Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 37

Maybe after the Silkfrost-Scratchclaw thing is resolved I'll talk to her.

She just had too many things on her mind right now to add another one.

Finally, Midnightsky and Silkfrost entered camp. Midnightsky didn't see Leafdawn— she was probably on a patrol.

Or with Hawkclaw, she thought, smiling.

She decided to make her way over to the medicine den. There's bound to be some herb we're getting low on.

But Midnightsky's mind was still racing as she looked through the storages. Her dream was so vivid in her head that she just couldn't get it out.

And that voice...

She shivered as the thought about the voice. That part of her dream had been a little creepy.

Midnightsky tried not to think about that. Let's see... herbs... dock, parsley, juniper, comfrey, feverfew, yarrow, poppy seeds, goldenrod, horsetail, coltsfoot, catmint... Naming the different herbs gave her a sort of peaceful feeling inside. She didn't know why, but it did.

As Midnightsky was examining everything she noticed that the tansy was almost out.

That's weird, she thought. It was fine a few days ago and I haven't used any since then.

"Did someone use the tansy?" she asked Emberpaw, who was busy staring at the wall of the den.

Emberpaw jumped and glanced at Midnightsky. "Oh, Sandypelt came in this morning and got some."

Probably for Whiteheart, Midnightsky thought.

"Okay," she told Emberpaw. "I'll go see him."

Then she left the den to go to the elders den.

"I saw that you grabbed some tansy," she told Sandypelt. "Was Whiteheart's airway bothering her again?"

Sandypelt nodded. "A little. You were gone when it happened so I did what you did— brought her out into fresh air and gave her some tansy. She felt better after that." He glanced at the sleeping Whiteheart.

"I would do that every time," Midnightsky advised. "I recommend getting me first, but if I'm out, just do what you did before."

"Okay," Sandypelt meowed. "I'll remember."

"Do you need anything while I'm here?" Midnightsky asked the elders— Sandypelt, Splotchpelt, and Scarletpelt— and Whiteheart who was sleeping.

"No, I think we're good," Scarletpelt replied. "Thanks, anyway."

Midnightsky nodded and left the elders den. She saw Lightkit, Cloudkit, and Shrewkit crouched behind Greeneyes, who didn't look like he knew they were there.

Suddenly, the three kits leapt onto their father with shrieks of joy. Greeneyes's bulged for a heartbeat and he let out a "Wha—" before bursting out laughing.

"You got me," he mewed. "You definitely got me."

Midnightsky smiled and re-entered the medicine den.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Emberpaw mumbled. "I'm bored..."

"Well, your paw's almost healed so I think you can start roaming around camp now," Midnightsky told her. "But if you really want to help..."

"Wait, I can start moving around?" Emberpaw jumped to her paws, although she slightly raised her injured paw.

"Yes, you can," Midnightsky purred. 'Besides, there's nothing much you can really help with right now. Just take it lightly and don't apply too much force on your paw."

"Got it," Emberpaw said. "Thanks, Midnightsky!" Then she slowly was able to leave the den.

Since there wasn't anything to do in the medicine den, Midnightsky followed her.

The clearing was quite quiet actually. All of the dawn patrols were out so many of the cats were gone. Midnightsky saw Emberpaw head toward Spikepaw who was eating a squirrel at the fresh-kill pile. Knowing that the injured apprentice was fine, she padded over to the pile herself to eat a shrew. Her stomach growled, since she hadn't eaten since before leaving for the medicine cat meeting.

She dug into it eagerly, finishing it in a matter of heartbeats.

"Vinethistle!" Midnightsky heard Blizzardpaw's voice. "Can we go battle training? Please?"

"We just did battle training yesterday," Vinethistle replied. "We're going to go hunting with Featherheart and Spikepaw later today."

"Okay! Hunting's fine." Blizzardpaw didn't seem the least at all dejected.

Then Wolfpaw dashed through the gorse tunnel, followed by Leafdawn.

"That was awesome!" Wolfpaw exclaimed. "Can we do that again sometime?"

"Of course," Leafdawn purred. She looked exhausted— Midnightsky had no idea what they had been doing.

"But for right now, go take some prey to the elders and take a piece yourself," the tabby continued. "You're probably starving. Have a small break and later, we'll do something."

Wolfpaw nodded and eagerly ran to the fresh-kill pile, managed to hold three pieces of prey, and trotted to the elders den. In a few heartbeats he was back out, and he chose a mouse for himself.

As for Leafdawn, she went to the fresh-kill pile to choose a thrush. She lay down next to Midnightsky with a sigh of relief.

"Wolfpaw looks like he had a good time," Midnightsky commented. "What were you doing?"

"Tree climbing," replied Leafdawn. "I don't like tree climbing at all— I'm always afraid I'll slip and fall or lose my balance."

"I did it a little bit when I was a warrior apprentice," Midnightsky remembered. "I was okay with it, I guess. I don't really need to do it as a medicine cat."

"Well, you're lucky." Leafdawn took a bite out of the thrush. "I want to learn how to climb trees, I definitely do, but I'm just too scared."

"You could ask someone you know," Midnightsky suggested. Like Hawkclaw.

Leafdawn's mouth grew into a smile and Midnightsky guessed she was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, I could do that," the tabby agreed.

Then a dawn patrol with Elmwood, Riverpaw, Dawnpool, Featherdapple, and Hawkclaw entered the camp. Leafdawn was gazing at Hawkclaw as he entered.

Midnightsky hid a smile.

"There's probably something I have to do in the medicine den," she mewed quickly as she saw Hawkclaw approaching. Then she left Leafdawn and Hawkclaw and entered the medicine den.

That's at least one relationship I know will end well!