WITHERING HERBS || A Warriors Fanfiction

|| chapter twenty two

"Get up, Owlpaw."

"Huh...?"

The apprentice shook his head, feeling energy race through his limbs. Opening his golden eyes, he blinked sleepiness out of his gaze and looked up to the cat who was speaking to him.

It was Hazelberry. Behind her was a cluster of the rest of his Clanmates, and behind them were mounds and mounds of snow, rising up over the plains and laying lightly on the tips of sharp, slate-colored rocks.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, gaze bright.

Flicking an ear, he meowed, "Energetic. Why?"

She nodded to herself. "We started testing herbs on cats yesterday. Let me listen to your breathing," she put an ear to his flank, instructing, "Breathe, Owlpaw."

He breathed in and out, his flanks rising up and down evenly, though he was shocked. Did Hazelberry really think it was a good idea to test herbs on cats in the middle of a snowstorm?  

She lightly patted him on his flank and then his shoulders. 

"Can you move around for me?" she asked.

He nodded, stretching out his limbs.

The medicine cat frowned, "Well, that's not the herb." She muttered and backed away, returning to their other Clanmates. Her accented, sharp tone drifted to the apprentice.

He stood up, quickly smoothing his fur down and licking out the snow. Coldness pulsed around him but energy sloshed inside of him, tail lashing absently. Leaping off the rock he laid on, the apprentice padded over to where the rest of his Clan was. He sunk into the snow and, hissing, he jumped up, carefully weighing himself on the soft snow. Realizing that it had stopped snowing, he sighed in relief. The sky was clear and a pale, leaf-bare sun rose slowly into the sky as if working very hard to melt the ridiculous amount of snow.

"So? What are we doing?" Owlpaw queried, gaze sweeping around the cats.

"Well, it's a long story. But Hazelberry can explain it," Stonestar meowed, looking at the she-cat, who growled irritably and lashed her tail.

"Fine, fine," she complied and took a deep breath, "Last night we decided it's probably safer to stay in our territory. The other Clans would likely be angry at us for going into their territory. However, the other Clans have... probably lost cats, just like us. This caused an issue. Should we go to talk with the other Clans or stay here?

"It's certainly dangerous to go with the other Clans. They could figure out that we're already testing herbs on cats, which I've already distributed to some of us. Though more cats are usually better, for warmth purposes. Prey could definitely be an issue though... Considering we can't get a lot of prey for ourselves in the first place.

"Sedgestorm and Flintpath wanted to go to the other Clans, but I didn't. Stonestar didn't know what to do, and eventually, we settled on staying here."

Flintpath seemed as if he wanted to interject, but he didn't. Sedgestorm seemed to be dealing with a similar issue.

"We're going to go back to camp now," Stonestar meowed, voice wavering slightly as if he didn't want to. Owlpaw nodded uncertainly.

"What about Heronleap...?" asked Flintpath quietly, "Are we going to just leave him to rot in the snow or are we going to properly bury him?"

Owlpaw felt a little hurt. I couldn't have buried him better if I tried... I was exhausted and I wanted to sleep. The apprentice spotted Hazelberry turning away and lashing her tail. He tilted his head as if she could see him.

"We'll need to wait for the snow to melt," muttered Hazelberry, "Dragging Heronleap out of the hole Owlpaw put him in will be nearly impossible."

"Sorry," Owlpaw mewed quietly, shame burning within him.

Stonestar's gaze suddenly brightened, ear twitching, "Wait, wait, didn't you bury a rabbit with him?"

Owlpaw nodded.

"We can eat that!" exclaimed Sedgestorm, completely cutting off his leader, whiskers flicking excitedly.

"You mean I can eat that?" snapped Hazelberry, "I've gone so long without food it feels like I'm about to die!"

Sedgestorm's eyes narrowed, "I caught the mouse earlier and Flintpath got you the thrush to share with Stonestar."

"Fine, then, take this!" Hazelberry disappeared into the snow banks, and a moment later she returned, holding a clump of withered leaves.

Owlpaw interjected, "Wait, aren't you trying out herbs on everyone? What if that one conflicts with the one you're testing on him?"

Hazelberry seemed to mull this over. Her gaze glittering with scorn, she snapped, "Well then, looks like you'll have to go hungry, Sedgestorm."

Stonestar interrupted, "Come on, we're going back to camp."

Owlpaw glanced at Sedgestorm, guilt swarming inside of him. Hazelberry quickly disappeared over the rise and returned with another mouthful of herbs, her eyes darting around and spotting Stonestar. The apprentice watched as Hazelberry pushed in front of Stonestar confidently and strolled away.

He padded over to Sedgestorm and Flintpath, who both were whispering to each other as they walked along behind Hazelberry and Stonestar, their heads tilted towards each other.

"... unfair!" Owlpaw caught the end of Sedgestorm's growl.

"What's unfair?" Owlpaw asked and they both seemed to jump a little as if they didn't expect him to be there.

Flintpath looked away, though he muttered, "Hazelberry. Hazelberry's unfair."

"She's going to starve us," Sedgestorm grumbled, "I could eat a bear right about now. She already had prey this morning. Flintpath and I went out together, and we caught two pieces of prey. A mouse and a plump thrush. Hazelberry ate all of the thrush. I think Stonestar had one bite, or maybe a tiny nibble after the first bite. But she ate an entire thrush and Stonestar didn't do anything about it!"

Flintpath hissed crossly, stomping his paw and accidentally sinking into the snow. Yelping, he attempted to get out, though it didn't work. He sunk deeper into the frigid snow. Owlpaw glanced ahead of him, where Hazelberry was still walking forwards and where Stonestar was looking back. The plain gray tom didn't do anything. Owlpaw's gaze grew as sharp as flint, now clearly vexed.

Looking back, he saw that Sedgestorm had a grip on Flintpath, but couldn't get him out. The apprentice carefully padded around the hole, sure not to fall in, and pushed Flintpath's back as Sedgestorm pulled from the front. Hoping he hadn't hurt the tom when he pushed on his back, he watched as the tom hopped his way out and broke into a light run to get away. Owlpaw and Sedgestorm followed, nervousness still pulsing inside of Owlpaw.

"Come on, slowpokes," called Hazelberry over her shoulder, though Owlpaw could not detect a teasing tone in her voice. 

The three cats shared an irritated glance and sped up, trotting behind the two cats in the front.

Scenting the air out of habit, Owlpaw caught the scent of a hare, to his surprise. Hares are still around? I thought they'd be gone by now... It's too cold for them to survive... It's probably stale or just dead.

He wasn't the only one who smelled it, for Flintpath and Sedgestorm had stalked off in the direction of the whiff. Hazelberry and Stonestar had not noticed. Owlpaw padded on and, pricking his ear, he heard a faint squeal. 

The two warriors came dashing over a snow-covered slope, the hare jerking violently with the swinging of Flintpath's jaw.

"Ooh, is that for me?" Hazelberry's voice was smooth as honey.

Anger swirled inside of Owlpaw.

"No. It's for me, Sedgestorm, and Stonestar," asserted Flintpath.

Hazelberry seemed briefly furious, though the emotion flushed out of her composure a moment later, a sweet, kind, almost mocking smile appearing on her brightened face.

"Well, we aren't eating now. You'll have to wait!" she purred, turning around and strolling off.