Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 52

A sharp yowl split through the early pre-dawn air, making every cat jolt up out of their nests, fur standing on end and eyes darting frantically from side to side.

"Someone! Help!"

Snowfrost's eyes snapped open. She recognized that voice. It was Polarpaw. The Clan was already gathered around Polarpaw.

"What's happening?" Minkfin's voice called.

Polarpaw's voice was trembling. "There's something wrong with Yarrowleaf!" she yowled. "I've tried everything - every herb that I know of but s-she's not moving!" the apprentice choked out, her green eyes brimming with tears.

The Clan was dead silent.

Snowfrost stepped forward and bent down to be eye-level with the medicine cat apprentice.

"May I take a look at her?" she mewed in a soft tone, her plumy white tail flicking from left to right.

Polarpaw blinked her green eyes at her.

"B-but Snowfrost, you're not a medicine cat - do you even know anything about medicine and how to heal?" she meowed, her voice sounding hollow as she spoke.

It was then that Blizzardsky entered the conversation.

"Oh, believe me when I say that my sister is basically a medicine cat doing warrior duties. She knows the names of plants I've never even heard of."

Snowfrost blushed and stared down at her paws, not sure how to react to what her littermate had just told the Clan.

The Clan fell silent yet again at Blizzardsky's words.

All eyes then turned to look at Snowfrost.

Snowfrost ducked her head, not expecting the eyes of her fellow clanmates to go from staring at Polarpaw, to her sister, and then to her.

"She's not lying!" mewed Ripplepaw, one of Polarpaw's best friends. "I've seen Snowfrost gathering herbs for Yarrowleaf while out training with Cinderblossom."

Many other cats gave varying nods or mutters of agreement at what Ripplepaw had just said.

Dovestar blinked and tilted her head curiously at Snowfrost.

"Wait a minute," she cleared her throat and shook out her pelt. "So, you didn't want to be a warrior?" the leader asked, blinking at Snowfrost, who shifted her paws nervously in the snow.

Whalestripe blinked and turned to face her former apprentice.

"If you didn't want to be a warrior, why didn't you say anything sooner?" the black-and-white she-cat mewed curiously, her eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Because Yarrowleaf already had an apprentice," Snowfrost meowed, rolling her eyes and turning to face her former mentor.

Dovestar sighed heavily.

"Well, we need to fetch Yarrowleaf's body, and Polarpaw needs to be named as the new medicine cat."

Polarpaw's eyes went wide with disbelief.

"B-but Yarrowleaf's not hear to give me my name!" she protested weekly.

Dovestar looked into the apprentice's eyes. "Then I'll do it," she mewed simply. "Snowfrost, you will accompany me and Polarpaw to the Moontree. Hailclaw, you're in charge until we return."

Hailclaw looked taken aback but nodded his head, not wanting to question his leader's actions.

"We will hold a vigil for Yarrowleaf when I return," the dark gray she-cat meowed before turning and exiting the camp with Polarpaw and Snowfrost at her heels.