Super Edition: Briarsong's Renascence

Chapter 9

Briarsong and Sully padded along the bank of the stream together, exploring and hunting when they got hungry. They were in no rush so enjoyed the sounds of of birds and rustling leaves as they made their way up stream. At one point they stopped and took a nap together in the shade. By the time they made their way back to the Barn it was dark out and the moon was high in the sky. They slipped into the Hay Barn where the other cats lay asleep. Sully climbed into his usual spot and hunkered down. Briarsong watched him and wanted to curl up next to him but was afraid. She stood a few moments longer, watching as his breathing slowed before she went back to her nest and fell asleep.

The sounds of the goats and sheep woke Briarsong from her deep sleep and she blinked the dried gunk from her eyes. She looked over and saw that Sully was still fast asleep with all four of his paws in the air and a small bit of drool hanging from the side of his mouth. Hungry, she got up, shook off the hay and padded to the front of the barn where the twolegs usually left them a bowl of kibble for breakfast. 

"Hello Cookie," she greeted the black she-cat who was sitting by the barn entrance and looking out. Briarsong hunched down by the bowl and ate some of the dry hard kibble. It wasn't as delicious as what they used to feed her inside the twoleg cave, but it was nice to have a little energy before hunting for herself.

"Did you see Moose when you came in last night?" Cookie asked her. Briarsong finished chewing her mouthful and thought back.

"I don't know. We came in pretty late and I wasn't really paying attention."

"His nest smelt cold this morning." 

"He probably found somewhere else to sleep. He's done that before," Briarsong shrugged, taking another bite and chewing the stone like little brown circles. Cookie only huffed in reply but remained vigil, waiting for little Moose to return home. The true worry from Cookie wasn't lost on Briarsong, and she sat next to the elderly she-cat and looked out onto the farm.

"Its going to be hot out again," Cookie sounded worried. "All the water puddles around the Farm have dried up."

"The sheep and goats have water he can get too." Briarsong tried to reassure her.

"But if he went to far off..." Cookie shook her head. 

"What are we looking at?" the sassy voice of Mango came up from behind. She stood next to Briarsong and squinted out the big entrance. "I don't see anything," 

"Moose didn't come home last night," Cookie announced. Mango let out an annoyed huff and went over to the kibble bowl and put her paw on the edge, rocking it back and forth so the tinkling of the kibble rolling around was heard.

"Moose!" she called. "Time to eat!" They all waited but not little grey tom came bounding up to gobble down all the kibble.

"Get Sully and Morris," Cookie ordered. Without arguing, Mango left to go wake the other toms. A few moments later the yawning Sully and Morris came around the corner with Mango leading them.

"This better be an emergency," Morris huffed. "I was having an amazing dream about hunting one of those sheep."

"Moose didn't come home last night and hasn't returned this morning," Cookie had no sympathy for the sleepy toms and got straight to the point. "I want you three to go looking for him and Briarsong and I wait here incase he comes back. Check back in at sun high and sun down."

Mango rolled her eyes but obeyed, Morris nodded in agreement and Sully also agreed without any hesitation. Before heading off Sully gave Briarsong a quick lick on the cheek.

"You would have been an amazing clan leader," Briarsong said looking over at Cookie as she watched the three go off in different directions. 

"Looks like we might need a medicine cat after all. I feel it in my heart that something happened to him."

"Do you have anything for injuries?" Briarsong asked but she already knew the answer. Cookie was calm on the outside, but there were subtle twitches and glances that gave her away. "I'll go see what I can find then."

"Hurry," Cookie whispered.

Briarsong took off back towards the woods where she and Sully had been the day before. She tried to keep up a steady pace but was still exhausted from so much running and climbing that she had to slow down. The stone wall loomed above her and she jumped it and started her search for the most basic of herbs. She looked high and low but only was able to find some borage leaves, burnet, and chervil.  Gathering as much as she could, she took off back to the Barn. Once back she laid everything out on the ground to organize as Cookie stood guard, watching for the others to return. Briarsong was in her element and focused so didn't notice Cookie watching her closely.

"You're really good at that," Cookie finally said. "Watching you work is very interesting."

"I really loved it," Briarsong agreed, as she finished her pile and sat back, feeling accomplished. "I miss it every day."

"Do you think you would ever feel as happy here as you did in your clan? Because I can't have you leading poor Sully on if you don't have intentions to stay. He's a big goofball with a huge heart, but he is also very gullible."

Briarsong met Cookie's stern eyes. "I have no intentions of hurting Sully, or any of you here. You have been nothing but good to me."

"You might not intend to hurt him, but if you plan on running off to play Medicine Cat then you will hurt him. You need to make up your mind soon or it will tare you apart."

Briarsong didn't have time to argue when she heard the heavy paw steps of Morris coming back their way. She looked up and saw the sun was high in the sky and it was probably time for the recovery team to check back in. Morris came into view first with Mango and Sully only a short time behind him. As everyone gathered back together and took a rest from the heat, Cookie finally asked if anyone had seen anything. Sully and Mango only shook their heads but Morris was very quiet. Briarsong met the toms green gaze but he looked back at the ground quickly. Cookie had caught the glance and was having none of it,

"Out with it already Morris. We don't have all day to sit here and try and figure out what you are thinking."

"I found some blood," he whispered. "and I think it was from Moose. I also smelt those wild dogs not far off." 

"Little adventurer always went out on his own. I warned him," Cookie said sadly. 

"The young ones doesn't always last long. They don't like to listen when we warn them about the different dangers." Mango added matter-of-factly.  

"Tonight we don't eat and sit vigil for Moose," Cookie announced. "As we do with any cat we lose here."

Briarsong was stunned by the sorrow the older she-cat showed towards Moose, and the grieving ritual the cats practiced to show respect for the lost life. Mango and Morris didn't hang around and went off to do their own thing while Cookie continued to sit and stare blankly.

"Come on," Sully whispered, "lets give her some space." Briarsong followed the long haired tom out of the Hay Barn and down towards the field.