Warriors: Crow's Carrion

Chapter Twelve

     Despite their certainty that they'd be fine, Ospreypaw found themself confined to the medicine den in the days following Mudbreath's death. They wanted to be upset about it—all of the other apprentices were making leaps and bounds of progress, while they were sick—but for once, they knew this was the right thing to do. They could feel the sickness grasping their lungs, trying to pull them under, but with Riverflower's help they were able to keep the worst of it at bay. However, when asked what they kept getting sick with, Riverflower would only say that it was similar to whitecough and that they shouldn't worry about it.

     I'm the one getting sick, Ospreypaw thought. If anyone deserves a straight answer, it's me. With a stretch, they shot a glance at Riverflower. She'd hardly let them out of her sight, rarely letting them go far into the main clearing either. There was no harm, however, in stepping right outside for fresh air. The healer could see them through the reeds, and could listen for a coughing fit if needed, and that would surely be enough.

     Ospreypaw yawned and stepped through the wall of reeds, sitting down just outside the den. Most of their Clanmates bustled about; most still showed the grief of losing Mudbreath, but other than his direct family, few dwelled on it for more than a couple of days. Splashpaw and Crabpaw sat together just outside the medicine den, sharing a trout, while Currentpaw approached them with a minnow. Ripplestar and Eveningshell stood side-by-side on the Daystones, most of the warriors crowding impatiently at the base of the flat stones.

     "Riverflower finally let you out, I see." Darkshadow's voice took Ospreypaw by surprise, and they jumped a whisker-length into the air before quickly tidying their fur.

     "It's fine if she can see me through the reeds," Ospreypaw said quickly and bowed their head to their mentor. His presence brought tension with it, and they could see the vexation in his eyes.

     "Why has she kept you for so long?" Darkshadow pressed, his green gaze boring into the apprentice. "It's been at least five sunrises, and you look fine."

     "Just because it isn't visible, doesn't mean that I'm not sick," Ospreypaw mumbled with a frown. "I can feel it this time—I'm sick, so I should be letting her treat me."

     "That's exactly what happened with Mudbreath," Darkshadow muttered. "And look what happened."

     "He was her father," Ospreypaw dropped their voice further and glanced back through the reeds. Riverflower had mourned more than anyone, but Ospreypaw knew she tried not to let others see it. "She did everything she could for him, Darkshadow. It isn't like she didn't try."

     Darkshadow narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze across the clearing. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I guess I'm just frustrated. All of the other apprentices have started their intermediate battle training—Current and Pool have made immense progress, and your brothers aren't far behind, really. I understand that there are . . . circumstances to consider, but you've missed far too many training sessions."

     "What are you saying?" Ospreypaw asked. At his words, panic surged through them—was he implying that they'd have to train longer than the others?

     "I'm saying that you've fallen behind," Darkshadow said and shrugged. "Ripple has noticed it, too. I expected her to suggest that we prolong your training, but she and Riverflower have been meeting in private—I suspect they want you to train under the healer, instead."

     "W-What?!" Ospreypaw bristled and sifted their claws through the sand. "They can't do that. I don't know the first thing about being a healer. I want to be a warrior!"

     "It wouldn't be the first time Ripplestar used her word as law," Darkshadow continued as if it didn't matter either way to him. "Once you're able to, we'll need to train extra hard to catch up to the others."