the lazy warrior

chapter 23

Mintflake was gaining on her. The older medicine cat's breath was already wreathing around her eartips. There was no escape for Flakepool... More than ever, the apprentice wished that teleportation could exist. She begged Starclan to grant her just that one wish despite not deserving it.

I vow to myself that I'll never tend to Stoatflower for any battle aftermath, injury, illness, or ANYTHING!! EVER!!!! No matter how admirable or heroic her deed is (which I can't imagine ever coming to be), she'd never have done any of that for ME! This is why you don't get on the bad side of the clan's only medicine cats! Except, Flakepool could never imagine Stoatflower needing any help or failing to extricate herself from tricky situations (unlike HER). Flakepool badly wished she'd still have SOME chance to get back at the she-cat, but she knew those chances were slim. The harsh reality had interrupted her stricken thoughts.

"Flakepool" Before the torn medicine cat could sustain any more self deprecation, her former mentors soothing voice found hers. All traces of her previous anger and horror disappeared. That was enough to change Flakepool's volatile emotions. Now she wanted to curl up in her senior's warmth for solace and forgiveness. I'm sorry I let you down.

"I don't blame you, Flakepool. I've seen you train hard and give your best in each session for moons now. Every medicine cat makes mistakes; you were just unfortunate enough to have your first one (especially as a full medicine cat) involve a too young kit and a ferocious queen. Unfortunately, it was also a totally preventable one, but that doesn't mean your inability is any less devalued.

The glorious Mintflake forgives me! Flakepool felt liberated, although she still wondered where the vestiges of Mintflake's fury went. Flakepool also forgot her own defensiveness at Mintflake's whimpering chastise after her screw-up. Dustfang must not have spoken to her yet, or else she would've been more outraged.

I have to prevent Dustfang from speaking to her! At first, the task of controlling a well-respected, large senior warrior daunted Flakepool, but then a perfect plan sprang to her mind.

I'll need to preoccupy him with Freckledpaw, his apprentice! Currently, the senior has minimal responsibilities with the useless apprentice, but she could change that with a change of her own!

I'll show him what it's like to be blamed as the MENTOR of an apprentice, when the fault totally lies with the apprentice! The only factor Flakepool had in her way was Dustpelt's already secure reputation, as well as Freckledpaw's already tarnished one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dustfang was in the middle of the Windclan clearing; still continuing with his tirades. "Burrkit was the runt of the litter who would need extra attentive care. But instead his mother is unwilling to provide that. The cat that is to blame for THAT (and I mean Echospring's animosity and therefore the jeopardy of Burrkit's life) is obviously Flakepool."

Dustfang pauses for a bit to put a paw to his jaw, then continues. "Burrkit must've been really small if Flakepool couldn't feel him in Echospring's belly." In the nursery at the other end of the camp clearing that had become an arena, Whitekit was lapping at Echospring's flank, enjoying nutritious milk. Meanwhile, Burrkit kept on being shoved to the side Each time, the kit would stray towards the scent/promise of his mother's flank, but end up kicked as far away as possible (possibly beyond the end of the nursery). The sight was painful to watch, and the father- Swiftscorch- was out hunting.

But suddenly, Tawnybriar's head poked out of the nursery. From her mouth dangled the unwanted, wrongfully-convicted kit. Tawnybriar had acted so swiftly that no cat had seen her even enter the nursery. "Burrkit will be mine now!" To herself, she thanked her precious sister for providing her with an even more precious replacement for Freckledpaw. In her thoughts, she viewed Burrkit as Freckledpaw's willed replacement instead of Palekit's murderous one.

I guess that birthing two kits could also result in one becoming an atrocity and another staying normal. So could four kits, or- even crueler- one kit where Starclan ruins the one and only kit in the first place. I'm not jealous of my curiously spiteful sister, I'm grateful! Numbers CLEARLY didn't matter in the end!

To the clan's astonishment, Echospring didn't even object. The entire clan had been aware of Echospring's sudden distaste- that occurred as soon as she conceived kits with Sandbreeze- towards her sister. Tawnybriar's status was always relevant to the clan; given how much of a drama queen she was. The signs had gone back as far as when Tawnybriar first took Sandbreeze as a mate. Surely, her pride in resentment had to be stronger than her poor judgment?!

"But how's that going to work?!" Buzzardclaw was the first to protest, instead of the lamenting queen. Every cat also knew that Tawnybriar had stopped milking extra early, making her quit the borage consumption prematurely as well. For some reason, her abnormal kits had all been weaned early. "Burrkit needs to feed! He's a kit, he needs milk!" Dustfang quickly chipped in without his vigor waning.

Finally, a reaction was spawned from Echospring. "I will NOT feed THAT kit! Exile me if you will, but you can NOT force me!" Flakepool wished to chime in- "then I won't provide you more borage"- but didn't want to potentially be lashed out at, especially in front of Dustfang & Mintflake.

. . .

The commotion had summoned Reedcrawl, but not Brownstar- who'd become more lethargic lately. The deputy didn't bother consoling his leader, nor did he try to negotiate as he seemed preoccupied with other business. "I guess we'll just need to find another clan with a milking queen!"

"What?! Then I'm going too!" The clan wasn't equipped to respond to any retorts from the drama queen. Sandbreeze had little influence on Tawnybriar even whenever he tried. But across the clearing, Featherpaw's ears shot up, followed by twinkling eyes. She'd just begun to receive the love she relished from her mother after Freckledpaw's deterioration! Evidently, Tawnybriar ignored that.

From across the clearing, a heedful Grayfeather who kept his distance perked up at the nuance but didn't dare move. Except Featherpaw turned her head around to acknowledge him after moons of cold-touch. Maybe she needs me again! Positive thoughts instantly filled the clingy, pathetic Grayfeather's mind. Before he could decide whether to make a move, Featherpaw began to stride meaningfully toward Grayfeather.

The two cats twined tails and the air was thick like the night they first interacted. Except, an even more heedful Drippingeye who'd begun watching could decipher the mischievousness in Featherpaw's body language. The warrior- who was inexperienced in THAT field- found it hard to further decrypt any more to the "love" or whatever, but he wasn't lost in his thoughts for long.

A commanding voice finally joined the crowd. "This is the perfect way to arouse more clan rivalry between Windclan and Thunderclan!"

. . .