Warrior cats: The Silent Path

Chapter 5

It was the morning after Morningpaw became a warrior, his name now being Morningfur. Shatteredpaw had woken up just as the tired tom was heading to the warriors den. Shatteredpaw had found his way in the clearing, padding towards the fresh kill pile. He grabbed a fresh vole Hawkstripe had brought back from his dawn patrol. As he turned to pad back to the medicine den he scented Hornet'Kit.

"Stop right there," Hornetkit declared. Shatteredpaw let out an impatient sigh but did so. "I need you," the kit meowed.

"What do you mean?" Shatteredpaw meowed, dropping his vole. 

"It's Greykit!" Hornetpaw squeaked. "He's really sick!"

Shatteredpaw rushed to the nursery, Hornetkit leading the way. Saptoes was asleep still and Cloverfeather had gone out to fetch herbs. Shatteredpaw nosed his way into the nursery carrying his vole. He breathed in the scent, the den only being a faint memory. He flicked his tail as he caught the scent of the sickly kit. 

"Shatteredpaw," Dovenose, Greykit's mother meowed. "Can you help?" The queen meowed, he tone was urgent. He crouched down and gently nosed Greykit, who was only two moons old, the age Shatteredpaw had left the nursery to train. The kit was breathing hard, her breath rasped, struggling to breathe. "Cloverfeather had given her juniper and feverfew just yesterday," Dovenose meowed worriedly. It was obvious the kit wasn't getting any better. The little she-kit let out a disturbing cough and shriveled at Shatteredpaw's touch. 

"We need to get her away from the other kits, so they don't get sick too," he meowed. 

Dovenose, holding Greykit followed Shatteredpaw to the medicine den, leaving Stumpykit in the care of Honeysnap and her kits. When they arrived Shatteredpaw told her to place the kit on the far end away from Violetpaw, as much as he wanted her to get sick too. Shatteredpaw shook himself of the thought and turned his focus on the kit. As he listened, her breathing was hard, occasionally letting out sneezes and coughing. It was apparent the kit had green cough, or some version of it.

"So? Will she get better?" Dovenose meowed anxiously.

"It seems like green cough, which can be cured," he reassured her. He remembered the stories Cloverfeather told him about when she had to look after the clan, that had green cough. He remembered she had to travel to the carrion place to gather lots of cat mint. 

"Wake Saptoes and tell him about Greykit, and that I'm out to get catmint," he meowed. 

"Okay," she queen finally let out after a few heartbeats.

Shatteredpaw ventured outside of camp in pursuit of the carrion place. It was a two leg dump, full of their rubbish and sometimes rogue cats. Shatteredpaw could only hope he didn't run into any trouble. As he wandered the ground grew muggy and there were more streams and ponds. He rarely traveled this part of the forest, being warned of dangers that lurk around the carrion place.

As he neared he could smell the two leg rubbish. He stopped to take in another scent, it was the catmint.  The scent was sweet and almost irresistible. He padded towards the sweet plant taking in another whiff and he crouched down to pluck the leaves. But as he did so another unfamiliar scent reach his nostrils, on of another cat. Before he could do anything the large silver cat appeared in front of him.

"A great danger awaits you. Such a shame no one is near to help," the silver to rasped, his ominous nature seemed disturbed. Shatteredpaw couldn't speak, but the silver cat went on. "I give you the temporary power of sight, use it was as you defend," the silver tom placed his nose on Shatteredpaw's forehead and he close his eyes. When he opened them he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The muddy ground, the heaps of two leg rubbish, trees. There were many things he never thought were possible. He lifted his mouth to take in the air. The loners scent was more defined now. 

"Show yourself," he meowed, he stomach twisted. Would his first time seeing really be to fight? Suddenly a sharp pain had stabbed his tail. He turned around to attack, but the opponent had pinned him down. Shatteredpaw let out a wail of pain and distress as the rogue bit into his neck and clawed his back. Shatteredpaw mustered up all the strength he had. It seemed the rogue had underestimated him and fell back. Shatteredpaw whirled around to see a dark orange tom with yellow eyes. Instinctively Shatteredpaw leaped at the tom, his claws unsheathed, and bit into the tom's shoulder. The tom let out a hiss and threw Shatteredpaw away, knocking the wind out of him.

"Enough!" The rogue hissed. Shatteredpaw steadied himself to see the rogue charge at him, pinning him down once again. Shatteredpaw kicked and thrashed but was no match. 

"Help! Get off me!" Shatteredpaw cried out as the orange tom dug his claws into his pelt. The rogue then grabbed him by the throat. It seemed this was the end. The sight StarClan granted to him was for nothing, he was useless in battle. Shatteredpaw struggled but it was not use, he hadn't trained battle moves like the other apprentices. As he felt himself slip away, he heard a loud yowl and suddenly the pressure of the rogues claws was released. Shatteredpaw stumbled for a few moments, taking in breath. He'd never been attacked before. The gashes in his fur stung with pain, his throat especially. The rogue intended to kill him, he realized. 

As Shatteredpaw blinked, his sight was suddenly gone. "Shatteredpaw," a voice brought him from his shock. It was Saptoes. He sniffed and a whole patrol had arrived. It was Willowfur and Wasppelt, and Roseshade, two younger warriors. Shatteredpaw could barely muster up any words. Instead he grunted. "I'll help him get back to camp, you gather that catmint," Sap'Toes ordered. "Wasppelt, you help Willow'Fur gather herbs, me and Roseshade will bring him back," Sap'Toes ordered. 

"Yes Saptoes," Wasppelt meowed. Heartbeats later Sap'Toes and Roseshade, a smaller she, were helping him to his paws. 

As they carefully helped him back, Shatteredpaw's tail was oozing with blood. The rogue could have snapped his tail off if he had bitten any harder.