(ORIGINAL BOOKS' AU) Warrior Cats - A Frail Soul's Torment

2 - Unanswered Questions

<< Jayfeather? You seem... troubled. >>

The gray tabby whipped the air with his tail in annoyance.
How he hated interruptions.

<< Yes, Alderheart. I had a dream and it wasn't the most pleasant out there. >>

The younger cat was in front of him in a moment, Jayfeather could feel his eyes staring at him with desire for knowledge, like Alderheart was trying to pierce his head and look in his brain.

<< Do you want to talk about it? I could help you! Was it a message from Starclan? >>
<< I suppose another medicine cat's opinion could help. Sit down. >>
<< But I'm al- >>
<< I know you're not, I can hear your paws moving like you stepped on an anthill. >>

Alderheart finally sat on the floor, gaining enough composure to ask again the blind cat for his dream.
Jayfeather quickly re-watched the scenes his ancestors showed him to make sure he didn't miss any details.

<< I was in an empty and dark place, I couldn't see anything but a stone in the shape of a cat. Then it started cracking and I heard voices telling me that there is a cat in need of help. >>
<< Who's the cat? >>
<< I don't know. I know that is a "she", they told me to be wary of "the pain hunting a noble heart" and "the memories clawing at the strong mind". Then they told me that even a gentle soul will turn it's back on the stars and walk a blood-soaked path if noone's there to help and that I must find her before they do. >>
<< "They"? Who are they?  >>

"If I knew it, I would have told you already..."
Holding his tongue, Jayfeather left the last seconds of his dream, or his nightmare, replay in his mind, screaming voices and everything.
The memory wasn't as painful as the dream obviously, but only thinking about those voices was enough for him to lower his ears as a chill ran down his spine.

<< Don't know this either. At the end of my dream, the stone shattered I heard many voices screaming in pain. When I covered my ears, the screams just got louder. Then I woke up. >>
<< Mh... >>

The tabby heard Alderheart move from his spot and starting to walk around the den.

<< Pain and memories that can hurt a cat's heart and mind? Looks symptoms of a big trauma to me. >>
<< Yes, it looks like we're dealing with something that bad. >>

"I hope not."
It was hard to admit for someone who had pledged his life to help and care for his Clan by healing his members, but while medicine cats could try their best and even succed at healing wounds that attacked the body of a cat, they weren't as good with thise that concerned what was inside of that body.

<< What do you mean "that bad"? We don't know if- >>
<< You can't know it Alderheart and if it wasn't for the elders and the stories they passed down to us, I wouldn't know it either. >>

Jayfeather got comfortable on his spot and started to explain.

<< The mind is not as easy to heal. It's not a cut you can cover up, nor a broken bone you can try to put back in place. Sometimes a trauma can be bad enough that will change the cat and it will take more than leaves and words to heal, it might take moons, it might take even more... some things can't be healed at all. >>
<< What?! >>
<< Once the knowledge of this was more common, but with time the old Clans started prioritizing the health of a body over the mind's one and with warriors fighting and hunting daily and pushing their limits, medicine cats started neglecting the well-being of the cats' minds and souls as well, untill it became difficult to find those who were able to help with it. These days I don't even know if there are still medicine cats who do that. >>

For any cat coming from the outside, that would have sounded like a story for kittens.
After all, what kind of medic didn't care for his patient's psychological health?
But the Clans had already made that mistake.

<< I know it's different, but how bad can it be compared to what you've already dealt with? You told me about Briarlight, you told me that the chance for her to survive after the accident were slim. >>
<< Yes, but she still got to live, she still got to be happy. But when this... >>

The gray tabby pressed a paw on the other cats' head.

<< ... is the open wound, it's not as easy. How can I explain this? Oh yes, Sparkpelt! >>
<< Mh? What about her? >>
<< Don't you remember the state she was after Larksong and one of her kits died? >>
<< Yes, I do. >>
<< How long did it take for her? >>

Alderheart tried to remember correctly.

<< Flamekit and Finchkit had already started talking when Squirrelflight told her that she saw Larksong in Starclan with... Flickerkit, right? >>
<< Yes. Do you remember the state Sparkpelt was in before? >>
<< How could I forget? >>

The two of them had both tried to help the queen at the time.
But back then Sparkpelt kept morning her lost love, she barely had enough energy to feed her kits and Daisy and Sorreltail ha to take care of them while the orange queen simply laid in her nest, eating what was necessary and and searching for happiness in her dreams, like she had lost any will to get up and look after the two creatures that she and her mate had desired for so long and that couldn't even cross her mind at the time.

<< That is not the same as a battle wound, she had her Clan to help. She had Stormcloud that kept visiting her in the nursery and Squirrelflight, who went back to the Sisters to ask for their ritual just to see Flickerkit, to help her daughter. But what if Sparkpelt had nobody? What if Squirrelflight listened to Daisy when she told her to give up? >>

The deputy told him the queen's harsh words at the time, Jayfeather was tempted to find Daisy and slap her hard enough for her own kin to feel.

<< Things would have ended up terribly and even now, if you look carefully at her, you'll notice she's not exactly that well. >>
<< Well, I did hear her when she tells the kits about Firestar and what his family has done for the forest. I have to admit there is this... strange note in her voice. >>
<< I hear it too. If Starclan itself sent us a warning and talked about blood-soaked paths and these "they" that must not find who we need to help. Then it's going to be more difficult and the outcome might be worst. >>

Alderheart fell silent, then came another question Jayfeather didn't have an answer for.

<< But how do we recognize if someone needs this kind of help? >>
<< I... >>

Jayfeather sighed.

<< Sometimes the signs are all there, they're evident... >>

He raised his empty eyes.

<< ... but sometimes, they hide those really well. >>