There was a soft groan from the other side of the medicine den that made Birdpaw's green eyes flitter open. She let out a yawn, blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes before getting to her paws. Who did that come from? There was Leafpaw, who was confined to the medicine den because of his throat wound, and there was also Morningmist and Lightpebble, who Stormbrook ordered to spend the night in the medicine den because of the severity of their wounds. As Birdpaw approached the two cats, sleeping next to each other on separate nests, she guessed the noises didn't come from them. So there's only one option. Birdpaw trekked over to the other side of the bush and loomed over Leafpaw, who was mumbling in his sleep. Is he having a nightmare?

Birdpaw nudged Leafpaw with a small white-furred paw. "Leafpaw?" she murmured, wondering if she could garner a response from him. He had fallen unconscious when Birdpaw brought him to the medicine den, but it seemed now that he was simply sleeping. "Leafpaw, are you all right?" Scraps of moss covered the tom's brown-and-gold pelt, and Birdpaw guessed it was from when he was tossing and turning in his sleep.

Leafpaw's eyes opened, steadily but slowly. They were a dazzling shade of green, but they were glassy and were not looking at anything in particular. Birdpaw nudged him again, and Leafpaw slowly shook his head, seemingly trying to regain control of his surroundings. He opened his mouth, apparently trying to speak, but his face tensed and he ended up groaning, "It hurts."

"What hurts?" Birdpaw asked, relieved to know that he was conscious – and well enough to speak. I really thought you were going to die. But she wouldn't dare tell him that. I want you to live.

"My throat," Leafpaw moaned.

"Well, I'd expect so," Birdpaw meowed, sitting down next to the tom. "Some ThunderClan cat tried to rip it out, after all. Lucky you, getting out of there alive." She had hoped for her voice to sound light-hearted, to give Leafpaw a laugh, but Leafpaw simply looked stung. She guessed she was spending too much time with Stormbrook, and Leafpaw turned away. Birdpaw sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Leafpaw meowed. "I know what I did. I threw myself into battle, not caring that I only had a little over a quarter moon of training because I just wanted to impress Fallensnow so badly, I didn't care what happened to me. I should've known that a dead son impresses no father."

"That's… not exactly how I'd put it," Birdpaw said, rubbing her tail down Leafpaw's spine. "I'm sure Fallensnow is proud of you. I don't think you need to get your throat ripped out for him to see it."

Leafpaw tensed his muscles. "Your brother is training to be part of Lionstar's generals," he growled. "And you're training to be a medicine cat. Sparrowflight is over the moon with you two. My brother has already mastered the leap-and-hold, scruff-and-shake, every version of the front paw blow, and he caught a blackbird the other day as it was flying away." Leafpaw shredded his moss angrily with his claws. "What am I doing? I'm just sitting here, wasting away! I'm a disappointment to my father, to my mother, and I'd just be better off if that ThunderClan cat killed me!"

Birdpaw raised her hackles at the absurdity in Leafpaw's words. "Do you think I squeezed my way through the first battle of my life to rescue you bleeding out and treated you on sight, and then ran with you on my back, then backwards, all the way to the medicine den, while chewing herb after herb and using cobweb after cobweb just for you to wake up and call yourself a disappointment?" she snarled at the golden-and-brown tom. "No! No, I didn't!" She shoved her muzzle in Leafpaw's face. "Listen to me! It was your first battle. Do you really expect to make a name for yourself in a battle you didn't expect after training for a quarter moon? An apprenticeship lasts six moons! You've been one for a week! There is time, you frog-brain! If you really think you can master all those moves and be such a shining accomplishment that your Clanmates will fawn all over you, you're… you're more of a fool than I ever imagined!"

Leafpaw stared at Birdpaw, his green eyes wide as the gray-and-white apprentice reprimanded him severely. Birdpaw pulled back, suddenly wondering if she had gone too far. Her friend had nearly died, and he woke up complaining that he was a disappointment? He had survived! He was alive! But had she been too harsh on him? She stared at him, worried, until the tom suddenly let out a purr of amusement.

"You've never changed, Birdpaw," Leafpaw meowed.

"Is that a compliment?" Birdpaw asked, resting her muzzle on her paws.

Leafpaw shrugged. "I just don't know any other medicine cat that'd scream at me like you did." His voice was light-hearted, and Birdpaw was relieved that she didn't offend him. But something tells me if Stormbrook heard me talking to a patient like that, I'd never hear the end of it. Birdpaw sighed.

"You'll be all right," Birdpaw murmured softly to her old denmate. "You might just need a few days to rest and heal, and after that, you can train again. You can train to be a warrior that you can be proud of. It's your life, not your father's. And I guarantee you that he'll be proud of you, no matter what. He came and visited you, you know. So did Shrewpaw."

"I wish I was awake to see them," Leafpaw murmured.

Birdpaw swallowed the lump in her throat. "Me too."

"Am I going to be behind in my training?" Leafpaw asked Birdpaw.

Birdpaw shrugged. "That'd be up for your mentor to decide, but you were badly injured. I don't think he'd mind if you stayed in the medicine den for a few more days. You need to properly heal before you can get back to training." She got to her paws and stretched her limbs. "Let me go fetch you a piece of prey. We can talk once you've eaten."

Leafpaw mumbled something in response, but Birdpaw wasn't quite sure what it was. She padded out of the bush to be greeted by the pale, pink rays of dawn spanning the clearing. She blinked, spotting her brother trek across the clearing. She bounded over to Talonpaw, who skidded to a halt when he saw her. Talonpaw purred lowly in his chest.

"On the dawn patrol?" Birdpaw asked him as she looked over his wounds. His poultices were still plastered in place, leaving Birdpaw to let out a sigh of relief. As long as they stayed that way, Birdpaw was content.

"No." Talonpaw shook his head. "I'm taking over guard duty."

"Guard duty?" Birdpaw tilted her head. "For who?"

Talonpaw stared at Birdpaw as if she had grown wings. His brown tabby pelt was glowing with the light of the sun, his amber eyes dazzling with their rays. "Didn't you hear? Last night, Lionstar took Whitesky from RiverClan prisoner."

"Lionstar did what?" Birdpaw stared at Talonpaw in horror. Lionstar took a fully grown adult cat as a hostage? For what?

"After we chased ThunderClan over the border, Eaglepaw reported to us that RiverClan was invading," Talonpaw explained quickly. "Lionstar was tired from the ShadowClan attack, and he listed off the names of ShadowClan cats that RiverClan killed. He knocked Whitesky out, told the RiverClan cats to bring Reedstar and Otterfrost to ShadowClan to discuss terms, and brought him to camp. I'm taking over guard for Snowsplash, since Sparrowflight is leading the dawn patrol and it'll be on the ThunderClan border."

Birdpaw's lips turned dry. "Does Whitesky need anything? Is he injured?"

Talonpaw's ears flattened. "He's an enemy warrior. You shouldn't waste your herbs on him, not when you have Leafpaw, Lightpebble, and Morningmist in your den."

"Enemy warrior or not, he still is another cat, just like you and I," Birdpaw argued.

Talonpaw touched his nose to Birdpaw's ear. "If there's anything off, I'll let you know," he murmured.

Birdpaw gazed at Talonpaw. She trusted her brother, but if he saw using herbs on an enemy as a waste of medicine, then why would he come get her in the first place? "I'll come and check on you," Birdpaw finally offered.

"Okay. Wish me luck!" Talonpaw waved his striped tail in Birdpaw's face and bounded away towards the bramble thicket where apparently the RiverClan warrior was being kept. Birdpaw watched him replace Snowsplash on guard, and briefly for a moment she wondered why Lionstar was letting such a young apprentice guard what ShadowClan seemed to deem a dangerous enemy. Then she remembered that Talonpaw was training to be one of Lionstar's warriors. With a sigh, Birdpaw turned on her heel, padded towards the fresh-kill pile, and picked up a plump squirrel. This should be good for Leafpaw, Birdpaw thought as the mouth-watering scent of the rodent plunged her nostrils. She padded over to the medicine den, wondering if Stormbrook was awake.

When she entered, her mentor was still sleeping soundly, his sides rising and falling. Birdpaw checked quickly on Morningmist and Lightpebble, noting that they were still asleep as well. Leafpaw was still awake. Birdpaw bounded over to the tom and dropped the squirrel in front of him.

"For you," she meowed.

Leafpaw blinked and sniffed at the squirrel. "Thanks, Birdpaw," he murmured, his voice exhausted. "For the squirrel and for saving my life."

Birdpaw dipped her head. "I couldn't let you die."

"Because I'm a Clanmate," Leafpaw murmured.

"And because you're my friend," Birdpaw added, feeling her heart tingle as she gazed into Leafpaw's deep green eyes.

"Medicine cats are supposed to treat every cat equally," Leafpaw remarked as he took a chunk from the squirrel.

"I know." Birdpaw sat down and wrapped her bushy tail across her paws, watching as Leafpaw enjoyed the squirrel, even though she could catch a glimpse of tension on his face when he chewed a bit too strongly. I'll have to replace the poultice today, Birdpaw thought. Out of curiosity, she looked over her shoulder and spotted Stormbrook's eyes opening. "Be right back."

Birdpaw bounded over to her mentor, nudging his shoulder as the black-and-gray tom rose to his paws and stretched his limbs, arching his back. His whiskers quivered as he lifted his head and glanced at Birdpaw. "What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head.

"How could you tell something was wrong?" Birdpaw asked.

"Your emotions are too easy to read," Stormbrook replied bluntly. "They're all over your face. So? What is it?"

Birdpaw gazed steadily at her mentor. When she had first talked to him, as a kit, she had seen him demanding, rude, and sarcastic. But now she knew that every cat had his secret sorrows which the world knew not, and often times, warriors called a cat cold when he was only sad. Stormbrook was not cold, nor was he mean, nor he was rude. He was sad, plain and simple.

"I heard that Lionstar took a prisoner from RiverClan yesterday," Birdpaw told him. "Is that true?"

Stormbrook nodded. "Yes, he took Whitesky from RiverClan as prisoner. I assessed him last night – he wasn't injured, Lionstar just knocked him unconscious. I gave him some poppy seeds for the pain, but other than that, he's fine. He'll just have to kick stones around until Reedstar comes to retrieve him, or if Lionstar decides to give him up."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Birdpaw demanded. "This clearly happened while I was around!"

"You were busy," Stormbrook pointed out mildly.

"So were you."

Stormbrook sighed. "Birdpaw, please. I know you want to be a good medicine cat, but that doesn't mean pushing yourself past your limits. You were already up to your paws in dealing with injuries, I didn't want to stress you more, especially since I didn't know how you'd handle the news." He leaned closer so his whiskers brushed with Birdpaw's muzzle. "Out of curiosity, how do you feel about having a hostage in the ShadowClan camp?"

Birdpaw met Stormbrook's gaze steadily. "How do you feel about it?"

"Clever girl," Stormbrook meowed. "Answer a question with a question, and you can never say the wrong thing." His amber eyes flashed with an emotion Birdpaw couldn't detect. "Regardless of my personal beliefs, the reason Whitesky is here is because Lionstar believes his imprisonment can lead to negotiations with Reedstar about territorial disputes. So long as he is treated fairly…"

You don't believe anything good of this will come either, but you can't say that to me, not with Leafpaw awake, Birdpaw thought. She flicked her ears, wanting to convey to him silently that she knew what he was going to say. But Birdpaw was brazen enough to speak her own mind. "What does it matter, Stormbrook? You know as well as I do that Lionstar and Reedstar won't come to an agreement. Lionstar could say the sky is blue, and Reedstar would argue that it's green for the sake that he wouldn't be caught dead agreeing with the ShadowClan leader. No, the only way Whitesky will be rescued is with a fight. You and I both know that."

"That may be true," Stormbrook argued, "but we cannot let our fears be told to the Clan! It is our job to agree with our Clan leader, to be his support. If they believe that the Clan leader and the medicine cats drifted apart, there can be chaos unforeseen."

Birdpaw lashed her tail. "What, so I have to lie?"

Stormbrook's ears flattened. "It's not lying. It's protecting the Clan." He lowered his voice when he noticed Leafpaw lifting his head to stare at the two medicine cats. Stormbrook cleared his throat. "Forget about it. We can discuss it later. I need to check on Morningmist and Lightpebble. You were doing a good job with Leafpaw – apply a new poultice and make sure the wound didn't open up during the night. Later in the day we'll sort out the herbs and decide what we need more of. We used quite a bit yesterday after the battle."

Birdpaw nodded, relieved that he had changed the subject and had given her something to do. She didn't like arguing with Stormbrook. She knew that the big tom – gruff and grumpy as he was – was hurting, and for quite some time now. She didn't want to add to his pain, she wanted to ease it. But it felt like that everything she did seemed to irritate him more, whether that was actively disagreeing with him, bringing up Ashenhawk, or something else. I don't want to hurt him anymore than I already have.

The two medicine cats parted ways, as Stormbrook went to check on the other two patients and Birdpaw went into the herb storage. As she fished in the clefts for the herbs she would need for the new poultice, she realized that Stormbrook was correct – they had used most of their supplies last night. We'll have to scour the entire forest for new plants, she thought. At least it's still greenleaf, herbs will be growing, so it should be easier to pick. When Birdpaw grabbed the horsetail and the goldenrod, she held it in her jaws as she trekked towards Leafpaw.

"I have to redress your wound," Birdpaw meowed as she discarded the fur and bones from the squirrel he had eagerly eaten. "It's going to hurt."

"That's all right," Leafpaw meowed. "Do what you need to." There was no flash of fear in his eyes. Birdpaw sat down and chewed the goldenrod and horsetail into a poultice. She peeled off what remained of the poultice from last night and caught a glimpse of the wound. It was still raw, red, and open. She shuddered, thankful that it wasn't oozing any blood. She smeared the cataplasm on his wound, noticing how his muscles stiffened as she touched the sensitive wound. His teeth gritted and his jaw was set, and when Birdpaw finally pulled her paws away, his muscles relaxed. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Birdpaw said. "Stormbrook says he's seen warriors wail in pain when he took thorns out of their pads."

Leafpaw chuckled in amusement. "Sounds like something my father would've done."

Birdpaw decided she had kept the tom up enough. "Rest up, all right?" she meowed. "You need to rest if you want that wound to heal, if you want to go back to training."

The ShadowClan apprentice stared at Birdpaw. "I'm… I'm not sure I can go back to sleep on my own."

The gray-and-white medicine cat apprentice flicked the tip of her tail. "Why not?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Because when I sleep…" He swallowed. "In my dreams, all I see is the warrior with their claws at my throat, and the last thing I feel is an insurmountable amount of pain."

Birdpaw nodded slowly and settled next to Leafpaw. She would stay with him until he fell asleep. Once he did, she would obey Stormbrook's order and go out collecting herbs with him. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. First, her priority was Leafpaw.