Warriors: Deerleap's Loss (Complete)

Chapter 35

 Deerleap padded out of the warriors' den, feeling rested. He looked around for Turtlepond and Iceskin and padded toward them when he saw them. But before he could reach them, Lilypetal, the head medicine cat of ShadowClan, rushed toward him.

 ''Deerleap!'' She called.

 Deerleap looked at the medicine cat. ''Yes?''

 ''I need to gather horsetail, and Speckleflower can't come with me, because she's busy checking on Daisypurr and her kits.'' She meowed. ''Can you come with me?'' She asked.

 Deerleap understood why Lilypetal needed to be escorted when she went to look for herbs. She looked frail and thin. He nodded. ''Sure, let's go.''

 Lilypetal purred and turned around, padding out of camp. 

 Deerleap followed the medicine cat. ''Where does horsetail grow?'' He asked.

 The medicine cat turned her head. ''Anywhere in our territory, because it grows in marshy areas.'' She meowed and then padded away. Deerleap quickly followed her.

 Lilypetal led him through the territory toward a marshy place. They went down a small hill and looked around. ''There should be some here.'' She meowed and looked around.

 Deerleap blinked as he heard heavy paw steps. He looked around. This isn't good.

 ''Lilypetal, can you please hurry up? I think there's something here.'' He whispered.

 Lilypetal's ears twitched. ''I'll try.'' She meowed and began to look around again.

 Deerleap kept turning around to try to keep track of where the paw steps were coming from. He unsheathed his claws.

 He froze when he realized that the paw steps were coming closer and closer to them.

 ''Lilypetal?''

 ''I found it. Let me take it out of the ground and then we'll go.'' She hissed.

 He heard Lilypetal claw the ground. He guessed that she was going to take the horsetail out of the earth.

 Suddenly, a fox jumped in front of Deerleap, its eyes blazing with anger. Deerleap froze. A fox!

 ''Lilypetal!'' He yowled and rushed toward the medicine cat. 

 Lilypetal looked up, the herb in her mouth. ''What's going o-''

 The fox ran over to them and grabbed Lilypetal in its jaws, growling. 

 Deerleap jumped on the fox and began to claw its back. ''Let her go!'' He yowled.

 The fox flinched in pain, but didn't drop Lilypetal. He heard the medicine cat yowl in pain as the creature dug its fangs in the she-cat's fur.

 ''What's going on here?'' Smallfur growled and rushed over, followed by Cactuscloud and Blackfang.

 At the sight of the fox, Smallfur stared, wide-eyed. Then, he hissed. ''Attack!''

 Cactuscloud ran over to the fox and bit on its leg. Blackfang jumped on the fox and began to claw its face. Smallfur bit on its tail.

 Deerleap sighed in relief as he saw his clanmates help, and he continued to dig his claws deeper in the fox's fur. Come on, let the medicine cat go!

 Suddenly, the fox screeched. It shook itself, and Deerleap fell off. It dropped Lilypetal and turned around, running away with a yowl of pain.

 ''Lilypetal!'' Deerleap got up and limped to the medicine cat.