Warriors: Finding Myself: Storm Rising (Book One)

Chapter Five: I Can Be Your Friend

CHAPTER FIVE

Needlepaw suddenly cried out, her eyes watering heavily and I looked at the cats who were gathering. They looked at the floor silently as I walked right up to my sister, looking around at her wounds and the thorns digging into her. She was stuck. Really badly.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" I growled at them, eyes eyes blazing in anger and my claws digging into the ground. "Why're you just standing there?!"

And then Puddleheart entered the clearing quietly, herbs in his jaws. He set them around our sister and started chewing something up and putting it on her. He said nothing to us since he probably knew what he was doing. Littlecloud had a lot of problems with thorns. Puddleheart learned it fast.

When Needlepaw cried out again he hushed her and began speaking to her quietly, "It's okay, Needlepaw. I'm here," he purred and I could see the pain in his eyes, but he slowly began to pull the thorns out of her. They were still connected to the branches and she wiggled around a little, but I could see how much blood she was losing. "I'm here. Shh."

The medicine cat focused on the thorns and not how much pain it caused her and I quickly got to working at pulling out the thorns too, it wasn't helpful that she let out a screech every time I touched one.

"Good work, Beepaw," Puddleheart mewed and turned to face Needlepaw with seriousness. "Listen, we can't pull out anymore without getting stuck ourselves. You need to get out yourself. Quickly, before your wounds get infected!" he urged and stepped back watching as she hung her head, eyes still closed she let out a wail as she began to walk out of the thorn bush.

She kept walking and I could see the thorns disconnect from their branches and the thorns stuck in her. Finally, she was free and she whimpered, falling to the ground and then she went quiet.

"Crowfrost, carry her to my den, gently," Puddleheart commanded. "Yarrowpaw, I need wet moss." He turned to me with sadness in his eyes. "Come with me," he ordered and followed Crowfrost into the clearing where everyone was sitting and watching in silence. There was no way they couldn't hear her yowls of pain.

We entered the den and Puddleheart pushed Crowfrost out after he set her gently in one of the nests.

"Why am I here? I don't know medicine cat stuff," I pointed out to my brother.

He took a deep breath as he mixed some things. "It's just for support. I need you here." He didn't even look up at me as he kept mixing, applying something to her wounds and she let out a whimper, but she didn't really seem to be responding anymore. "She's not dying," Puddleheart mewed suddenly.

My tail twitched in anticipation. This was taking too long and I wanted her to be okay. Her slight movements reassured me at times, but impatience was clawing at me. Please StarClan, let her be okay! I pleaded silently and looked at Puddleheart who had suddenly stopped moving.

"Is she okay now?" I asked, standing up in excitement. She didn't look okay.

He shook his head slowly and looked up to the top of the den. "I don't think I can save her, Beepaw," he mewed and his head fell in disappointment. "I can feel StarClan tearing at my pelt and..." Puddleheart looked at me with pleading eyes. "If she lives, it's StarClan who saved her, not me."

I shook my head. "No, no!" I growled and dug my claws into the ground, feeling the tears welling up in my eyes. "You have to save her, Puddleheart! You are our medicine cat! We aren't relying on dead cats to save our sister! Do your job to the Clan and save her!" I ordered and watched as he looked at me with wide eyes, but he didn't move to get his herbs, he just looked at me.