Aspenleaf's Duty

Chapter 16

"Where is he? Where's my kit!"

Aspenpaw looked up as Hazelbreeze burst into the medicine den. Dry gave a little squeak from behind her as Poppydust moved towards her foster mother.

"Hazelbreeze, I'm doing what I can, but..."

"Where is he?" she screeched, ducking around the medicine cat and rushing toward the nest, letting out a wail at the sight of him.

Icepaw had not regained consciousness yet. The patrol that had brought them back had carried him straight to the medicine den. Ravencall had stayed there beside him as Poppydust had worked on him. He lay limp in the nest, as still as though already gone.

Ravencall stepped forward and held his mate away from their son. "I know..." he murmured. "Poppydust is doing her best... but..."

She whimpered, burying her face into his shoulder. "I need to be with him."

"Don't move him." He murmured letting her by. "He needs to be kept still... Poppydust is worried his back is hurt."

She approached cautiously, settling herself down at the side of the nest, lowering her head and burying her nose in his pelt. "Oh, Icepaw."

Aspenpaw lay still, her eyes never shifting from him even as Dry rubbed a poultice onto the wounds from the badger's teeth. The most important thing in the world was that Icepaw kept breathing. She silently willed it as she watched him. In.... out... in... out...

"Aspenpaw?" She raised her head slightly as Dry spoke. "I'm done. It should feel a bit better now."

She got to her paws, testing out her limbs. "It does. Thank you Dry. What was that?"

"Marigold." She said a little shyly. "My mother taught me about herbs."

"She taught you well." Aspenpaw purred a little before moving over to Icepaw's nest. Poppydust was speaking softly to Ravencall and Hazelbreeze.

"I've made him comfortable." She murmured. "We need to just see how it goes."

Aspenpaw peered into the nest. His face was furrowed in pain. She reached out and touched her nose gently to the top of his head. "Why did you follow me..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt... wake up... please wake up..."

Dry moved forward and gently led her away from the nest. "Come on." She murmured. "We can't do anymore for him right now."

Aspenpaw followed the she-cat blindly, silently grateful for the dictation. She couldn't shake the image of him flying through the air as the badger swiped at him, his limp form bouncing along the ground like a clumsy fledgling. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

The two of them walked out of the medicine den into the camp. Xerxes was animatedly talking to a small group of cats as the stranger watched from a distance. As they approached, he reared up on his hind paws, drawing his paw across his throat dramatically and several of the cats gasped. Aspenpaw stopped as she realised what he was saying to them. A little part of her wanted to rush up and claw his ears for turning what had happened into some sort of joke. Did he not realise the seriousness of it all?

Then one of the cats turned towards her and she felt her stomach jolt. Tigerfang narrowed his eye and strode towards her. "I want to talk to you." He snapped as he walked past her towards the edge of the camp. "Now."

She thought she could feel the gaze of other cats on her again, but she obediently turned and hurried after her mentor, feeling her stomach twist with anxiety. He was always blunt and wasn't overly friendly, but he had never sounded so mad at her as he did now. She realised as he stopped and turned, looking at her just how enraged he was. She stopped before him, bracing herself for her scolding.