Warriors: A Silver Moon Rises

Chapter 7

As I awoke the next morning, I remembered that I was a mentor. I slowly got up from my nest and shook the moss from my pelt. Padding out of medicine den, I found Poppypaw eating a mouse with Stripepaw.

" Are you ready to begin your lesson," I asked with a smile.

" I was born ready," she laughed as she allowed Stripepaw to finish the mouse and quickly bounded out of the camp.

" So what are we going to learn first," she asked.

" I think it would be to your advantage if I taught you what herbs and berries do what," I said as I walked up to a spiderweb.

" Can you tell me what this is for," I asked. Poppypaw stared at the cobweb for a moment before she answered.

" It is used to stop bleeding from wounds," she answered. I nodded my head and handed her some cobweb, as I thought I should stock up on cobweb, just in case. We went through our day really fast, as I showed Poppypaw the different herbs and berries that could be used to heal wounds. I had managed to collect more poppyseeds, and chervil along the way to.

" Who knew learning about herbs and berries could be soo tiring, how do you manage to remember all of this stuff," she said looking quite worried and exhausted.

" It takes alot of practice, memorization, and patience, trust me in time you will remember all this and you will be answering the same question to your apprentice," I said with a smile. We slowly made our way back to camp, fooling around along the way. The camp was quiet when we raced through the entrance.

" Where did everyone go," I asked Whitetail.

" The dawn patrol had found more trace of Riverclan on our territory," she said

" Odd, nobody else touches the fish except for them...why are they coming onto our territory? I asked out loud. I turned and made my way out of the camp, whatever it was I was going to find out.

I made my way along the river, and when I looked into the river I found no fish. Odd, why are there no fish in the river? I then noticed something shiny floating in the water. I prodded at it and realized it was a two-leg object. I assume this filthy thing is what killed off the fish!

As I worked my way further along the river I came to a part that was completely litered with two-leg objects. Great Starclan......! I decide to pad a little ways into the forest to see if I found anything, and I ended up finding more dead animals, along with the strong scent of Riverclan. why do I have the feeling I am not alone right now? I turned to see a Riverclan cat crouching in the bushes, claws unsheathed, and hunger in it's eyes. The cat leaped for me and hooked onto my back with it's sharp teeth. I didn't know what to do, so I just rolled onto my back hoping I would flatten the Riverclan cat off of me. When I managed to get to my feet I saw that the cat was a sleek brown she, from where I stood she looked really thin. She made a lunge for me and managed to knock me off my feet, I felt her claws raking across my side. I flipped over and managed to get a giant blow at her face. She stumbled backward into a tree.

" Leave now, you filthy Riverclan mouse-brain," I hissed. But that only seemed to make her more angry. She used a tree to help launch herself at me, wich knocked me onto my side. She sank her teeth deep into my neck fur and began raking my flank with her claws. There was nothing I could do anymore, she had weakened me to the point where I was having issues standing. She continued to claw at me when the sound of cats caused her to run back to Riverclan. I lay there motionless, weak, and badly wounded. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, I only hoped the on coming cats weren't more enemies.

I woke up in my den...it appeared to be sun-high. How long was I out for? and how much damage had the she warrior caused? I tried to get myself up, but every part of my body was aching. Poppypaw padded into the den moments later with Chervil in her mouth.

" How are you feeling," She asked in a worried tone.

" I feel so weak, and sore right now, and how do you know what herbs to use, I havn't taught you that yet," I said with a confused look.

" One-eye has been in here so many times she managed to learn a few things from watching you work, she helped me," Poppypaw said with delight. " You were in really bad shape when Firestar brought you into the camp last-night, I thought you weren't going to make it because of how weak you were," she said sadly.

" i think I will be fine," I said trying not to worry Poppypaw anymore. She checked over my wounds, re-applied the poultice, and gave me some poppy seed for the pain, wich caused me to fall asleep a little while after she left the den.

I spent the next while just waking and resting, I also helped Poppypaw learn more about what herbs and berries helped what. She learned so fast, at times I felt she was doing better than me as a medicine cat. By the halfmoon I was feeling well enough to get up and go to the moonpool, I had sent nightshade out to let all the medicine cats know of the ceremony. Poppypaw and I arrived at the moonpool, the other medicine cats we already waiting there.

" Well hello young one, so you have chosen the path of a medicine cat," spoke Ferncloud from Windclan. Poppypaw dipped her head in acknowledgement.

" Poppypaw, it is your wish to enter the myseteries of Starclan as a Medicine cat? I said proudly

" It is," she responded with great confidence.

" Come forward, Warriors of Starclan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a Medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her clan in accordance with your will," I finished. Poppypaw took a drink from the moonpool. We lay down next to eachother and began to dream. I was whisked to a lush green forest where I saw Spottedleaf waiting.

" Hello Spottedleaf," I spoke as I padded up to the Starclan she cat.

" You have chosen a wonderful apprentice Silvermoon, she will be a good medicine cat to the clan. She will definately follow in your paw prints," The white tortoishell she said kindly.

" Thank you Spottedleaf," I said as I dipped my head.

" Now return to the moonpool,and do not forget about the message bluestar shared with you," she said as she slowly faded. I awoke, all the other medicine cats had woken to, including Poppypaw. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the camp. I began to relay Bluestars message in my head, With great victory there will come saddness! What did it mean? I still coud not figure it out.

I awoke in the morning to find a leaf filled with water, and Poppypaw staring down at me.

" You were running a slight fever earlier, so I decided to bring you some water," she said nudging the leaf closer to me. I lapped up the water hoping she would stop worrying about me.

" How are you feeling now," she asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

" Actually, Im feeling much better, in fact I can get back to my regular duties now," I said as I stood up and walked out of the den. I padded over to the fresh kill pile where I ran into Firestar.

" Im glad you are back to your old self Silvermoon, We were really worried we were gonna lose you," he said.

" Well, im feeling much better now," I said taking a chaffinche back to the medicine den to share with Poppypaw.

After we had finished our meal, we went out into the forest to collect more herbs. I made sure we stayed away from the river, as I was really worried we would get attacked by Riverclan again. I have a feeling Poppypaw knew what I was doing as well. If she did, she was doing a good job of hiding it from me.