Warriors: Water (Warrior Cats Fan Fiction Book Two)

Chapter Six

 Briarpaw looked up at the full moon in the dark sky above. It was time for the gathering.

Firenose exited the medicine den to join him, looking frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Briarpaw asked.

"Blizzardflight and Redfur are sick," Firenose muttered, shaking her head. "Just what the Clan needs right now."

"It's not Greencough, is it?" Briarpaw asked, his stomach sinking.

"No," Firenose said. "It's Whitecough, for now. I'm glad we caught it early... I mean, I'm not glad anyone caught it at all, but I can treat it."

"I hope so," Briarpaw said. He was well trained in herbs, but he had never dealt with Whitecough before, let alone Greencough. I hope it doesn't get worse, he thought quickly. He shook his head to clear it and nodded to Firenose. "I'll do what I can to help," he said.

"Oh no, your job is to stay away from the medicine den while the sick cats heal," Firenose said. "I'll look after them. We don't want both of us getting sick."

"I hope you don't get sick, too!" Briarpaw cried.

Firenose shrugged. "I'll be fine," she sniffed. "Now come on, let's go to this gathering. Marshstar has a lot to report as her first time as Leader."

Briarpaw nodded, and he joined Firenose as she headed towards the camp entrance. Marshstar was there, rounding everyone up.

"Ah, there you are, Firenose," Marshstar said swiftly.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Firenose asked.

Marshstar nodded. "There's a lot to mention," she said. "I'm not even sure if Airclan and Flameclan know that I'm the Leader, or that Thornstar and Rockflight are gone," Marshstar looked sad, and Briarpaw remembered how Stormsplash and Cowfur had reported finding Rockflight's body earlier that day.

"And Brightpaw," Briarpaw added quickly.

"Yes, and Brightpaw," Marshstar said sadly. "So much death!"

Briarpaw nodded. Thinking about his dead sister made him think about his other sister. He looked around but couldn't find Lightpaw. "Where's Lightpaw?" He asked aloud.

"She's not coming," Silkfeather said, padding over. "Flightbreeze is staying with her."

Briarpaw nodded, looking back toward the apprentice's den where he suspected that Lightpaw was. He longed to go and join his mother and sister there, but he knew that he had to go to the gathering. It was his duty as the medicine cat apprentice.

Which is why I can't leave Snowclan, he thought. Did Flightbreeze still want to leave, and would Lightpaw leave with her?

"Come on," Firenose said, nudging him. "Time to go!"

Briarpaw scrambled to his feet and followed the cats out of the clearing. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed that they were leaving. He trailed behind but quickly caught up to his mentor.

"Sorry," he said quickly.

"It's fine," Firenose meowed.

They walked through the forest in silence.

The Snowclan cats walked down the Snow Hill and reached the gathering clearing. All of the other Clans were already there, and the clearing was crowded. Briarpaw followed Firenose over to the tree where the other medicine cats were.

"Greetings," Pineconestep, the medicine cat of Flameclan, meowed. He nodded towards the Snow Rock, the small rock in front of the Tall Rock where Marshstar was now perched. "What happened to Thornstar?" Pineconestep asked.