A Girl of a Warrior

24 | Waking | 24

Mosspaw was trailing after Sunspring towards the camp entrance and he waved his tail at her when she noticed him, smiling sheepishly. She waved back with her paw and began the slow, limping journey back to the medicus den. Her stomach growled - she hadn't eaten in a ridiculous amount of time and just now she was reminded of it.

She hurried her pace as she got closer to the den, nose twitching at the now-familiar scent of herbs.

Lilacfeather was there, looking through the holes in which her herb stores were carefully placed, muttering quietly to herself. Duskelle caught a few words as she spoke.

"Low on horsetail, enough juniper, need more chervil..."

"Lilacfeather!" she exclaimed, and the medicine cat jumped back, startled by her voice.

"Duskpaw! You disappeared earlier this morning."

"I went with Mosspaw to the elder's den," she said, giving her a sheepish expression as she recalled her promise to help with the medicine cat duties. "I can help you now, though!"

Lilacfeather laughed. "Honestly, there's not much to be done." She hesitated. "But I could teach you a few names for herbs. I could use some practice for when I take on an apprentice of my own."

"An apprentice of your own?" Duskelle asked. It hadn't struck her that a new medicine cat would be trained every generation, just like warriors.

"Indeed. When some kit shows interest in becoming a medicine cat, I'll become their mentor rather than a warrior." She smiled hesitantly.

"What will happen to the gateway you spoke of? Will your apprentice have the same access to StarClan?" Duskelle asked, curious.

"Not at first," Lilacfeather responded. "I will train them to push the way open, sliver by sliver, and eventually the time will come when they are deemed fit to ascend to their full rank — or if their mentor dies when they are still apprentice." She smiled sadly. "Medicine cat ceremonies that come about that way are never pleasant - celebration is hard in the face of a trusted mentor's death."

Duskelle held a hesitant half-smile on her face, wondering at the past implied in Lilacfeather's words.

Lilacfeather shook her body abruptly in a burst of movement as if clearing away thoughts that clung to her fur like water droplets. "Never mind old and sad memories. Come, sit here so that I may teach you."

Duskelle complied, reaching over and picking up a mouse that seemed to lay forgotten next to Lilacfeather. She watched closely as Lilacfeather pulled each individual leaf and berry out of their respective holes, naming them until her eyes blurred and they became repetitive noises, heard over and over again.

Eventually, Lilacfeather noticed her lack of attention and gently took back the leaf she'd placed in Duskelle's paw. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by a youthful, yet deep voice.

"Lilacfeather?" called Stormpaw from the other side of the den, and the medicine cat shot to her paws. Duskelle braced her legs and followed after Lilacfeather as she made her way to the injured apprentice.

"Stormpaw — how are you feeling? Would you like some water?" Duskelle heard Lilacfeather speaking to Stormpaw as she turned the corner. There was a noise of assent and Lilacfeather whipped up again, heading to the other side of the den to collect water from the small rock pool that was there.

Stormpaw had sat up in his nest, but she could see that his forelegs were trembling with the effort. Poultices were plastered all along his sides and his pupils had turned small and slitted from exhaustion and pain.

His emerald green eyes widened in surprise as they met hers. "Duskpaw."

"Stormpaw," she replied. "How are you feeling?"

He surveyed her, face expressionless but deep green eyes glimmering with something else. "I'm alright."

Silence reigned for a slow second before he spoke again. "What about you? Mosspaw — Mosspaw and Lilacfeather — told me about what you did. How you found me and Hawkkit."

"Stormpaw," Lilacfeather mumbled through the soaking moss in her mouth. She bent her head forwards to drop it at his feet and he leaned forwards, lapping it with the semblance of withheld thirst.

He finished and sat back, rasping his rough pink tongue around his sharp fangs and Lilacfeather set the moss aside. She placed a paw on his shoulder and dipped her head, murmuring in low tones, and Duskelle took a step backwards, unwilling to interrupt their conversation.

Eventually, the medicine cat rose. "I don't want to give you more poppy seeds, too many isn't good for any cat...but are you sure you don't want any?"

"I'm fine," he replied, almost too quiet to be heard. "I'll be okay." Still his muscles shook, but he refused to lay down.

Lilacfeather stared at him, her eyes troubled.

"Lilacfeather," he said, staring up at her, an unspoken plea in his eyes, and she understood immediately, though Duskelle didn't.

She moved next to him, and slipped her body next to him in a way that supported his trembling legs. He let out a gasp of pain, but motioned for her to continue with his tail as she moved him to rest by the wall. She moved away and he leaned against it, unable to keep from panting in pain. Duskelle's heart went out to him — she barely knew him but already she could see the stupid, stupid pride that forced him to hide his weakness, the pride that had told him he needed to save Hawkkit himself, the pride that had made him attack the fox himself.

She limped forwards and eased herself onto the ground. Lilacfeather reached out to touch noses with Stormpaw before turning and catching Duskelle's gaze.

"I have my duties to perform," the elegant she-cat told her as she brushed past her, fur sliding along her leg. "I'll return in a while, I trust that the both of you will be alright?"

"Yes, of course," Duskelle responded automatically, and the feline dipped her head before returning to the herbs.

"So," came Stormpaw's low voice, with a slightly awkward undertone. "I guess I'm supposed to thank you, then. For what you did." He looked gravely uncomfortable and Duskelle couldn't help but feel a pang of satisfaction as she remembered his initial condescension.

"Mhm," she responded, placing her chin on top of her curled paw. "I suppose you are."

He squirmed. "Well..."

"Well?" she said.

All the breath whooshed out of him in a sigh of defeat. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone that night when you didn't know the territory. Thank you for bringing me back to the Clan."

"It was my duty," Duskelle said, her eyes sparkling. "It was my duty as a member of RiverClan."

He surveyed her and nodded slowly. "So it was."

And then, for some reason she couldn't even name, she smiled at him and he smiled back without hesitation, green pools sparkling.