Warriors: Feather's Path

Chapter 19

Feathercloud woke up the next morning, hearing murmurs outside the warriors den. She stepped over empty nests and staggered out into the clearing. Just before she went to her nest, Feathercloud, Seedstripe, Hawkclaw, and Fawnstar had discussed her leaving her warrior duties. Her pregnancy was now getting in the way, and it was time to be resting until the kits come. Nighwing was less than one moon in, so she could still work. But Feathercloud was due soon.

As the she-cat looked around, she realized it was half to sunhigh, and saw three cats walking into the medicine den, a small brown pelt being carried in. She noticed Hawkclaw, Fernshade, and Volefoot supporting Dustpaw as they walked her in, Ravenpaw a pawstep behind them. Feathercloud jumped up and raced over to the den. "What's going on?" She asked, panting.

Hawkclaw turned around and left Volefoot and Fernstep drop the brown dappled moaning young she-cat into a nest, where Seedstripe immediately bounded over to, and Ravenpaw sat next to.

"What happened?" Seedstripe asked as she sniffed Dustpaw's crippled leg.

"She was climbing a tree," Hawkclaw meowed. "And she... fell."

Feathercloud looked wide-eyed at Dustpaw. One of her hind legs was bent under her, and Seedstripe was licking down stuck-up fur. Feathercloud realized it was the same leg she hurt when she fell from a tree back in the tribe. 

"How? There's barely any trees in WindClan." Seedstripe looked up at Hawkclaw and Fernstep. "What was she doing?"

"Chasing a squirrel." Fernstep replied. "At the edge of ThunderClan territory, near the back where trees grow."

"So it must've been a real tasty-looking squirrel to go chasing after it." Seedstripe told Dustpaw. 

"I wanted to prove I was useful for something." Dustpaw rasped in pain. 

Feathercloud padded closer to the young she-cat. "Why would you need to prove it? You already are."

"Applepaw said I wasn't." Dustpaw looked up at the small tabby she-cat. "He said I couldn't even catch a dead mouse. I guess he's right."

"You failing to catch that squirrel is not your fault!" Fernstep hissed. "The tree was rotten. That branch was bound to break under any weight."

Feathercloud glanced at Fernstep. "So the tree was rotten?" The gray tom nodded, and she turned back to Dustpaw. "Dustpaw," She mewed, touching her nose to the she-cat's head. "You're an amazing apprentice." She said. "And you'll be one of the best warriors."

Dustpaw looked up. "How do you know that?"

"Because I made many, many mistakes as an apprentice." Feathercloud mewed. "And you want to now the crazy thing?" She glanced at Hawkclaw. "I fell from a tree once, too."

"You did?" Dustpaw asked. Seedstripe returned from where she disappeared to the herb store.

Feathercloud nodded. "And I hurt the same exact leg as you did."

Hawkclaw glanced at Feathercloud. "I remember that!" He meowed. "That was a little before I met you, wasn't it?"

Feathercloud nodded "Yes-"

"Okay," Seedstriep meowed. "Enough talking. I need to figure out what's wrong with Dustpaw's leg." She put her paw on it, and Dustpaw let out a yelp of pain. 

Feathercloud studied he led.

"Leave." Seedstripe growled. "All of you."

Ravenpaw stood up and looked at Volefoot.

"Come on," The pale brown tom said. "How about we do some battle training?"

"Yea!" Ravenpaw meowed as he followed his mentor out of the den, followed by Fernstep and Hawkclaw.