Frozen Hope

Chapter 4

Cherrypaw padded away from camp, satisfaction still in her from the experience. At this point, she was wandering around the borders to see if there was any herbs she could pick up.

Faintly, in the distance, she saw a figure and she jumped to hide from it, behind a maple tree. Was it a patrol? Either way, she was a medicine cat and they couldn't chase her away. She clambered out from behind the large maple tree she was behind.

"Get off MapleClan territory you-" she stopped half way in her sentence, realising he was carrying some chevril and marigold in his mouth.

The tom noticed her shock and curtly flicked his tail. "Hello," the black and white tom dipped his head. He had a very distinctive figure. Green emerald eyes, a long and elegant tail, and large ears, which he twitched as she stared at him. Not to mention, he was the same size as her, too.

"Hello?" He mewed, once more.

"Oh- oh.. sorry- I mean hi!" Cherrypaw stuttered. Great way to make fool of yourself. At least he's not from my clan. He smells a lot like StormClan.

The black and white tom looked slightly confused but he smiled instead of leaving her embarrassed. "Not really a talker, are you?" He giggled. He grew serious and stood tall for a moment. "I'm Mosspaw, medicine cat of StormClan, and you're..?"

"Cherrypaw. I'm the medicine cat apprentice of MapleClan." She mewed in a mumble, sitting on MapleClan's side, slightly flush. He's a medicine cat. So am I. It's not bad to get to know other medicine cats, I'd hope.

The tom nodded, also sitting on his side of the border. He stared up at her, slight horror in his eyes. "What happened to your eye and tail?" He swallowed, his eyes widening.

Cherrypaw looked to the side with her blind blue eye. "A fox. I was only a kit." She mumbled once more, her voice stumbly. She looked at the ground. She half expected him to leave and call her weird and her clan weak. MapleClan understand, but will the other clans?

"That's really unlucky." Mosspaw's jaw gaped. "I'm glad you survived. Every cat deserves a chance at life, if they have morals at the least. Your medicine cat must of did a great job n healing you." He purred.

T-That's the nicest thing any cat has said to me, apart from Raintuft. She likes me. Maybe Hawktalon too. And my parents, but they don't count. I barely know this tom, but yet, he cares! I thought StormClan were the worst out of all the clans too!

"You're pretty nice for a StormClan cat. I've heard so much about your clan and your cats. I've heard that you're picky and impatient - but you don't seem that way." Cherrypaw admitted, shuffling her paws slightly. Would saying that about his clan offend him?

The black and white tom chuckled. "My clan are arrogant furballs, for sure. I try to stay out of that side. It's really not nice being an arrogant clan. Cats think the worst of me. I want to prove to them."

Cherrypaw nodded. "I guess that's like me and MapleClan. We're apparently like really loyal. Not to say I'm disloyal.." she replied. "But I was forced into my duties. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. It's better than having to do elder duties for a living, that's for sure. It's not really being all happy and loyal for me."

Mosspaw nodded, curiously. "That's a shame. At least you have a purpose in your clan."

"My brother doesn't see it in that way." grumbled Cherrypaw.

"You have littermates?" said Mosspaw, excitement lighting up in his green eyes. "I have three. Primrosepaw, Barkpaw, and Eaglepaw. Barkpaw's my brother, and the other two are my sisters."

"Nice!" said Cherrypaw, her voice soft. "I bet they all respect your role as medicine cat."

"Ehh.." replied Mosspaw. "Eaglepaw... not really. She teases me for it. I don't let it get to me though."

"I'm the exact same as you. I have two littermates, Gravelpaw and Blossompaw. Gravelpaw's my brother and Blossompaw is my sister." Cherrypaw said, shock in her eyes. She could relate to someone?

"Gravelpaw gets his friends to help him pick on me. He gets caught. Antpaw and Flamepaw aren't really interested in doing me harm, so it's mostly just him. Flamepaw said one thing to me, but I guess it wasn't as bad as Gravelpaw's insults."

Mosspaw sighed. "I see." He nodded, silently. "Eaglepaw... well... she's protective for sure. She thinks I'm defenceless because I am a medicine cat. It's annoying, sure - but at least she cares.. I guess. Sometimes she does call me weak and lower rank than her.."

"That sounds horrible." Cherrypaw stuttered. "What about your other littermates?"

"They are super nice. They praise me for my knowledge and encourage me and discourage Eaglepaw's behaviour. My mother doesn't really know about it."

"Ah," Cherrypaw nodded. "My mother doesn't either." She heard voices in the background. Her eyes widened and she stood up quickly.

"I've got to go. They're sending out the evening patrols here!" whispered Cherrypaw in a hiss. "See you later," she purred, walking away.

Mosspaw smiled. He bent down to pick up his chevril and marigold. He gave once last nod to Cherrypaw before walking off, rather quickly too.

Theres a lavender bush here. She thought, rapidly picking up immense amounts of it in a rush. She saw some scraped pieces of bark and dew too. She scurried over, picking it up. She could barely hold everything in her mouth.

She dashed off, clenching tight onto it and into MapleClan camp. She saw Raintuft ahead, just dipping her head to Hailcloud, who had now walked off.

"Ah, Cherrypaw! Finally. You were out for a while." She led her into the den. Cherrypaw placed down all her findings at her paws in the den and sighed with relief.

"Cherrypaw?" Raintuft raised an eyebrow. "You smell of StormClan, were you in their territory looking for herbs?"

"Yes, of course!" Cherrypaw said in the most convincing tone she could. It worked considering Raintuft's expression faded. She had just nodded now.

"Why did you get lavender? We already have so much of it? Do I really smell that bad?" joked Raintuft, making Cherrypaw's cheeks feel flush.

"No." She mewed, trying to think of an excuse. "I wanted to smell nice. Some cats have that lavender scent and I want it too." Cherrypaw bit her muzzle.

"Fair enough," giggled Raintuft. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"You," Cherrypaw said, with a straight forward expression.

"I'm glad." Raintuft purred. "If you want to smell good though, just put it in your moss bed and hopefully if dew leaks through the roof you'll get that nice damp lavender stench on your moss bed, then into your fur which might leave you a nice scent."

Cherrypaw nodded timidly and shyly. "Thanks, Raintuft." She placed the lavender petals in her moss bed. Hopefully by morning, dew would fall.

That didn't go bad. It didn't go great.. but at least.. she doesn't know.
That's all that matters.