MoonClan's Prophecy- Chapter 5

Snowpaw hissed in frustration as the thorns scraped her back. She scrambled backwards, but the thorns held her fast.
"Mallowpaw! Help?" she called.
She heard paw steps, a sigh, and the brambles around her shifted.
"Ow!" she squeaked, flattening her ears.
"I'm sorry! Just hold still! I almost got it," Mallowpaw meowed. Snowpaw felt the brambles move once more. "Ok, come out!"
Snowpaw scrambled backwards again, a few last thorns snagging her fur and breaking away from the bush. She shook out her pelt as Mallowpaw let the branches fall. Turning to look at her pelt, Snowpaw let out a sigh at her dirty, ruffled fur that was covered in thorns.
"Maybe we should look for cobwebs somewhere else," Mallowpaw suggested.
"Good idea," Snowpaw said. Mallowpaw sat down next to her and started to pull the thorns out of her fur.
"Is everything okay?" The two she-cats looked up to see Foxwhisper padding towards them. A moon had passed since Coldheart's death, but Moonstar still didn't want cats to go out alone, so Foxwhisper was chosen to tag along with Mallowpaw and Snowpaw as they collected herbs for Sparrowfeather.
"Yes, everything is fine. Snowpaw just got tangled up in a bramble bush," Mallowpaw meowed.
Foxwhisper nodded. "Did you get any cobwebs?"
"We're going to look somewhere else," Snowpaw answered as Mallowpaw pulled out the last of the thorns.
"Where?" Foxwhisper asked.
"The cave?" Snowpaw suggested eager to go back to that beautiful place.
"No. There's another place closer than the cave," Mallowpaw meowed. "Sparrowfeather wanted us back as quickly as possible because of the attacks."
"Yes, but we have Foxwhisper. And I know some battle moves," Snowpaw said.
Foxwhisper sighed. "Snowpaw, cobwebs weren't the only thing Sparrowfeather wanted. And the forest just isn't as safe as it used to be. We need to get back as soon as possible."
Snowpaw sighed. "Fine," she mumbled.
"Good! Let's go!" Mallowpaw said. She turned and padded away. Snowpaw followed her, Foxwhisper right behind.
They walked for a little bit, the trees rustling over their heads as a breeze flew through. Mallowpaw halted next to an old oak tree. A gaping hole leading down was set at the base of the tree among the gnarled roots.
Snowpaw peered inside, seeing a thick tangle of cobwebs. Reaching in, she moved her paw in circles, wrapping a thick bundle of cobwebs around it. Mallowpaw and Foxwhisper did the same, until the hole was cleaned out.
"Come on, we need some marigold and comfrey. There's some nearby," Mallowpaw meowed, padding away. Snowpaw and Foxwhisper followed.
They reached a small clearing, the sweet scent of different kinds of herbs making Snowpaw's head spin. Her stomach started to grow sick, and she fought the urge to vomit.
"Wow...quite a stash you have here," Foxwhisper said, her face clearly showing the same uneasiness and sickness Snowpaw felt.
"Sparrowfeather's growing a lot of it together so we don't have to travel all around the territory," Mallowpaw meowed, picking some marigold flowers from their stems. She made a nice pile, then wrapped them in a huge leaf and pushed the bundle towards Snowpaw.
Snowpaw sniffed it, her head growing foggier from the overwhelming scents. She stood up straight and waited for Mallowpaw to finish, trying to keep her mind off the aroma.
Mallowpaw dug up some big, fat black roots from a huge-leafed plant with small, purple flowers. She scooped them up in her mouth, and then nodded to Snowpaw to grab her bundle.
Snowpaw picked of the bundle in her mouth, and followed Foxwhisper out of the clearing. As they padded away, the aroma of the herbs lessened, and the fogginess in her brain started to subside. Great StarClan, I thought I was going to pass out! she thought.
Foxwhisper led them back to camp, where few cats slept in the shadows. The green-leaf sun pounded down, making everybody feel lazy.
The three of them made their way to the medicine-cat den. Mallowpaw pushed inside first, calling out, "We're back, Sparrowfeather!"
Sparrowfeather poked her head out from the storage area at the back of the den. "Oh! Good! Set them down over there." She nodded to the far side of the den, where piles of herbs were lain, ready to be sorted and counted.
Snowpaw set her bundle down, and began to carefully pry the cobwebs off her paw. When she was done, she turned to Sparrowfeather. "Anything else I can help with?" she asked.
"If you're going to go out again, you better find a new warrior," Foxwhisper meowed. "I'm on sun-high patrol."
Snowpaw watched him leave, and then turned back to Sparrowfeather.
"Well, you can help Mallowpaw sort those herbs," she meowed.
"Ok!" Snowpaw said, happy to have something to do. Sunheart was taking off a day from training, and since she couldn't leave camp alone, the only things she could do was sleep, or help in the medicine den. She had too much energy to sleep, so all that was left was help Sparrowfeather and Mallowpaw.
Snowpaw settled down next Mallowpaw in front of all the plants. She picked up the comfrey roots and set them with a pile of roots that looked just like what she had. Mallowpaw nodded approvingly and put the marigold with the rest.
Together they worked out different individual piles of plants. As each pile was made, Mallowpaw told Snowpaw the name of the plant and what it was used for. By the time everything was sorted, Snowpaw's head was spinning, and Mallowpaw had a look of satisfactory at the fact that she knew all the herbs.
"Snowpaw?" Snowpaw looked up at the sound of Moonstar's voice. "Do you want to go hunting?"
Snowpaw looked at Mallowpaw. "Do you need any more help in here?" she asked.
"No. Everything is taken care of!" Mallowpaw replied.
Snowpaw turned to her mother. "Let's go!"
Moonstar disappeared out of the den, and Snowpaw followed. Together, they walked out of camp. Sun dappled the ground, and a soft, cool breeze blew through the forest, rustling the leaves. The ground was soft under paw, and the undergrowth grew thick, hiding the prey that scuttled among the grass.
"Its green-leaf at last," Moonstar said, closing her eyes to enjoy the gentle breeze.
Snowpaw nodded. "My first," she commented, sniffing at a holly bush. "It's amazing!"
Moonstar let out a purr. "Come on," she meowed, turning and racing off. Snowpaw took off after her.
Together, they ran through the forest, leaping over a log, their muscles rippling in the exact same way. Tails streaming behind them, paws thudding on the ground, they rocketed through the forest, two white streaks among the brown and green of the forest.
Moonstar pulled up as they neared the river, and Snowpaw did so too. They slowed until they were walking along, Snowpaw panting hard. Moonstar stopped by the river, leaning down and lapping up the clear water. Snowpaw sat down heavily on the ground, too tired to go any further.
Moonstar stood up straight and let out a purr, a water droplet falling from her muzzle. "Drink," she ordered. "Then we can hunt."
Snowpaw nodded and stood up. She walked up to the river's edge, leaned down, and lapped down a few gulps of the cold river. Even in green-leaf, the water was like liquid ice.
"Mm, that's good water," Snowpaw meowed when she was finished.
"Yes, it is. We are lucky to have it," Moonstar said. "Come on, let's go."
She turned and padded into the bushes. Snowpaw followed, ears pricked for any sounds coming from the undergrowth. Making sure they were down wind, they picked their way through the forest, treading softly and not making a noise.
Suddenly, Snowpaw stopped, smelling a hint of rabbit on a bush. She sniffed at the bush, and then signaled to Moonstar. Together, they circled the bush. The sound of leaves rustling caught Snowpaw's attention. The rabbit was moving around a tree on the other side of the bush.
Moonstar crouched, and then leaped, landing next to the rabbit. It let out a squeal, and then turned and ran, right into Snowpaw's claws. She grabbed it and pinned it to the ground, killing it with a swift bite to the neck.
"Good catch!" Moonstar praised, trotting over.
"Thanks! You helped, too," Snowpaw said.
"But you killed it. Now, bury it and we'll come back for it later," Moonstar said. Snowpaw obeyed, digging a hole and dropping the rabbit in it. She quickly covered it back up, and they set off again.
Together, they caught a thrush and two squirrels. Moonstar glanced up at the sky. The sun was sliding towards the horizon. "Come on, it's going to get dark soon," she meowed, leaning down and grabbing the thrush and rabbit in her jaws. Snowpaw grabbed the tails of the two squirrels.
Side by side, they made their way home. They entered camp and crossed the clearing to the fresh-kill pile, where they dropped their prey.
Moonstar nodded to Flamepaw, who lay at the edge of the clearing, a bored look on her face. "Go and talk to your sister. She needs something to do," Moonstar said.
Snowpaw nodded and trotted across the clearing, sitting down next to her sister. "Hello!" she said.
"Hey," Flamepaw mumbled.
"What's wrong?" Snowpaw asked.
Flamepaw stretched and sat up. "Fleetwind and I went hunting today, but I couldn't catch anything! I messed up every time. Fleetwind said I was just having a bad day, but I could tell she thinks I'm an awful hunter!"
"I've seen you hunt. You're a good hunter. You were probably just having a bad day," Snowpaw meowed.
Flamepaw sighed. "I don't know. I guess I just have a lot on my mind."
"Like what?" Snowpaw asked.
"Nothing," Flamepaw meowed.
Snowpaw sat there awkwardly, not knowing what else to say to make her sister feel better. Luckily, Blackpelt came trotting up, breaking the silence.
"Have either of you seen Sootpaw?" he asked.
Snowpaw shook her head. "No, I have not," she meowed. "Where could he be?"
"I don't know! He's not in camp!" Blackpelt said. "If he left alone, I will rip-"
"I saw him leave camp with Lilyfur and Lilacpaw a little bit ago," Flamepaw cut him off.
"Oh. Thank you," Blackpelt said. "Do you know where they went?"
Flamepaw opened her mouth to answer, when Lilyfur and Lilacpaw pounded into camp, breathing heavily, their eyes wild with fear.
"We've been attacked!" Lilyfur screeched.
"Sootpaw! He's hurt! We couldn't bring him in fear that the movement would kill him!" Lilacpaw paced around her mentor, talking furiously. "Somebody help! Get Sparrowfeather!"
Moonstar raced out of her den, ears pricked. "What happened?"
"My kit!" Kindheart roared out of the warriors den and stopped in front of Lilacpaw and Lilyfur. "Where is he?"
Scorchfur slid to a halt at her side. "Take me to him!"
"We need Sparrowfeather!" Lilyfur exclaimed.
Sparrowfeather raced across the clearing, her jaws stuffed with herbs.
"We're coming!" Mallowpaw said, following pursuit.
Blackpelt and Snowpaw leaped after the gathering group. Lilyfur and Lilacpaw turned and raced out of camp, followed by the cats. Snowpaw pounded after them, a new kind of feeling stirring inside her. Not just fear for a friend, but something stronger, something new.
She heard Moonstar order the rest of the clan back to protect the camp. Glancing back, she saw her mother staring after her. She gave a quick nod to Snowpaw, as if understanding. Snowpaw felt gratitude towards her mother.
But it didn't stay as she ran next to the patrol. She zoomed past them all, pulling up next to Lilacpaw, who threw a glare at her. Snowpaw ignored it.
Close enough to smell the blood, Snowpaw pushed forward, breaking into a clearing, a dark gray mound lying in the middle. Blood glistened on his fur, the sun catching it just right.
"Sootpaw!" Snowpaw exclaimed, leaping forward. Pressing her ear to his blood stained fur, she could hear his heart beating faintly, feel the rise and fall of his sides.
"He's still alive," Snowpaw called out as she took a step back, making room for Sparrowfeather. It was apparent the blood was coming from a claw wound on Sootpaw's neck. Mallowpaw grabbed huge amounts of cobweb, pressing it into the wound.
Snowpaw crouched next to Sootpaw's head, licking his cheek. "Sootpaw?" she meowed softly, her voice choked with emotion. She felt Kindheart's tail flick against her flank, and scooted over to make room for Sootpaw's mother.
Kindheart sat down next to Snowpaw, licking the blood away from Sootpaw's neck where the cobweb didn't cover.
Out of the corner of Snowpaw's eyes, she saw Lilacpaw glaring at her. She looked up to face the black she-cat. Her dark green eyes bore into Snowpaw's amber ones, but for once, Snowpaw didn't feel a tingling fear run up her spine.
She glared right back, almost to say, "I dare you." Lilacpaw stared at her for a few seconds more before turning away. Feeling satisfaction overcome her, Snowpaw looked back down at Sootpaw. His eyes were closed, the fur around his head clean.
He could be sleeping she thought. Oh StarClan, please don't take him away from me!
"The bleeding has stopped," Mallowpaw announced. She grabbed a few leaves and placed them over the wound. She wrapped a thick layer of cobwebs around his neck to hold the leaves in place.
Sparrowfeather stood up. "We need to bring him back to me den."
Scorchfur stepped forward. "How can we do that without reopening the wound?"
"We can carry him instead of drag him," Blackpelt suggested. He stepped forward and carefully grasped Sootpaw's scruff in his jaws. Scorchfur nosed his way under the bottom half of Sootpaw's body, managing to get him up on his shoulders.
Together, Scorchfur and Blackpelt walked step for step back to camp. Sparrowfeather and Mallowpaw checked him constantly, making sure the wound hadn't reopened. But the leaves held fast, and the wound stayed closed.
When they entered camp, Moonstar, who sat not far away, stood and padded over. "Is he okay?"
"He's alive. We managed to patch the wound, but it could reopen if not careful," Sparrowfeather answered. Glancing at Kindheart, she meowed, "I don't know if he will survive or not."
"He's a strong cat. He will survive," Moonstar said. She walked over to Kindheart and pressed against her, trying to comfort her old friend.
Snowpaw followed Blackpelt and Scorchfur as the brought Sootpaw into the medicine den. She watched as they carefully lay him in a nest in the back.
"Good. Now, leave. He needs to rest. Standing around worrying about him won't help," Sparrowfeather ordered.
The two toms padded out of the den, but Snowpaw stayed. She slowly walked up to Sparrowfeather, who was checking Sootpaw's bandages.
"May I stay in here tonight?" she asked.
Sparrowfeather turned to look at her. She thought for a second before sighing. "Yes. You can sleep in that nest over there," she motioned to a nest a few tail-lengths away.
Snowpaw glanced outside. Darkness was settling over the camp. She picked her way to the nest and collapsed into it, suddenly feeling very tired. Before she could even think about the day, she was asleep.

A paw prodding Snowpaw in the side woke her up. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, wondering why it was so dark, until she realized it was still the middle of the night.
"Mallowpaw? What do you want?" Snowpaw asked.
"It's Sootpaw. He's awake, and he's asking for you," Mallowpaw said.
Snowpaw scrambled out of the nest, leaping to Sootpaw's side. "Sootpaw?"
In the dim moonlight, she saw Sootpaw's head turn towards her. "Snowpaw! I'm so happy to see you!" His voice sounded croaky, and it cracked multiple times.
Snowpaw licked his cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Awful," Sootpaw meowed. Suddenly, his voice grew very quiet and harsh. "Snowpaw, listen, I have to tell you something, but you can't ever tell anybody. It's a matter of life and death!"
Snowpaw was shocked by the sudden seriousness. "What? What is it?"
"Swear to me you won't tell a soul! I don't want to lose you!" Sootpaw said.
What could be so bad that a simple secret could mean her life or her death?
"I swear to StarClan I will never tell anybody," Snowpaw promised.
"Snowpaw, I was not attacked by rogues," Sootpaw meowed slowly. "I was attacked by Lilyfur and Lilacpaw. They are the ones who killed Whitefoot and Coldheart."