Against All Odds

Part 3: Verdict

The light was painful, more so than ever before. Blinking his eyes open, Frog wondered if the afterlife looked similar to the world of the living. The one he looked at now, a little hazy at the edges, reminded him of the prisoner den at the SeaClan camp.

"Rainberry, he's awake! He's awake!"

The tabby started, soft moss shifting beneath him. He could have sworn he heard Eggpaw's voice, as energetic as ever. He moved his head too quickly in his search for the words' source and felt it begin to pound, the fog before his eyes growing darker.

"Eggpaw, not so loud!" another voice hissed and Rainberry suddenly appeared before Frog. Despite the aggravated tone of voice he directed at the over-excited apprentice, his eyes glimmered happily.

"How long have I been here?" Frog croaked, looking about Rainberry's den. It smelled sharp, tangy and sweet all at the same time, confusing his senses.

"Nearly a half moon," the tom replied. "I've been giving you poppy seeds to keep you asleep. Didn't want you walking around with those broken ribs of yours until they'd had time to heal." He flicked his blue tail at Frog's left side, where the fur was a mess of kinks and clumps.

"Broken ribs?" Frog muttered. The last thing he remembered before waking up was...

He looked up at Rainberry in pure astonishment. "I'm alive?" The medicine cat snorted before turning back to his herb storage.

"You were brilliant!" Eggpaw said, practically bouncing off the walls of the den. "The whole Clan's been talking about it! Sleetstar even mentioned your battle with the seal at the last Gathering and MoorClan wouldn't believe him, even though the whole Clan agreed they'd seen it with their own eyes." His amber eyes shone, striped sides heaving as he ran out of breath.

Frog remained silent, unsure of what to say. All he remembered of his ordeal with the creature - a seal, Eggpaw called it - was the fear and pain. The wounds from his battle still stung, especially when Rainberry's gentle paws rubbed herbs into them. He ached all over, every movement painful.

When the medicine cat finished, the tabby's messy pelt was covered with poultices, pastes and cobwebs. Aside from the broken ribs, he'd also wrenched a claw while hanging on to the cliff for dear life and nearly lost an eye when falling unconscious, which explained the fog. Rainberry assured him that, with enough celandine and rest, Frog's eyes would be back to as normal as possible.

"You were lucky to survive that trial," Rainberry said. "StarClan must have been watching over you." Frog nodded hesitantly, unsure of whether he believed in StarClan or not. He preferred to think that his luck had not yet run out.

The medicine cat watched him sadly. "You're alive, which proves your innocence, and I've done all I can to heal you, but there are some things I cannot do. It will take some getting used to." The tom motioned for Frog to stand with a flick of his tail.

The comfort of the moss nest fell away as the tabby did so and he found it hard to stand. Attributing it to his tired muscles and numerous injuries, Frog looked at Rainberry skeptically and stepped forward to prove he was fine. The movement caused him to sway and he barely caught himself from tumbling over. Eggpaw rushed over to help, pushing him back upright.

All Frog could do was stare at the place where his tail had once been. Layers of herbs and cobwebs covered the stump, helping it heal. The back half of his body felt lighter but, inside, the heaviness of loss weighed him down. He'd never realized a tail could be so important.

Taking another shaky step forward, he wobbled on his paws, unused to the feeling of misbalance. Eggpaw watched him with wide eyes and Frog tried to make the best of his situation, giving the apprentice a reassuring look. Spotting a spider on the floor of the den, he attempted to jump onto it.