Warriors: Fire and Ice - Book Two (Completed)

Chapter Fifteen

"Fireheart!" Yowled Frostfur. Her eyes gleamed with happiness as she called Cinderpaw's mentor into the medicine den.

Fireheart was just padding into the clearing when he heard his name being called. He pricked his ears and scanned the camp. He saw Frostfur looking at him and he saw a small gray pelt standing beside her. His eyes widened and he raced towards them. "Cinderpaw! You're on your paws again!" He exclaimed, twitching his tail eagerly.

Cinderpaw nodded her head swiftly. Waterlily stepped in front of the two she-cats and fixed her eyes on Fireheart. "She is not yet ready to start training." She reminded him. "She is still not entirely sturdy on her paws. I must keep her here for just another half-moon to be sure."

Cinderpaw glanced at Waterlily. Her eyes clouded with sorrow, then she looked down at her paws. "You'll know for sure after a half-moon has passed if I'll be ready?" She pressed.

Waterlily nodded her head slowly. "Yes, until then, you must stay here so we can keep an eye on you."

Frostfur opened her jaws to argue, but she closed them abruptly, knowing it's silly to argue with a medicine cat. She dipped her head then gave Cinderpaw a few licks between the ears before ducking out of the den.

Cinderpaw felt proud of herself. She watched her mother leave, puffing out her chest. She knew that everything was going to be alright now. She would soon be a warrior!

Waterlily turned her head around and stared at Yellowfang. She had a slight feeling of anger as she glared at the old she-cat. Yellowfang looked at Waterlily with wide eyes, keeping her gaze steady. She glanced awkwardly at the herb pile then back at Waterlily. Then blinked at her, blankly.

Waterlily then knew that Yellowfang really had no idea. She was definitely mouse-brained or maybe something got to her and she wasn't ready to share it yet. Whatever it was, Waterlily was able to handle it herself.

"Are you okay?" Waterlily finally asked, tilting her head to one side.

Yellowfang shook her head as if to clear it then rasped. "Of course." She paused for a moment, "Why wouldn't I be?" She added, licking her paw.

Waterlily looked down and didn't meet her mentor's eyes. Yellowfang was much older than her. If she makes her feel uncomfortable, Yellowfang might snap. She was always the type to get impatient first, especially when Waterlily was an apprentice. Waterlily could remember her apprentice days with Spottedleaf. Even though it wasn't a very long time she knew Spottedleaf, she was very kind. Her voice was soothing. Waterlily guessed that might have been why she remembered the herbs so easily when she was still around.

"You just seemed a little off ever since Brokenstar..." Waterlily couldn't bring herself to say the words, died. She took a gulp of air, hoping that Yellowfang caught on as to what she wanted to say. She looked back up at Yellowfang and met her gaze, softly.

"Died?" Yellowfang guessed Waterlily's next word.

Waterlily nodded, and began kneading her paws on the hard ground beneath her. A crinkle of a leaf was heard and Waterlily looked down at it, then back up at Yellowfang.

"I just..." Yellowfang paused, not knowing what to spill out or even if she should. She belonged to ShadowClan when Brokenstar was leader. When she and many others drove Brokenstar out, Bluestar asked her to become their medicine cat because Spottedleaf was killed. Yellowfang trusted ThunderClan with every hair on her pelt, but to trust them with her past might ruin them. "I just felt like it was too late." She finally mewed, "I am glad that I have you as my next successor."

Waterlily stood motionless for a few heart beats, not knowing how to take such great praise from Yellowfang. Had she really been that great when she saved Cinderpaw? Waterlily refused to believe so. She was just doing her job as a medicine cat. "Thank you, Yellowfang." She dipped her head, respectively then turned to the herb store to start doing inventory. If there was to be a battle against RiverClan, she had to be prepared.

"Yellowfang." Meowed a tom padding into den.

Yellowfang looked up and saw a familiar flame-colored pelt. "What's up, Fireheart?" She rasped.

"Do you need me to gather any herbs on my patrol before dawn tomorrow?" He asked, almost ashamed he had come here.

Waterlily guessed that he had forgotten that she was a medicine cat as well. He glanced over at her and he felt hot with embarrassment. "If you come across any marigold, we would greatly appreciate it. It'll be on the way, anyways." She meowed, then looked at Waterlily. "You can fetch the rest after you've had something to eat."

Waterlily nodded. She didn't argue. She was rather hungry. Fireheart padded off and met with the other warriors going on patrol in the clearing. Waterlily darted after him, then veered away towards the fresh-kill pile. She chose a small vole then padded back to the medicine den.

"Once you're finished, check on the nursery, and the elders' den. Then join the next hunting patrol to search for more herbs." Ordered Yellowfang.

I know! I'm not some kit! She thought bitterly to herself. She couldn't understand why Yellowfang was suddenly telling her what to do like she was some kit that just became her apprentice. She just got done praising her! Waterlily shook those thoughts away and laid down and ate her vole. She swiped her tongue across her mouth and ducked out of the medicine den. She trekked to the nursery to check on the kits. She peeked inside before entering and whispered, "Frostfur."

Frostfur was the only one awake and she lifted her head and looked at Waterlily. "Hello." She whispered back.

"I don't want to wake anyone else, is everyone doing good?" She whispered, trying hard not to sound too loud.

Frostfur nodded, gratefully. Waterlily gave a swift nod then trekked to the elder's den. They are always sleeping, so she had no regrets if they awoke. She padded inside and saw One-eye and Dappletail gossiping about how it was back in the day. "Anything bad today?" She purred.

"My paw has been bothering me a little bit. I think I got a thorn stuck in it from going to see the kits." Rasped Halftail. He held out his paw and let Waterlily take a look at it.

"I can give you some dock leaves to ease any pain in the paw. I don't see any thorns though. I'll be right back with some." She meowed, then bounded out of the elder's den. Yellowfang was going through some herbs and picking apart the leaves and roots. The piles were organized, but nowhere near as neat as Spottedleaf would do it. Waterlily padded around the piles of herbs and scanned for dock leaves. It was in the way back of the herb store, and she had to rearrange some herbs in order to get into it. Once she got ahold of the dock leaves, she gently took them between her teeth and trekked back to the elders' den. 

"You don't know Crookedstar!" Hissed the old mottled she-cat. 

"I knew him before you did, Dappletail! He will not be prepared for our attack." Hissed the old black-and-white tom.

Waterlily rolled her eyes as she entered the den and overheard their conversations. The last thing she wanted to do was listen to old cats talk about attacking RiverClan. Waterlily dropped the dock leaves in front of Halftail, and she chewed one of the leaves into a poultice then applied it onto his paw. He reluctantly let her put it on and flinched when she got closer to the sore spot. "Ouch!" He yowled.

"If you weren't squirming around so much, it wouldn't hurt!" She hissed. Why must elders make such a big fuss on a wound they didn't want you to take care of in the first place? Waterlily sighed and reapplied it on the sore spot again. Halftail resisted the urge to flinch and let Waterlily do her job smoothly. Once she was done, she took the extra dock leaves she had brought and carried them over back to the medicine den. 

Now it was time to go do something fun! Hunting for herbs! It was a simple task, but she at least was able to get out of the camp. All of this would help clear out her mind from all the thoughts coming to her recently. The Riverclan attack was the last the thing she wanted to think about, but she knew it had to be done. If they weren't stocked and ready for the battle, it would somehow fall on her, and she was not ready for that kind of blame.