A Cure's Call (ArchStem's Journey)

Chapter 1

TW?: Kinda mentions of death and sickness

"Let's Hope So..."
***
ArchStem perked up, his eyes half closed and head resting lazily between his paws.
Had he heard a voice? His name?
The young tom shook himself awake. Blinking away the sleep that was clinging to his body, threatening to lull him back into slumber.
"...and CopperWillow I want you to take out the morning hunting patrol,
FOX-DUNG!
The gray tom cat shot up, too worried to see the few other sleeping bodies of his clan mate, pushing himself out into the BreezeClan clearing.

Letting loose a breath he had been holding in. He hadn't over slept. A pretty she cat turned her head at the ruckus "Ah ArchStem... how about you join CopperWillow's patrol." ComfreyStream purred with amusement. He nodded, flashing the pale ginger a smile. Curling her tail as she turned back to the others to finish assigning patrols. "FigetPaw- you and SleekPaw clean the stale prey from the fresh kill pile please."

ArchStem joined the leaving hunting patrol. Flashing a tired smile to CopperWillow as he passed the older warrior. A light colored senior warrior turned and nodded a greeting. "Morn' ArchStem." "Morning WetJaw." The young tom returned the greeting. Falling into the back of the group as the small group headed towards the low hills. Hares and sometimes rabbits liked to stay there where the grass tickled your ears and the ground was soft and easy to dig into.
Faint, hoarse, coughing and wheezing whimpers could be heard as the three toms past by the makeshift dens that held their sick clan mates.
'The Sickness'
As they chose to call it was devastating... it had no KNOWN cure. Basically the cats infected with it got symptoms close to green cough to begin than it all went down hill from there.
'How many cats have we lost just this moon...'
He asked himself his tail swaying in thought.
'Let's see.. CrookedTail and her two kits, LilySong, IronPaw, CloverJay, HopperMouse... HayCliff and DancingStride...his parents'
ArchStem decided to let his mind wander away from his dead clan mates... he didn't want to have a sudden breakdown from the grief.

WetJaw seemed to have caught on to the younger toms thoughts though, the white warrior leaving a lingering glance at ArchStem and the Sick Dens. But thankfully he didn't say anything as they made the last few trots to the low hills.
ArchStem watched as
CopperWillow crouched, ears pricked and mouth agape. His tail was help low, parallel to the ground, sweeping from side to side.
'Spread out....'
ArchStem mirrored his clan mates actions, except the tail signal.
Keeping downwind the trio spread out in a semi-circle. A hare's ears could be seen poking out from the long grass in front of ArchStem's position.
He held his tail high, signaling to his clan mates that he spotted the prey. His eyes scanned the grass top as he spotted another tail poking out from the grass. He swallowed the chuckle the grew in his throat as he remembered WetJaw wouldn't be able to hold his tail up high enough.

He took the erect tail as a signal and crept forward towards the hare. Lowering his tail back into a position parallel to the ground. His body falling into a hunting crouch, back legs ready to spring out towards the prey and chase it to one of his clan mates.
His paws began to move forward. One at a time, as quietly as he could.
CRUNCH
'Mouse-dung...'
The grey tom cursed to himself, as his paw skimmed and crushed a twig. He had been so focused on the hare's position he hadn't been paying attention to where he put his paws.
The ears disappeared as the hare sprinted away.
'Screw it..'
He darted right after the large prey animal. Bursting from the long grass. His paws pounding against the ground.
He could here WetJaw and CopperWillow's voices behind him. He ignored them. He was going to catch this hare. He wasn't going to mess up.
He could feel his legs tire beneath him from him keeping a fast pace, his heart pounding against his ribs.
ArchStem's eyes darted around his surroundings quickly, a mound of dart could be seen. 'It's burrow..'

The hare was still a few tail lengths ahead the gray warrior. His legs shaking he slowed crouching to leap.
He didn't notice until he was already in the air.
His uneven paw steps and sloppy crouch caused him to miss the hare he watched from the ground as it successfully made it into its safety.
"Fox-dung!" He cursed. Shaking himself as he stood. Hissing in pain as he did.
"What was that!"
Hissed CopperWillow as he caught up.
"What do you mean?! I was hunting..."
ArchStem retorted. Starting to feel ashamed.
'Should have let them take it, or tried to chase it around... BUT No! You had to try to get it yourself...'
The grey warrior reprimanded himself, realizing his mistakes.
"For Starclans sake.."
Muttered CopperWillow, WetJaw at his side.
"Let's just keep going... there's bound to be more prey around."
The white tom cat pushed. Starting to pad away from where they had been.
The two younger warriors following.
***

ArchStem limped into camp. A vole hanging from his jaws. He had done an even worse job hunting once he realized he probably twisted his ankle in the fall.
CopperWillow pushes pasted him padding to the fresh kill pile to drop off the rabbit and vole he has caught.
The older two were obviously annoyed. At least it seemed that way to ArchStem. They had suggested splitting up. Only problem was that the two warriors padded off together while ArchStem went alone.

WetJaw stood still beside ArchStem. "Here, I'll take your catch to the pile, you go see MallowPad."
ArchStem shuffles his weight from one paw to another.
"Oh.. well okay.."
he replied dropping the prey and padding away towards the medicine den.
The scent of herbs flooded ArchStem's senses.
They smelled sweet, tangy, bitter, and very welcoming.
MallowPad wasn't there, 'No surprise...'
ArchStem huffed.
Sitting down to wait. She was probably tending to the sick cats or washing her pelt in a stream to get rid of sickness clinging to her pelt.

Either way. He might be here a bit.
To pass the time he began grooming himself. Drawing his paw over his ears and face.

MallowPad entered the den some time later. Stopping not expecting to see someone waiting for her. "Oh ArchStem!"
The black and ginger freckled she cat exclaimed.
"I didn't expect you. Um.."
The she cat sounded tired, her eyes drooped. She had stayed up all night caring for the sick cats. Making them comfortable and trying to treat them.
"I twisted my ankle hunting.. I'm so sorry."
ArchStem explained. Holding out his right paw for her to examine.
The she cat nodded. "Don't be sorry you can't control it..,"
She started, prodding his paw, examining it.
"Well I could have done a better leap. But..."
He sighed. "Anyway, you should take a break, you look like you could pass out at any moment. We don't need our Medicine Cat getting sick without a apprentice to take charge. If I didn't mess up you could take a rest..."
"Calm down ArchStem your fine."
The medicine cat purred with amusement.
"Look, you should be fine. Just rest for the day and your ankle will be fine."
ArchStem felt his face go red.
"Oh ok... sorry for wasting your time with nothing...haha look at me a warrior who can't hunt without hurting himself..."
"Stop that"
"Stop what?"
Asked ArchStem his tail flicking.
"It could have been serious, or worse then just a twist..."
MallowPad explained relaxing the grey tom cat.
ArchStem nodded.
"Yeah ok... so find a cure yet...?"
The medicine cats eyes seem to die slightly.
She shook her head sadly. "I know it has only been one or two moons but...I'm not sure if there is a cure."
The tom nodded a pang piercing his heart.
The sickness has taken his parents about half a moon ago. It was terrible seeing them slowly fade away.
"Yeah, may-"
His ears started ringing with a quiet echo.
"Do you hear that?"
The medicine cat pricked her ears, swiveling around before shaking her head. "Uh.. no?"
The sound hasn't stopped, it still was ringing. But it wasn't so much of a ring as a...
Well it was a echoing.
"Oh... uh, must.. must be just my ears ringing or something... heh. Anyway I should probably go rest huh?"
The medicine nodded and he was on his way.
"That was strange..."
He mumbled as he padded towards his nest.
****
Word Count: 1445