Icepaw groaned in pain as he felt something sticky be removed and applied to his fur. His eyes slowly opened and he saw an unfamiliar face in front of him.
"Gah!" He yelped and sat up, pain coursing through his veins as he did so. "W-Where am I?" Icepaw asked, looking around at the stone walls around him. 'This isn't camp!' "Am I dead?"
"Not quite, apprentice." Replied the strange cat who was tending to him. "Welcome to the FireClan medicine den, IceClan cat."
"F-FireClan?" The tom's eyes widened with shock and fear. "W-who are you?" He asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"I'm Snowpebble, the medicine cat and Sagepine is my apprentice. Though, she is out collecting more herbs for you." Answered the snow-white tom. "One of the warriors will be here soon with water and prey."
"O-Okay," Icepaw meowed warily, looking around the cave. "When will I be able to go home?" He asked, longing to see Wolffur and Softpaw.
Snowpebble looked him over before speaking. "About two or so moons," he meowed.
"What?" Icepaw exclaimed, eyes wide. "Why can't you just put herbs on me and send me on my merry way?"
"And risk you being killed and waste my herbs?" The medicine cat snorted and shook his head, eyes soft. "Sorry, but you have to stay before you leave." Snowpebble tilted his head, gazing at Icepaw. "What's your name?"
"Icepaw," the apprentice replied, tail tip twitching. Icepaw's ear flicked moments before a calico cat entered the den. He let out a hiss and scrambled away, back pressing against the cold stone.
"Don't worry, Icepaw." Snowpebble mewed, ear flicking to the new cat. "This is Sweetstar, the leader of FireClan."
Sweetstar looked at Icepaw and took in his stance. "I'll let Lilyleaf know she can give him some prey and Ryedust will give him some soaked moss."
"Don't let your warriors come near me unless they want shredded ears!" Spat the apprentice, claws unsheathing as he bared his teeth. "I can manage myself, I don't need your pity."
Sweetstar looked at him with a combination of emotions that Icepaw couldn't identify. "IceClan will not crumble while you are being taken care of here, I assure you." She meowed evenly, tail twitching. "Let some pride go and accept that you are wounded, starving, and nearly dead and let us help you."