A slight breeze hit the fresh-kill pile, bringing the scent to Pebblefall, who grabbed the mouse that he'd hunted earlier that day. It was sunhigh and most of the clan cats were in the clearing sharing tongues or talking to one another.
Pebblefall was about to take a bite from his food when he looked at Sandwhisker, who was already eating his prey. He decided to keep his friend company by sitting by him with the small rodent in his jaw.
"Hey, Pebblefall, do you want to go practice more fighting techniques? I saw some apprentices practicing a new move that our mentors didn't teach us." Sandwhisker told him.
Pebblefall took a big gulp of his mouse and nodded. He definitely wanted to see what the new technique was and how it could help in battles.
Sandwhisker threw his meal's remains to the side and took his time to stand up and stretch. Pebblefall finished eating his prey and began to follow Sandwhisker to the clearing.
It'd been several sunrises ago when Pebblefall was visited by the black tom in his dream and when he encountered Poolripple's strange behavior. Her suspicion made Pebblefall wonder why Ravenpaw was so important. In the time between, Sandwhisker had been spending more time practicing fighting, while they also occasionally competed to see who would get the most prey. Sandwhisker stopped and sat down licking his paw.
"Pebblefall, you stand next to the big oak while I stand here and demonstrate the move I saw to you." Sandwhisker meowed.
Pebblefall moved a few pawsteps back and waited for Sandwhisker to prepare. Once his friend was ready, he quickly stalked towards Pebblefall and dropped down. Pebblefall was confused about what his friend was doing, but he knew that Sandwhisker had his reasons.
Out of a sudden, a brisk, swift attack tripping Pebblefall made him fall to the ground with a thump. Pebblefall didn't know what hit him and started to chuckle.
"Pebblefall, are you okay?" Sandwhisker asked, his eyes showing concern.
"I'm fine," he purred as he got up to clear the dirt from his pelt.
"Sorry if I hurt you," the brown tabby apologized, and Pebblefall shrugged.
"No need. That was really awesome!" They laughed at each other and began play fighting.
Spending time with Sandwhisker makes me so happy, Pebblefall thought. We always have so much fun together! A shadow suddenly came from behind them and a voice close to Pebblefall's ear spoke.
"Pebblefall, Sandwhisker, what in the name of StarClan are you doing?" Poolripple grumbled harshly. Her fur was ruffled and whiskers twitching in annoyance.
Pebblefall rolled his eyes and tried to avoid her skeptical gaze. "Are you serious? Why do you always have to bother us?" he retorted. Sandwhisker nodded in agreement, clearly annoyed at the medicine cat as well.
"Pebblefall, I know you were visited by a StarClan cat. His name is Ravenpaw and it's a sign for you to become a medicine cat," Poolripple explained with intensity in her mew.
"What do you know about my dream? You aren't me!" Pebblefall hissed and glared at the medicine cat.
She scoffed, and was about to counter with another statement, but a large patrol suddenly burst through the camp entrance nearby. Pebblefall turned to see several cats carrying Mistrose, a senior warrior who probably should have retired to the elders' den ages ago.
"Poolripple, please help. I need to hunt for the clan," Mistrose croaked, obviously in pain as the other warriors set her down.
"Mistrose, you've served your clan so well, you deserve to join the elders by now," Poolripple softly meowed.
The gray tabby shook her head. "Please, just help me. I've been bit." She motioned to the red bite marks on her hind leg, which Pebblefall figured were from one of the larger fishes in the lake.
Poolripple sighed, "Fine, just be more cautious next time."
Mistrose nodded in agreement. As Poolripple calmed the warrior while they quickly strode across camp, she beckoned Pebblefall to follow her back to the medicine den.
Pebblefall nodded, forgetting about their earlier argument, and the three of them quickly dashed to the medicine cat den where Poolripple frantically grabbed cobwebs and other herbs.
After collecting what she needed, Poolripple turned to Pebblefall.
"Go get some goldenrod," she instructed, "I don't have any in stock because I've been trying to let it regrow." Pebblefall dipped his head in acknowledgment and sprinted to the river right outside camp.
He scavenged around and started to panic a bit when he couldn't remember what goldenrod looked like. After several heartbeats, Pebblefall noticed a strange shimmer in the air. The black tom from his dreams had appeared once again.
Ravenpaw beckoned with his tail and Pebblefall followed to where the transparent cat sat down and pointed at a sad, droopy looking patch of goldenrod. Pebblefall quickly took some and proceeded to take off, but not before saying thanks to the starry figure.
Ravenpaw opened his jaw to say something, but hesitated and then dissipated into the air. Not wanting to waste any more time, Pebblefall ran back to camp holding the stalks in his jaw. He wondered why Ravenpaw decided to help him, along with the fact that he'd warned him about something a while back.
Once he made it back into the medicine den, Poolripple ordered him to grab cobwebs and help her tend to Mistrose. He wanted to help, but with Poolripple acting like he was her apprentice, he almost stormed out of the den altogether. The grey warrior reminded himself that Mistrose was in trouble and pushed back his frustration.
After applying the goldenrod, cobwebs, and other various poultices to the fish bite, Poolripple gave the elderly warrior some shriveled up poppy seeds.
"Dying herbs aren't as effective as fresh ones," the medicine cat sadly meowed. "I tried to plant a fresh new patch, but it wasn't growing too well, either."
Pebblefall sighed. He was annoyed that the herbs weren't growing properly. When watching Poolripple tend to her patient, he remembered when she ordered him to get the goldenrod.
"Poolripple, how did you expect I would find the goldenrod?" Pebblefall questioned.
Poolripple looked up at the young warrior. "Medicine cats always have a way of knowing," she answered, flicking her tail.
Pebblefall was about to reply back when his friend, Sandwhisker, entered the den and pushed him to the side.
"Pebblefall doesn't want to be a medicine cat, so stop forcing him to do medicine cat stuff for you," the tabby growled.
"Sandwhisker, you can't fight fate. It's who he's meant to be," the calico responded calmly. She went back to fix Mistrose's nest, while Sandwhisker turned to Pebblefall.
"Pebblefall?" Sandwhisker questioned uncertainly.
"Yes, Sandwhisker?" the grey tom responded. Was something wrong?
"Do you really want to become the medicine cat apprentice?" He asked quietly, slightly looking down as he spoke. Pebblefall didn't hesitate to spit out his answer.
"Of course not."
By Whisper
Edited by Ren
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The Search
Fanfiction| Book One of the Alliance Series | There wasn't a single cat in RiverClan who ever thought that fish could endanger the Clan. But when goldenrod, an herb known to RiverClan to help with infected fish bites, begins dying off, the large fish of the l...
