Rednose's flank rose and fell rhythmically. Snakepaw watched the tom's white fur brush against the moss bed he slept in.
Rednose didn't smell like blood anymore. The strong aroma of medicine covered any trace of the toms injuries.
The fragrance maintained a sickly sweet smell, as if the herbs were masking a more sinister scent.
The tom's shoulder was wrapped in a fresh cobweb bandage that held a marigold and comfrey poultice against his shoulder wound.
The medicine den was a small hut constructed of bramble and thicket. Moss was bundled near the top of the den to create a roof to protect any injured cats from rain.
Near the entrance in a crevice of the den were three moss beds, one of which Rednose occupied. On the far side, Mintpaws was tending to Twigrush's scrapes and bites.
The medicine cat's herbs were neatly sorted and placed into divots dug into the ground. Behind the herb storage were several, flat-surfaced rocks. They were not in use now, but the rocks did well for drying out any herbs that required it.
The black and white medicine cat pulled a few leaves off of a long stem.
The ends of the stem sported black roots that twisted and intertwined with each other. She began chewing the bundle of large, long leaves into a pulp.
Snakepaw caught the tangy smell of the herb from across the den. He watched quietly, giving Rednose a glance any time it crossed his mind.
"This is comfrey. This will help soothe the pain of the larger scratches," Mintpaws explained to Twigrush. The brown tabby listened with forward pointed ears.
"I'll be using dock leaves for the smaller scratches. I need to save as much comfrey as I can for Rednose, since his wounds are larger."
If Mintpaws had said anymore, Snakepaw didn't hear it. Rednose had begun to stir. Snakepaw bent down to the tom's level, nudging him with a gentle paw.
The tom lifted his white and ginger-furred head, followed by a wince. His neck and shoulder had tensed in a fruitful attempt to support his head.
That has to hurt.
Rednose had grown more frail than Snakepaw was able to realize before. He didn't appear fully starved, but the usually muscular and bulky tom had very little meat to his bones.
He let his muzzle rest against the moss bed, giving a sigh of defeat. His wounds were no longer bleeding, but there was an ebbing pain that glazed over his eyes.
Snakepaw was stuck staring at the tom. It was hard to see his mentor in such a vulnerable state. Rednose was a strong, honorable tom.
He was a fine choice for the clan deputy, and had served Elmstar for many moons. Snakepaw wanted to confidently think he would recover from this and things would go back to how they were.
But he looks so weak.
Mintpaws pushed her way past Snakepaw, standing in front of Rednose with a poppy flower in her mouth.
She lowered the flower close to the ground and gave it a shake. Out of the flower popped out tiny, black seeds.
The medicine cat picked up two of the seeds by sticking them to her paw pad. She presented them to Rednose, who lapped them up without hesitation.
"He's not gonna go anywhere," Mintpaws chimed, giving a glance to Snakepaw who was positioned behind her. "You don't have to watch him so intensely."
Snakepaw lowered his head. Mintpaws gave him a friendly blink, lifting a paw as she spoke.
"Go get yourself something to eat. I'll tell you if anything changes with Rednose."
Snakepaw tensed but simply gave a nod in response. He knew better than to argue, and if anything, Mintpaws just needed more space in her den.
The dilute calico top pushed his way through the medicine den exit. He didn't get far before running into Tawnyflower, pausing just a tail-length away from her.
The fluffy she-cat gave him a comforting lick on the head. Snakepaw pushed his head against her chin, brushing his cheek down her neck and over her shoulder.
Tawnyflower sat and rested her head on top of Snakepaw's. He sank into her soft fur.
"He will be fine," Tawnyflower hummed, tapping Snakepaw's back with the tip of her tail in an effort to soothe him.
Snakepaw pulled away from her. "I know," He picked up a paw, drawing it over his head with an audible sniffle before repeating himself. "I know."
Snakepaw found a secluded part of camp to settle at, sitting low to the ground with his paws tucked under his belly.
The camp was oddly still. Tawnyflower was once again sharing tongues with Mistfall across the camp near the nursery.
Rednose and Twigrush were still kept up inside the medicine den, and Patchpaw, Silvercloud, Adderthorn and Laurelpaw were out on patrol.
Gingersnap was sharing a small piece of fresh-kill between him and Crowwatcher. Flyfur, a gray torbie she, was positioned in front of the two toms.
Snakepaw thought it was odd Crowwatcher hadn't yet gone to the medicine den to check on Twigrush, but didn't pay it too much attention.
It was possible the black tom had slipped in while Snakepaw was fixed on Rednose and he simply hadn't noticed.
His fur rose as Snakepaw heard rustling across camp. He gave a sigh, his fur flattening once he realized it was just Mistfall's kits bounding out of the nursery.
Dawnkit was at the head of the three, running blindly forward with his head looking back at his two littermates. Fogkit trailed behind him, her tail held high as she tried to swipe at Dawnkit's back ankles.
Rustkit was the last of the three, scrambling to keep up with the other two kits. He was smaller than them but seemed just as strong. He ran after Dawnkit and Fogkit with fast, strong bounds.
Within his amber eyes, which still held a bit of a dull blue color, was a glint of mischief. If only he could catch up with the other kits, Snakepaw was sure he'd send them all rolling around in a cloud of dust with a single tackle.
Dawnkit's light pelt stood out to Snakepaw. He was very similar in markings to Bluepaw, but his points were orange instead of a silver blue.
Similarly, Rustkit's ginger pelt was bright and clean, lighting up when a beam of sunlight fell over camp. His darker stripes defined his slender shape despite his round, milk-full belly.
He really looks just like his father.
Fogkit briefly stumbled on her paws as she caught up to Dawnkit, swiping a sheathed paw over his flank.
Dawnkit rolled defensively, flopping over onto his side and sending all four paws swiping at the gray she-kit.
Snakepaw thought Dawkit looked goofy with his legs splayed out in an attempt to intimidate the larger Fogkit.
Due to the kit's interrupted sprint across camp, Rustkit was able to gain on them, jumping over the two kits and spinning around on his heels to face them.
He let out a triumphant mewl that was vaguely reminiscent of a playful battle cry. He puffed up, standing tall on his toes with his tail stuck straight up into the air.
Snakepaw's ears swiveled backward as he heard the scrambling of claws behind him.
Stormcloud burst through the clan entrance, his hackles risen and claws unsheathed. Patchpaw ran after him with a desperate wail. "Please wait!"
The silver tom skitted to a halt and turned to Patchpaw aggressively. He warned her with an audible snap of his teeth.
She withdrew, stepping backwards and condensing herself into a crouch. Snakepaw hopped onto his paws and let out a hiss, stepping over the cowering Patchpaw.
Silvercloud lifted his chin with a snort and continued on, pushing his way into the hollowed oak den in search of Elmstar.
Dawnkit, Fogkit and Rustkit had retreated back into the nursery with their tails pinned between their legs.
"What.. What happened?" Snakepaw looked at Patchpaw with wide eyes.
"..Silvercloud was told about the frog that Adderthorn's patrol found in the stream. Adderthorn let it slip on accident, and Silvercloud just about lost his mind!"
Snakepaw winced. Of course Silvercloud would be upset that they'd found evidence of ThunderClan trespassing.
He didn't realize Elmstar hadn't made this revelation known to the rest of the clan.
Adderthorn's fur brushed against the bramble wall of the camp as he padded in. Laurelpaw was behind him, her pupils narrow. Her tail was ruffled but the rest of her fur remained flat.
The large russet tom sent her away with a stern flick of his tail before heading toward the hollowed oak that Silvercloud had stormed off to.
With a bewildered look in his eyes, Snakepaw gave Patchpaw a comforting lick over her ears before slowly following the warrior.
He stayed a fair length away, trying to listen to the conversation that would ensue without being discovered.
From a distance, Snakepaw was only able to hear rustling from inside the den paired with muffled yowls of disagreement.
He shuffled closer to the den, turning his ears intently toward the noise.
Silvercloud's voice boomed from inside the hollowed tree den. "You kept this from me intentionally!"
Elmstar raised his voice defensively. "Silvercloud, you are a warrior. You do not need to be made aware of every affair in the clan. It isn't your job to handle these things."
"It should be!" The silver warrior cried. "Your deputy is dying in the medicine cat den and you're wasting your time moping in your nest for StarClan's sake!"
Snakepaw's heart dropped at the tom's words. Rednose isn't dying! Mintpaws had told Snakepaw the tom simply needed to rest and keep still so his shoulder wound could heal.
Did Silvercloud really think the deputy would die from a small gash left by a ThunderClan apprentice?
Elmstar didn't reply to Silvercloud. The muffled growling in the den told Snakepaw that his words were being challenged, though, even if not by words.
"Who is going to defend the borders if you refuse to?" Silvercloud lowered his tone. Snakepaw could hear the beginnings of a snarl from the tom's maw.
He murmured a silent prayer that a fight wouldn't break out between the young warrior and frail leader.
There had always been some sort of unspoken tension between Elmstar and Silvercloud and Snakepaw couldn't understand why.
Elmstar had raised Silvercloud since he was a kit. Snakepaw having a quarrel with Geyserwing seemed miserable in comparison, even if the two weren't the closest of kin.
A new voice began to speak. Adderthorn had been silent for so long, Snakepaw had almost forgotten he was inside the den to begin with.
"You don't need to worry so much, Silvercloud. Elmstar has been leader for many moons; he will act when the time is right."
Snakepaw cringed a bit at the tom's words. Telling Silvercloud to calm down wasn't going to get him anywhere.
"When the time is right? You don't think our warriors starving is enough? We have three young mouths to feed, and all of our prey is going towards the few warriors we have in hopes they'll be able to bring some back in return. When will that be enough for you to do something, Elmstar?"
By the end of Silvercloud's complaint, his ferocious attitude had begun to dwindle. The concern in his voice was apparent and more sincere than Snakepaw had ever heard.
Snakepaw heard a cat exit the den. To his surprise, it wasn't Silvercloud storming out, it was Elmstar.
The cat's argument had caused the cats in camp to linger near. Snakepaw was still the closest to the den. The rest of the cats were spread out around camp, trying to appear nonchalant about their eavesdropping.
Elmstar hopped up onto the lowest branch of the tree in a single powerful lunge.
Snakepaw could see the tom's muscles ripple under his short pelt as he steadied himself on the tree limb.
He stood and padded over to Patchpaw who was still sitting in her previous spot.
Twigrush must've heard the murmurs of camp, Snakepaw thought. She emerged from the medicine den, stiff-legged in an attempt to keep her wounds from burning. There were no signs of Rednose following behind her.
"I'm sure you've already heard," Elmstar began with a gruff voice. "There is no longer any reason to doubt that ThunderClan is not respecting our borders."
Cats had already begun to murmur among themselves.
"They're starving us!" Gingersnap hollered from the far edge of the clearing. Many yowls of agreement followed.
Patchpaw watched her clanmates with a chaotic look in her eyes. Snakepaw was unable to read her expression, nor begin to understand what she was thinking.
"That is exactly why I'm speaking to all of you. What should we do?" There was a slowness to Elmstar's speaking that made Snakepaw think he didn't want to ask for his clan's opinion at all.
"Chase them out!" A voice burst from the group of cats. Snakepaw had to stifle a snort. Obviously.
"Teach them that our borders are not a suggestion," a second voice added. It belonged to Adderthorn.
For some reason, Elmstar didn't seem satisfied with their answers. "You want to attack starving cats? They are trying to feed their young just as we are."
"I want to not see my kits mewl for milk all throughout the night because our queens can't be fed!" Gingersnap snarled, barely able to keep himself sat down. "I couldn't care less what that means for ThunderClan as long as my mate and kits are fed."
"He's right," Silvercloud interjected. "Why should we care what happens to prey stealing fox-hearts? Disrespecting the borders set by StarClan makes them no better than flea-ridden rogues."
Snakepaw's head stirred with thoughts. Elmstar's demeanor made him feel like the leader would do anything to maintain the peace between the clans, even if it meant giving his own clanmates a less than ideal outcome.
Is he willing to let us starve just to prevent bloodshed?
The rest of the clan must've had the same thought. They burst out into yowls of protest. Elmstar stiffened, trying to appear unphased, but there was a lingering shimmer of self-doubt in his eyes.
The clan around Snakepaw was so loud, it took him a moment to realize Patchpaw was among the cats who were shouting obscenities toward Elmstar.
Her fur stood on end and her lips were drawn back in a snarl. "You can't let us wither away in favor of some ThunderClan apprentices!" she yowled.
Snakepaw hardly recognized the cat in front of him. He'd never seen such anger come from her.
What had Silvercloud told her that caused her to behave this way?
Elmstar waited for the noise to calm before speaking. Every ounce of self control was required for the tom to stay where he sat, calm and composed.
"It is clear what the clan wants me to do. Rest assured that action will be taken, but I want none of you to make any decisions on behalf of ShadowClan. You must be patient."
Murmurs of disagreement were spread between his clanmates, but no single cat objected. Patchpaw was quiet, too, shuffling her paws in the sand that coated the clearing.
"The clan needs something to celebrate," Elmstar added. "Bluepaw and Laurelpaw, present yourself at the front of the hollowed oak and make yourself known."
Snakepaw flinched in surprise. His eyes scanned the clearing until his gaze landed on Bluepaw's silver coat. His fur was brushed against his sister, Laurelpaw's, as they made their way to the front of the gathered cats.
Pride swelled in him as he watched Bluepaw. Snakepaw pushed down the disappointment that he'd no longer be able to train with the tom.
Bluepaw and Laurelpaw were only two moons older than him and Patchpaw, meaning that they'd be made warriors soon, too.
"Crowwatcher and Adderthorn have informed me that you both have completed your assessments and are ready to join your clan as warriors."
Elmstar continued. "I call StarClan to look down on these apprentices. They have both trained hard to uphold your noble code, and I commend them as warriors in your turn."
The silver-blue tom was fidgeting on his paws. Snakepaw thought that it was hard for Bluepaw to contain his excitement, and he couldn't blame him.
"Bluepaw, from this day forward, you will be known as Bluebird for your blue-pointed pelt and your lean build that allows you to leap through the air with ease."
Snakepaw was the first to chant, followed by the rest of the surrounding cats. "Bluebird! Bluebird!"
A friendly nudge came from Patchpaw. She gave Snakepaw a look that was easily understood.
This will be us soon.
"And Laurelpaw," Elmstar proceeded, giving the clan time to quiet down before finishing. "You will be known as Laurelheart. This name resembles your kind-hearted nature. You both will sit vigil tonight and guard the camp."
Bluebird reared up onto his hind legs and bowled into Laurelheart in a celebratory wrestle as the clan continued their chant.
"Laurelheart! Bluebird!"