Warriors Super Edition: Duskflower's Guilt

Chapter 4: Cinderpaw's Suspicions

After coming back from her hunting lesson with Darkflower and Starlingpaw, Cinderpaw headed straight for the medicine den. Duskflower was sorting herbs when the dark gray apprentice entered the den. "Oh, hey, Cinderpaw." The black she-cat greeted with a mouthful of herbs in her jaws. Cinderpaw frowned and flicked her tail back-and-forth. "Um hey, Duskflower?" Cinderpaw began quietly, "Is everything ok?" Duskflower paused in her sorting work to look at her apprentice.

"Yes, everything's perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? Is there anything that I can help you with?"

"You could go out and gather some more borage leaves and cobwebs."

Cinderpaw nodded and raced out of the den and out of camp in search of herbs. But something felt off about Duskflower. Was there something that she wasn't telling her? Cinderpaw sighed and shook her head, trying to clear her head, but no matter what she tried, she just couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling in her heart.

It didn't take long for Cinderpaw to find some cobwebs and borage leaves, she also gathered some watermint and some horsetail. "I'll come back and gather some more herbs," the dark gray apprentice mewed to herself as she made her way back to camp.

On her way back to camp she ran into Kestrelpaw and her mentor,Blackwing. "Oh, hello, Cinderpaw, what are you doing out here so late in the day?" Kestrelpaw rolled and yellow eyes and mewed, "she's gathering herbs for Duskflower," Cinderpaw nodded and waved her tail as she pushed her way through the gorse tunnel and made her way back to the medicine den. As Cinderpaw approached the den, that foreboding feeling came back tenfold.

"Thanks, Cinderpaw." Her mentor mewed, appearing from the shadows of the medicine den. Cinderpaw nodded and went over to sort the herbs she had just gathered. As she worked, the young apprentice couldn't help but ask Duskflower once more if she was feeling ok.

"I told you already that I'm fine!" Duskflower snapped, beginning to get frustrated at her apprentice. "Why can't you just let it go?" Cinderpaw's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to her mentor.

"No you're not, Duskflower." She meowed calmly but forcefully. "There's something that you're not telling me, isn't there?" Duskflower's icy-blue eyes widened and she lashed her tail from side-to side.

"I'm right, aren't I, Duskflower?"

The dark-furred medicine cat sighed and nodded her head. "Yes, yes you're right, Cinderpaw." She mewed, her was barely above a whisper as she spoke.

"Is it bad? You're not dying are you?" Cinderpaw meowed fearfully, her anger melting away as worry gripped her insides like a block of ice. She didn't want her last interaction with her mentor to be her accusing her of keeping something important from her.

"No, Cinderpaw, I'm not dying."

"Then what is it, Duskfloer?"

Duskflower sighed and shuffled her paws nervously. Could she really tell Cinderpaw? What if this secret got her exiled from the Clan? Would Raincloud be exiled from his Clan too? Has Fogstar found out that he's been sneaking away to see me? All these thoughts were racing through her mind like a tempest, and it was starting to make Duskflower feel dizzy.

"Duskflower?"

Duskflower blinked and shook her head. Then she looked straight into Cinderpaw's eyes. "Listen to me, Cinderpaw, what I'm about to tell you can not be repeated to anyone, do you understand?" The dark gray medicine cat apprentice nodded her head and put her tail over her mouth to show that she would keep quiet.

"I promise, I won't say a word, Duskflower."

Duskflower took a deep breath and flattened her ears, then meows quietly. "I'm having kits with Raincloud."

Cinderpaw's jaw dropped open in shock. "Your what?!" Duskflower didn't want to repeat herself, so she just looked at her feet. "Duskflower, why didn't you tell me earlier?" She asked. "Because I was afraid you would make fun of me. And it's against the medicine cat code for a medicine cat to take a mate or have kits." She said, being completely homiest. "I would never make fun of you! None of us wou- ok maybe the Clan would, but I won't!" Cinderpaw started to pace. "This isn't just some small thing, this is huge! You need to let him know!" She said. "I already told him." Duskflower meowed, nervously needing her paws into dirt. "Don't worry, Duskflower," Cinderpaw mewed comfortingly. "I'll cover for you whenever you need me to." Duskflower smiled softly down at her apprentice. "Thank you, Cinderpaw." She mewed with a grateful look on her face.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Duskflower mewed, "let's get back to sorting herbs," Cinderpaw nodded and checked the herb storage. "I think we might need to go and gather some more herbs tomorrow," Cinderpaw mewed to her mentor while checking the shelves of herbs. Duskflower lifted her head from her sorting work and with a confused look on her face, she patted over to see what her apprentice was referring to. "What are we running low on, Cinderpaw?" The dark gray apprentice motioned with her tail to where she had just organized what was remaining of the feverfew and coltsfoot. Duskflower sighed heavily and flattened her ears. "Well we can't go back out now. It's almost sundown." The black she-cat mewed tiredly.

...

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Moonstar's yowl echoed across the camp. Cinderpaw perked her ears up. After a busy day of hunting practice 'Because even medicine cats need to learn how to hunt!' and gathering herbs for their leafbare stores, Cinderpaw was ready to relax.

"Attention, ShadowClan! We are going to attend tonight's Gathering! The cats I have selected are: Smokeyfur, Copperfoot, Darkfeather, Blackwing, Swiftstorm, Darkflower, Bluefur, Duskflower, Nightfeather, Dustclaw, Starlingpaw, Kestrelpaw, Firepaw, Cinderpaw, and Whitepaw. The rest of you will stay here and guard the camp. Meeting dismissed." She finished, still staring at Cinderpaw. Well, so much for a good night's rest! Cinderpaw thought, but she was happy that she got to attend the Gathering with her new friends.