Warriors: Fire and Ice - Book Two (Completed)

Chapter Nineteen

"Do you even have an actual assessment planned out for me?" Mewed Cinderpaw, playfully. Waterlily scoffed off and padded outside of the medicine den, then turned around when she got to the entrance.

"Of course I do!" She spat. "Now, come on over here."

Cinderpaw rolled her eyes, playfully then limped over to Waterlily and sat down, resting on one side of her haunches. Waterlily really had no idea what to do for her. She was no warrior mentor. All she knew was herbs and how to hunt for them. "Uh, can you do a hunter's crouch?" She asked, shakily and trying not to sound like she was just making this up as she goes.

"I think so." Cinderpaw got to her paws a little awkwardly and wobbled a bit before finally crouching down. Her front legs were perfectly out like they should and her chest almost hit the forest floors. Her crippled back leg was slightly twisted, but she was able to put some weight on it. She had most of her weight tilted to the other side. Frostfur came up to them and she sat down a few fox-lengths away, watching her kit with ease and happiness.

"Okay, not too bad." Mewed Waterlily. "Now try creeping up on a leaf or something." She ordered.

Cinderpaw gave a swift nod, then began slowly creeping up on an imaginary squirrel. She went around a few rocks lying about in the clearing and she leaped in the air, then landed on her paws. Waterlily padded up to her, trotting a bit.

"That was brilliant! At least to me, it was." She confessed. "Your back paw seems to be holding up. If any pain is felt, come straight to me or Yellowfang. I do not want you to keep going on it if it stings just a little. It will only make it worse and harder to heal."

Cinderpaw's eyes widened with amazement. She was finally free of sleeping all day in the medicine den. She couldn't wait to start sleeping beside her brother, Brackenpaw again. "Thank you, Waterlily!" She purred, then bounded over to Fireheart who was washing himself in the sun.

Waterlily watched Cinderpaw leave. She was slightly sad to see her leave the medicine den. She was used to her presence and sort of kept her company.

"It'll be good for her." Rasped Yellowfang, as she padded up from behind Waterlily.

Waterlily glanced behind her then looked back at Cinderpaw talking with Fireheart. "Yeah we did do good, didn't we?" She then looked at Yellowfang, with a gleam in her eyes.

"You did it." Yellowfang corrected her. She softly shook her head side to side. "I was just standing by and did nothing. I would have let her..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought.

Waterlily had guessed what she was going to say next. She laid her tail on Yellowfang's flank and nudged her with her shoulder. She looked straight into her eyes and meowed rather firmly, "Hey, don't think that way. We are medicine cats. Not all cases will be easy, nor we will be able to cure everything, but we tried and that's what counts."

Yellowfang looked down at her paws, and closed her eyes. She felt ashamed of how she felt. "You are much like Spottedleaf." She murmured almost under her breath. "She was never one to give up easily either." She added a little louder. Then she looked back up at Waterlily. Waterlily looked down, not able to do the same.

"They say I'm more like you." She scoffed, looking back at her with a playful stare.

Fireheart interrupted the two medicine cats as he padded inside the den. "How did you do it?" He asked, almost not able to control himself from purring too loudly. Waterlily tilted her head slightly and blinked, cluelessly up at him. Fireheart took another step closer to Waterlily. "Cinderpaw is doing great!" He exclaimed.

"You still have to be careful with her." Waterlily mewed, "She can't be overworked. She knows very well that she won't become a full warrior when Brackenpaw does."

Fireheart swiftly nodded his head, acknowledging Waterlily's words, then padded out of the den and back into the clearing where Graystripe was. She saw Graystripe and Fireheart exchange a few words, then Graystripe padded out of the camp. Waterlily thought it was rather strange and went to follow him. She could bring a few herbs back to make it seem like she wasn't getting into any mischief.

Graystripe padded into the Sandy Hollow, and turned towards Sunningrocks. Waterlily padded a few fox-lengths away, careful to stay down wind so her scent doesn't carry past Graystripe's nose. Graystripe stopped at the edge of the water and sat down. Waterlily stayed behind some bramble bushes. She peered through the brambles and watched as he just sat, waiting at the river. What was he waiting for? 

Then suddenly a pretty silver tabby she-cat padded to the edge of the river on RiverClan territory. She slowly blinked at the ThunderClan warrior, then jumped into the river, swimming over to him. She greeted him with a soft purr and his cheek rub against hers.

"It's good to see you again, Silverstream." Purred Graystripe, rubbing his cheek against her flank. He then looked deep into her eyes and there was silence for a few moments.

"I love you, Graystripe." Mewed Silverstream, almost too soft for Waterlily to hear. Waterlily pricked her ears. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Does Graystripe love her too? She stretched out a neck a little to hear if he responds.

"I love you too," He purred back.

Waterlily gasped, then laid her ears back, flat on her head and crouched down, hoping they didn't hear her. How could Graystripe be in love with a RiverClan cat? Does the rest of ThunderClan know? Fireheart has to know! Waterlily shook her head, then raced past the brambles and back into the Sandy Hollow. She searched around for something to bring back into camp, then remembered that chickweed grows in Sunningrocks. She padded over there and snuck around, making sure that she wasn't spotted by Graystripe or Silverstream. They were both still in conversation, though she didn't care to listen to what else they had to say. She picked some chickweed then trekked back into camp and into the medicine den.

"Where were you?" Asked Yellowfang, padding into the medicine den just after Waterlily.

"I got some chickweed." She muffled, showing her the bundle in her jaws.

"We don't need chickweed." Rasped Yellowfang ,brushing past her and into the herb store. She flicked her tail towards the pile of chickweed they had in storage. "See." She added, softly.

Waterlily glanced at the pile of they had in stock. There was quite the abundance. They really didn't need any of it, but she had more, nonetheless and had to deal with it. She had something else to think about. How would she let Fireheart know his friend is sneaking out and falling in love with a RiverClan cat?