Winterpaw saw Crimsonkit staring at her while she was checking up on the complaining Spikekit who was pushing her with her paws. "Why did you choose to be a medicine cat? Why didn't you wanna be a warrior?" Winterpaw opened her moth to answer as Spikekit stopped her with a hiss. "Back off! I'm not sick!" Winterpaw gave her a last sniff. "I guess not, beside your sick attitude." She grinned as Spikekit growled angrily. "It's your turn Crimsonkit." Crimsonkit blinked. "Okay.." he grumbled, "although, I don't really feel all that sick." Winterpaw rolled her eyes, shifting over to the kit. "You still haven't answered my question, why did you become a medicine cat?" He gave a shiver as the medicine apprentice shoved her nose into his fur. Then she stopped. Why did you become a medicine cat? The question repeated in her head. She closed her eyes and thought of what to say. Crimsonkit mewed. "Winterpaw you haven't answered the question." He mewed sing-song like. Foxfire butted in. "Calm down with the questions, Winterpaw is just here to check for fevers, if you've got questions you can ask questions to elders later." She purred in amusement and gave a nod to Winterpaw. Winterpaw gave a blink in thanks.
As she left she heard Spikekit jump at Crimsonkit as they started to play fight, she crossed Glazesight who was heading back to her sleeping kit Swiftkit. Winterpaw dipped her head as she passed the queen and headed into the Medicine den to see Smokeleaf sorting out rotting herbs and herbs that were doing well. "Say Winterpaw, we're low on chervil, will you tell the herb patrol that? And if you can't find them then collect chervil yourself please." She mewed, turning back to sort through herbs. Winterpaw nodded. "Alright." She was excited, Autumnpaw was on that patrol! She ran outside of the camp, her tail kinked over her head as she raced through the forest, her paws light across the ground. "You run like a Windclan warrior!" Yowled a cat from afar, she could tell it was familiar and she raced toward it, realising it was Autumnpaw! Who happened to be racing towards her to. They raced into each other and both fell back. Finchshade walked up to them and shook his head. "Oh Autumnpaw, first you get us lost from the patrol and now you honk into Winterpaw." He chuckled. "What brings you out of the forest Winterpaw?" Winterpaw stretched. "I came to tell you that we need chervil, but seeing your separated from the patrol that doesn't help." Finchshade purred, "well, I could go look for the patrol and you two could go find some chervil, you two are always too busy to hang out now and I think some kin time would be nice." He nodded and turned, opening his mouth to scent for Dahliaheart and Hallowedwisp. Winterpaw smiled as she trotted beside Autumnpaw, once they neared the lake in-front of Carrionplace they saw chervil growing beside a tree. "Look!" Winterpaw bent her head down to grab a bundle of chervil until she felt something push them aside. "You two aren't getting into trouble again are you?" It was Rippleleap! Winterpaw purred in relief. "We thought you were a different clan cat!" Rippleleap laughed. "I don't blame you. I've still got the wits of a riverclan warrior. Sometimes I wish I didn't though." She sighed, as if memories humming through her brain. Winterpaw sniffed, was that smoke? She turned and saw yellow fur loosely caught on a branch. Fire was lit to the bushes! "Fire!" She hissed, her fur fluffing as her eyes darted around in terror. A bundle of yellow fur shot out of the grass and lunged onto Rippleleap. Autumnpaw turned around in horror, lunging at the warrior. "Get off of my mother." He growled, tearing out a clump of fur from their hind. Winterpaw froze, afraid as her eyes widened and her claws unsheathed against the grass strands. Between the flurry of paws she felt the breath knocked out of her. She kicked and hissed and her eyes opened seeing blue and yellow fur having her pinned to the ground. Rippleleap gave a push and the weight was dragged off of her as Winterpaw gasped for air. She regained her balance and stared at the two cats, she scented riverclan. This was a riverclan warrior. "I don't know what you want! Just leave me alone Sandleap! You left me in enough misery being my mother! Why are you doing this?" Rippleleap cried, Sandleap yowled at her. "You left me, you're nothing but a disappointment to me, you're a horrible daughter," she dug her claws deeper into Rippleleap's fur as she tried to struggle out of her mother's grasp. "You don't deserve your kits." She drew her claws across Rippleleap's throat and Rippleleap let out a screech, her eyes dulled but she breathed still, hazy and ragged. Sandleap looked at her daughter with rage. "You deserve to die slowly, thinking about what you did." Her eyes turned to slits as she swept past and snatched Autumnpaw up in her grasp. Winterpaw reached out her paw and let out a cry, though she was frozen to the ground. "Autumnpaw!" The tom struggled in Sandleap's grasp. "Let me go! Winterpaw!" He cried out for his sister, screaming as he thrashed around his claws unsheathed and flying around in the air. Winterpaw watched in tears as she felt herself lose weight in her legs. She felt pasted to the ground as she shook in fear, her breathing quick and rushed, her fur fluffed. She heard a mew from her mother. "Winterpaw." Winterpaw turned to look at her mother, her eyes cloudy as she looked at her daughter. Winterpaw looked straight back at her mother. "Winterpaw, I want to give you this." Her words were quick and soft, a flower being reached out from her paw. "I was going to give it you when you became a medicine ca, but I guess it's too late." Winterpaw shoved the flower aside and picked up the chervil, speaking in between it. "No! I can heal the wounds! You'll be okay!" Rippleleap stared at her. "Winterpaw," she coughed in between her mewl, "Winterpaw...it's no use..don't waste the herbs on me." Her eyes started to close. "Just take the flowers Winterpaw, remember me with them, I love you." Winterpaw cried, holding her and the flowers close beside her. "I love you too." Her voice shook as she rested her chin on her belly, feeling the rise and fall of her stomach stop. Winterpaw rose her paw and placed it beside her head. Closing her eyes and laying beside her the whole time, the flowers safe in front of her chest.
Finchshade sniffed as Dahliaheart and Hallowedwisp walked beside him. "I think I've got enough herbs, I'll go back to camp." Mewled Hallowedwisp, he ducked his head and lowered his body along with his head to Dahliaheart. Getting up and running off before he had a slap across his face. Finchshade chuckled in amusement till he smelt something off. "Riverclan." he sniffed again. "Blood, warrior blood." Dahliaheart's whiskers twitched in worry. "That doesn't sound good at all. We need to check it out." They smelt smoke, turning to look at each other with worry they went forward. Finchshade felt the bundle of herbs in his jaw drop onto the ground. Autumnpaw was nowhere to be seen. And there was Winterpaw, her chin and one of her front-paws on Rippleleap, blood was stained on Rippleleap's throat as her eyes were wide and duck-like. Left over rain dripping from the leaves of trees washed out the fire. Finchshade stood the in astonishment, Dahliaheart frozen beside him. The two warriors were shocked, Finchshade summoned a sympathetic frown as he looked at Winterpaw, staring at Dahliaheart. "Come on, she must be grieving the most." He whispered, walking up to Winterpaw. "Winterpaw." Winterpaw didn't flinch, though her ear gave a twitch which had shown she knew they were there. "Come on Winterpaw. We need to take Rippleleap to camp so everyone can mourn." Finchshade looked around for a moment, his ears flicking back as he noticed there was no presence of the golden apprentice. "Where's Autumnpaw?" Winterpaw didn't answer that question instead she stiffened, letting out shaky breaths until she stood up. "He, he got taken to.." she couldn't finish the sentence as her breath started to shake again, "he got taken to riverclan." She closed her eyes, her claws digging into the dirt, a cry escaping from her. "It's okay Winterpaw." Mewed Dahliaheart, slinking down and taking the hind of Rippleleap's weight onto her back. Finchshade took the front and Winterpaw grabbed the herbs, the flowers in her paw, causing her to limp as she walked on three paws with her fourth occupied.
They reached the camp and the clan had mourned for Rippleleap, Winterpaw was still beside her dead body, her scent was taken away from the flowers over her body. Flowers. Winterpaw grabbed a bundle of vines beside her and wrapped it around her left front-leg. Then she wrapped the biggest flower around her ear. With some vine left over she wrapped it around her hind-leg, resting her head on Rippleleap's fur as she fell asleep. As sleep swept over her she let out upset sniffs. Her dream went over the horrible memory she tried to block out as much as she could. "You left me, you're nothing but a disappointment to me." The words Sandleap screamed rang in her ears. She shut her eyes more and they shot open as she heard a warrior murmuring under her breath in her ear. She turned her gaze to see Smokeleaf giving her a look full of worry. "I'm so sorry Winterpaw." She comforted the she-cat with words. Winterpaw looked up at her. Smokeleaf looked at Coalkit from afar. "A cat is getting their apprentice ceremony in three sunrises, I need to have you there, we'll be expecting company from now on." Winterpaw sniffed. "What'd that mean?" Winterpaw stared at Coalkit, she remembered that the tom-cat came to visit their den not long ago. Winterpaw's thoughts strayed for awhile. Then she went to her den and fell into sleep.
Three sunrises had passed, today was the day. Winterpaw exited the den, yesterday she helped the elders bury her mother's body. Despite only being seven moons, she put hard work into it. Her determination giving her a source of strength. She saw Coalkit cleaning his fur, his eyes closed. Winterpaw stared past Coalkit to Soulstar, who was exchanging words with Smokeleaf. Tempestcrow sat, Winterpaw realised she'd been sour ever since Junipercloud died. Hallowwisp came over to her with a squirrel hanging from his jaws. Winterpaw turned away before she heard a flirty remark from Hallowwisp to Tempestcrow. Winterpaw approached Dappledpaw and Tansypaw who were boasting about what their warrior name might be. "I'm gonna be Dappledclaw for sure!" He leaped up to his paws. "I want something more simple, like Tansywing or something." Winterpaw observed that the apprentice was possessively pressed up against Dappledpaw. She noticed the two denmates were very close. Winterpaw flicked her tail and Tansypaw gestured her forward, inviting her over. "We're sorry about Rippleleap, Winterpaw, we know how hard it is to lose a parent." Winterpaw gave them a blink of gratitude. "Thank you, it's an extreme loss for everyone" She frowned, remembering Autumnpaw. She'd usually hang out with her littermate everyday. Her gaze flitted across the clearing wishing she could still see the golden shape. Winterpaw watched Soulstar leap up onto Shade Rock, she turned to look at Coalkit who seemed to be excited out of his fur. Her attention flicked back to Soulstar as his voice rang out across the camp. "Let all cats old enough to seek through the darkest of shadows, gather beneath shaderock for a clan meeting!" Winterpaw saw Smokeleaf dip away from the elders and wave her tail to Winterpaw, welcoming her over to sit beside her. Winterpaw settled beside the she-cat and looked up at her, following her gaze that sat on the little tom-kit, his fur was well groomed and he sat in the middle of the clearing. Winterpaw focused on the kit, who was buzzing with excitement. Soulstar's voice spoke up again and she lifted her head up to look at him, seeing that the tom had his eyes fixed on Coalkit. "Coalkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Coalpaw. Your mentor will be Smokeleaf. Smokeleaf looked at Winterpaw, gave her a nod and a smile. Winterpaw gave a soft smile back, in all that's happened today she thought nothing would make it better, she was wrong. Soulstar spoke again, "I hope Smokeleaf will pass down all she knows on to you. Smokeleaf, you are ready to take on an another apprentice. You have received excellent training from your former mentor and you have shown yourself to be calm and patient. You will be the mentor of Coalpaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to Coalpaw.
Smokeleaf, who had left Winterpaw's side and stood next to Coalpaw, touched noses with the apprentice. Winterpaw's ear gave a flick as the clearing rang with Shadowclan's voices of congratulations. "Coalpaw! Coalpaw! Coalpaw! Coalpaw!" When the chanting was put to a stop so was the meeting. Coalpaw and Smokeleaf walked over to Winterpaw as Winterpaw stood up, dipped her head and began to introduce herself. "Hello, my name's Winterpaw, I'm excited to work with you." She gave a wide smile to the tom, feeling excited to have help with all the injured warriors.