The Roaring Winds

Chapter Six: Simple Kindness

Chapter Six: Simple Kindness

The purple hues of twilight had started to arrive, but Meadowpelt still didn't look any better. Her flanks were heaving with considerable pain and her tabby pelt was dull and dry. She had been experiencing significant muscle weakness along with nausea, dizziness, and dehydration.

Rosepaw had found the sick queen over by the dirtplace, vomiting and ending up in a dry-heave. There had been bits of blood in her vomit and stench of poor health had surrounded Meadowpelt. Rosepaw immediately led to the medicine cat den and wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Oakstump had been waiting by the entrance, and he had bristled once he saw Meadowpelt's state.

Oakstump and Rosepaw had been trying to help the ill queen since sun-high, yet none of the herbs they used seemed to be working. If Meadowpelt's sickness had come from something she had eaten, it didn't appear to be the case, as she would have dispelled of the poison by now. They had tried a combination of juniper berries, borage, lavender, and honey, but it didn't seem to have an effect. Oakstump and Rosepaw would have to try a different assortment of herbs after moon-high, since testing too many herbs on Meadowpelt at once may cause worse side-effects.

How could I have missed this? How did I not know Meadowpelt was ill–she must have been suffering since the last moon-high, and she didn't tell me or Oakstump... A lump of anxiety and grief had lodged itself in Rosepaw's throat, and she couldn't swallow it down.

"Meadowpelt probably didn't tell you because she knew you were too inexperienced to treat it. She knows that you will never be a good medicine cat, just like everyone else," The voice had entered her thoughts once again, muting out the surrounding noise. It was like being underwater, trapped beneath the surface, suffocating, and without a way out.

There was always the initiative to fight back against the voice, deny its truth. But, the efforts were fruitless, and it would only come crawling back later to haunt her. Maybe, it was better to accept its words rather than fight it. The voice never lied to Rosepaw, it just pointed out all her mistakes and flaws. It reminded her of how, in the end, she was just valueless and unimportant.

"Rosepaw?" She broke through the mental void she had been encased in to see Oakstump standing in front of her. The dark tabby tom cast Meadowpelt a worried glance for a moment, and he rested his tail on her flank for a moment. He then turned back to Rosepaw, who was waiting for his words.

"ShadowClan is getting restless. Clawstar wants to head off for the Gathering, and he's going to head off without us if neither of us leaves this den. I'm going to be the one who goes. I know this would be your first Gathering, but it is crucial for a mentor to be present at the ceremony, especially since you're a medicine cat apprentice. I don't want you to cope with the stress of going alone, and it'd be even worse if StarClan were to cover the moon for whatever reason. So, I'm going to leave you to care for Meadowpelt and the remaining cats in camp while I'm gone. Can you manage without me?" Oakstump told Rosepaw.

"I'll–I'll try my best, but I might not be able to do much. I've only been training for about a moon, and I still might have some issues since I haven't seen the Moonstone yet–" Rosepaw was cut off by her mentor.

"StarClan doesn't determine your healing abilities. StarClan and the art of herbs are two separate crafts to master. Both skills are necessary for a medicine cat to serve their Clan, but StarClan shouldn't play a role tonight. You have learned a lot in the past moon, and you won't need any complex herb knowledge. I'll be back before dawn, which isn't a long period of time. I trust you with the Clan. Can you trust yourself?" Oakstump told her, his pupils as wide as moons.