Life 3:7: Leopard and Ocelot
It had been a day since the blizzard. Snow flooded the land, untouched and still. Within this snow lay Riverclan's camp where cats were busily clearing snow away and digging back out the prey pile. Riverclan was still well stocked to wait for the snow to clear prey wise, but the cold had brought illness to the camp. For now, it was just two minor cases of white cough,
Mudfur decided to seek Crookedstar out before the small outbreak evolved into something much worse. "Crookedstar, white cough is in the camp. Right now, it is just two, but I'm low on catmint."
Crookedstar met Mudfur's eyes questioningly. "You mean you want to send someone out in this to look for more?" Crookedstar queried.
"Snakepaw knows where all the patches grow. He'll be able to find them under the snow." Mudfur rebutted.
"He is still an apprentice, despite his condition. I can't send him out there alone. You'll have to wait." Crookedstar commanded, but Leopardfur, having listened in, decided to counter Crookedstar's command.
"How about I escort him? I've been hearing you two go on and on about Snakepaw this and Snakepaw that. I think it's about time I get to know this cat that garners such attention." She mewed, more interested in the chance to single out the strange apprentice over any actual care about Mudfur's low stockpiles.
Crookedstar's eyes twinkled mischievously. Mudfur noticed the look quickly and couldn't help feeling pity for his daughter Leopardfur. Crookedstar had known she had been listening in all along and had her right where he wanted her. "Oh, you don't need to do such a thing. I'm sure we can get by a bit longer without all that catmint. Plus, it's not like you'd care to escort a medicine cat apprentice anyways." Crookedstar mewed, knowing fully well that he was just stoking Leopardfur's resolve to meet the apprentice.
"I'm not a kit! Like you said, we're low on catmint. If Snakepaw can really get this stuff, then it'll be good for the clan. I know you get a bit senile, but I'm doing this, and that's final." Leopardfur growled.
Mudfur couldn't help shaking his head at the sight. Leopardfur had been led on by Crookedstar. Her response was exactly what he wanted. "Just keep an eye on Snakepaw. He's incredibly clever, but he's also somehow equally clumsy. I'm sure he'll surprise you, one way or another." Mudfur stated, turning away to go inform his apprentice of his coming mission.
Snakepaw met Leopardfur by the camp entrance. Despite how young his body was, Snakepaw was rather large for a seven-moon old cat. He was already at Leopardfur's shoulder, which was primarily due to his long legs. Together, the pair set off, Snakepaw in front since he knew where they were going.
It wasn't long before Snakepaw was upon a location that held a patch of catmint. Of course, in the snow, it wasn't visible. Snakepaw would have to dig it out. As Snakepaw began to dig, Leopardfur decided to finally voice the questions that plagued her mind. "What is it about you that Crookedstar and Mudfur find so interesting about you?" She asked, faintly sneering at the odd attention.
Snakepaw didn't bother to stop digging, but he did give a response. "It's because I'm immortal… kinda."
Leopardfur shook her head in bafflement. "And how, pray tell, can a cat be only kind of immortal?"
Snakepaw let out a small chuckle at her question. "I mean I still die. I just don't stay dead. Not in a nine lives sort of way. I mean, I die, and I wake up somewhere else. Usually it's one of the clans, but I've been known to wake up as a kittypet or a rogue of the Twoleg Place. Don't really get a choice in where I end up, but I always try and make the most of it."
Leopardfur once more shook her head. "How can you talk so casually about dying? You're not ever a year old."
That really made Snakepaw laugh. He actually stopped digging as he had to wrangle his amusement. "Sorry. That was rude. I didn't mean to laugh, but I thought you'd have figured it out. I'm only seven moons old in this life. I'm far older than you could ever imagine. Remember the great families I told of in my Long Night story? I've actually met them. Quite frankly, the clans are just a new version of an old system. The Leopard family isn't gone. It just renamed itself Riverclan. Kind of ironic given that you got the name leopard by chance." Snakepaw explained, thoroughly confusing and somewhat frightening Leopardfur.
"How?! Just… how?" Leopardfur sputtered.
Snakepaw had ignored this question as he spotted the green of the catmint in his hole. He had to dig a little longer to free a good amount of it and harvest it without killing the entire patch. "Got it. Another patch, and we should be restocked." Snakepaw mewed, pulling free of the hole he dug with half a muzzle full of catmint. Leopardfur said nothing as her mind was still reeling from the seemingly false but somehow spoken with utter belief statements Snakepaw said.
After a while, Snakepaw found the location of the second patch, starting to dig again. Leopardfur had composed herself by now. She felt the need to test Snakepaw a bit, trying to catch the lie in Snakepaw's outlandish statements. "So, what does dying feel like?" Leopardfur asked, hoping to somehow catch an obvious lie.
"Too complex of an answer for a simple question. Are you asking if after death is painful, or do you mean the act of dying is painful?" Snakepaw answered, still digging his hole.
Leopardfur decided to push her question again. "I mean, I'm bound to become Leopardstar at some point. That means nine lives as well. I'm curious as to how bad losing one is."
"Oh… You're asking if dying and coming back is scary. I'll be honest. The first time will be the worst thing you've ever experienced. I personally haven't experienced the nine lives way myself, but I've talked to plenty that have. They all describe it the same way. After feeling everything fade into nothing, suddenly you are tugged back from the edge of death, forced to feel everything again as your wounds heal. Starclan usually tries to spare a leader from most of that by forcing a meeting with Starclan, but they can't do that every time. The leader wakes up, stiff as if they were a corpse given motion. Their heart hammers in their chest, desperately trying to wake back up their body. Their paws and tail feels like they're being tugged through a thorn patch as the nerves come back to life. They'll gasp for air as they feel like they were just drowning. From what I've heard from them, the best thing to do after coming back is to run. Running makes the heart beat faster, forcing blood to all the once dead limbs, reviving them. It's overall an awful experience. Don't even get me started on multi-deaths. An especially grievous wound can kill a leader more than once. I wouldn't wish that on any cat." Snakepaw answered, pausing his digging to lecture.
Leopardfur didn't know what to make of his answer. It was too in depth to be false. All of it was stated so clearly as if it was factual. Maybe it was factual. Either way, it scared Leopardfur. Either this apprentice was extremely demented… or she had a terrifying fate ahead of her. "How do they put up with it." She couldn't help mewing.
"Because their cats need them. You would not believe the amount of things cats can put up with, can fight through for the ones they love. I've seen cats dive into a horde of badgers just to lead them away from their home. They knew they were going to die, but they did it anyways because some things are worth more than a life. That's what it means to be a leader. You're the first one to jump into a fray and the last to retreat. You ensure the survival of every cat under your care, even if it is to your detriment. Do you really want to know why Mudfur wants a full stockpile of catmint? It's because Crookedstar is starting to catch white cough, and as long as there is a single other cat that needs the catmint more, Crookedstar will take none of it." Snakepaw mewed morosely.
"But Crookedstar is on his last life!" Leopardfur rebutted, quickly realizing what she blurted out.
"Doesn't matter. A leader's job is to die for their cats. He's afraid of it. What cat wouldn't, but he also knows what is at stake. Every cat of Riverclan is like a kit of his. If he could trade his life to save a single one of them, he'd do it gladly." Snakepaw answered without even a pause.
Suddenly, Snakepaw found another set of paws helping him dig out the catmint. "Then let's get this catmint. If Crookedstar refuses to take it, then I'll just force feed him it. I don't want to be a star yet. I'm not ready to give away my existence like , I'd be willing to fight to the death for my clan, but I'm not too keen on the idea of suffering for them."
Snakepaw consoled Leopardfur with his response. "You'll learn in time. Near every leader does. No leader starts out perfect. Many become paranoid after their first life. Eventually, something coaxes them into action. They get this revelation of purpose and realize that by them taking on a temporary suffering, they can spare someone else from a permanent one. There's no greater feeling than knowing you've saved a life."
Leopardfur let off a strange chuckle. "You certainly are the strangest apprentice I've ever met. I'm still not ready to be a star, but maybe I will be someday."
"That's the spirit! Now, let's get this catmint back before Crookedstar keels over." Snakepaw mewed, bounding off playfully.
"Not funny Snakepaw." Leopardfur called after him, chasing the apprentice back to camp.