Thunder's Calling

Chapter 4

Thunderpaw awoke to voices around her, and she was struggling to make out what they were saying. She felt warmth on her back, and could smell her mother and father's scent near by. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to get them adjusted to the dim light. She was in the Medicine Den, and most likely her nest. She peered around her surroundings, trying to figure out what had happened. Then it hit her, Appledusk.

She gasped as she felt the burning on her back. She remembered how she was attacked from behind as she was walking to the Medicine Den. "Ravenwing?" She rasped, her voice unsteady from lack of use. 

"Your awake!" Purred her mother, Mapleshade. She felt her mother lick in between her ears. "You had me scared. We didn't think you would make it." Birchface said from behind her. Thunderpaw turned her head, to see he was the warmth she felt on her back. "Dad?" She said, her voice still weak. "What happened...?"

"Appledusk happened. He attack you from behind when you were coming for herbs. He dug pretty hard into your back." Ravenwing said, appearing into the den. "How are you feeling, little one?" He asked her sniffing at her back. 

"My back still stings..." Thunderpaw admitted, wincing at the pain in her back. 

"I thought that be the case, but that's a good thing you can feel it. It means you aren't paralyzed, which was the worry." 

"How long was I out for?"

"About 3 days."

Thunderpaw sat there, shocked. That would explain why I am so hungry.... She thought to herself. "Am I allowed to move?" She asked Ravenwing. She may be a Medicine Cat Apprentice, but she was out for 3 days, and she had only one day of training. 

"I would strongly recommend you don't. You wounds haven't completely healed, and moving might reopen them, which could cause and infection or worst, put you back under another coma, but for longer." Ravenwing explained. "Don't worry, Petalpaw should be bringing you some prey soon enough."

As he said that, her sister, Petalpaw, entered with her two brothers, Patchpaw and Larchpaw. Petalpaw had a rabbit in her jaws and Patchpaw had some wet moss. "Thunderpaw! Your awake!" Petalpaw said happily, dropping the rabbit. She quickly picked up the rabbit and padded over to her sister. 

Thunderpaw blinked gratefully at her sister. Rabbit had always been her favorite prey. "How are you feeling?" Petalpaw asked her, eyes filled with worry as she looked at her sister's back. The fur there had started to grow back, but the deeper parts of the scratches had no fur growing, meaning there would be scars there. "I am still hurting a little, but I'll be alright. So long as I don't move." Thunderpaw responded, wincing as she felt another shot of pain as she readjusted herself.

"Did you hear that Dizzywing, Snowheart, and Brightheart are all having kits! There are going to be so many apprentices by the time me, Patchpaw and Larchpaw become warriors!" Petalpaw said excitedly. 

"I wonder what their names will be..." Patchpaw said, placing the wet moss near his sister. 

"I bet they will be so cute!" Larchpaw said to his littermates. He two had excitement in his eyes.

"It would be good to have more paws around." Thunderpaw nodded. "And by the time they are ready to be born, I should be healed!" She said excitedly.

Thunderpaw felt excited, she was surrounded by her family and friends, and she couldn't wait to get out of her nest.

Appledusk's POV

Tsk... Those kits should have never been born. I can't believe that I didn't make her swear not to tell anyone who got her pregnant, now I have been exiled and its all Mapleshade's fault. I think I might just have to teach her a lesson, one she won't forget. I think those kits need to be dealt with first, however. I think the first one I will kill will be Thunderpaw. Had I just mange to flip her I could have killed her. Would have saved me a lot of trouble. Oh well... Better watch out Thunderpaw... Your days are numbered....