Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 1. (The Legacy)

~The Legacy: Chapter 23~

Spiralpaw woke up panting.
"What's the matter?" said Flamepaw from one of the other nests.
Spiralpaw looked around, noticing it was the early morning. Normally, she would be asleep. But Whitepaw's memories had woken her.
She needed to know what Stonestar was going to say!
Spiralpaw was about to bolt out of the apprentice den, instead running into Tigerfur, who backed away as she knocked into him.
"Sorry, Tigerfur!" she gasped.
"And what are you up to?" asked her mentor suspiciously, his tail still.
"I wanted to see how Stonestar was," she said.
Tigerfur raised an eyebrow skeptically. "While your loyalty is astoundingly strong, especially to your father," the dark warrior said, "you may not see him yet. He and Fernfeather are discussing... things."
"What kinds of things?" Spiralpaw said eagerly. "I can help them!"
Tigerfur shook his head.
"No, Stonestar wanted to speak with Fernfeather, and only Fernfeather. He wishes not to see anyone else just yet."
"Tigerfur?" said a voice from behind.
Spiralpaw and her mentor turned to see a tired Fuzzyear standing just behind them.
"What's wrong?" Tigerfur asked the gray queen.
"It's Daisypelt," the queen answered. "She woke up this morning and said Specklefern had a sore throat. She wanted me to get you and Crookedfire to take a look."
"I will spare what time I can before I begin training Spiralpaw," Tigerfur nodded, following the queen. He flicked his tail impatiently, indicating for Spiralpaw to follow.
Spiralpaw's tail curled as she followed Tigerfur and Fuzzyear to the medicine den.
"I thought they didn't have any herbs left?" Spiralpaw whispered to Tigerfur.
"Crookedfire brought some back shortly after sunhigh yesterday," Tigerfur said suspiciously. "How did you know we were out of herbs?"
Spiralpaw's tail curled in embarrassment. "I just suspected," she said.
Tigerfur narrowed his eyes at his apprentice, but said nothing.
The three cats entered the medicine den and saw Crookedfire chewing Comfrey for some sort of poultice, most likely for Creamfur, who was sitting quietly outside the den.
Creamfur, Reedtail's former mentor, nodded at the passing cats as they walked in.
"How's your shoulder, Spiralpaw?" Russetpaw said, looking up from the poppy seeds scattered along the ground.
"It's fine, thanks," Spiralpaw said. Even after all the running she had done yesterday, her shoulder felt fine.
"Crookedfire's making up a poultice for Creamfur," Russetpaw added to Tigerfur and Fuzzyear. "She has an itch under her throat, and I checked, so it's definitely not a tick."
That last part Russetpaw whispered regretfully, her ears tilted backwards.
"I can help with whatever you need," Russetpaw said, glancing sideways at her mentor, who was still chewing Comfrey.
Spiralpaw was watching Creamfur.
Creamfur seemed happy, which amazed Spiralpaw. Being unable to speak would be like Spiralpaw losing her claws!
Although, Creamfur was generally quiet, so no longer being able to speak would spare her of any unwanted questions she may be asked if she still had her voice.
But it was also a dangerous disadvantage from Spiralpaw's view of things.
If she could not speak, how was she able to go on patrols? True, you did not need your voice to hunt, but what of any reports? Would she not need to inform Stonestar and Fernfeather in some way?
And if she was informing them, how?
Tigerfur followed Spiralpaw's gaze, then shook his head. "We are still trying to find what wounded her," he whispered while Fuzzyear discussed things with Crookedfire and Russetpaw.
"And have you?"
"Sadly, no," Tigerfur muttered grimly. "Whatever attacked her dealt a great deal of damage, enough to take her voice, but not kill her in the process. Quite literally, she is lucky to have survived at all with a wound such as that."
Spiralpaw's ears flattened doubtfully. She did not doubt Creamfur's strength, but she seemed far too happy for a cat who had been attacked only a moon before.

Eventually, after a long conversation about sicknesses and cures shared between the Medicine Cat, his apprentice and Fuzzyear, Tigerfur and Spiralpaw trained near the Ancient Oak.
"Now, remember," Tigerfur was saying, "you have to make sure your attacks aren't predictable. You must know your opponent, but make sure your opponent knows nothing about you, or as little as possible."
Spiralpaw leapt for Tigerfur's front leg, missing by a whisker.
Spiralpaw fell to the ground with a thud.
"That was a bit better than before," Tigerfur encouraged her when she got up, shaking her fur.
"Good enough for me to become a warrior?" Spiralpaw said hopefully. The sooner she became a warrior, the sooner she could find Half-Sight.
"Your assessment is not until the next Gathering, which is only a short while away," Tigerfur reminded. "You need not wait long, though I worry your impatience may lead to your own demise."
Spiralpaw curled her tail suspiciously.
"You know what I mean," Tigerfur added strictly.
"Right," Spiralpaw said, realising her tail was curled. "Sorry. I'll do as best as I can."
"You seem distracted," Tigerfur pointed out. "Perhaps it is best if we take a break until tomorrow."
"No, I want to train!" Spiralpaw insisted.
"There is no point in training a cat whose mind is elsewhere," he said. "If you truly want to train, you will pay more attention to your surroundings rather than disappearing into the unknown."
"But if you could just teach me the skills I needed, I'd be fine fighting other warriors!"
"It is not ShadowClan that I fear," Tigerfur commented stiffly. "The threat of the kittypets and rogues wandering out and about the borders of each Clan is our greatest threat at this time. WindClan's camp has been deserted and we do not know where they are, if any were left alive in the first place.
"Stonestar and Grayfur trusted me to teach you all I know, indeed, but they also said to keep an eye on you and keep you safe. As your mentor, that is my responsibility."
Spiralpaw felt as though her chest had been scratched at Grayfur's name.
She had not been there for her final breath or last words. She would ensure that her legacy would live on, no matter what she had to do to protect it.
Tigerfur knew he had hurt Spiralpaw by mentioning Grayfur, so he got up and walked toward his apprentice.
"I may be unable to stop you from adventuring," Tigerfur began, "but you must stay loyal to the Clan. Whatever information you have on something that may help us with Russetpaw's brother, which is who I know you're searching for, tell us so we can send out a search party and investigate."
Spiralpaw was barely listening at this point.
Her mind had strayed far off to the past, when Grayfur was alive and Spiralpaw was merely a newborn kit.
She remembered once when she had fallen over Whitepaw, attempting to grab a mouse from her.
Grayfur had helped her then, but she could not help now.
Spiralpaw's mother was dead, and she could do nothing about it.
Tigerfur looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering. "Come," he said, leading his apprentice back to camp. "We must go before the storm catches us."
Spiralpaw trudged along behind her mentor, her head down. She felt a drop of water hit her head as she walked, and looked up at the grey sky.
She wondered whether to give up on her mission to find Firpaw, to give up trying to be a hero and just stick with the regular duties an apprentice would have rather than a leader.
She would never be a leader.
She would never want to be a leader for as long as she lived.
If she lived.