Warriors AU: Skyclan's Destiny

Chapter 11

"Fallowfern, lie down here in the sun," Echosong directed. "You too, Stumpy. The rest of you, go and wash yourselves in the pool below the Rockpile. Come back here when you're clean."

By the time the Clan returned to camp the sun was peering up over the top of the rocks, though patches of deep shade still lay in the bottom of the gorge. Poppystar and Sharpclaw had helped Fallowfern down the trail to the medicine cat's den; though the warrior kept insisting he was fine, he was exhausted by the time he collapsed in the patch of warmth just outside Echosong's cave.

Stumpy sat beside him and started licking his pelt to clear up the blood around the wound.

"Wash ourselves?" Clovertail echoed disbelievingly as Echosong gave his last order. "In the pool?"

Murmurs of protest came from the cats behind him.

"I don't like getting into water," Rainfur complained. "Can't I just lick myself clean?"

"And it's dangerous," Shrewtooth added, casting a nervous glance to where the water surged into the pool from beneath the rocks. "Some cat might drown."

"I can't believe you expect us to get wet all over," Tinycloud grumbled.

"But that's what I said." Confronted with so many injuries, Echosong was trying to work efficiently, but Poppystar could hear a slight edge to his voice as he faced the protesting warriors. "I can't treat a wound if I can't see it, and you need to get rid of the stench of rats."

Cherrytail flicked his ears irritably. "Come on. We'd better get on with it."

He led the way toward the pool and slowly lowered himself into the water, looking as if it felt worse than a rat bite. Reluctantly, the rest of the cats followed him.

Birdpaw limped out of Echosong's den, halting with a squeak of dismay at the sight of so many injuries. "You're all hurt!" he mewed, his eyes stretching wide.

"Yes, but you should have seen the rats," his littermate, Nettlepaw, replied with grim satisfaction. 'They won't bother us anymore."

More agitated squeaking filled the air as Waspwhisker's kits tumbled down the trail, followed by their mother and Patchfoot.

"Come back!" Waspwhisker called, as the kits pelted toward Fallowfern. "Don't get in Echosong's way."

The kits ignored her, climbing all over their father, who by now was barely conscious. He gave a grunt of pain, and Stumpy tried to thrust the kits back with one paw. "Don't do that," she told them. "You're hurting him."

"But we want to help!" Mintkit protested.

Poppystar was heading over to intervene, when she spotted Cory returning from the pool, shaking water from his pelt. He snaked his tail over Fallowfern's back and gathered in the four kits. "Come with me, and I'll tell you all about the battle," he promised.

Instantly the kits bounced off their father and crowded around him.

"Did you kill lots of rats?"

"Was there lots of blood?"

"Will you show us your battle moves?"

Waspwhisker padded up with concern in her blue eyes. "Be careful; you might frighten them," she murmured to Cory.

The Twolegplace cat touched her shoulder reassuringly with the tip of his tail. "Don't worry. I won't tell them anything too scary."

Waspwhisker gazed after Cory as he herded the kits toward a flat rock near the water's edge, then followed Patchfoot, who was speaking to Echosong.