Owlpaw
Owlpaw took a deep breath and entered the tunnels, emerging into a large cave with moonlight flooding into it through a small hole in the roof. A familiar scent met his nose. “Sweetpaw…” he whispered as she licked his nose affectionately.
Over the past half-moon, he had been meeting the WindClan apprentice in the cave every other night. He shivered as a gust of cold wind blew into the cave. Apparently leaf-bare would be coming early this time.
The WindClan apprentice seemed unusually quiet. “What’s wrong?” Owlpaw asked softly.
Sweetpaw pulled away from him as he tried to lick her cheek. “I must tell you the truth,” she said.
She avoided his gaze. “You won’t love me anymore after I tell you this. I want you to know that I enjoyed spending time with you, and I’ll love you for the rest of my life,” she meowed.
“My first day as an apprentice, me and my mentor, Dawnfrost, met a fox,” she continued. “It scratched my ear badly.”
Sweetpaw showed him the back of her left ear, which was covered with long pink scars. “Sweetpaw, every warrior will have battle scars one day,” Owlpaw said. “Why did you think that would make me stop loving you?”
“That is not the problem!” she hissed. “The fox scratched the inside of my ear too. I can’t hear anything in my right ear, Owlpaw, nothing at all. None of my Clanmates know.”
“Sweetpaw, that doesn’t matter,” Owlpaw said. “I love you anyways.”
“Really?” she said, her eyes shining hopefully.
“Really,” Owlpaw said.
He was about to explain to her that he was half-blind, when she said, “Look, it’s almost sunrise! We had better get back home, before our Clanmates notice that we are gone.”
“Bye, Sweetpaw,” Owlpaw murmured.
“Bye, Owlpaw! I’ll see you in two days!” Sweetpaw said.
Then, she ran off and disappeared. Owlpaw snuck back into camp and settled into his nest inside the apprentices den.
*****
Owlpaw woke up in the morning and his throat felt dry. His flanks heaved as he coughed violently, waking Silverpaw up. “Owlpaw, are you okay?” she asked. Before he could answer, she said, “Go see Woodpelt right now!”
"But..." Owlpaw began, but was interrupted by another outburst of coughing.
"Now!" Silverpaw ordered.
Feeling too miserable to disobey, Owlpaw trudged into the medicine cats den and fell onto the ground, coughing.
Moments later, Woodpelt entered the den. “What is wrong?” Woodpelt asked.
Owlpaw answered him with another bout of coughing. Woodpelt bent over him and studied him for a moment before straightening again. “You have whitecough,” the medicine cat announced.
Woodpelt fed him some catmint and tansy before giving him two poppy seeds. “Eat these,” Woodpelt instructed. “They will help you to sleep.”
Owlpaw lapped them up and closed his eyes. He quickly fell asleep.
*****
Owlpaw woke at sundown the next day. He pulled himself to his paws. Sweetpaw is probably heading to the tunnels now! Owlpaw thought.
He took a few unsteady steps towards the entrance to the den. On his way out, his tail brushed against Woodpelt’s flank. The medicine cat stirred and lifted his head. “Owlpaw, where are you going?” he asked.
“For a walk,” Owlpaw rasped.
“For a walk?” Woodpelt echoed, narrowing his eyes. “You are sick; you can’t leave the camp!”
“I am better,” Owlpaw lied, before collapsing onto the ground when he was shaken by another coughing fit.
“You are not better!” Woodpelt said. “Now get in your nest and go back to sleep!”
As Owlpaw settled back down into his nest, he wondered, What must Sweetpaw be thinking?
*****
The next morning, Owlpaw woke up feeling light-headed. His whole body felt as if it was burning up and his mouth felt dry. His vision was blurred from fever and every other moment, he was attacked by another bout of coughing. Woodpelt was somehow still sleeping, despite Owlpaw’s loud hacking. His sides soon ached from the ceaseless coughing. Finally, Woodpelt opened his eyes and stood over Owlpaw looking extremely worried. The medicine cat took a deep breath. “I am sorry, Owlpaw,” he said. “You have greencough.”
The medicine cat gave him catmint, tansy, and another herb…it was a blue berry that Owlpaw guessed was a juniper berry. Then, he fed Owlpaw more poppy seeds, and, after a few long moments of coughing in his nest, Owlpaw fell asleep.
*****
Nearly a complete half-moon later, Owlpaw realized that he wasn’t coughing. “Woodpelt!” he shouted. “I am healthy again!”
Woodpelt grunted and rose to his paws. “You aren’t sick anymore?” Woodpelt asked, sniffing his fur.
“Can I leave your den?” Owlpaw asked.
“Yes, but you’ll be weak for the next few days,” Woodpelt said. “I think it will be okay for you to go to the Gathering though.”
“Thanks!” Owlpaw said, darting out of the medicine cat den, excited to rejoin his Clanmates.
