falling petals | warrior cats story

forty seven.

forty seven.
lilystem.

"Keep those on your leg!" Mouseberry sternly told me, her tone laced with concern. She insisted I rest in the medicine den and continue to keep my wounds dressed for a while longer. Driftingsky convinced me to do so, though I was not happy about it.

I sighed, laying my head in my paws of the nest I had woken up from hours earlier. Apparently I had passed out on Coco last night on the way back, which had solved that mystery of why I didn't remember being in the med den prior.

Seeing Driftingsky alive was a sight I never thought I would see again after the tragic events of the night prior. My mind was haunted by the gruesome images and sounds. I couldn't get Cherrystorm's vengeful gaze out of my head. Yet somehow, I had bigger concerns.

"I need to talk to Antstar." I deadpanned, looking towards Mouseberry as she organized her herbs.

Before the gentle cat could respond, her kin spoke up first, "He's been super busy, you know that," Driftingsky chimed in, as he lay casually in the nest nearby. He didn't need anymore treatment, though he was pretty cut up. Thankfully, most of the blood on his body was from Cherrystorm and light injuries he had sustained. Nonetheless, Driftingsky stayed in the den to give me company.
"He's been out patrolling and assessing the... damage from last night since dawn and hasn't come back yet," He shrugged.

"I need to talk to him. He has to be back by now," I insisted, shuffling uncomfortably in my nest. I was restless, and needed to talk to him about, well, everything. "Driftingsky will you please check again?"

The gray tom shook his head, "No Lilystem, he will come to us when he's back and ready. I know you're anxious to talk to him about last night and all but Scorchfur is with him too now, so he probably filled him in."

"Scorchfur doesn't know everything."

"What happened then?" Mouseberry's soft-spoken voice suddenly chipped in, as she sat nearby us to join in the conversation. She quickly looked to the ground once Driftingsky and I had turned towards her. "I-I was just wondering. Scorchfur told me your leg was injured before the encounter with Cherrystorm."

Driftingsky's gaze snapped towards mine in an instant, "What!" He exclaimed. "What happened!"

I sighed.

-

"...and then once Coco and I found Scorchfur and Featherpaw, I heard your screams." I looked towards Driftingsky. I held a sadness in my heart, remembering hearing his cries, his wounds, his terrified gaze; the scene replayed in my head over and over.

I couldn't bear to look at either of them. Can you blame me? I didn't want to see the pity on their faces. They would see me differently now.

"L-Lilystem. I'm so sorry." Mouseberry suddenly spoke up after a brief moment of silence. "All of that sounds very horrific. No cat should go through an-any of it." Her voice carried a genuine care, and I finally had the courage to look up.

Mouseberry had looked saddened, but her eyes held a certain light of hope to them. Like it would all be okay. But once I glanced at Driftingsky, he was visibly troubled. His muzzle held a sense of anger, and physically twitched with emotion. It was clear he was upset, but oddly, he was more angry. He was looking to the right of me, staring off at some random herb rather than meeting my gaze.

Once his eyes finally flickered towards mine, they softened slightly, before he suddenly stood up and walked out of the medicine den.

While I wasn't offended he left, I was more confused why he had gotten so angry about what I had told him.

"Don't worry about him," Mouseberry said, clearing picking up on my thought process. "He's just concerned about y-you," her tail wrapped around her paws as her gaze avoided mine momentarily. "You've both been through a-a lot. He will come back once he calms down." She nodded towards me.

"Well, I'm concerned about him too," I admitted to Mouseberry, "Honestly he's probably the only thing keeping me grounded right now," I blurted, my tone quite dull. It was true, my mind was a riot, a new scene from the past day popping into my head randomly ever since I woke up. I just couldn't not see Cherrystorm's disheveled figure in my head. Seeing and knowing Driftingsky is okay is the breath of fresh air that I needed.

"I think you do the same for him. He just doesn't realize it," She shrugged. "I know there's something between you two, that much is obvious," Mouseberry smiled, her whiskers twitching slightly.

I shrugged back. I did feel strongly toward Driftingsky. However, I needed to focus on myself right now.

A shadow cast from the den's entrance, a figure approaching Mouseberry and I swiftly.  A lean black pelt shined in front of the sun, as Antstar made his way inside the medicine den.