A soft breeze rippled through the oak trees that provided cover from the Greenleaf sun. Lavenderfern padded through the forest humming quietly to herself. She had run out of poppy seeds that morning for Foxtail and wanted to make sure he was constantly resting. Knowing him he would get up first chance that was given. Lavenderfern smiled thinking about Foxtail, he was an interesting cat and would be even more once she found out what Starclan did to him. Lavenderfern lifted her nose into their air and took in a breath. She had been around plenty of herbs to distinguish the different scents through the thick undergrowth of Thornclan territory, but she couldn't sense any poppyseeds. Instead of turning around Lavenderfern found her paws taking her to the river. She looked down at the sloping riverbank and shuddered.
"Lavenderfern?" An unfamiliar voice shouted. Lavenderferns head shot up and claws unsheathed. After the whole Ozem ordeal she found it hard to relax when she was alone.
"Lavenderfern? Turn around." The voice shouted again. It took a minute for her to realize that it was Shimmersong yelling from across the river. She jumped into the water without hesitation and wadded through the water.
"Shimmersong it's good to see you." Lavenderfern greeted helping her friend up the muddy riverbank.
"What brings you to the river?" Lavenderfern sighed,
"I need poppy seeds but I can't seem to find any near my camp." Shimmersong tilted her head, confused.
"I've no idea why you came here then. Poppy seeds like dry areas to grow. Try somewhere with a lot of sunlight." Lavenderfern laughed shyly realizing she should have known that. Shimmersong smiled and rested her tail on her shoulder.
"You seem like you have a lot on your mind? What's up?" Lavenderfern laughed sarcastically,
"Where do I even begin?" Shimmersongs face dropped but she wore a comforting expression.
"Let's get some poppy seeds first and then you can talk to me." Lavenderfern nodded grateful for Shimmersongs friendship. As the two medicine cats padded toward sunning rocks the greenleaf sun only got hotter.
"Sweet starclan I feel like my fur is melting off." Shimmersong exclaimed as the two cats approached the rocks. Lavenderfern laughed lightly and began searching around the grass for the poppy seed plant. As minutes passed she began to feel the heat more intensely on her back wishing for shorter fur.
"Found some!" Shimmersong exclaimed, inturrupting Lavenderferns thoughts. She sighed in relief and bounded around the large rocks to see her friend picking some of the flowers out with her teeth. She started helping and soon there was a medium sized pile in between the two cats. Shimmersong let out a happy breath and laid on her back. "Y'know once you get used to the sun it actually feels kinda nice." She stretched out her paws unsheathing her claws and scratching them against the rocks. Lavenderfern smiled smally the same worry in the back of her mind. "Alright what in starclans name is wrong with you?" Lavenderfern sighed and copied Shimmersong laying down on her back and looking up at the blue sky.
"It's Foxtail. He still hasn't woken up yet, and I'm worried that..." Lavenderfern trailed off not wanting to think the thought that was circling her head. Shimmersong placed her paw on Lavenderferns shoulder,
"That tom is tough if anyone can pull through from a hit like that it's him." Lavenderfern appreciated Shimmersongs help but the same thought pulled her brain like a kit nagging for attention.
"But what if he's different. I'm just worried that his life will be turned upside do-"
"No." Shimmersong ordered interrupting me. "No, you can't think like that. When Foxtail pulls through he's going to need all strength from you." This time Shimmersongs words calmed Lavenderfern down. As well as the soft breeze that cooled down the air. "Come on," Shimmersong began standing back up on all fours. "I've got to get watermint. Perhaps you could use some in your stock too." Lavenderfern shrugged but nodded following Shimmersong down to the riverbank. She wasted no time and jumped right in while Lavenderfern stayed on the muddy bank.
"Why do you need watermint?" Shimmersong started laughing as she pulled some of the purple herbs from the riverbed.
"Hailriver ate stinging nettle of all things. Said they smelled good." Lavenderfern laughed to herself only a hungry cat would eat plants, "He's been complaining about a sour stomach all morning so thought I'd go replenish my stock before he ate it all." Shimmersong finished picking the mint and hopped out of the water. She dropped some of the purple herbs at Lavenderferns paws and smiled. "This was fun we should do it again." Lavenderfern nodded and headbutted her as a thanks. As she hopped back into the river, she waved her tail in goodbye. Shimmersong was reassuring but Lavenderfern still felt doubt from the tip of her ears to the base of her paws. For now, however, she ignored it wanting to get back to watch over Foxtail. With a final look to see Shimmersongs silhouette fading in the distance Lavenderfern grabbed her herbs and began to trek back to camp.
After what felt like a moon of watermint up her nose the thorn entrance came into view and Lavenderfern pushed through it. Not feeling the same pain she did when she first showed up in Thornclan. She barely remembered it but the feeling of cold and loneliness was there until another cat had grabbed her by the scruff and brought her here. Lavenderfern could still smell the scent of her mother walking away until it was gone, but that didn't matter now. She thought to herself approaching her den. Lavenderfern had a new family and Foxtail was a cat she wasn't going to give up on. As she set down her herbs into ivy leaves Lavenderfern smelt Timberstar approaching. He was here often watching over Foxtail when Lavenderfern couldn't.
"How is he?" He asked sitting in the mouth of the den. Lavenderfern sighed and turned her head to see him. He looked as tired as always his fur was matted showing no signs of cleaning.
"The same," Timberstar made no expression but his eyes were full of hopelessness. The emotion radiated to Lavenderfern and she too began to worry again.
"Snowywillow and Tigerstripe have advised me to choose a new deputy. A cat other than Foxtail." Lavenderfern looked back to her herbs and then to Foxtail resting behind her. He was laying motionless except for his breathing. Lavenderfern prayed for the simplest of movements the twitch of a tail or flick of an ear. "What do you think I should do?" Timberstar asked it as if he was pleading. As if he needed an answer because he couldn't provide one for himself.
"We can't deny the fact that Foxtail may not wake up. Maybe whatever Starclan did didn't heal him properly." Timberstar nodded solemnly and padded into the den. Lavenderfern turned to him as they both moved their gaze to Foxtail. "But Timberstar I can't make that decision for you. You announced him as a deputy of Thornclan. If Starclan willed him to be leader then he will be." Lavenderfern tried to reassure herself as well as Timberstar, but it wasn't very convincing.
"If he does not wake by the next gathering I will choose someone new." Lavenderfern gulped but nodded to her leader. The next gathering was a quarter moon away. "Tomorrow when you visit starclan for the quarter moon see if they will say anything about what to do." Lavenderfern nodded she had almost forgotten about the quarter moon gathering of medicine cats. She hadn't been a medicine cat long enough to know what it was like to receive a prophecy from Starclan. Lavenderfern really only enjoyed the quarter moon gathering because she got to see the other medicine cats from the three clans. It was refreshing being around cats who shared her same burden. While being drowned by her own thoughts Timberstar had left the den and padded towards his own under the base of the highrock. Lavenderfern felt her tail drop as she moved to lay down next to Foxtail. She buried her nose into his scruff,
"Please wake up. Please, please, for the love of starclan wake up Foxtail. I can't-" Lavenderfern cut herself off and continued to lay her head on Foxtails neck. "I can't imagine a world without you in it."
YOU ARE READING
Warriors: Blood River ~ Book 2 ~
Fanfiction"Lavenderfern felt like she was drowning in a river, but couldn't cry out for help. The tabby jumped from their highrock and knelt down to meet her eyes. A wicked evil cutting through their pupils like claws. As if they enjoyed to see a cat sufferin...
