Warriors- Dawn of An Era: Shadows of Terror {Book 2} (COMPLETED)

Chapter Two

Pain awoke Viperkit from her dreadful sleep. She blinked open her eyes, yawning as she looked around. She was in a large cave that smelled strongly of herbs and Viperkit gagged. Her leg ached and she looked at it, seeing it wrapped in herbs and cobwebs. Viperkit let out a sigh and heaved herself to her paws and cried out as pain shot up her leg and caused her to fall.

"That's why you don't get up when you wake up, Viperkit." Commented a smooth voice from the nest across from hers. Glowing light green eyes made the kit unsheathe her claws. "Relax," meowed the cat, who sounded like a she-cat. "I'm the medicine cat, Dustynose." The she-cat rose and Viperkit sheathed her claws, still wary. "You're lucky that adder wasn't poisonous, Viperkit. You gave your family and Clan quite the scare, though."

"It wasn't my fault it looked like a bramble," she muttered, her voice bitter. Viperkit looked up at the medicine cat as she padded towards her, bending over and sniffing the herbs around her leg.

"That'll need changing shortly," she meowed and looked at the kit, her eyes gentle like a feather. "How do you feel? Any pain or discomfort?"

"Only when I move it or try to get up it hurts," Viperkit answered, looking at her wounded leg, scowling. "What did the Clan do to the snake after it bit me?" She asked, meeting Dustynose's eyes.

Dustynose seemed troubled and off as she returned her steady gaze. Her tail flicked back and forth behind her, giving her anxiety away in a heartbeat. "Your father killed it and he and Spottedshine buried it outside of the camp where no cat could find it."

"Why bury it when it attacked me?" Viperkit meowed, confused and surprised. A creature who attacks a kit shouldn't be buried.

Dustynose rose to her paws and blinked down at her. "Because if they didn't, the smell of blood would've attracted other animals like foxes or badgers." She paused, her eyes clouding. "Well, I'll let Applefrost and Scarredbelly you're awake. Your mother might see you so you can get something to eat."

"And don't worry," added another voice, and another pair of eyes, this time orange, flashed in the dark cave. "We'll keep you company and fetch soaked moss whenever you need it."

Dustynose nodded and flicked her tail. "I need to check on Badgerstorm and see how she's going to give her some borage." She turned to the orange-eyed she-cat. "Could you change Viperkit's wounds and rewrap her leg while I see Badgerstorm and Applefrost?"

"Of course, Dustynose." Purred the other, much younger, she-cat as she turned away from Viperkit and headed for the herb stores. "How much borage do you need for Badgerstorm?"

Dustynose looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "I'd say two leaves, but I'll give some to Applefrost for Poppykit." She looked back to Viperkit and gave her a half-smile. "The time you have to spend in here will fly by," she promised. "You won't know you were in here." Turning away to get the herbs, she headed for the den entrance and disappeared outside.

When she left, the orange-eyed she-cat padded soundlessly toward Viperkit, cobwebs, and herbs dangling from her jaws as she sat down in front of the kit. "Alright," she meowed, placing the greenery gently on the stone floor and looking at Viperkit's injured leg. "Let's see how the bite is reacting to the marigold and wild garlic."

"Reacting?" Viperkit echoed as the she-cat began to peel off the green and white wrapping, grimacing against the pain.

The she-cat nodded as she looked up to meet Viperkit's eyes with hers. "Different wounds react differently to herbs than another might," she explained. "For example, a bee sting won't react to catmint at all other than make the cat who eats it a bit playful and annoying." She chuckled softly and Viperkit nodded wordlessly. When the herbs were completely pulled off Viperkit's leg, the she-cat purred in approval. "Very good. It's reacting to the herbs very nicely."