Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 71: Sagelight

I snipped at the end of a stalk blooming with small pink flowers. I carefully picked it up and placed it in the small, growing pile of herbs.

"Thanks again for helping me gather herbs Sagelight" Moonwater chirped.

"No problem Moonwater! What is this anyway?"

"Milkweed! With Nightrain having trouble nourishing and most likely more queens and kits coming I decided to stock up" the dark grey tabby said as she went back to collecting lavender.

"I don't remember you ever giving me milkweed"

"You never had any trouble with nursing" Moonwater laughed.

"I am surprised you are up right now, after traveling to the moonpool with Applebrook last night"

"I am a little tired but I still have duties to preform". We went back to collecting these sweet smelling herbs for awhile before I spoke again.

"Is this enough Moonwater?"

"Yep! I am actually done collecting lavender"

"This was much better than doing patrol, a lot more relaxing"

"Yeah, this is definitely my favorite chore" Moonwater smiled before picking up her lavender. I picked up the milkweed I collected and followed the medicine cat back to camp. We soon reached camp and went through the camp tunnel. On the other side I spotted two of the kits, Spiderkit and Heatkit, near the camp wall. Heatkit was trying to get Spiderkit to go into the camp wall.

"Heatkit watch it!" Spiderkit protested.

"Oh stop being such a mouse heart and go!" Heatkit urged.

"Oh Starclan..." Moonwater groaned.

"Heatkit we can just make a new moss ball!" Spiderkit protested.

"But Emberkit won't let me play with the big one you and her made and there isn't any moss left over to make a new one!"

"Ask Puddlesplash maybe he can go get more!" Spiderkit protested more. I laughed as I continued to follow Moonwater to the medicine cat den. I trailed behind her into her den and dropped the milkweed near where she had dropped her lavender. A thought had been bugging me as I watched Moonwater store her herbs.

"Moonwater?"

"Yeah?" She turned to face me.

"Do any of the kits now have potential to be a medicine cat?" She hasn't talked about having an apprentice since Plumpaw... Moonwaters eyes filled with pain before she looked down at her herbs.

"No... none of them really have the same enthusiasm or connection that really is needed"

"Oh..."

"But I am sure one will come along at some point!" She said perking up. I could tell there was pain in her voice but I couldn't see her face as she faced the wall putting her herbs away. I watched her for a few seconds with a worried expression before sighing.

"Do you need anymore help Moonwater?"

"No, no I don't think I do. You can go if you want"

"And leave you in here by yourself" I smiled at her turned back, "I don't think so! Every cat needs company!" It was silent for a few moments, with Moonwater stopping what she was doing. After a few moments of silence the medicine cat turned her head back at me with a saddened look.

"If you want could you help me look for any bad herbs left in my stores? I have been putting off cleaning them out"

"Of course Moonwater"

***

I walked out of the medicine cat den and stretched out on the evening light. Moonwater followed behind me and blinked at the the sun.

"Ugh... Herb sorting is my least favorite thing to do" she grumbled.

"You hungry? I could see what's in the fresh kill pile"

"Yeah please! I am starving" Moonwater smiled. I walked over to the fresh kill pile and picked out a chunky shrew.

Yummy! I walked over to Moonwater where she had already started laying out in the sun. I dropped it and payed across from her.

"Sapkit! Watch this!" I peeked my ears to a tom calling out to his littermate. I looked over to see Flashkit, a red speckled tom-kit, leap up in the air and land on a leaf.

"Any cat could do that Flashkit" a grey and white she-cat, Eveningkit, mumble.

"No! It is really cool!" Flashkit argued.

"Eveningkit is right Flashkit" Sapkit said with a small yawn.

"Alright than! You guys do it than!"

"That's Flickerleaf and Applebrooks kits right?" Moonwater asked.

"Yeah, Sapkit looks a lot like Applebrook" I giggled as Sapkit leaped onto the leaf from where he was.

"Except for those ridicules long legs" Moonwater commented. I laughed as I noticed his long legs too.

"All warriors old enough to catch their own prey, join under highrock!" I was a little surprised to hear Puddlesplash call the clan meeting, but realized he was now leader and would be going to the moonpool tonight to receive his nine lives. "I am calling this meeting to select my choice in deputy!"

"I wonder who he is gonna pick?" Ashenpaw mumbled more to herself I guess. She was close by enough for me to hear.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of Thunderclan is Darkcloud!" Puddlesplash choice shocked our clan mates as they murmured so.

"I thought Darkcloud bullied Puddlesplash as apprentices" Whiteleaf whispered.

"Maybe that's all in the past" Smokefoot suggested. Darkcloud came forward and bowed to Puddlesplash.

"Thank you Puddlesplash, I promise to be as I can be to honor your choice in me"

"Darkcloud! Darkcloud! Darkcloud!" Every cat called out loudly.

"Yay dad!" Jaggedtail cheered.

"Yeah! Go dad!" Blizzardskip added.

"You must be proud of your brother" I said looking at Moonwater. She glowed with love at her brother.

"Yeah, but this means dad is not gonna get a single complaint in about patrols with Darkcloud as deputy" Moonwater laughed.

"Iceeye is still gonna continue to complain no matter who is deputy" we both laughed. Moonwater got up as she continued to laughs.

"I am gonna go congratulate Darkcloud. You can have the rest of the shrew" Moonwater smiled as she pushed the shrew towards me.

"You sure?"

"Yeah! See you later Sagelight!" She trotted off to her littermate.