Warriors Super Edition: Redtail's Path

Chapter Nine

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Chapter 9! Hooray! Credit to Erin Hunter.

Chapter Nine

"So she's a StarClan cat? And she's been visiting you?" Willowpaw stuttered, astounded. 

Redpaw nodded timidly. He had just told Willowpaw everything. Early on in the confession, he realized it would be impossible to avoid telling her it all. So he had spilled the whole story, from the very day Solsticepaw communicated the strange prophecy to him. 

"So... Solsticepaw thinks your this... Great Fox that's meant to save the Clans from a... Tiger? What in the name of StarClan is that supposed to mean?" 

Redpaw shook his head. "I don't know," he confessed. "Right before you woke me up, Solsticepaw and Bearpaw were bringing me to a cat called Otterstar, the one who had delivered the prophecy in the first place." 

Willowpaw sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, Redpaw!" She meowed. "It's all my fault." 

"What? No, it's not." Redpaw argued. 

"Well, if I hadn't woken you, you may have discovered what all of this means- oh, Redpaw, you just looked so terrified, and you were saying things- I just had to wake you! I just had to!" Willowpaw wailed. 

Redpaw looked at her sympathetically. "It's okay. You meant good." 

Willowpaw sighed again, not looking convinced. Her gaze drifted towards Redpaw's shoulder, and she gasped in surprise. "Redpaw! What's that?" She cried. 

Redpaw looked down at his right should and spotted a long, jagged gash running through it. Blood and dirt caked the surface.  Why didn't I notice that before? He thought.

"It must've been when I fell in the dream!" He realized. "I stumbled and cut my shoulder on a sharp rock. I guess that whatever happens to me in StarClan comes back with me to the real world!" Redpaw exclaimed. 

Willowpaw's eyes widened. "Oh my StarClan... we have to being you to Featherwhisker!" 

Redpaw shook his head vigorously. "No!" He replied. "I don't want him to question me." 

Willowpaw flicked her tail in agreement. "Then... Spottedpaw?" 

Redpaw nodded. 

"Well, come on, then," Willowpaw hesitated. "Are you going to tell Spottedpaw?" 

"I don't know. If I do, I have to make sure she doesn't tell anyone," he said. "The same goes for you." 

Willowpaw flicked her ear. "Of course! Oh, come on, Redpaw, I'm not that mouse-brained," she chuckled. 

Redpaw rolled his eyes. "I'd hope so!" He grinned. 

Willowpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. She started towards him and supported him as he walked. Strangely, Redpaw had not noticed the pain previously. He found himself limping back to camp with his sister by his side. 

Once they had entered through the gorse tunnel, Willowpaw immediately steered Redpaw towards the medicine cat den.  

Spottedpaw's small figure was outlined in the faint moonlight, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Willowpaw crept up to her on light, silent paws and put her mouth beside her ear. 

"Spottedpaw!" She whispered. 

The tortoiseshell she-cat nearly shouted with fright. In her panic, Willowpaw impulsively shoved moss from Spottedpaw's bedding into her mouth. Spottedpaw stopped thrashing and glared at Willowpaw, unamused. She got out of her bed, spat out the moss, and stomped angrily out of the den. On e they were behind the medicine cat den, Spottedpaw faced Willowpaw, looking angry. 

"What was that for?" She demanded. 

Willowpaw grinned innocently. "Sorry," she said. "It was kind of an automatic reaction." 

Spottedpaw flicked her ear, dismissing the topic. "What did you call me out here for?" She asked. "I was in the middle of a really good dream." 

Redpaw stepped forward. "That dream's going to have to wait. We've got a problem." 

Spottedpaw's face grew serious. "What's wrong?" 

Redpaw gestured to his shoulder. "Well, first off, there's this." 

Spottedpaw's eyes widened in shock. "Redpaw...!" She gasped. "How did that happen?" 

He sighed. "That leads me to the bigger issue." 

The medicine cat apprentice began to pace. "Oh, let me go get some herbs," she replied worriedly, facing him. "Then we can talk." She disappeared into the medicine den. Redpaw could hear shuffling as her sister got her supplies. 

A few moments later, Spottedpaw emerged, cobwebs grasped in her mouth and leaves trapped between her chest and her chin. She dropped them softly on the ground in front of her and grabbed the leaves in her mouth, beginning to chew them into a pulp. Once she had finished, she applied her poultice onto Redpaw's wound. Relief washed through him as his shoulder immediately felt better. 

"That should prevent an infection," Spottedpaw explained. "Now, let me wrap it in cobwebs." She picked p the cobwebs and began to wrap them around his wound. She paused for a moment. "Now, will you tell me the other problem?" She asked. 

As she worked, Redpaw told her everything he could remember. With each passing sentence, Spottedpaw's eyes grew wider and wider. Right as he finished, the medicine cat completed tending to his wound. She looked at him with shocked eyes. Redpaw noticed that she looked a little... hurt... but the emotion quickly faded from her eyes. 

"Wow, Redpaw, that's... a lot to take in," she finally said. 

Redpaw nodded. "I know."  

"What are you going to do?" Spottedpaw asked. 

He sighed. "I think StarClan wants me to figure out who the 'Tiger' is," he decided. 

It was silent. Redpaw looked at the sky and noticed that the dawn patrol would be assembling soon. They needed to hurry. 

"We should get going," Willowpaw voiced his thoughts. Redpaw nodded. He and Willowpaw turned around and began towards the apprentices' den.  

"Wait!" Spottedpaw whispered loudly. 

Redpaw whipped around, wincing a bit at the pain in his shoulder. "What's wrong?" 

"I just realized something," Spottedpaw said. "Why would Solsticepaw give you a prophecy that was meant for a SkyClan cat?" 

Redpaw realized she was right. "I... don't know," he said, utterly bewildered. "I'll see if I can visit her again and ask." 

Spottedpaw nodded. Willowpaw was waiting for him by their den. Redpaw said goodnight to his sister and followed Willowpaw. As he lay down in his moss bed, he couldn't help but think about what Spottedpaw had said. 

What if Solsticepaw is wrong?

Author's Note: What do you think? You like it?

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