Stolen (Book 1 of the Outcast Quartet)

Chapter 3 (Juniperkit)

I looked nervously at Softheart, our medicine cat, as she slathered a fresh batch of poultice on Firefur’s, my father’s, stomach wound. It had been three days since the attack, since Firefur had been severely wounded and my brother, Dashkit, had been taken. Sweetstar had done everything she could to find Dashkit’s captors, but it was to no avail. By the time her rescue patrol had found the cats’ scent trail, they were long gone. “Will he live?” I asked, my eyes round as I stared at his fresh wound.

            “I don’t know…” Softheart murmured. “Juniperkit, can you get me some Feverfew?”

            “Feverfew? Doesn’t that help with fevers?” I echoed, recalling the herb that I was given quite often to help me with my many illnesses.

            I looked back at Firefur; he was shivering fiercely despite being on the fluffiest moss bed I had ever seen. His chest was raising and falling rapidly, faster than it usually did. “Is he sick?”
            “You remember what feverfew looks like, right?” Softheart asked instead of answering my question.

            “Um… it has white flowers, its leaves are really soft and it’s sharp smelling,” I meowed hesitantly while trying to recall what I knew about the herb.

            “That’s right, can you go me some,” Softheart purred encouragingly.

            “If it’ll help father!” I agreed and quickly scurried towards where Softheart stored her herbs. The medicine cat den was well organized; it’s positioned under the outcrop that sticks out over our camp, allowing for shelter from the rain. Well twined bramble branches circled around the clearing. The medicine cat’s next was near the herb storage. The herbs were stored in a crevice in the outcrop. I stuck my head into the dark crevice; it was too dark to see them so I had to go by scent. I cautiously stepped farther into the storage, sniffing before I could finally locate the feverfew. I reached out and gently rubbed it, the fuzzy leaves tickled my paw and I was taunted to giggle, I shook my head, now wasn’t the time to be laughing.

            I bent my head down and gently scooped the soft leaves up while slowly backing out of the storage. “I’fe gov vhem!” I mumbled past the mouthful of herbs as I turned around to face Softheart.

            “Good job,” Softheart praised warmly. I placed the herbs down beside the medicine cat and watched in silence as she prompted Firefur to eat them. “Come on Firefur, they’ll make you feel better.”

            Firefur stared hazily at the herbs beside his muzzle before turning his head away. “Papa, please!” I begged. “They really do make you feel better!”

            Firefur slowly backed at me and smiled softly before closing his eyes again.

            “Why won’t he eat them?” I cried.

            Softheart looked sorrowfully at Firefur before whispering something softly.

            “What?” I asked, annoyed that I had missed it. “Speak louder.”

            Softheart looked at me, her eyes clouded with a darkness I had never seen before. She reluctantly repeats what she had said. “He’s dying.”

            I stared, confused, at Softheart. I looked at her solemn golden eyes. “No…” I gasped and I backed away from the medicine cat. “How could he be dying, isn’t it your job to save him? I don’t want to lose Papa…”

            “Juniperkit, I’m sorry,” Softheart mumbled. “A medicine cat is gifted with the ability to heal, but when it is a cat’s time, all we can do is send them peacefully to StarClan.”

            I shook my head, refusing to listen to her. “Papa can’t die!” I protested before whipping around and stalking out of the medicine cat den, my tail lowering in defeat. I knew she was right, Firefur was dying, but I couldn’t believe her. Dashkit had been taken already, I didn’t want Firefur to get taken from me either.

            I numbly padded back to the nursery; I stared reluctantly at the nursery entrance. It wasn’t right without Dashkit with me. I forced myself to enter the enclosed den, my grieving mother, Rosethorn, looked up as I entered the den. “How’s Firefur?”
            “Papa’s… papa’s dying…” I chocked out hoarsely.

            Rosethorn’s eyes widened and she quickly burst out of her nest. She nosed past the ferns blocking the light from the den and rushed outside. I watched her leave and crouched down in the nest, my eyes wondering to the spot Dashkit would always sleep. “Papa…” I whispered and curled my tail over my muzzle. “I don’t want you to leave me too.”