Rising Sun- A Warrior Cats Fanfiction ✔️

Chapter 32

Sunflame opened his eyes to a bright beam of light.

Squinting, he rolled out of his nest, stretched, then padded out, only to come face to face with Amberpaw.

"Oh, good! You're up!" She purred, nudging him gently. "Come on, I have to have... this sorted out in just a few minutes. You, Raventail, Whitepool and Silverleaf are the only ones allowed in the den all day." She mewed.

Sunflame suddenly realised that the apprentice was shaking, and fear shone bright in her eyes.

"Hey," he purred softly. "It'll be alright. It'll be over soon enough." He reassuringly added.

After a reluctant nod from the hesitant she-cat, the two padded over to the medicine cat's den, entering quietly as not to wake any sleeping patients.

It seemed that the only reason that they would have to be quiet was to not wake up Whitepool. The nests were all empty except for hers, and Silverleaf sat by the other medicine cat, as if debating whether or not to wake her yet.

Every now and then, the she-cat would toss and turn, murmuring quietly in sleep.

"She hasn't been sleeping very well." Silverleaf murmured to the two, with a side glance towards both of them. "Ever since Brindlecloud and Stonefoot's death, she's been having strange dreams."

Sunflame nodded. Even though he and his parents weren't the closest, if they died he would be devastated. "We've all lost loved ones." He murmured softly.

Silverleaf nodded.

~.~.~

After a few minutes, Whitepool began to wake up.

"Silverleaf, I think I know what it means now! The-" she broke off when she saw Sunflame, glancing to her paws. "Oh. I mean... Hi! Sunflame, Amberpaw!"

She glanced over to Silverleaf. "Will I be needed today?" The white she-cat asked the other medicine cat. "I really wanted to just go and have a wander around, clear my mind, that sort of thing."

Silverleaf nodded. "Just fetch some catmint- I'm running low- and marigold. Oh, and a stick. Amberpaw's tail is almost hanging off, literally, but it will sting. Also, cobwebs are always needed. If you see any, get them."

The white she-cat nodded. "Catmint, marigold, stick, cobwebs. Got it." She dashed off, tail flicking a goodbye.

Amberpaw shuffled her paws on the ground. "How long is it going to take? I really wanted to do some training today..."

Silverleaf sighed, shaking her head. "Apprentices!" She muttered exasperatedly. "The procedure isn't that long, but it will hurt. A lot."

Amberpaw's shining black fur bristled. "Way to reassure a cat." She muttered.

"If you want sympathy, ask your father- or Sunflame." Silverleaf snapped, curtly turning her head the other way to check on her herbs.

Amberpaw and Sunflame both shared a glance. Who poisoned her fresh-kill? Sunflame mouthed to her, causing the black she-cat to nod, a twinkle sparking in her eye.

Then, as Silverleaf turned back around, Amberpaw began grooming her red chest, Sunflame watching his paws, trying to make the atmosphere seem normal.

The silver tabby rolled her eyes. "Really? I'm not blind. And nobody poisoned my fresh-kill. I'm just a little stressed out about... Things." She mewed, glancing to each cat, who were each giving her an inquisitive look, and shook her head. "And I'm not telling you."

Shall we get her to spill the beans? Sunflame mouthed to Amberpaw.

Oh, yeah. Amberpaw mouthed back.

"Why are you 'talking' like that?" Silverleaf asked hesitantly- and with good reason.

The two cats kept staring at her, dropping the smirks, and they could practically feel the tension in the air as she fidgeted slightly under the fixed gaze of two cats.

"Okay! Calm down!" She mewed finally. "I'll tell you."

And just like that, the other medicine cat walked in, smirking at the three cats.

Silverleaf smirked back.

"Haven't you heard that Silverleaf's hearing succeeds even a bat's?" Whitepool let out a purr. "And I'm lucky to have inherited the gift from my aunt."

Sunflame paused for a second. "I didn't know you were related." He mewed, eyes narrowed as he tried to piece the puzzles together.

Then he suddenly realised. "Of course... Silverleaf, you're Brindlecloud's sister, aren't you? Hazelshade always said the two of you had a bond stronger than even the legendary Squirrelflight and Leafpool's."

Silverleaf and Whitepool let out a soft purr. "It's true." The elder one mewed, while the younger nodded in agreement.

"Right. Enough soppy talk. I want to be able to train by the end of the day so could you please hurry up?"

All heads turned back to Amberpaw as the she-cat waited impatiently, tail drawing lines in the soft, dry ground.

A sigh escaped the silver medicine cat's jaws. "Actually, Amberpaw, you won't be able to go anywhere for at least a day. I need to make sure that I've done it properly. Otherwise, you may never be able to hunt, fight, go to gatherings-"

"-Okay, I get it. Take your time." The black she-cat mewed airily with a dismissive flick of her broken tail.

Silverleaf didn't look impressed, but she evidently ignored it as she settled the apprentice down in a nest.

As Whitepool left the den, Sunflame watched the silver-and-white she-cat prepare to remove the mangled tail.

~.~.~

Amberpaw had eaten poppy seeds a few moments ago, and was sleeping soundly under the watchful eye of a hungry Silverleaf. The she-cat wouldn't let Sunflame look after Amberpaw while the medicine cat ate, nor would she let him leave the den.

"She wants you here, and while I remove her tail. Neither of us is going anywhere." Was her excuse. It had worked on Sunflame, however, whose tail didn't stray from Amberpaw's back.

~.~.~

After many long hours, Sunflame watched as a short, bobbed tail- much like a rabbit's tail- was announced "finished".