The Rogue Traitor #3 - Two Worlds

Chapter Six

Birdpaw had a reasonably good sleep, the pain in her shoulder having been numbed, mostly, by what Flowerstem had given her. Unfortunately, he peaceful, dreamless sleep was disturbed by a paw poking her in the ribs.

"Dewpaw," she grumbled, not having to even open her eyes to know who it was, "go away."

"Come on," chuckled the tom, "you have to get up and eat." The was a bit more grumbling from her before she began to slowly try and sit up. The tom gently dropped the prey and moved to help her sit up, though it was more like half sitting, half laying. The blood dropped from her head, leaving little white stars dancing in her vision. She winced and took sharp breaths to try and clear it, but it took longer than she thought.

"Are you okay?" Asked Dewpaw, leaning forward to look her in the eyes. She nodded and quickly regretted doing that, the cream tom leaning even closer, concern in his green eyes. Birdpaw met his eyes for a heartbeat and noticed how beautiful they were up close. But the younger apprentice quickly looked away, silence filling the den. Thankfully, before things could get too awkward, Flowerstem appeared from the back of the den.

"I thought I told you not to get her up," sighed the medicine cat before noticing how close the two apprentices were and she swollowed her smile. Dewpaw looked down at the floor and backed away from the younger apprentice.

"You also asked me to get her to eat," he replied eventually when Birdpaw thought she was going to die from embarrassment.

"Only if it kept her laying down," the medicine cat sighed again, shooing Dewpaw out of the way as she placed down a bundle of herbs, "we can't get her moving too quickly."

"You know I am right here," glared the calico she-cat, her heart still racing from being that close to the older apprentice. Flowerstem smiled at her before busying herself with the the herbs. Dewpaw watched from the corner of the den as the medicine cat chewed all different herbs and smeared them along Birdpaw's shoulder.

"How long have I been asleep?" Asked the younger she-cat, yawning as if she hadn't been asleep.

"Just a day," replied the medicine cat, padding back over to the herb store and the younger apprentice would have leapt up if she didn't hurt that much, or if she at least had the energy.

"Just a day," Birdpaw repeated, glaring at the medicine cat, "why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I did try," interrupted Dewpaw and the younger she-cat looked over at him, heart racing as she met his eyes, "you just slept through it."

"But you needed it," meowed Flowerstem, "it helped you keep still while your shoulder healed as best as it could. How does your shoulder feel?"

"Okay," she admitted, "a little stiff but not sore or anything. When can I get back into training?" The medicine cat gave her a look that she must have learnt from Chiveleaf and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Defended the younger apprentice, "I missed lost of training and I want to get back into it!"

"You won't be training until I say you are ready," replied the brown and white she-cat firmly, "and it won't be anytime soon. Until you are at least fit enough to walk around camp, you are going to stay here. If you want to get out training as soon as possible, you will eat that mouse." The younger apprentice looked at the mouse that Dewpaw had brought her at the edge of her next before looking up at the medicine cat with eyes that clearly said "But I am not hungry!". The medicine cat returned her gaze with green eyes that said "you are going to eat that mouse or else...". The calico she-cat sighed and took a small bite from the mouse, her stomach totally disagreeing, but she swallowed it anyway. She could feel Flowerstem's and Dewpaw's eye watching her so she ate the rest of the mouse at a steady pace before flopping down on her nest.

"I am not eating anything else," she moaned, stomach feeling as though she might throw up. It must be the smell of the herbs, they always made her feel sick.

"You don't have to." Smiled the medicine cat, before turning to Dewpaw, "And you, out, out, out. Leave the patient to sleep." The older apprentice was forced out of the den before Flowerstem turned to Birdpaw.

"You and I need to talk."