eternal: primrose || warrior cats

chapter 18

mintberry

~~~

MINTBERRY WATCHED as Ivorystar's motions went still. She should be on her last life now. How long does it take for leaders to become reborn? the gray tabby wondered. Especially with StarClan's lost connection, will she be a wandering spirit forever, or come back?

Mintberry didn't know, nor particularly care. She waited a bit, then, seeing no sign from Ivorystar, disposed of the uneaten feverfew in case it carried bacteria by burying it beneath a large pile of snow.

But that brought up a rather alarming thought.

Wasn't she infected with the bacteria also? She'd been in the den, interacted with Ivorystar - for StarClan's sake, the leader had breathed on her face! Was this her fate now, to be quarantined in a den all by herself, coughing blood up like crazy, fever eventually driving her brain crazy?

There had to be a cure, but if there was, Clearfrost had never taught her anything like this. 

Mintberry sighed. It really didn't matter; she was as good as dead, anyway.

When she returned to the leaders den, Ivorystar's body finally began to twitch, and the leader's chest heaved with air. Last life, Mintberry thought. She's on her last life.

Before Ivorystar could say anything, the gray tabby instantly ushered the ShadowClan leader out of the infected den. "You need to go wash off somewhere," she mewed stiffly. "Go find a stream or another body of running water and clean yourself. I don't want the disease to spread."

"Of course not," Ivorystar agreed.

Mintberry pivoted - she should probably go wash off, too, but she didn't want to be anywhere alone with Ivorystar at the moment - and was ready to head back into the medicine den when Ivorystar called to her.

"Mintberry?"

The gray tabby plastered on a fake smile, hoping that it'd cover up her fear. "Yes, Ivorystar?"

"Listen, the fever kind of took over me," Ivorystar started to explain, "I didn't know what I was doing. I thought you were an enemy, a rogue, the one who killed Clearfrost-"

"It's okay, I understand," Mintberry interrupted. "Don't worry about it."

As Ivorystar left the camp, Mintberry twitched her tail-tip. Because if there was one thing living with Clearfrost all those years taught her to do, it was how to read a cat. Very simply put, Ivorystar was lying. 

Sure, the fever might've been a factor, but she knew it was Mintberry she was pinning down and trying to kill.

~~~

The attack on WindClan's camp had been a success. With ShadowClan's training and plan, they'd successfully driven WindClan out of their territory. 

Frozenlight brought the news back around nightfall, saying that Snakestrike demanded Mintberry to come to WindClan's camp and treat the cats there, as several are too injured to walk back. Ivorystar, now hypothetically disinfected, came as well.

As soon as they stepped paw into WindClan's camp, Mintberry felt herself recoiling at the heavy scent of blood. WindClan hadn't given up their territory without a fight.

"Swiftstar's old," Snakestrike meowed to Ivorystar as soon as she approached him. "He's been leader since SkyClan's leave, hasn't he?"

Ivorystar nodded. "He should be on his last life, and it would be difficult for WindClan cats to survive anywhere else but the moor."

"I'm awaiting news of his death any day now," Snakestrike declared confidently. "I got him pretty good, he was covered in blood when they left."

Mintberry resisted a roll of her eyes and padded over to WindClan's medicine den. Well, there wasn't really a den, WindClan cats preferred to sleep under the open sky. Really, it was more just holes dug into the ground with piles of herbs.

As it turned out, Snakestrike might be the only cat in the fight unscathed. He was still going on and on about the attack, clearly brimming with pride and high with adrenaline. 

Mintberry dealt with the more badly injured cats first, and it wasn't long before she ran out of both marigold and comfrey. Looking up at the sky, she realized it was almost moonhigh now, and, with a start, it was the night her and Dapplefrost were supposed to meet in the Thunderpath tunnel.

Dapplefrost could only reach the Thunderpath tunnel by passing WindClan's territory. She would be around here, somewhere, near the border.

Mintberry sighed, feeling a tug in her paws to go find her RiverClan friend. She looked back at the injured cats, then out in the direction of RiverClan's land.

All the severely injured cats are taken care of, anyway, she thought. Plus, there's nothing I can do without the correct herbs, and I can always grab herbs while I'm out.

She'd convinced herself, and set off after telling Snakestrike she was going to go find marigold and comfrey. 

She picked herself up into a quick run, bounding all the way to the gorge that separated the land of RiverClan and WindClan. Sure enough, peering inside, she saw the dark shape of a silver bengal beginning to dart down into the gorge.

"Dapplefrost," she whispered. "Dapplefrost!"

Dapplefrost looked up, her eyes wide. "Mintberry?" she mewed, starting to swim across the river. "What are you doing here?"

"I-" Mintberry started down into the gorge as well, meeting Dapplefrost just as she climbed out of the river. They were never one to talk about the war, preferring to pretend it wasn't a thing when they were together. But right now, it seemed inevitable. "Snakestrike- he's- WindClan's been-"

"WindClan's been chased out?" Dapplefrost finished. 

Mintberry nodded, trying to study her friend, but Dapplefrost's face remained emotionless. "I- I thought you knew. I assumed WindClan went to RiverClan after they-"

"Nope, we've seen no sign of them all day. I guess we know why now." Dapplefrost let out a dry laugh. "Rainstar's been rather paranoid that ShadowClan's going to make an attack any day now, and I told her that we should just gather our forces and attack them, but she hasn't been in her right mind since Splashfoot's death-"

"Still?" Mintberry meowed sympathetically.

"She's lost too many cats in her life, her parents, brother, Clanmates. I guess her lover was her last straw." Dapplefrost ruffled her fur. "Well, congratulations, I suppose, on the successful attack."

Mintberry shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't make the decision to-"

"I know you didn't," Dapplefrost interrupted softly. "I'm not mad at you. All this is part of the war, isn't it? In fact, every time we've tried to attack your camp it was with the purpose of driving ShadowClan out - I'd be a hypocrite if I got mad at you guys doing the same thing."

Mintberry sighed in relief. "Okay. Should we just change our meeting spot to the gorge then?"

Dapplefrost nodded. "I don't see why not." She gazed around, before speaking again. "Hey, Mintberry, do you want to learn how to fight?"

Mintberry lifted her head up, eyes sparkling with confusion. "Huh?"

"Do you want to learn how to hunt and fight?" Dapplefrost asked again. "You know, with the war and all, it would be good to know how to fend for yourself. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Mintberry beamed. She'd been wanting to learn warrior skills since she was an apprentice, and she'd had hope when Snakestrike said training was for everybody. But as it turns out, even though 'everybody' included the kits, did not mean her. "Sure!"

Dapplefrost responded with a light smile, and they set to work.