Warriors #3: Shifting Shadows

Chapter 10

Snowflight's POV

"I think it's about time you went back to your own Clan," Jayfeather commented, observing Rainstorm as the mottled gray tom stood up from his nest. "Are you fit enough to travel now?"

"Of course!" Rainstorm snapped. "I didn't want to come here in the first place, you mouse-brain!"

I tried not to purr with laughter as Rainstorm then let out an irritated breath before leaving the medicine den, not thanking us or anything at all. I stared back at the medicine den entrance where he had disappeared. Well... I guess I wouldn't have been in the best mood either if I was practically being held hostage by another Clan, I suppose!

Rainstorm had spent the past half-moon in ThunderClan in order to recover. Jayfeather and I had overseen his wounds and let him get plenty of rest. Unfortunately though, the half-moon had felt like a lot more than just a half-moon.
With Rainstorm's impatience and short temper, he didn't make Jayfeather and I treating him much fun.

"It'll be nice to have that mouse-brained furball out of here," Jayfeather muttered, almost having repeated my thoughts. "He was a real pain in the tail!"

I snorted, gathering up Rainstorm's old nest to dispose of the next time that I left the medicine den. "I have to agree with you, even thought I hate to think badly of any cat," I purred, lashing my tail.

"Of course you don't," Jayfeather muttered. "That's something we certainly don't have in common."

I let out a mrrow of laughter and then padded over to Jayfeather to help him organize herbs. "You know, Jayfeather, life would maybe be a little more fun if you could just try to tolerate cats a little more?" I suggested to my former mentor, but not really thinking he would actually take any sort of suggestion I gave him. Like he'd take advice from his former apprentice, but I might as well trim even if I'm teasing!

Jayfeather just snorted. "I suppose I could do that, Snowflight," he replied. "But it's quite difficult when everyone in the Clan is a complete mouse-brain all of the time."

I rolled my eyes and purred in amusement. "Great StarClan!" I exclaimed. I shook my head and turned back to the herbs from where I had been looking at Jayfeather. "Well, I suppose training an apprentice is a bit of an improvement. Hopefully I wasn't a huge pain in the tail?" Almost any cat wouldn't be able to surpass Rainstorm, I have to say.

To my surprise, after a few heartbeats, Jayfeather meowed in a more gentle voice than usual, "Nope, not even a little bit." I then noticed him shake his head quickly, and continue on with his herbs. He then meowed in his more normal tone of voice, "I got lucky with you."

I then let out one last purr of amusement, proceeding to pick up a stack of herbs and begin to put them in their piles. Just within a quarter moon of me training as a medicine cat, Jayfeather had actually taught me a really interesting way to organize the herbs. I quite liked it, so I stuck to it.

It was what I was still doing when just a few heartbeats later, Goldenshine padded into the den.

"Uh, could I have some moss dipped in mouse-bile, please?" she asked as soon as she had come in.

I turned around from my work to face my sister, my eyes wide. "Again?" I exclaimed. "Why do you need moss and mouse-bile so much?" This was now the fourth or fifth time that Goldenshine had come to the medicine den for mouse-bile.

"To get ticks off of the elders. Duh."

I tilted my head to the side. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm being punished!" Goldenshine meowed, growing impatient all of the sudden. "I ate prey before I gave some to the Clan on a hunting patrol about a half-moon ago."