Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 19

As dawn slowly approached, cats began slowly coming out of their dens to begin there morning tasks. It was just the beginnings of Newleaf, but remains of snow still stuck to the branches, shimmering in the sun like moonstones.

Leafcrackle awoke to the sound of coughing coming from somewhere to his left. Yawning, he turned his head to see the smaller form of Kestrelpaw convulsing as she coughed and gasped for air, breathing heavily as though she were overheated. Her eyes were closed, but they were shut too tightly for her to have been asleep, and her expression was contorted with pain.

Leaping to his paws (as good as he can with one broken leg) Leafcrackle quickly got to work examining his apprentice.

"Oh, StarClan, please tell me that this isn't what I think this is!" Leafcrackle worriedly meowed as he began grabbing different herbs.

But as he gently dabbed some water on his apprentice's forehead, Leafcrackle's fears were confirmed as he watched the orange-and-white she-cat struggle to breath. Knowing what to do instantly, the dark red Tom quickly went to the back of the medicine den to fetch some catmint.

Quickly giving the herb to the orange-and-white apprentice, Leafcrackle sighed and stared worriedly down at his apprentice. Kestrelpaw had greencough. She had greencough, and that meant she could very well be on her way to StarClan.

Shaking his head to banish the negative thoughts slithering in his mind like a restless snake, Leafcrackle's amber eyes narrowed in concentration and he turned his attention back to his apprentice.

Leafcrackle sighed softly and flattened his ears. This wasn't good, Kestrelpaw had greencough and Leafcrackle knew that he would need to inform Rosestar of what was happening.

Leafcrackle sighed again and patted out of the medicine den and over to where he saw Rosestar chatting and sharing a mouse with Briardawn.

The pretty cream-and-brown molly looked up as he approached, her green eyes questioning when she saw the bleak expression on his face.

"What's happened?" the brown-and-cream molly asked.

"Kestrelpaw won't be able to help me for a while," the dark red tom told her grimly.

Rosestar's eyes widened in alarm. "Why not?"

"She has greencough," he told her weakly. "I think it must have come down sometime last night because I woke up to her coughing."

The brown-and-cream warrior let out a sigh. "Thank you, Leafcrackle," she murmured, her eyes downcast and sad. "I will inform her mother and littermates, how is she right now?" the BreezeClan leader meowed, her tone sounding very concerned as she stared at her medicine cat.

Leafcrackle sighed softly and flattened his ears. "Kestrelpaw is contagious right now, I wouldn't recommend going into the medicine den. If you or anyone else need anything, please let me know and I'll handle it."

"What's wrong with Kessy?"

The three cats all turned in the direction of the small voice. And standing in the entrance of the apprentice's den sat Firepaw, her beautiful fiery-colored fur glinting in the light of the sun.

It was known to only a select few cats that the pretty ginger molly had a crush on the sassy and playful orange-and-white medicine cat apprentice. But Kestrelpaw was a medicine cat apprentice, and as a medicine cat apprentice, Kestrelpaw can't fall in love.

"Kestrelpaw has greencough," Leafcrackle told the ginger-furred molly. "I better go back and check on her, I gave her some catmint earlier but I'd better go see how she's holding up."