Tangletuft's Mistake; (complete)

Chapter five

"I heard you won the race Tanglepaw." Featherpaw padded up to the smaller cat, a friendly look on her face although her bones showing through her fur and her eyes tired and weak.

"Congratulations." Rabbitfoot murmured as he passed by. What was in his fur this morning?

"Just wait until you go against me." Featherpaw boasted, sticking out her silver chest but, erupting in coughs afterwards.

"Are you alright?" Tanglepaw looked from over her skinny rabbit "You're still sick aren't you? Are Smallpaw and Crowpaw still sick too?"

"Smallpaw is fine. He's being made a warrior after his final assessment today." Featherpaw coughed before continuing "And Crowpaw is so sick that he's not allowed outside the medicine cat den. I'm not nearly as sick as he is." Featherpaw paused, letting a nearly empty hunting patrol pass by "Sagepaw is helping to take care of him. To be honest, I think Sagepaw will become the new medicine cat."

"Why would she want to do that? Medicine cat is a horrible job." Tanglepaw scoffed, before stuffing her face in the rabbit, her soft white face fur staining red.

"Well if it's what your sister wants to do then I don't see why not?" Featherpaw paused again and coughed even more than she did earlier. Some gooey liquid fell out of her mouth, which made Tanglepaw want to puke.

"Ew gross!" Tanglepaw exclaimed "You need to go see Rabbitfoot, now."

Featherpaw nodded, understanding why this time, and led the way toward the medicine cat den. Tanglepaw followed feeling a prickle of pity for the older apprentice. She should've been made a warrior moons ago. She was already the warrior size. Well, she would've been if sickness hadn't overcome her. Poor Featherpaw.

As Tanglepaw squeezed into the medicine cat den, the crowfood smelling stench of sickness wafted over her. Followed by her sister's sweet scent which mingled with herbs.

"Tanglepaw! Featherpaw! What's wrong?" Sagepaw bounded up to the two she-cats, the smell of herbs plastered on her pelt.

"Featherpaw was coughing really badly again so I decided she needed to see Rabbitfoot. Is he here?" Tanglepaw peered around her sister, but unfortunately, didn't see Rabbitfoot.

"He went to find more catmint. His patch he used to be growing got blown over and buried in the snow. So he left me in charge while he was gone." Sagepaw looked proud, as if she had just been made leader of the Clan.

"But you're a warrior apprentice," Tanglepaw protested, trying to block out the stench from Crowpaw nearby "Why would Rabbitfoot keep a warrior apprentice in charge of medicine cat duties while he was gone?"

Sagepaw shrugged "Beats me. Now you can go now. I have to treat my patients."

Tanglepaw looked at Sagepaw disbelievingly. "Who died and made you medicine cat?" She muttered, turning on her heels and padding towards the exit of the den.

"Rabbitfoot! Rabbitfoot!" Bluefeather came crashing into the medicine cat den, the space beginning to feel even smaller with so many cats in it "Splotchkit and Berrykit have whitecough! ... Rabbitfoot?" Bluefeather meowed.

Finally Splotchkit will quiet down. Tanglepaw thought, although on the inside, she felt bad for the splotchy she-kit. But she felt worse about Berrykit. He, and his littermate Redkit, had been born to Birdflight less than a moon ago. They hadn't even opened their eyes yet. Poor Berrykit.

Sagepaw pushed through the crowd and met with Bluefeather "Don't worry. Rabbitfoot left me in charge while he was gone. I'll go check them." She promised then turned her gaze to Tanglepaw, suddenly she looked sharp. Tanglepaw had never seen her littermate look like this before "I thought I told you to go away. Now go before Rabbitfoot gets mad."

Tanglepaw looked at her sister hurtfully then pushed her way out of the den, muttering things to herself and trying to push her anger and the betrayed feeling away.

Around her, her Clan seemed to be noticing Sagepaw's new interest in herbs.

Tanglepaw passed by several groups of warriors who where chatting about it.

"I guess we'll have a new medicine cat apprentice in a moon."

"She wouldn't be a good warrior anyway."

"Sagepaw a medicine cat? I just can't see that happening."

"Sure looks like Sagepaw likes her herbs there eh?"

Tanglepaw fumed out in frustration and anger by the time she reached the apprentice bedding.

Only Breezepaw was there, and he nodded his head to her in greeting as he cleaned his pelt.

For some odd reason. Tanglepaw felt jealous of her sister. She didn't want to be medicine cat so why was she jealous? Was it because of all the gossip she was getting? Or was it something else?

•••

"Hurry up Sagepaw! You're not a medicine cat!" Grainwhisker called behind her.

During the last half moon, Sagepaw had gotten more and more interested in herbs. She had also gotten more and more rude to Tanglepaw.

As the cats entered the training clearing, Featherpaw and Crowpaw were training with Smallfoot. Smallpaw had gotten his warrior name which made his littermate Featherpaw not pleased.

But all was not gone for the two older apprentices. Although sickness still roamed inside them, they could resume a few warrior duties. Training was one of them.

Splotchkit and Berrykit hadn't gotten better. The two were coughing and having spasms of pain all the time. They didn't want to eat anything for the past quarter moon.

"Now you three. Just two laps today. With Greencough in the camp, I don't want you too tired or too weak." Thymeclaw mewed to the apprentices.

She wasn't wrong. Even warriors had caught Greencough. Mudheart was the first warrior to catch it. And he was soon followed by several warriors. Even Smokepaw had caught the disease. She had it the worse. Even more worse than the two kits. Tanglepaw felt a tang of pity for the cocky she-cat.

The healthy ones now had many duties to do and many mouths to feed.

"Alright." Breezepaw mewed, dashing around the circuit.

Tanglepaw followed close-by and Sagepaw matched her pace. Her littermates had learned to run properly so the white apprentice had a harder race every day.

Breezepaw's long and muscular legs served him well, he zoomed through the circle, never stopping and never slowing.

Tanglepaw picked up the pace veering to the edge of the clearing and pounding forward, pushing father and farther with each step. She was catching up. She would win soon if she could just...

Suddenly, she felt the ground shudder and she collapsed under her own weight and erupted in coughs, her body weak and shuddering from sudden pain and fear. "StarClan help me!" She yowled between ferocious coughs I'm going to die! She thought, wondering with her fear filled mind how she got pain that quickly.

"She has Greencough!" Darkwing yowled and sprinted up to her apprentice "She needs to see Rabbitfoot!"

"Thymeclaw and I will pick her up and head for camp. Breezepaw you sprint as fast as you can towards camp to tell Rabbitfoot. Darkwing and Sagepaw, you look for herbs incase Rabbitfoot doesn't have any. Understand?" Grainwhisker mewed, looking at the crowd.

Breezepaw nodded before turning on his heels and sprinting towards camp. He disappeared beyond the horizon in a few moments. Sagepaw and Darkwing ran in the other direction. Sagepaw was yelling things to Darkwing that Tanglepaw couldn't process.

She groaned from pain as Grainwhisker and Thymeclaw picked her up and jogged towards camp.

All she could remember was the harsh sickness smell coming from WindClan camp before she zoned out, pain claiming her.

•••

Hey guys. Would you be interested in another warrior cat story? It'll be my version of what happened after the last hope. I know we have Bramblestar's choice and Dovewing's whatever now but those wot exist in my story and I'll make my own version. What do you say? Comment your opinion please!