Warriors Super Edition: Cinderpool's Choice

Chapter 1: Herb Gathering & Panic

Cinderpool was in the middle of sorting herbs when her apprentice came running into the den. "What's wrong?" She asked while walking over to her scared apprentice. Firepaw sighed softly and needed her paws into the dirt. "Rippledawn's really sick, like, really really sick! I don't know what to do!" The ginger-and-white apprentice meowed, looking up into her mentor's light blue gaze. "Ok, first of all, you need to take a deep breath and calm down." Cinderpool mewed to the young apprentice. Firepaw nodded and took a deep breath as instructed, then she looked back up at Cinderpool.

Cinderpool sighed and flattened her ears, then meowed softly, "What symptoms does she have? If we know that much, then we can get the right herbs to help her." Cinderpool meowed with a flick of her tail.

Firepaw nodded her head and quickly meowed, "She's having trouble breathing and her paw pads look sore." The ginger apprentice informed her mentor. Cinderpool nodded and mewed, "So, what herbs should you give her?" She quizzed. Firepaw thought for a moment, then she meowed a quick, "Some Juniper berry's to help her breath, some Poppy Seeds to help her sleep, and Coltsfoot to help with sore pads."

Cinderpool nodded her head in approval but suddenly regretted it when the world started to spin and her vision became fuzzy and blurry. She stumbled over her paws, her sides heaving and her breaths came in pants. Firepaw gave a startled meow when she saw her mentor stumbling over her own paws.

"Cinderpool?"

Firepaw started to panic when Cinderpool didn't respond. And so she did the only thing that made sense, she began to yowl for help. Her startled meowing caught the attention of Swiftstorm, Blackwing, and Darkflower. The 3 warriors came racing over to where the apprentice was pacing outside the entrance of the medicine cats den.

"Firepaw?" Darkflower meowed worriedly, "What's wrong?" Firepaw's mouth opened but no words would come out. Swiftstorm then called for Darkfeather, who raced over to them, followed closely by her apprentice, Starlingpaw. "What happened, Swiftstorm? What's wrong with Firepaw?" Starlingpaw mewed to the black-and-white she-cat. Swiftstorm sighed softly and turned to Blackwing.

"Go check on Cinderpool!" She ordered sharply to the black tom. He nodded and raced into the den, he raced back out shortly after entering the den. "What is it, Blackwing? Is Cinderpool ok?" Darkfeather mewed to the black tom. Blackwing sighed and flattened his ears, then he mewed, "She's feverish and she's panting heavily." Was Blackwing's distraught meow.

"But she's ok, right?" Came Firepaw's worried meow from beside Starlingpaw. "I'm hoping so, I'm no medicine cat, but I do know that she needs rest. And lots of it," mewed Blackwing sternly. Firepaw nodded and stared down at her paws. Starlingpaw brushed her tail against Firepaw's shoulder as a sign of comfort.

"So... what will happen now?" Darkflower meowed. "Who will train Firepaw until Cinderpool is recovered?" She continued, looking at the 3 other warriors for confirmation. "First things first, we're gonna have to inform Duskstar that our medicine cat is ill." Swiftstorm mewed with a flick of her tail in the direction of Duskstar's den. The other cats nodded and made there way to Duskstar's den to report what was happening. "But I want to stay with Cinderpool!" Firepaw protested to the black-and-white she-cat. Swiftstorm sighed and licked Firepaw in between the ears.

"If Cinderpool really is indeed sick, then we don't want anyone going near her, especially you, Firepaw. Do you understand that we're just trying to keep you safe?" Firepaw slowly nodded, her ears flattened against her head. "I understand, Swiftstorm," she meowed in a subdued tone of voice. "But what if we need herbs? What will we do?" The ginger-and-white apprentice quietly mewed after a short pause. Swiftstorm frowned and twitched her tail back-and-forth. "We'll figure something out, Firepaw." She meowed.