Twilightmoon's Silence

Chapter 16

As soon as the patrol came back to camp, Cinderpaw rushed over to them.

"Who's this?" She asked, curious. The gray apprentice sniffed at Graystripe's pelt. 

"He was ThunderClan's deputy before you were born," Firestar explained.

"Graystripe?" She guessed. Twilightpaw watched as Cinderpaw ran off to the entrance of the warrior's den.

"Cloudtail!" She called, tail fluffed out in excitement. "Graystripe's back!"

Cloudtail, her mentor, stumbled blearily out of the den, shaking out his ruffled white fur. 

"Graystripe?" His blue eyes went wide with surprise. 

"What's all this racket?" Mousefur grumbled, padding out of her den with Longtail right behind her.

"I smell Graystripe," He sniffed the air, tail swishing in delight.

"Graystripe?" The wiry brown elder snorted. "You must be dreaming."

"He's not." Firestar purred. The entrance of the apprentice den shook as Jaypaw walked out into the clearing. 

"What's happening?" He asked, blind blue eyes flashing with annoyance. 

"Graystripe's back!" Twilightpaw turned around, startled, as Hollypaw answered. 

"Who's with him?" Jaypaw parted his jaws in a wide yawn. 

"Millie. She came with him," Lionpaw replied. 

"Well, tell Leafpool she has an infected wound," Jaypaw wrinkled his nose. "I can smell it from here."

Twilightpaw dipped her head, then padded back to where Graystripe and Millie were. Jaypaw was right; Millie did have an infected wound. 

Leafpool sniffed the gray tabby's paw. "It looks like you've got a thorn in your pad. It's infected. My apprentice will pull it out for you."

Twilightpaw inwardly winced as she saw the wound, oozing blood and pus. She licked Millie's paw, getting a grip of the thorn, then tugged it out. 

"Ow!" The she-cat winced. 

"Get some marigold, Twilightpaw." Leafpool ordered. The calico apprentice nodded, then ran to the medicine den. She scented the leaves, then grabbed a few leaves. Twilightpaw returned to her mentor.

"Thank you," Leafpool's warm amber eyes shone with pride and something else, then she turned to chew the marigold leaves up into a pulp, then licked it into Millie's now clean pad. Twilightpaw let out a yawn, suddenly feeling tired after the excitement.

"You must be tired," Leafpool noticed. "Go get some sleep, and we'll treat Graystripe and Millie in the morning."

"Cinderpelt would have been proud of both of you," Graystripe added. 

"Brackenfur and Dustpelt made a den for you," Leafpool told him and his new mate. "I'll fetch you some moss for your nest."

"Thank you." Millie blinked. Twilightpaw looked questioningly at her mentor but she shook her head.

"I'll do it," Leafpool murmured. "You need some sleep."

Twilightpaw nodded, dipped her head at the two new cats, then headed back to the medicine den. 

As she was squeezing through the entrance, Twilightpaw heard Graystripe meow, "She's the quietest apprentice I've ever seen in my entire lifetime. And I've seen a lot."