Warriors #2: Midnight ✓

Chapter 18

~
"But I'm only an apprentice. I know them by accident, not because our warrior ancestors chose to tell me themselves. What do StarClan expect me to do?" — Leafpaw
~

"We are running perilously low on celandine," Cinderpelt murmured, her voice tinged with concern as she poked her head out of the narrow cleft in the rock. Her eyes were weary from countless nights spent tending Longtail's ailing vision. "I have used nearly all of it to soothe Longtail's eyes. Could you, dear Leafpaw, venture out and gather more?"

Leafpaw, her gaze lifted from the daisy leaves she had been diligently chewing into a soothing paste, responded without hesitation. "Of course," she meowed, her voice filled with determination. She spat out the last remnants of the leaves, their vibrant green color contrasting against the earthen ground. "This poultice is almost ready. Shall I take it along to Speckletail?"

A soft shake of Cinderpelt's head was her response. She emerged from her den, her movements displaying a sense of grace and wisdom. A purr of approval rumbled in her throat as she nosed the chewed-up leaves. "That is not necessary. I shall attend to Speckletail myself. The dampness of the weather has been relentless, causing her joints to ache." A glimmer of concern flickered in her amber eyes. "But worry not. Your task awaits. Go forth, my dear, and take a warrior with you. The finest celandine can be found near Fourtrees, along the border of RiverClan. RiverClan is less than pleased with WindClan's continued presence near the river."

Leafpaw's surprise was evident in her eyes. "Still? But with the abundance of rain, we have received, surely WindClan must have their water source by now." She couldn't comprehend the persistence of WindClan's reliance on ThunderClan's territory for sustenance.

Cinderpelt shrugged, her gaze fixed on some unseen horizon. "Try explaining that to WindClan," she sighed. Leafpaw pushed the troubling matter to the recesses of her mind, overshadowed by her overwhelming concern for her missing sister, Squirrelpaw, and Brambleclaw. It had been four sunrises since she had last seen them depart. Though her intuition whispered that Squirrelpaw was still alive, she remained ignorant of their whereabouts or purpose.

Having neglected her hunger, Leafpaw made her way toward the fresh-kill pile. Sorreltail, a young tortoiseshell warrior, greeted her with a flick of her tail. She was in the final stages of devouring a vole, her amber eyes gleaming with youthful energy.

"Hello," Sorreltail mewed, her voice warm and friendly. "Are you in need of something?" Leafpaw returned the greeting, her voice laced with curiosity. "Sorreltail, my dear, do you find yourself occupied this morning?"

Sorreltail swallowed the last morsels of her vole, rising to her paws with a sudden burst of excitement. Her tail twitched eagerly. "Not at all! What do you have in mind?"

With a quick intake of breath, Leafpaw relayed Cinderpelt's request. "Our esteemed medicine cat has asked me to journey toward Fourtrees, near the RiverClan border, to gather celandine. And she insisted that I bring a warrior with me."

Sorreltail's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as she sprang to her paws. "Ah, yes! In case WindClan mistakenly trespasses onto our territory, no doubt. Let them dare to challenge us!"

Leafpaw laughed softly, appreciating Sorreltail's fiery spirit. She finished the rest of her mouse. 

"Right, I'm ready. Let's go!" As they approached the end of the gorse tunnel, Firestar appeared, followed by Mistyheart, Brackenfur, and Rainwhisker. "They must have left the territory days ago," Mistyheart meowed somberly.

 She shook herself from the rain as she remembered that a Starclan warrior had given her son this message, and sure, so were his sisters. 

 Leafpaw pressed her muzzle against the deputy's side, and Mistyheart's tail curled around to brush her ears before Firestar padded off across the clearing; Mistyheart followed him. Leafpaw hoped no other cat could see her fear for her friends as she followed Sorreltail out of the camp.