Adderpaw leapt to her paws and bounded over to Hawktail. His muzzle was gushing blood now. The rock below him was stained red. "Are you okay?" She asked licking the cut rapidly. He flinched away. "Hold still." She meowed calmly.
"Are you two okay?" Bandit asked creeping from the shadows. He saw the blood and turned around. "See you later!" He meowed over his shoulder and cowered off into the woods.
"Let's get back to camp." Adderpaw meowed limping in front of Hawktail.
>*<
At camp Hawktail and Adderpaw limped to the medicine den ignoring the questions from their clan mates. "What happened?" Demanded Fernwhisper.
"Thrushstripe." Hawktail growled. The grey and tan medicine cat looked shocked.
"Thrushstripe would never-" she was cut off by a yowl. "I should go." Fernwhisper meowed as Ravenstar yowled her name again. She scurried out of the den.
"Lay down." Hawktail told Adderpaw noticing her limp. She looked at her shoulder where she hit the rock. It was swollen and bleeding.
"Get Featherpaw." Hawktail told Fuzzykit and Tawnykit, who were playing in the medicine clearing.
"Adventure!" Fuzzykit shrieked and ran out of the den. Tawnykit was hard on his heels.
A few heartbeats later Featherpaw padded into the den. "What's wrong?" He asked sitting by Hawktail and Adderpaw.
"My shoulder and his muzzle and paw." She said laying her head on her paws.
Featherpaw examined the cuts closely. "I need cobweb, marigold, and juniper berries." He muttered to himself. "Stay here." He told them in a louder voice and he disappeared into his den.
"What is marigold?" Fuzzykit squeaked. He put his head to one side and stared at the medicine cat apprentice as he padded out with cobweb on his paw and a bundle of leaves and berries in his mouth. "What is it?" The kit repeated.
"An herb I use for infections. And before you ask juniper is a berry I mix with marigold to make a pulp that helps to heal infections and prevent them. And cobweb-" he was cut off by Tawnykit.
"Cobweb stops bleeding. Medicine cats use it a lot. That's why we have to keep a good supply of it for this reason." The tortoiseshell kit meowed.
"How do you know that?" Featherpaw asked chewing up the berries and leaves. "Have you been watching me and Fernwhisper?" He started rubbing the pulp on the cuts. He was rubbing it on Hawktails muzzle and then Tawnykit started rubbing a pawful on Adderpaw's shoulder.
"Now we need cobwebs." The kit meowed calmly, as if he'd been doing it for seasons. He used a tiny orange paw to wipe of the extra pulp before pressing the sticky white web to her fur.
"Tawnykit!" Hissed Nightwing. "Why are you bothering the medicine cats! You too Fuzzykit! Get over here." She grasped the tabby kit by his scruff. She disappeared through the tunnel. A heartbeat later she stormed in and grabbed Tawnykit.
"Wait!" Featherpaw called. "He has been helping me. Can he stay? I need help gathering herbs by the ravine. He's big enough if I go with him." He mewed and grabbed the kit from Nightwing.
"I can go too." Adderpaw added, heaving herself to her paws. The apprentice shot her a grateful look. She nodded at Nightwing and the queen left.
>*<
At the bottom of the ravine Featherpaw showed Adderpaw and Tawnykit what plants to look for: marigold, juniper, yarrow, raspberry leaves, and burdock root. Adderpaw went towards Snakerocks and Tawnykit and Featherpaw headed towards the Riverclan border.
"Remember to look out for cobwebs too. And don't eat any death berries. If you do find some get me and we can get rid of them. Also remember to wash your paws in the stream after we get back." Featherpaw was telling Tawnykit who was nodding every now and then. "Got it?"
