Warriors: Creamtail's Virtue

Chapter 1

Several seasons later...

"You know," meowed Ashstep, "I really don't understand why you became a medicine cat."
"You know," retorted Creampaw, "I really don't understand why you keep falling off of trees."
Ashstep hissed, slightly wincing at the pain coming from her shoulder. "I was chasing a lizard! I was going to bring you your favorite prey, like the sweet cat I am, and now you're ridiculing me!" Creampaw huffed, applying ointment to Ashstep's shoulder. It was a simple scrape, but it still wore down her already limited herb supply. "You tell me that every time Ashstep, and every time you come back to used up more of my herbs and eat more of my poppy seeds."

"Palmshadow is a loud snorer!"
"Don't talk about my mother like that!"
"Accept the truth, Creampaw!"

"Why you-" Creampaw stopped herself. She knew where this was going. Ashstep suddenly stood up, and before Creampaw could react, bit down on a random pile of herbs and scuttled out of the medicine den. "Ashstep! Not again!"

She hopped down from a rock and dashed past the playing kits. "Creampaw! Come play 'washed ashore' with us-" "Not now, Lizardkit!" She suddenly slid to stop, almost tripping on her paws. "Wait- you're not allowed to play 'washed ashore'! It's too dangerous!" Creampaw knew all too well of the various (and dangerous) games the kits like to play. "Wash ashore" was just the kits' friendly way of saying "let's flop into the clan ponds and convince Creampaw we're drowning". Creampaw scooped up the two kits before they could kill themselves, and set them on the knockdown trunk of a palm tree. "There. Um-" she picked off a wild flower form the ground and set it in front of the kits, "draw me this flower." Peachkit blinked, and tilted her head at Creampaw. "And how can we do that-" "Use your claws! You're almost 6 moons! Just stay on this palm tree and don't die!"

"Now now now, Creampaw... that's no way to entertain kits! Did I teach you nothing?"

"Starclan please," Creampaw said quietly to herself. Ashstep might as well be halfway across the island right now. Creampaw forced a purr and turned towards the smiling elder coming towards them. "Firefly, can you do your favorite medicine cat apprentice a favor and keep an eye on the kits?" Firefly let out a dry laugh. "Well... I don't if you're my favorite medicine cat apprentice..." Creampaw swished her tail, glancing at the clan entrance. Creampaw suddenly got up and nuzzled Firefly. "Firefly! These kits were just telling me how you've never told them the story about the first time Stormear hunted a crab!" Firefly lit up, her yellow eyes glowing with amusing. "Oh let me tell you kits! It was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life! It happened after us Founders washed up on this island, and Stormear, she was still Stormstar then, was starving! And so what she did was..."

Firefly faded into the background as Creampaw sped-walked away, attempting to make her way to the clan entrance. She flicked her tail at Palmshadow and Juniperleg. Fortunately, her parents didn't try to make any conversation and blinked affectionately at her.

Now, where oh where is has that speckled mess gone? Knowing how predictable she is, she's probably at the Shell Isle. Now all I have to do is avoid Venompatch and-

"Creampaw! Explain yourself right now!"

Creampaw flinched and turned towards the direction of the voice. Venompatch was a few tail lengths away from her, the missing herbs at his paws. Next to him, cowering, stood Ashstep. She avoided Creampaw's gaze and focused on her paws. "I'm waiting." Creampaw snapped back to attention and dipped her head at her mentor. "Well... um... Ashstep was... bringing herbs to someone!" Ashstep shot Creampaw a look, but smiled when Venompatch turned to her. "Yup! That's right Mr Venompatch sir! There was... an injured cat along the bay!" She stood up tall and started padding towards the bay, as if she knew where she was going. "I was just doing my thing, hunting lizards for my dear friend," she shot a glare at Creampaw, "when all of a sudden I stumbled upon this poor cat! I was so panicked! So I rushed to the medicine den and took whatever I could fine! I thought that Creampaw would follow me, since that's what friends who are medicine cats do!"

Creampaw flatten her ears, a little annoyed with Ashstep. She's upset, she thought. Venompatch didn't say anything, he just kept stomping along side Ashstep.

By the time they reached the bay, the sun was beginning to set. Although the sky was now hues of pinks and oranges, the ground was still alive. Mosquitoes buzzed all around, and the crickets were beginning to reveal themselves with their songs. Venompatch had left the two a bit ago, telling them to bring back this "so called injured cat" (but if there was an injured cat, then why did Venompatch take back the herbs Ashstep stole? Creampaw will never understand his methods). Ashstep had been eerily silent throughout the trip, but finally she spoke up:

"I did catch it."
"What?"
"The lizard. I caught the stinkin' lizard. It cost me a whole morning and an injured shoulder, but I caught it for you."
"Why didn't you tell me, Ashstep?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise. But then you didn't follow me when I took the herbs, and then I ran into Venompatch."

Ashstep hissed. "And now that lizard is crow-food and we're stuck looking for an injured cat that doesn't even exist!" Creampaw blinked, feeling a bit sorrowful for Ashstep's sweet idea. "Just bring it to me next time, Ashstep. That way we don't get in trouble, and I don't have to leave the medicine den-" Ashstep cut her off, hissing once more. "That's the problem! You're always in that medicine den of yours! It's not even comfy in there! But every time I peep in, you're chained to your dog of a mentor and your bitter herbs! I bet you don't even like it!"

There was silence between them, then Creampaw finally mewed: "It's not that bad."

Ashstep snorted, and continued sniffing through the bushes, distancing herself from Creampaw. Creampaw watched her walk away, dwelling on what she said. ...do I like being a medicine cat?

A yowl split through the area.

Creampaw choked on her breath and looked around wildly. Ashstep didn't seem to make the noise (fortunately). But... Ashstep didn't seem to react to it at all?

A yowl rang through the island once more. Creampaw flinched, and before she realized it, she was running into the thickets. "Creampaw! Where are you going!? Was it what I said!?" Creampaw could barely hear her though. Her ears rang and her hearing faded in and out. The earth bounded beneath her paws. Blood surged through her body. What's happening? Where was she going?

Then, she stopped.

She was still in a panic, struggling to pick up anything with her tall ears. Her eyes focused on the small pocket of water in front of her. And with a violent serge of light, a dark silhouette materialized from the water.