Dying Starlight

Chapter 2

"Hold still, Mossystripe, or I won't be able to patch your shoulder." Mintbite was exasperated with the she-cat as she began to lick the newly-patched wound on her foreleg once more, making the medicine cat smudge the marigold on her blood-streaked fur. "I'll have to re-apply this if you keep at it."

Mossystripe's pale eyes met his apologetically. "Sorry, Mintbite," she mewed, but Mintbite was pretty sure she wasn't sorry at all. She straightened her posture and twitched under her pelt to give Mintbite enough time to apply the poultice and cover it.

"It's alright." Mintbite adjusted himself and held the ivy leaf to the warrior's shoulder and smudged the marigold across it once more. Flipping the leaf over and pressing it into the wound and plastering against the warrior's shoulder, before securing it with cobwebs. "There, all done. Keep yourself out of trouble and it should heal nicely. Come see me every few hours so I can redress it and check how it's going, okay?"

The pale-ginger-and-white tabby she-cat nodded and eagerly jumped to her paws, but winced when she put weight on her injured shoulder. "How long until I stop feeling pain when I put weight on it?" She half-asked, half-complained as she looked at Mintbite pleadingly. "The next battle with SkyClan will come faster than we can catch our tails!"

"Rest assured that if your recovery goes smoothly, you'll be just fine in a couple of days when it comes to that." Mintbite's voice grew stern as he prodded the she-cat in the flank with a paw. "You won't be fighting in any battles for at least a moon or so. There's no way you're getting yourself riddled with infection that can kill you."

Mossystripe looked ready to complain, until a silver tabby face with blue eyes poked into the den. Mintbite waved at the tabby before looking sternly at the warrior he was tending to. With a roll of her eyes, Mossystripe let out a groan. "Fine, fine. I'll stay out of trouble..." She meowed, sounding disappointed as she dipped her head to both tabby toms before limping out of the den.

"I see patching up RiverClan's most irresponsible fighter went well," chuckled the silver tabby tom as he bumped heads with Mintbite. "I was lucky enough to get away with only a few tufts of fur missing, meanwhile you saw the shape Mossystripe and Timberpaw wound up in."

Mintbite chuckled along with him, letting himself relax as they fell into a smoothe, easy conversation. It was like slipping into a cool pool after a long, hot greenleaf day. "Speaking of Timberpaw, when will the apprentices become warriors?" He asked, giving his companion a sideways glance. "I know Scorchwillow was eager to have them become warriors as soon as possible just in case SkyClan starts anything again."

"I think they'll be made warriors today," answered the silver tom as he flexed his paws. "Dare I say Halfstar would be relieved if Poppystar would back off now that we accidentally killed Briarslip." He cast a glance outside Mintbite's den, and the medicine cat rested his tail along the other tom's flank. "Poor Timberpaw truly didn't mean to do it, and Halfstar is talking with him and Scorchwillow in the clearing now. I hope he doesn't delay Timberpaw's warrior ceremony."

Mintbite blinked. "He wouldn't do that to punish Timberpaw." I hope. He didn't dare say the silent part out loud, especially when Timberpaw was injured and being talked to already. Instead, Mintbite glanced at his companion. "Say," he meowed slowly, catching the attention of the silver tabby. "Did you see Scorchwillow in the battle? She hasn't come in since the patrol got back, and I need to see if she's injured."

Mudholly shook his head. "Scorchwillow wasn't there," he replied, sounding slightly annoyed. Mintbite raised an eyebrow at that. "Halfstar wasn't there, either, but he went out fishing for Stoatkit. Scorchwillow just wasn't there, and she has no excuses for it."

"You sound bitter," the medicine cat commented as he rose to his paws and crossed to where Mossystripe had sat to get patched up. "What's on your mind?" Keeping his eyes away from the silver tom, Mintbite began to casually clump the bloodied moss together to throw away. "Did something happen between you and Scorchwillow?"