Warriors: Forest of Secrets - Book Three (Completed)

Chapter Sixteen

Waterlily looked back up at Yellowfang and her eyes brightened. She saw flicker of love in Yellowfang's eyes. "Thanks." Waterlily purred. Yellowfang dipped her head, then brushed her tail over Cinderpaw's body as if to calm her. 

"Sleep, young one." She murmured softly to the young gray apprentice. 

Cinderpaw didn't fight the drowsiness she felt and she slowly closed her eyes and fell in a deep rhythm of  breaths. Waterlily stayed by her side all sunrise and almost into the night. Yellowfang was already finished with counting and sorting when Waterlily finally got to her paws. Yellowfang pricked her ears when she heard paw steps not too far from the medicine den. Then voices and murmurs were heard just outside the den. Waterlily exchanged a glance with Yellowfang, and they both sat in silence listening. 

"Go with Tigerclaw and see if you can a clear path to Fourtrees. The Gathering is in two moonrises from now and we must be able to get there." It was Bluestar that spoke first. 

"Yes, Fireheart may come." Waterlily guessed it was Tigerclaw from his harsh tone. "But if he puts a paw wrong, I'll want to know the reason why."  Paw steps were heard and the cats padded away. They were now too far from ear shot. 

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes. "If we can't get to Fourtrees the normal way, we'll have to go through ShadowClan and that will be a big mistake."

Waterlily tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

"They will never let us pass through, even if there is a truce. I just hope they are able to find another way."

Waterlily bristled her fur. She did not want to trek through ShadowClan territory just for a Gathering. "I hope so too." She mewed softly, her amber gaze glinting from the sun's rays. 

Smallear, still too weak and hurting, laid a few fox-lengths from Cinderpaw. His sides heaved slowly up and down. Yellowfang padded over to him with some comfrey leaves and some poultice dripping from the leaves in her jaws. "Eat as much as you can." She whispered to Smallear. Then she lifted her head and turned to Waterlily, "Make sure the elders have had their fill and don't have fleas or ticks. Check the nursery as well. Once you're finished with that, get some fresh-kill for yourself."

Waterlily nodded without a word, grabbed some comfrey just in case the other elders were feeling stiff as well and she bounded over to the elders' den. "Back so soon?" Rasped Dappletail. She was sitting up and licked her chest fur. Her once pretty mottled, tortoiseshell coat was matted and small clumps as she rasped her tongue over it.

"Just coming to make sure you were fed and have no stiff joints. Smallear has been complaining a lot lately about his aching joints." Waterlily explained with the comfrey still in her jaws.

"Smallear would complain to all of StarClan." Replied Halftail. 

Dappletail rolled her clouded, amber eyes. "Yes, true." She rasped in between licks. Then she stopped and looked up at Waterlily. "We had our fill, thanks."

"Good. If you need anything..."

"We know." Hissed One-eye. She opened her one good eye and let out a low growl. "I'm trying to sleep." She added.

Dappletail brushed her tail over the old she-cat's flank. "You have been sleeping all day. Let Waterlily be." She hissed.

Waterlily couldn't help but let a small mrrow of laughter as Dappletail hushed the two old warriors. It was like she was the only one who had respected her. Waterlily dipped her head in thanks, then ducked out of the elders' den. She passed by the nursery, then stopped in her tracks. She looked back at the entrance of the nursery and could hear tiny meows and purrs. How was Shadowkit doing?  She dropped the comfrey leaves then crawled underneath the snowy brambles covering the entrance. 

"Shadowkit?" She mewed softly. 

Frostfur lifted her head and alerted her ears in alarm, then relaxed when she saw Waterlily. "He's here." She mewed, lifting her tail. A small black tom laid, curled up next to Frostfur's belly. He opened his round, green eyes and stared at Waterlily for a few heartbeats before lifting his head and purred. "Have you had vole yet?" Waterlily mewed, crouching down to Shadowkit's level.

Shadowkit widened his eyes. "No."

Waterlily looked up at Frostfur. She was about to open her jaws and ask for permission to take him out of the nursery, but Frostfur must have guessed that already. She dipped her head, gently nudged Shadowkit onwards. 

"Come on," Waterlily purred, flicking her tail. "Follow me."

Shadowkit stretched out his tiny paws and yawned, then bounded after Waterlily. He was much more sturdy on his paws now. He brushed up against Waterlily as he followed her to the fresh-kill pile. He stopped next to her and sniffed the pile. He opened her jaws to choose a large mouse, but Waterlily stopped him. 

"No." She mewed, softly. "That's a mouse." Waterlily moved another mouse from the pile and lifted up a small, brown vole. "This is a vole. These are my favorite." She added, setting it down in front of Shadowkit. Shadowkit widened his eyes. They were almost as big as the moon. He bit down on the vole's neck and began dragging it, very slowly, to the nursery. Waterlily helped him along whenever the vole got caught on a large clump of melting snow. "Almost there." Waterlily urged him on. 

"Look what I got!" Shadowkit purred, dragging the vole into the nursery and stopped in front of Frostfur. 

"You dragged that all the way here?" Frostfur asked.

Shadowkit dropped the vole, then nodded his head vigorously, clearly proud at what he had done. Frostfur softly purred in response and let Shadowkit have his first bite of vole. He took as big of a bite as he could and chewed it for what seemed like a long time. "Well?" Frostfur, mewed, as if she was reading Waterlily's thoughts. 

"It's great!" He exclaimed. He took another mouthful. Frostfur watched him eat for another a few moments then he yawned. His belly was full and happy. 

Waterlily padded back into the medicine den with two small mice. One for Yellowfang and one for herself. As the two she-cats laid side by side, Waterlily looked out into the distance. This would be the first Gathering of real importance. She thought to herself. Fireheart and Tigerclaw must find a way to get there. It cannot be missed.