Warriors: Secrets Beyond the Stars: The Prophecy

~Chapter 17~

Dawnpaw padded over to the Nursery, Shortleaf had instructed her to change the bedding in the Nursery and get the queens some water. She glanced around camp, seeing if any kits where playing outside, none were. She let out a loud grunt, she has always hatted going into the Nursery when the kits are inside, it was either too noisy or too loud. The queens trying to calm their kits and trying to get them to go to sleep, the kits crying or yowling in happiness as they played, it always gave Dawnpaw a head ache when she went in. She let out a sigh and went inside, to her surprise it was quiet. She looked around too see that the kits where sleeping, by kits she only met Shinekit and Dustkit. The two siblings were held close to their mother, Beewing, who was talking to Tigerfern. "Hello Dawnpaw" Tigerfern said, turning towards the medicine cat apprentice, "What brings you here?". Dawnpaw flicked her tail towards the moss nests, "Shortleaf told me to change the nests. And, if I may, get you both some water?" she said. Beewing purred, "Finally! The bedding is being changed! I think there is too much fur on my nest, it's was bothering me ever sense I had Shinekit and Dustkit". Dawnpaw's back paw twitched a bit, then stopped. She nodded and the two queens got up, the golden she picked up one of her kits while the brown tabby queen picked up the other, her swollen belly looking like she had eaten too much prey.

The two kits still stayed asleep while Dawnpaw dragged the nests outside, Wow, I bet those kits could sleep through a fight if they were allowed to. She thought, she went over to the medicine cat den to get some more moss, Shortleaf was checking on Duskwing's belly ache and couching. The elder had been in the medicine cat den for a few days, she didn't look like she was getting better. When the cream and white colored she left the medicine cat den and went back to the Nursery, the two kits were awake, and crying. Dawnpaw's back paw twitched the whole time she dragged the new nests in, when she went to go get some water she saw Owlpaw padding into camp with a water soaked moss pile in her mouth, her calico pelt covered with scratches, mud spots, and blood patches. "Great StarClan what happened to you!" she gasped as she dropped her moss and raced over to Owlpaw. Owlpaw dropped her moss, "Some RippleClan cat came into our territory, but don't worry. I chased her off with a few wounds to remember next time when she decides to cross our borders" she smirked, "Now, I must go to the medicine cat den and get cleaned up..." she slowly said as she dragged herself over to the den. Dawnpaw looked at the moss her friend had dropped, it looked cleaner then Owlpaw herself. "Is it ok if I could use this to feed the queens with?" she called after the apprentice. Owlpaw looked over her should, "Sure" then continued. Dawnpaw picked up the wet moss and padded over to the Nursery, she set it down between the two queens. Both Shinekit and Dustkit had fallen back to sleep, "Thank you Dawnpaw" Tigerfern meowed. Dawnpaw nodded and padded towards then medicine cat den to check up on Owlpaw, she noticed that now Silverpaw was sitting next to Owlpaw talking. "Dawnpaw, you can go help your friend Silverpaw. Make sure she doesn't have anything big" Shortleaf said as Dawnpaw entered, the medicine cat's grey paw pushed a few herbs toward the apprentice.

She picked up the herbs and padded over to Silverpaw, who's fur was covered in dirt spots. "What happened to you?" she asked. "Adder attack. But don't worry, I didn't get bitten" she meowed. Dawnpaw looked over the silver she's pelt to see only a few scratches on it, she licked off the dirt that covered the scratches and applied burdock root to the scratches. "That should keep it from getting infected" she said, she turned towards the entrance to see Shallowcreek sitting at the base of the hole, his tail thumping the ground as it hit impatiently. "Are you done?" he asked as he got up and padded over to Silverpaw, "Yes, but you don't need to wait for me" she said as she rested her head Shallowcreek's white chest. "Ashtail said you were being attacked by adders so I had to make sure you were alright" he huffed. Dawnpaw couldn't believe it, Shallowcreek, the strongest warrior in ThunderClan, actually had a hint of worry hidden in his yellow eyes. StarClan take me now, she thought as the warrior padded out of the den, Silverpaw following. Dawnpaw's mouth was left opened, "It's not nice to stare Dawnpaw, just because Silverpaw is Shallowcreek's sister doesn't mean that he shouldn't care for her" Shortleaf meowed as she flicked the apprentice's ear. "He cares more for Silverpaw then his own mate!" Owlpaw joked, Dawnpaw turned to the apprentice to see her calico pelt looking almost white with cobwebs attached to it. "That's not true" Shortleaf said, also flicking Owlpaw's ear with her tail, "Shallowcreek cares for Tigerfern as much as his sister. Look, he's going into the Nursery right now with a rabbit in his mouth" the medicine cat continued as she flicked her tail outside the den.

Dawnpaw turned towards the Nursery to see that Shallowcreek was padding inside, dragging a rabbit in with him. "How do you know that's not for Beewing?" Owlpaw meowed, "Because Foxflight would be with Beewing by now" Shortleaf added. Dawnpaw turned to her mentor, "How would you know?" she asked. "Because before you were my apprentice, I would go inside to see Foxflight laying next to Beewing. His tail always curled around the queen so tight as if he was holding onto a branch with it" Shortleaf said, then she padded over to Owlpaw and started pushing her out with her head, "Now, get some rest. I don't need any other cats to be getting sick for not leaving my den" she meowed. Owlpaw bounced away, Dawnpaw slowly padded towards the medicine cat clearing when Shortleaf's gray tail tip tapped her shoulder. "Not you, it is time for you to rest as well. I'll take care of Duskwing while your asleep" the medicine cat said. "Yes Shortleaf" Dawnpaw said as she padded to her nest, "When will I be able to leave this den, it reeks of mouse-bile" Duskwing coughed as she looked up from her side. "And get the rest of camp infected with... your illness? You must stay here until you are feeling better, while I try to find out what is illness you have" Shortleaf said as she sat down next to the elder. Dawnpaw laded down in her nest, resting her head on her paws. As she slowly fell asleep she could hear Shortleaf and Duskwing talking while a few herbs filled her nose.