Warriors: Lost

Chapter 5

Luckypaw and Flypelt stalked back home with moss in their mouths. Luckypaw gave it to the medicine cat, Heartfur, who gave him a nod. His brother, Hawkpaw, the medicine cat apprentice, nodded to him as well.

Luckypaw bounded off to the elder den, where the elders were waiting to get their ticks cleared. "Hey Luckypaw," greeted one of the others.

"Hello, Leafdapple!" He greeted.

Leafdapple was formerly known as Leafstar, former leader of SkyClan, before something happened and she gave ownership to Cottonstar, the current leader. "Do you have any ticks?" asked Luckypaw.

"I've got a few in my hind leg," she said. "And can you tell your brother that Hawkwing is coughing?"

"Sure," Luckypaw agreed. He thought it was funny that Hawkpaw was named after Hawkwing, and, not to mention- after Hawkheart, WindClan's 'legendary' Medicine Cat!

He let out a mrrow of laughter. He took out the ticks and trotted towards the medicine den. "Hawkpaw! Are you in there?" He yowled.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Hawkpaw, his littermate. "Heartfur's out for chervil and borage, so what do you want?"

"Hawkwing's coughing," answered Luckypaw.

"Fox dung!" hissed Hawkpaw. "I thought we already cured his green cough. It looks like for a couple of mouse tails StarClan will snatch him from our clan."

He led his brother towards the elders' den, where the faint sound of coughing filled their ears. Hawkpaw sprinted towards Hawkwing and checked his pelt thoroughly.

"What did you eat this morning?" asked Hawkpaw.

"Berries," choked Hawkwing.

"What did they look like?"

"Like a bright red color."

Hawkpaw's face went pale. Luckypaw didn't know what bright red berries could do that scared Hawkpaw so much.

"You ate deathberries," Luckypaw could see Hawkpaw's chest tighten. "You're a goner. I'm sorry."

"Deathberries? What're those?" asked Luckypaw.

"Deathberries are evil. They won't just give you a bellyache; you'll die," sighed Hawkpaw. "There is no cure for them. I can't exactly ask Cinderpelt for the cure."

Luckypaw remembered the crippled ThunderClan medicine cat. She helped her clan mate named Sorreltail get cured whenever she ate Deathberries. But there was no way that Hawkpaw would ever dream of getting into contact with her.

She's not even their ancestor. How could Hawkpaw even dream of meeting her?

"I'm sorry, Leafdapple; Hawkwing's definitely dead. He's going to die. I'm so sorry." Hawkpaw's voice was barely a whisper; Luckypaw was afraid of what was going on in his brother's mind.

"Hawkpaw?" He meowed at last. "What do you mean Hawkwing is going to die?"

"Deathberries kill you instantly. No stomachache. One heart attack and StarClan snatches you from our clan." Hawkpaw sighed and nuzzled up against Hawkwing. "I'm sorry."

"It was time anyway," Hawkwing croaked. "Gettin' too old to remember stories to tell kits."

"I'll let Heartfur know," Hawkpaw looked at Luckypaw. "Thanks for bringing me here; I needed to know this."

Luckypaw nodded at his brother as they both trotted out of the elders' den. As they approached, Luckypaw felt his heart stop as he looked at a smooth, gray cat appeared to him.

He fought the urge to speak as the cat was Skystar himself! Luckypaw resisted the urge to hiss in fear as Skystar gave him what sounded like a prophecy.

"Five cats, one from each clan, will go on a journey of self discovery. They will find a sixth, lost and unsure, and they will help that clan find their own way home."

"Luckypaw?" asked Hawkpaw, prodding him. "Are you okay?"

"I had a vision!" Luckypaw burst out. "Skystar was right there! He said that there would be five cats, one from each clan, who would save a sixth clan!"

Luckypaw saw his brother lose his own balance with a startled yowl. "But Heartfur said—" Hawkpaw began to protect. "Nevermind. You are one of the five, I'm guessing... I need to speak with Heartfur immediately."

Hawkpaw brushed past him. The brambles blocked the way to follow him. Luckypaw sighed. There was no time to figure out what was wrong with his littermate, he decided as he trotted away from the medicine den.