(Outdated) Warriors: Clouded Skies #1 - The First Storm

Chapter Twenty

"Foxpounce, take Frostfall, Featherpaw, and Firepaw to patrol the moorland border. Oakcloud, I want you to take Brightpaw, Stonecoat, and Shadefur to the forest border and along the Old Thunderpath until the river, once they get back. Maskdapple, you, Silverstrike, Boulderclaw, and I will go check on the dead Twoleg then finish off the Thunderpath border. Russetdawn, you take Pebblepeak and Grayblaze out hunting; go easy though, Grayblaze, I won't deal with your injured leg again! Understood?" Eagleclaw stood on the Rock Pile and looked over the crowd of warriors around her.

Ravenpaw was lying in front of the apprentices' den, sharing tongues with his brother, but he paused when Jaypaw's body tensed in envy. Ravenpaw followed his gaze to Foxpounce leading his patrol out of camp. Of course he was jealous of them; he was still in punishment for going to see the Twoleg. He hadn't been training for many days now.

"I'm so bored!" Jaypaw groaned and collapsed onto his side, sighing dramatically. Ravenpaw prodded his side with amusement, and his brother jumped up with a laugh. "I'm serious, though! I need something to do besides gathering moss! Look at my poor claws!" He displayed them to Ravenpaw and revealed dull claws with moss stuck inside of them. Ravenpaw noticed a small thorn stuck inside his brother's tough pad.

"When did that happen?" he asked, touching it softly with his nose, and Jaypaw pulled it back quickly with a mewl of pain.

"Ow! Watch it!" he grumbled, then added, "it happened earlier today when I was coming back from gathering moss."

"Come to the medicine cats' den, Mossrain needs to get that out." Ravenpaw was happy he could show his new skills to his brother.

"No way! I'm fine!" Jaypaw shuffled away.

"Hey, you're not allowed to argue! I'm your medicine cat!" He remembered Mossrain talking to him about him being too afraid to tell Grayblaze not to use his paw just three days before; even though he was a brand new apprentice, even senior warriors had to listen if he had medical advice. If he thought a cat was injured, it was required for Mossrain or Goldenpool to check them over quickly. Of course, Ravenpaw would never tell a cat they needed to be checked over except his own brother.

"Medicine cat apprentice," Jaypaw teased, getting to his paws and holding his injured pad up. Ravenpaw pawed at his whiskers playfully before bouncing away. Jaypaw mewled in anger as his brother skipped around him happily. Jaypaw raised onto his back legs and tried to swipe with his uninjured front paw, but his brother managed to jump away.

They made a slow way across the clearing, playing like they were kits again until they reached the medicine cats' den and calmed down enough to walk in. Ravenpaw was enveloped by all the different scents of herbs, and he felt instantly calmed. "Hey Mossrain, Jaypaw got a thorn stuck in his paw!"

The young tom looked over. "Great!" His tail flicked excitedly and hurried over.

"What?" Jaypaw looked scared. "Why is that great?"

"Because I've been waiting for some cat to get a thorn in their pad to teach Ravenpaw! It's taken quite a while with how many apprentices we have!" He gave a chuckle and sat down in front of the two apprentices. Jaypaw hesitantly held his paw out for the older cat to look at. "It's been stuck pretty deep from you stepping on it; I'm surprised you're not mewling in agony!" Mossrain flicked his tail. "It doesn't seem to be infected. See the edges of the wound, Ravenpaw?" Mossrain pointed with a single claw. "If it was infected there would be puss around it, and the pad would be swelling." Jaypaw looked disgusted.

Ravenpaw nodded quickly. "It looks a little swollen, though," he pointed out. 

"Good eye," Mossrain praised. "Will you grab me a few cobwebs?" his mentor asked. Nodding, the black-furred apprentice turned away and went to the herb storage, putting his weight on his hind legs while he put his front paws on the stone wall. He slowly pushed himself up, stretching out his long body as far as he could to the top crevice, where a large bundle of cobwebs was stored. He stuck one paw in and cupped some cobwebs, then brought them out to look at. They looked nice and clean, so he dropped down.