Super Edition: Briarsong's Renascence

Chapter 14

The sounds of birds awoke Briarsong from a deep sleep. With a yawn she looked around and saw that Sully was still asleep, but Rosethorn wasn't next to her. Getting up quietly, she squeezed herself out from the roots and into the misty morning. She looked around but didn't see Rosethorn in the immediate area. Maybe she finally got hungry and went hunting? Sniffing around she found the sour smell of the sick cat and followed it away from the straight path they had been taking and up a rocky hill. The trees fell away and Briarsong slowed down as the tall grass and bush gave way to a rocky outcrop with very little places to hide. Moving a slowly, she stepped out from the shadows and moved onto the stone where she could smell the strong scent of Rosethorn's sickly skin. 

"Isn't it beautiful?" the cracked voice of Rosethorn came from up ahead and Briarsong padded out and found the she-cat looking out over a vast forest below her. The view was stunning and unlike anything Briarsong could have ever imagined. It simply took her breath away to look down and see the mist had settled just on top of the trees making it look like a large body of water. 

"It is wonderful," Briarsong agreed. "We really should keep moving."

"I'm going to stay here I think," Rosethorn whispered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's quiet here."

"You can't sit here in the open. Something will come eat you. Come back with me and we will go wake up Sully and keep going. I'm sure your clan will be happy to see you."

"I am so tired," Rosethorn's voice was faint and Briarsong saw she was slumping over with exhaustion. Taking a few quick steps forward she braced her shoulder against the sickly she-cat and held her up.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Briarsong whispered to Rosethorn as the she-cats eyes started to blink slower and slower. Rosethorn made a soft purr of agreement and Briarsong slowly helped her lay down on the cool stone. They looked out over the ledge together and Briarsong felt Rosethorn's sides start to slow down as her breathing became labored. 

"Do you think Starclan will welcome me?" the far off voice asked. Briarsong looked down and touched noses with her friend.

"Pebblestone will be anxiously waiting for you." she whispered softly. With that answer Rosethorn took in one last breath and let it out before going limp.

Briarsong lay with the deceased Rosethorn for a little while before getting up and dragging her body out from the open and into the bushes. The poor sick she-cats suffering was finally over.

Briarsong and Sully traveled most of the day in silence only stopping a few times to drink or hunt. If Rosethorn had followed the sun to the Farm, they would go away from the sun to make it back to the forest. 

"What do we do when we get there?" Sully asked as they settled down for another night.

"Well," Briarsong folded her paws underneath her. "I suspect we will go back to Moonclan. I'm not exactly sure how I will find the right apprentices from three different clans but I'm hoping Ivybranch might have some answers for me."

"Isn't she missing?"

"I suspect she's in hiding if three other clans are desperate enough to try and steal the last fully trained Medicine Cat."

Sully frowned. "If you are a Medicine Cat, shouldn't Starclan be telling you what to do?"

Briarsong didn't answer the question because she didn't know the answer. She had gone so long without hearing from Starclan she wondered if she ever would again. Instead of answering she yawned to indicate she was done with the conversation. Sully gave her a concerned look but didn't ask anything else.