Distant Sun: Flashing Lights - Shimmering Stars

Chapter 6

The days following Jadepaw's day in RowanClan felt boring. Sure, she was helping the kits get better and better every day, but it wasn't the same as the hustle and bustle of the Clan moving camps. She liked helping Goldenlight ferry herbs back and forth to the leafbare camp, listening to stories about cats Goldenlight knew or had heard about along the way.

"Morning Rock– er, Jadepaw," a voice from the entrance to the den meows. Jadepaw looks over her shoulder to see Coralsong standing there with her paw held up. The older she-cat gives Jadepaw a kind smile. "Is Rocktooth in?"

"She's with the kits," Jadepaw meows, walking over to the warrior. "Anything I can help you with?"

"I stepped on a thorn while hunting," Coralsong replies. "It's crazy how much the bushes by the rowan trees shed thorns, isn't it?"

"Let me see."

Coarlsong sits down and holds out her paw for Jadepaw to look at. The thorn isn't big, so Jadepaw pulls it out quickly. Then she walks over to the herb store and grabs some marigold. Once she's chewed it up into a pulp, she smears it on the wound.

"There, make sure to keep off it for the rest of the day and then come see me or Rocktooth in the morning to check on it," Jadepaw meows. "I'll ask Rocktooth to tell Darkstep to keep you off of patrols for the rest of the day."

"Thanks, Jadepaw," Coralsong purrs. "You're quite competent for being so young."

"I'm doing my best," Jadepaw meows, feeling her pelt grow warm with embarrassment.

"Well, thank you for taking care of this for me. Have a good day, Jadepaw."

Coralsong leaves the den, holding her paw off the ground. Jadepaw returns to the herb store and puts the rest of the marigold away. She finishes just as her mentor returns to the den.

"I saw that you helped Coralsong with her paw," Rocktooth meows with a smile. "Don't worry, I told Darkstep to keep her away from patrols for the rest of the day. Good job."

"Thanks," Jadepaw meows. "There seem to be a lot more cats hunting near the RowanClan border, so thorns might be pretty common for the rest of leafbare."

***

Jadepaw watches over the drying herbs she had collected earlier as the sunhigh patrols return. Most had prey dangling from their jaws while the border patrols all had collected plants that were used to line the nursery and elder's den walls to keep warmth in during the cold. However, there seems to be a commotion outside the camp.

"What's all that noise?" Rocktooth asks, squinting in the bright light as she exits the den.

"I don't know, maybe one of the hunting patrols caught a big rabbit. Those are pretty rare during leafbare, right?" Jadepaw offers.

Suddenly, one of the patrols enters the camp, a bloody mess. Jadepaw leaps to her paws in alarm as the cats bring someone forward.

"Featherwing fought a hawk!" Fluffypelt announces, his green eyes wide with excitement. "It got away, but not before dropping the rabbit it caught!"

"Stars, you idiot!" Rocktooth hisses. "Bring him in. Jadepaw, go grab the cobwebs and marigold. Oh, and those big leaves I got from Goldenlight. Those will absorb the blood better than the cobwebs."