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Larkpaw watched in awe as the water was freed from its ice cover again and listened to the rushing sound.
It secretly surprised her that Pinefur and Toadleap had actually managed to drag the rock to camp and use it to break up the ice of the pool and the brook. Now it was lying on the side so that it could be used again as soon as the ice returned.
Larkpaw carefully dipped her snout into the water - and jumped away the next moment, gasping. You brainless ball of fur!, she scolded herself, annoyed at her stupidity. Of course the water is cold.
She dipped her nose into the water again and took a few sips while trying to ignore the thorn-like coldness piercing her fur. The search for the stones had dried out her throat and made her thirsty. Now she was glad to be back at camp and to be able to drink from the water.
Then Dawnbreeze stepped up beside her. The tortie-coloured she-cat gazed motionlessly at her faint reflection in the pool, making her appear as motionless as a rock.
With a slight pang of regret, Larkpaw realised that it had been an eternity since she had last spoken to Dawnbreeze. Shaking the drops from her whiskers, the tortico she-cat turned to her. "It's pretty cold today, isn't it?" she meowed. "And then there's this snow! It seemed strange at first, but now I can't imagine the forest without it."
As she said this, Larkpaw let her gaze wander casually over the camp. She couldn't imagine life without the glistening, white layer of snow, even though it had only been there since that morning.
Dawnbreeze twitched her ears in agreement. "Yes, that's right. I... I ha-" She wrinkled her muzzle and suppressed a sneeze.
Half worried, half afraid not to infect herself, Larkpaw took a few steps back to be on the safe side. The first snow day and already a cat is sick!, she thought.
"I'm sorry," Dawnbreeze croaked in a hollow, toneless voice. "It's just really cold." The last part of her sentence ended in another sneeze.
Larkpaw winced. That's not good. "You should rest, being sick like that," she ordered, slowly putting more distance between herself and Dawnbreeze. I can't imagine what would happen if I got sick too! "Don't let it get any worse."
She actually wanted to add that it could turn into Greencough, but these words seemed to be stuck in her throat like annoying grains.
It was only with great difficulty that Dawnbreeze managed to wring a purr out of her throat. "Well, then I should probably ask Fruittail and Bramblepaw for some herbs. I'd better go to them right away."
Flicking her tail in farewell, Dawnbreeze made her way to the medicine cat's den.
Full of uncertainty that seemed to eat away at her heart, Larkpaw dug her claws through the snow down to the frozen earth. Don't go crazy, she told herself. It's nothing more than a harmless little cold. Besides, Dawnbreeze is young and strong. Something like this won't kill her.
