The Abandoned Warrior

Chapter 37

            Snowfeather awoke, feeling weak. Her stomach grumbled, and her throat was parched. She looked up, seeing a light snow falling up ahead. A tree hung over her, allowing her to remain dry as the snow fell.

            She looked at her wound, seeing cobwebs were placed on top of it. The bleeding had stopped, and she looked at it with curiosity. She did not feel as much pain as before, though touching it resulted in sharp pain that spread through her body.

            She looked around, not spotting Lionstripe at all. Where had he gone? Where was she? She knew she wasn't in FoxClan, obviously. She was somewhere in the forest.

            With all the might she could, she stood up and leaned against the tree, shutting her eyes tight as pain spread through her.

            "You're awake," she heard.

            Snowfeather opened her eyes, seeing Lionstripe with some cobwebs. "Where am I?" she asked.

            "We're a day's walk from FoxClan," he told her, grabbing some cobwebs off her pelt and replacing them with some new ones. Snowfeather gagged at her wounds he dressed them, but she was relieved from pain as he did so.

            "What happened? How long was I asleep?" she asked.

            "About two days," Lionstripe told her. "I couldn't find any marigold, but I happened to find some cobwebs. I've been running day and night."

            "Aren't you tired?" Snowfeather asked.

            Lionstripe nodded. "Of course, but, you were about to die, Snowfeather. I had to save you. I had just enough love to provide all that energy."

            Snowfeather smiled. "You probably wouldn't find marigold anyway," she told him. "It only blooms from new-leaf to leaf-fall."

            "I assumed that," Lionstripe said. "So I found this," he said, pulling out a small and frail plant with small yellow flowers blooming from it.

            "Goldenrod," Snowfeather breathed. "It heals wounds too. Where did you find this?"

            "A meadow nearby. The snow hadn't covered all of it yet, and I happened to find a piece still alive. Do you know how to apply it?"

            Snowfeather nodded. "I was trained with all these herbs. Of course I do. You must chew it to a poultice then apply it to the wound."

            Lionstripe nodded, beginning to chew the flower. Once he had done so, he pressed it to Snowfeather's wounds. She gave a sharp cry from the sting, then sighed as she felt relief.

            "Have you found anymore?" she asked.

            Lionstripe shook his head. "If we get to FoxClan by tonight, they'll be able to tend to you."

            Snowfeather nodded. "Alright. I'll see if I can walk," she said, standing on all fours. Her legs were wobbly, and she felt they might buckle beneath her. Luckily, Lionstripe stood next to her, allowing him to lean on her side.

            "I would run," he told her. "But all my energy is gone, obviously. We'll be fine with a day's walk."

            Snowfeather nodded. "I'm starving and thirsty. Did you catch anything?"

            "That's right," Lionstripe said, pulling out a dead squirrel. He pushed it towards her, a smile on his face. "I followed your advice and caught this squirrel," he said.