𝙳𝙴𝙻𝙸𝚁𝙸𝚄𝙼 ➳ Warrior Cats Fanfic

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

     During his hunt, a pile of snow had fallen off a branch, nearly taking out Hemlockfoot. Typically he would be humored by this, but the medicine cat now believed this was StarClan's way of taking him out for what he had done. Lucky for him, a squirrel has fallen down with the snow. It was an easy enough catch and made the tom happy to be returning to camp and looking as if he had been useful.

     But now, as he walked into camp, he felt a sense of dread creep up his spine. Molestar was sitting in his den, with Rainpaw slowly leaving it. Had they been discussing him? He dropped his squirrel off at the fresh-kill pile.

"WindClan stopped by," Rainpaw told the tom as he walked closer. "One of their senior warriors is missing."

     "Are they still here?"

     Rainpaw nodded. "Molestar is talking to them right now about it by himself. Apparently a cat named Rowantail was showing signs of bloodcough and went missing a few days ago. They thought he would've come back by now and have searched both the underground tunnels and their territory and the barn."

     Hemlockfoot could feel his heart begin to race. It felt like it would burst from his chest. Maybe if I am lucky, a heart attack will kill me before anyone figures out what happened to Rowantail.

     "Not sure why they'd come here," the tom told his apprentice. "We're on the other side of the lake."

     Rainpaw shrugged. "I think they're just going around and asking about it. Darkbreeze is their new deputy and I think they may have been related to Rowantail."

     Hemlockfoot nodded. Cottonstar wasn't the type of cat to exactly care if a single warrior went missing, but now that there was a younger and more helpful deputy, changes probably would start to take place. He remembered seeing Darkbreeze, who was then Darkpaw, long ago at a gathering when he had just become a medicine cat.

     "I'm glad someone is finally taking charge of the Clan. WindClan needs to convince that senile tom to step down and let Darkbreeze take over," Hemlockfoot commented bitterly. "I'm going to go see what they're talking about."

     Rainpaw stayed behind as the older tom made his way over to Molestar's den. Inside sat the elderly white leader, Cottonstar, along with Darkbreeze and Briardash.

"Greetings, Hemlocktail," Cottonstar smiled as he saw the tom.

"It's Hemlockfoot," Briardash reminded him.

"Hemlockfoot," Cottonstar laughed.

Hemlockfoot sat down beside his leader. He wrapped his tail around his paws, trying his best to remain calm. "Rainpaw told me this was about a missing cat?"

Darkbreeze nodded. "My father went missing a couple days ago. We assumed he was just going off to hunt, but then Briardash informed us he had been coughing up blood and showing other signs of greencough."

Briardash rolled her eyes. "It is bloodcough! They're two completely different things!"

Darkbreeze twitched his whiskers and ignored the she-cat's remark. "Anyways. Have you seen a ginger tom roaming around by any chance? Thin and frail with yellow eyes?"

     Hemlockfoot shook his head. "No, but while I was looking for herbs I was attacked by the kittypets just a little past out border. If he managed to stumble all this way, he could have gone to them."

     Darkbreeze's pelt bristled with alarm. "Are you positive? Where?"

     Please don't let them go look and find some soft kittypets. Please don't let them go look for him at all.

     Molestar nodded. "Hemlockfoot would have to show you. But if he had bloodcough, maybe he is dead by now."

     Briardash looked away. "I tried telling them but they wouldn't listen. Typically it kills quickly and by now a cat that coughed up blood would be dead."

     Darkbreeze stood up and lashed his tail. "Shut up! Rowantail could still be alive!"

     Briardash narrowed her eyes. "Don't you ever take that tone with me. I am your medicine cat and you are to respect me. I am your advisor!"

     Hemlockfoot felt awkward watching this argument. He looked away, trying to find something else to focus on while the two cats argued. How can Darkbreeze be a good leader if he can't trust his medicine cat's words?

     ... Is that how Molestar feels with me? Is he going to make me retire because he thinks I am lying? If he knows I am lying? The thoughts raced around his mind. Surely Molestar was smart enough to not do that to his most trusted medicine cat... right?

     "I think it is best we be on our way," Cottonstar told the cats. "We still need to talk to SkyClan and ThunderClan about this."

     Molestar stood up and let the elderly leader walk by. Darkbreeze and Briardash followed behind, neither looking at each other.

     "Promise me you'll always try your best to get along with any leaders and deputies that come after me and Owltuft," Molestar told him quietly.

Hemlockfoot let out a humored purr. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Rainpaw and I know how to keep everyone in check around here."

     Seconds after leaving Molestar's den, the medicine cat felt a wave of anxiety hit him like a monster. If Rowantail really was exposed to bloodcough, what does that mean for me? Darkbreeze must be feeling awful too... But I was in the right, I have to be. I need to survive. I can't die yet. Rowantail was screwed and I just let him serve a final purpose. Surely that can't be that bad?