Storm: The Storm That Poured

Chapter 4:

        Lightpaw lifted her head. Her mother's scent had faded, Raincloud and Woodclaw stood towards the entrance, looking at her.
        Raincloud, the younger of the two, looked at her. "You're awake! I'll go get Icepool." She closed her eyes, the she-cat's blue paw getting out of focus as she left. 
        Her stomach ached, and it hurt to move her body. She felt as if all her bones had been broken and then snapped back into place.
        "Lightpaw, eat this. I won't make you go outside." Icepool meowed.
        Lightpaw wondered what she could have meant, but shrugged it off, eating the herb she was given. Icepool put some leaves under her mouth. She gagged, then her throat tightened as she convulsed. She coughed as throw up came out of her mouth. She wanted this to all end. She felt dizzy, the world spinning around her. She let her head sink back down. The aches were starting to fade, her stomach felt lighter. 
        "Here, wet your tongue," Icepool passed a wad of wet moss towards her.
        She weakly lifted her head, lapping at the cold liquid. 
        "Did you tell Maplepuddle?" Lightpaw coughed.
        "Everyone in the camp knows now," Icepool started. But before she could finish, loud paw steps from outside the den came closer.
        Loudstep ran in. "You have to help!" he panted. "Fishclaw is ill, he said his stomach really hurts, and he's a little dizzy."
        Icepool processed this, her blue eyes deep with thought. "Those were the same symptoms Lightpaw and Yellowpaw had."
        "Antfur went to tell Cedarstar, and Hawkstripe went to the elders' den to tell the news to Milkeye." Loudstep meowed, he breath back.
        "Lightpaw, stay here, I'll get Mistpaw to watch over you and Yellowpaw." Icepool shouted over her shoulder.
        This was the first clear view of the den she had since last night. She didn't even notice Yellowpaw, who was laying in her nest.
        "I suppose you're not the only one who brought in bad prey," Yellowpaw croaked.
        "I guess not," Lightpaw let her head collapse onto her nest. 
        Wasppaw came in, followed by Mistpaw. Her sister's light blue fur was ruffled, and her eyes were bloodshot. 
        "You're awake!" Mistpaw meowed, running over and wrapping her tail around her. 
        Wasppaw cleared his throat, and sat down. "More cats have eaten bad prey, so don't blame yourself about getting you and Yellowpaw sick."
        She sighed, letting her breath go shallow. She could almost feel Mistpaw's tail rubbing her flank. 
        "I'll go get Maplepuddle, she might want to talk to you about training," Wasppaw meowed, his voice moons away. "I'll also get you two something to eat, maybe you can split a mouse."
        "No one blames you. There have been more bad mice. You just heard that Fishclaw ate a poisoned mouse," Mistpaw reassured her.
        Yellowpaw  nodded, "I volunteered to eat the mouse with you, it's my fault that I didn't ask about the weird scent on it."
        The ferns shivered as Maplepuddle and Wasppaw came in. Maplepuddle sat down on her other side.
        "We'll continue training whenever you feel better. Cedarstar wants me to stop mentoring you in a moon and a quarter though," Maplepuddle flicked her tail restlessly.
        "Both of your breaths are shallow, I'll go get something to help with that." Mistpaw pushed her way out.
        Lightpaw barely noticed Maplepuddle leave. As she left, Mistpaw came back in.
        "Here, eat this. They're juniper berries, they'll help your bellyache, and give you strength to recover." Round blue berries were pushed toward her.
        She ate the berries, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

        Marshstream was dead. The tabby tom had eaten a poisoned mouse with Antfur, who had also died. Lightpaw gained almost all her strength back. Yellowpaw was all better. Fishclaw was still in very bad condition. It had been three days since she woke up and Icepool gave her herbs to throw up.
        "Would you like to come on a border patrol?" Maplepuddle's soft meow came from the nursery.
        She nodded at the suggestion, her paws tingling with excitement. It would be her first time out of camp since the accident. 
        "Who's coming with us?" Lightpaw tipped her head. 
        "Eaglewing and Soottail. And remember the Gathering is tonight," Maplepuddle stared at her.
        Lightpaw almost squeaked in alarm. She almost forgot! I hope I'm invited! She thought. She looked around the clearing. Wasppaw was nowhere in sight, so he must be out training with Birchfoot, his temporary mentor until Fishclaw got better.
        "I almost forgot!" she answered.
        Maplepuddle purred, "Let's just go find Eaglewing and Soottail."
        When they found the two warriors, they headed out. 
        "Should we look at the Sunlightclan border?" Eaglewing offered.
        "We've been smelling those rogues again," Soottail added.
        Maplepuddle shook her head in worry. "That's a great idea. Lightpaw, be careful. At least this time you know some battle moves to help you."
        Lightpaw's stomach churned with nervousness. "I will."
        The strong, musty scent of rogue filled the clearing near the Thunderpath. It was the same scent she had smelled two moons ago, when she was with Fishclaw and Wasppaw. She could almost feel her heart jump out of her chest. She felt as if her heart beating was the only noise being made. 
        "Someone's watching us," Maplepuddle said cautiously.
        "Stay together," Eaglewing warned.
        Lightpaw remembered what had happened back when she was attacked. 
        "Nowhere to run!" A huge tabby tom climbed out of the bush next to her. She felt her shoulders tense, and her chest become tight with nervousness as he touched his claw to her ear.
        "Get your claws off of her!" Maplepuddle growled.
        "Clan cats don't get to tell me what to do." the tabby hissed at her.
        More rogues surrounded them, their pointy teeth bared. The rogue pushed her into her Clanmates. She stumbled, falling onto Eaglewing, who helped her back up. She heard yowls. Birchfoot, Wasppaw, Minnowpelt and Dappledfeather pushed their way through the trees and rogues.
         "We'll let you go for now," the leader grumbled.
        And with that, the rogues ran off.
        Wasppaw came up to her, "Are you okay?" he whispered.
        She nodded, shocked at what just happened. "Is my ear bleeding?" she asked.
        "It is, but just because it's small doesn't mean you shouldn't get it checked," he pointed out.
        She remained silent, waiting for Minnowpelt to speak.
        "We're done with checking the borders today," Minnowpelt decided.
        Birchfoot came closer to her and Wasppaw, "You might want to take the rest of the day off with your friend."
        "If that's okay with you."

        Lightpaw looked at Maplepuddle. The last moon of her having her mentor was over. It was time she would be getting a new mentor. Cedarstar said there was no need for a ceremony, that he would tell her today. She and Maplepuddle were going to see him.
        "Do you know who my new mentor is?" she asked Maplepuddle.
        "I do, but you can wait for Cedarstar to tell you," amusement lit up her mentor's eyes.
        Cedarstar walked up. He dipped his head towards them, and they dipped it back.
        "Well, I'll tell you who your new mentor is," Cedarstar began. "Your new mentor is Dappledfeather."
        Dappledfeather! Maplepuddle's mate. Good, she trusted him.
        She sighed with relief. She looked at Maplepuddle, her flanks were round and big, holding kits.
        "Did Icepool tell you how many kits you're having?" Cedarstar asked
        "Two." Maplepuddle responded.
        Lightpaw walked away. She didn't want to listen to older cat talk. She found Wasppaw sitting at the apprentices' den. The tom had just passed his final assessment, which meant they couldn't secretly snuggle in a nest together in the middle of the night.
        "Has Cedarstar said when your warrior ceremony will be?" she asked him, sitting down next to him.
        She could hear the faint sound of his breathing. The sun was starting to sink lower into the sky, although it wasn't dusk yet.
        "He said he would do it as soon as he talked to you and Maplepuddle, which I just saw him do," Wasppaw licked himself, flattening out his fur.
        She felt happy for her friend, yet left behind.