly nasty bite. When he overheard the conversation they were having he let out a loud grunt, making it abundantly clear that that he didn't believe a word she said.
When they had finally reached the nursery entrance, Redmoon paused, sniffing the air to detect who was inside. She knew it was important not to intrude without permission, especially in a den reserved for nursing queens and expecting mothers. It could mean tattered ears and a damaged ego. "Goldenear we're coming in!"
A moment later she heard the future queen's familiar voice. "Okay! Come inside!" She was alone.
Together, the trio maneuvered through the narrow opening, navigating the intricate maze of brambles that encircled the den.
When she was finally inside Redmoon set her bundle down gently beside Goldenear, who quickly padded over to lick at Icebreat's wounds. Her belly was much bigger now, and with a heavy heart, Redmoon wondered what she thought of her mate. If the accusations were correct, it meant Silversky was responsible for the entire battle with ShadowClan. She could only hope that whatever punishment Flamestar decided to give him, it wouldn't be so severe that he could never see his kits.
Sparkpaw laid his bundle down next to Redmoon's paws. "You know, I can treat my own wounds," he said as he began to lick the claw marks on his shoulder, "My mentor worries about me too much. I'm fine."
"You can still get an infection," Redmoon interrupted him before he could say anymore, "And besides, how are you going to reach your back?"
The ginger tabby looked away, his ears flicking uneasily. "I liked Willowbranch better," he complained. "We actually got to use the medicine cat den."
Redmoon searched her mind for answers, trying to think of a response, but she couldn't come up with one on the spot. It would be a bad idea to tell this prickly apprentice that Willowbranch had tricked her into giving her deathberries after her father had injured her, and that the reason they couldn't use the den now was because it was covered in blood.
Instead, she decided to ignore him, turning her attention away from him and towards Icebreath. She gently placed her tail on her shoulder. "Show me where it hurts the most," She asked.
Icebreath dragged out her left leg, which looked far worse than she could ever imagine. There was a huge gash in her side, clearly ripped open with powerful claws. How could she act so normal?
"It's not that bad." She said, taking a moment to clean up the fresh blood that had oozed from her flank as she spoke. "And it doesn't hurt that much."
"Right." Redmoon meowed sarcastically, internally rolling her eyes at her attempt to downplay her injury. She'll have to stay off that leg for at least a moon until it heals. But knowing Icebreath though, her stubbornness would likely cause her to limp through greenleaf.
She tossed a fluffy green ball of moss towards Goldenear. "Take this moss and hold it to her flank until it stops bleeding," she instructed, watching as the queen did as she was told.
The ginger and white she-cat pressed it to Icebreath's wound, and then looked back at Redmoon while still holding it in place. "Like this?"
"Yes, like that," Redmoon replied while beginning to chew the goldenrod into a poultice. When she had finished, she turned to Sparkpaw. "Stay still."
The ginger tabby's ears fell back as Redmoon slowly approached. When the poultice touched his wound, he sprang his paws. "Hey, that stings!"
"Of course, it does that means it's working!" Redmoon shot back, her pelt bristling.
"You should have warned me!"
"Well, next time, you can heal your own wounds!" Seriously, these were the two worst cats to treat in the entire clan. At least Dewpaw didn't complain.
Suddenly, a powerful voice echoed throughout the clearing, interrupting them both.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Flamestar announced, his white fur blowing against the wind as he stood on top of a giant boulder in the center of the clearing. Before he made the announcement, he had groomed his fur, and he now looked like the proud leader he used to be, before the ShadowClan attack.
From her spot inside the nursery, Redmoon watched her clanmates assemble.
Rabbitclaw emerged from the elder's den, her troubled gaze searching the clearing around her. Ravenstorm came out of the warriors' den, calmly and emotionlessly, followed by Leopardstrike and Littleleaf, who dragged their tails behind them. Nearby, the apprentices were having a meeting next to the fresh-kill pile, and when they heard Flamestar's voice, they all eagerly assembled. In no time, Hazelpaw, Cloverpaw, and Dewpaw were in the front. Flintfoot and Blossomheart rose from where they sat next to their fallen clanmates and joined Flamestar, while Mintpaw stayed back, still too much of an emotional wreck to leave her mentor behind. She avoided a glance from Silversky, who padded past her. Every cat could guess what Flamestar was about to say.
When she heard the leader's voice call out from his spot on the rock, Redmoon sighed. She turned her attention back to Icebreath, placing the cobwebs over her wound.
"Are you going to the meeting?" The white she-cat asked, wincing as the cobwebs soaked into the raw flesh.
"No," Redmoon replied, twitching her ears. "I can hear him from here."
Sparkpaw, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, rose to his paws. "I'm going to join them," he declared.
"No!" Redmoon retorted firmly, her gaze fixed on his. "You should stay where you are, I don't want your poultice slipping off."
Thankfully, Sparkpaw did not fight back. He sat down again, giving a dissatisfied grunt and placing his head on his paws. He had resigned himself to watching the scene unfold through the den entrance.
"Cats of ThunderClan," Flamestar announced, "you all have fought bravely against ShadowClan." He began, his blue gaze falling on the gathered warriors before him.
"He doesn't sound very sure of himself," Redmoon thought. After all, it was his actions alone that ended the fight.
"Since then, it has come to my attention that our warriors have done something completely unwarranted, failing to renew the scent markers after a heavy rain. This resulted in a spat at the border over a sliver of territory."
His gaze fell on the deputy, beckoning him forward with the tip of his tail. "Silversky."
The long-haired tom stepped forward, his fur bristling.
"What you have done is unacceptable." Flamestar meowed firmly, his gaze growing cold. "Because of your actions, a warrior has lost his life, and the rest of your clanmates' lives were placed in jeopardy."
Silversky clenched his teeth, trying hard to prevent an outburst.
Flamestar raised his head higher. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I was only protecting our territory!" The silver tom spat; his words laced with bitterness. His tail lashed back and forth angrily as he defended himself in front of the crowd. "We can't continue to allow ShadowClan to do what they want when they purposely provoke us! We should be fighting back!"
Flamestar's eyes narrowed into slits. "From this day forward," he declared with unwavering authority, "you will no longer hold the position of deputy in this clan. I will no longer tolerate your incompetence, and any attempts at betrayal will be swiftly dealt with. You are dismissed."
Silversky's fur bristled, and his eyes were as wide as pinecones. He was furious. Meows of surprise rose from some of the gathered warriors, and many cast their glances towards Mintpaw, who simply looked away, a blank expression on her face.
"I will announce the new deputy before moonhigh." Flamestar finally declared.
"You're going to regret this!" Silversky hissed. He whipped around and padded away, back to the warriors' den.
Flamestar's attention then shifted away from the former deputy and towards two cats standing at the back of the gathering. "Leopardstrike and Littleleaf," Flamestar began. He swept his tail around his feet, his blue gaze commanding attention. "You were also involved in this and therefore must perform apprentice duties as punishment until the next gathering."
The two cats looked at their paws, clearly feeling awful for what they had done. Redmoon looked at them both curiously, beginning to wonder exactly what went on that was so bad. She'll have to ask Mintpaw later.
"Now that that's settled, I'm sure you're all wondering what happened to Willowbranch during the fight with ShadowClan," He continued, "Redpaw was in my den with me when the fight broke out, so she was unable to protect her mentor from the wrath of her father. Emberstar, your former leader, killed her as revenge for making her a medicine cat."
Suddenly, the clearing erupted into a storm; gasps of disbelief filled the area, and every cat was stunned into silence. Sparkpaw's eyes widened, and he leaped to his feet, completely forgetting that he was supposed to stay put. "Emberstar would never kill Willowbranch!" He shouted in disbelief, his fur bristling. "Redmoon, it has to be a lie, right?"
In the chaos, Icebreath suddenly broke out into a coughing fit, unable to hold it in any longer. "Jeeze, I thought I told you to get treatment for that!" Goldenear mewed, placing a tail gently on her shoulder.
"What?" Redmoon felt a cold shiver run down her spine, her head spinning so fast that the thorny branches of the nursery began to twist and turn out of focus. They raked against her pelt as she slowly approached the den entrance. No! That wasn't what happened at all!
"Redmoon, where are you going?" Goldenear asked.
Redpaw stepped out of the den, the sun's warm rays of light sinking into her pelt. She felt numb, every muscle in her body shook. Her gaze was transfixed on her leader.
"Emberstar and Echosong are now missing." Flamestar continued, "If any cat finds a trace of them during the patrols, please report immediately back to me. From this point on, Redpaw's new name will be Redmoon."
Redmoon lowered her gaze, her fur bristling, the sudden shock of what had just occurred turning into rage. She dug her claws into the ground, clenching her jaw in an attempt to control her emotions. She then turned her attention back to Goldenear and put on a fake smile. "I…just…. forgot," she managed to say, her voice trembling, "I need more cobwebs." Without waiting for her response, she raced out of the den, heading towards the fern tunnel.
Once inside, Redmoon began to hyperventilate, her heart ready to leap out of her chest. What was Flamestar thinking? Why would he just pin a murder on her father when that wasn't what happened at all? He saw what happened; why would he lie? Redmoon slammed her paws on the dirt floor, scraping pawfuls against her claws. That would make her and Hazelpaw the kits of a traitor. It wasn't right! If Willowbranch hadn't tricked her, she would still be alive right now, and none of this would've happened!
Furious, Redmoon turned her attention towards the back of the den, where Willowbranch's empty nest lay. Fine, if Willowbranch wanted to die so badly, then she would erase all traces of her from existence!
She lunged forward, tearing the nest apart, ripping out bits of moss and bracken leaves with her teeth, and tearing it to shreds. Once finished, she took a step back, her sides heaving. It was completely unrecognizable now, and with a small smile, Redmoon wondered what Willowbranch thought, floating among the stars with the same StarClan cats who had visited her in her dreams. Oh, if only they would come down here to see her now, Thunderclan's only medicine cat. How proud they would be of her for hurrying so quickly to free up space after the battle. They would be so proud of her for finishing her apprenticeship so soon and becoming a full-fledged medicine cat. After all, that is what they wanted.
Right, Spottedleaf?
Yet she still wasn't satisfied. Redmoon's smile faded as the strong scent of Willowbranch's blood filled her nostrils. She stood there for a moment longer, easing her mind into imagining the incident that went on when she was away. Her father had punished Willowbranch with a strike to the face, and she deserved it; all the StarClan cats did. What gave them the right to decide who should become a medicine cat? But she couldn't just stand there and continue to disappoint her ancestors. She had a job to do. With a new sense of determination, Redmoon decided to move on from the nest and tackle the spilled blood as well, tearing up clumps of dirt and dragging wet moss across the stone walls. The rest of the injured cats had to wait. After all, she had to prioritize.
"Redmoon?"
Redmoon's ears flicked as she turned her head to see Cloverpaw standing at the den entrance.
"Goldenear sent me to fetch you, she thought you were looking for cobwebs." Her green eyes were wide. "What are you doing?"
Redmoon followed her gaze to see that the entirety of the den was a complete mess. There was dirt scattered about, leaves, and bracken all over the place. It looked like Tigerstar had led a pack of dogs into the den and they tore it all up. She dropped the ball of moss. A shadow fell over her eyes and her whole body shook. Finally, she came up with a response. "I'm busy, Cloverpaw. Just leave me alone already!"
Cloverpaw flattened her ears, her voice wavering as she spoke. "Can I help?"
Redmoon sighed, forcing her pelt to lie flat again. After taking a deep breath she switched into her medicine cat voice, softening her tone. Cloverpaw was too kind for her own good. "She's fine," She reassured her, burning with rage as she fixed her eyes on the ball of moss she had just dropped. "She's been treated. That's all the cobwebs she needs. It's the middle of leaf-fall, and I have to save them for the other cats who've been injured."
"Goldenear also said Icebreath needs some herbs for her cough," Cloverpaw continued. She sounded disappointed, but Redmoon could easily sense that the brown tabby was inching closer.
"SO WHAT?" Redmoon swung around to face her, stopping her in her tracks.
The she-cat immediately shrank back, tucking her tail in between her legs.
"Icebreath is fine, she doesn't need anything at all! If she actually cared about coming down with whitecough she should've brought it up a long time ago instead of hiding it. Tell her we don't have any herbs!"
The apprentice just stood there; her eyes glassy with tears. All she wanted to do was help.
Redmoon sighed, returning to her old self. "I'm sorry, Cloverpaw. I'm just stressed out." She kicked away a stray leaf.
Cloverpaw lifted her green gaze, her voice filled with determination. "Can you show me what it looks like so I can find it?" she asked as she took a brave step forward. "If I can do anything to help, please, I want to try."
Redmoon narrowed her eyes at her, trying to get into her head. Why would any cat willingly go out into the middle of the snow-covered forest and look for herbs that probably aren't even there? Cloverpaw was completely mouse-brained, yet she couldn't refuse her offer, especially since she seemed so eager to help. If she gave her something to do, maybe she would leave her alone.
"Fine, if you're really serious about helping," she padded over to the stone wall and pointed at it with her tail, "you can clean up this den first. I need to get it ready as soon as possible so we can get the sick and injured cats out of the nursery."
"Okay!" Cloverpaw mewed cheerfully. "I'll get to work now!" Eagerly, Cloverpaw grabbed a ball of wet moss and began to run it over the stone wall, the blood running off it in driblets.
"And don't forget to pat down the dirt!" Redmoon reminded her, "And that nest needs to be remade as well!"
"Okay!" Cloverpaw called again, not even bothering to stop what she was doing to look back.
Shaking her head, Redmoon went back to her herb storage and took out a bundle of cobwebs. Grabbing it with her teeth, she headed towards the nursery, not stopping to even bother seeing whether the apprentice was still working. Now she really had to treat Icebreath.
Ugh.
Before she could step out of the den, however, the ferns rustled.