Whispers and Echoes

Chapter 3

Eveningstar appeared from around the other side of the High-stone at once and ran over to Twigfoot. "What's the matter?" he asked urgently.

"It's Aspenleaf! A DayClan patrol had crossed our border, so we tracked them down and found them near the river on our side, hunting." The warriors in the clearing exchanged glances of fury. "We asked them what they were doing and they said they were feeding their Clan. Prairiefoot and I told them to get out of our territory, but they told us it would soon belong to DayClan and that there was no point in defending it anymore. We fought them off and they're gone now. But Aspenleaf got a bad gouge on her belly and she's lost a lot of blood," Twigfoot meowed in a rush. He turned to Goldheart. "We need you to come with us. We would have carried her back, but we didn't want her to lose any more blood. Rustypelt stayed with her and put cobwebs on her wound."

"Good thinking," Goldheart meowed. "I'm glad you didn't move her. Prairiefoot, can you help me carry the herbs?" Goldheart asked urgently. Prairiefoot nodded and followed the medicine cat into his den.

When they emerged from the den again in a rush, Goldheart and Prairiefoot were both carrying a variety of plants in their jaws.

"Lead the way, Twigfoot," Goldheart meowed through his mouthful of herbs. Twigfoot and Moonshine sprinted out of the camp, Goldheart and Prairiefoot following close behind.

"Oh, I hope Aspenleaf will be okay," Whisperkit meowed.

"Goldheart is an experienced medicine cat; he'll know what to do. Aspenleaf will not die," Echokit replied firmly. She just hoped her words were true.

* * *

By sunhigh, the patrol still hadn't returned with Aspenleaf, but the hunting patrols did return with prey. Both hunting patrols looked like they had enough prey to feed the Clan for a moon.

Sparktail padded over to them carrying two mice and a sparrow. "What happened?" she asked, "I heard that the dawn patrol was attacked by a DayClan patrol." Sparktail dropped a mouse at Echokit's paws and a sparrow at Whisperkit's.

"Yeah," Whisperkit meowed sadly as she took a bite of her sparrow, "Aspenleaf got a pretty bad stomach wound, by the sound of it. And she had lost a lot of blood. Rustypelt had stayed with her while Twigfoot, Prairiefoot, and Moonshine ran back for help. And they still haven't come back."

"Well, let's hope she's alright," muttered Sparktail.

"She will be," meowed Echokit confidently, refusing to believe otherwise.

They finished their meals in silence and sat waiting for the patrol to return.

After what seemed like moons, Echokit heard heavy breathing and muffled pawsteps outside the camp; the patrol was returning!

"They're back!" yowled Sunfur, her nose in the air as she picked up the patrol's scent.

Every cat looked up and watched as Prairiefoot and Rustypelt carried Aspenleaf into the camp. Goldheart raced ahead into the medicine cats' den. Yellowkit, who was watching her future mentor eagerly, bolted across the camp and into his den before Moonshine could stop her.

As Rustypelt and Prairiefoot carried Aspenleaf closer, Echokit realized Aspenleaf was unconscious and that she was dripping blood, even with the cobwebs pressed against her wound. Echokit hoped that she wasn't dead and prayed to StarClan that she would be okay.

Echokit was suddenly pushed aside as Creekfall raced toward the medicine cats' den. "Aspenleaf!" he yowled, "Oh, please don't be dead!" Then he disappeared into the stone cave.

When Rustypelt reappeared from the medicine cats' den just heartbeats later, he brought Creekfall with him, who was looking sad, but mostly angry. Echokit raced over and asked her father, "Will she be all right?"