-❂-

Lynxpaw's paws were sore and her movements grew gradually slower as they neared the border with HeathClan. The trees of the forest were beginning to scatter as the forest opened up, sprouting into an immense valley. The brightening sky was now visible to them, the sun rising to slowly to its peak and clouds now streaked against the vivid atmosphere. A light breeze whisked through the land and flitted through her pelt, deshevliving her fur and sending a chill down her spine.

Her mind was still burdened with heavy, intrusive thoughts that made the bile in her stomach rise to her throat. Memories of death latched onto her brain like roots to the earth. Lynxpaw shuddered and found her gaze fixed on the ground below her as she trekked on, unable to glance towards any of her clanmates. She knew most of them would be enraged by her refusal to help Foxpaw and she did not want to meet their fiery gazes that could express their words of hurt and anger itself.

Redpaw already had his gaze hooked to her, the tom not too far behind Lynxpaw. She knew that the tom would forever blame her for the death of his sister, and the thought made her boil with regret like acid in the abyss of her stomach.

The medicine cat apprentice slipped through the undergrowth and exhaled in relief when their group arrived at the border. Nightfrost twitched his muzzle and approached the border, his eyes narrowed as he stared out upon HeathClan territory. A moment of silence rippled over the crowd as they all gathered until Nightfrost turned to them and finally spoke.

"We can settle here for a little. I know we all need our rest and some of us have wounds Lynxpaw and I will be tending to before we think about setting off again," Nightfrost informed, flashing his apprentice a glance. "Hopefully, a HeathClan border patrol may scoop by at some point and we can have proper escort."

They all nodded to his statement and as if on cue, all separated to their own duties. Lynxpaw took a moment to steady herself and her thoughts before she padded over to Nightfrost's side. The tom was speaking a few words to Shiverbee and Smokebite as their kits were settled beside them. Shiverbee nodded and before they departed, casted Lynxpaw a glance and gently dipped her head to the medicine cat apprentice.

Lynxpaw dipped her head in return just before the family padded away. She stared after them a moment, recognizing how little Featherkit and Thicketkit understood of the situation. The two kits were once curled up in the safety confines of home not too long ago, and now they were fleeing from the cats introduced as their Clan members and protectors. They would grow up only to gradually understand it all, but Lynxpaw knew a part of them would still remain perplexed by it all. Why were they stripped from their home? The place they were prophesied to grow up within and to protect.

"Everything happened so fast," Nightfrost suddenly mumbled. Lynxpaw turned to eye her mentor, a frown arched across her face. "I wanted us to peacefully escape without a trace as quick as possible, but it all took a turn. Now, who knows what awaits us after that."

Lynxpaw sighed at his words. Her gaze fell to her paws that shuffled across the forest floor, memories crashing back over her. "Foxpaw fell," Lynxpaw muttered, finally able to spit the acidic tale off her tongue. "I couldn't... I couldn't save her. Cottonstar and the others were right on our tail and I didn't want to die. I was selfish and I let Foxpaw die."

She felt his tail drift over her shoulder, his paws coming into view beside hers as he shuffled closer. Lynxpaw glanced up to meet his gaze, her mentor wearing a sympathetic frown and melancholy wavering in his eyes. "It's not your fault, Lynxpaw, and it wasn't selfish of you to do that," Nightfrost reassured in a low, soothing voice. "Redpaw and Mottledpaw were there and they could have been seriously hurt or killed too."

He was right, and Lynxpaw hated to admit it. If she was to stay and attempt to save Foxpaw, her and Mottledpaw and Redpaw could have been attacked by their pursuing enemies. The loss of her clanmate still tied a knot of anxiety within her, spiders poisoning her nerves and leaving her on edge.

"Thank you, Nightfrost," Lynxpaw breathed out softly in reply, the tom dipping his head to her in response.

Mottledpaw suddenly appeared before Lynxpaw and Nightfrost, Daisytuft and Redpaw at her side. Lynxpaw winced when her gaze examined Mottledpaw, spotting the multiple, fresh wounds from her traumatizing fall down the steep slope. She seemed to recover from it swiftly though, Mottledpaw dressing a smile across her face and keeping to her paws as if nothing had ever occurred. Lynxpaw admired the eldest apprentice for her confidence, but then again felt the urge to snap at Mottledpaw for being careless about her own problems from time to time.

Daisytuft had a grotesque, open gash in her left shoulder, littered with specks of dirty and soaking blood. Redpaw had a few scratches to his side and his paw pads. Nightfrost stepped forward and examined their wounds himself as Lynxpaw avoid Redpaw's menacing stare. The apprentice glared after her as if she was a murderer so vile and merciless that she deserved the foul compromise of death, and it formed a pit in Lynxpaw's stomach.

Nightfrost hummed softly to himself before he took a step back and glanced to Lynxpaw. "How about you take a warrior and go search for some cobwebs and any other herbs to assist nearby," Nightfrost ordered, flashing Lynxpaw an uneven smile. "I keep forgetting we have no herbs to work with. Stay near and don't fret if you can't find everything we need. As long as I can patch them up enough to get to HeathClan safely, it should be okay."

Lynxpaw nodded and whirled around to face the rest of the group. As much as she wanted to picture them as a strong, structured rebellion, they had few cats compared to the many that stayed behind with Cottonstar. If only Heroncall, Foxpaw, and Marshleap were here, perhaps they would have had more to stand beside them. With Leafdance gone as well and no word on where the tom had gone, there was no telling how many members they truly had.

Her gaze wandered towards Fawnleap and Hawkpaw who curled up together as Fawnleap murmured a few words to him. Lynxpaw sighed at the sighting of her kin silently grieving, for the loss of Heroncall, Marshleap, Foxpaw, and even their home had taken an immense toll on them. Lynxpaw knew they were not necessarily in the best position to come along with her and gather herbs. They needed their rest, and Lynxpaw would ensure they grieved peacefully without her interrupting.

If only she had her time to grief as well, but she had an important role to run for them. She had a job to follow, even if it felt as if she was failing at it miserably.

Her gaze then latched onto Flareheart, the feline straying from the rest of the group. They were distraught over their separation from Leafdance, and Lynxpaw knew negative thoughts about the obstacles Leafdance could have uncovered raced through their mind. Lynxpaw drew in a quick intake of air and padded over to the feline.

The ginger tabby glanced up to Lynxpaw as she approached, easing a faint smile onto their face. "Hey, Lynxpaw. Is something wrong?" They questioned.

They always seem to look out for others for than themselves, Lynxpaw thought, swallowing back a grumble at their question. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come and assist me in gathering a few herbs," Lynxpaw responded after a tail flick of two of silence. "You don't have to but-"

"I'd love to," Flareheart purred, standing to their paws. "Let's not waste anymore time!"

A small smile perked up on Lynxpaw's face anf she nodded to them. Turning on her paws, she beckoned with her tail and lead Flareheart along the border to search with herbs. From her knowledge as medicine cat apprentice, she would hopefully be able to find cobwebs and dock leaves along the path. Simple herbs to treat the wounds and halt the bleeding, just what the injured needed until they breached HeathClan.

Flareheart hastened their pace to pad alongside Lynxpaw, his gaze wandering across their surroundings. Lynxpaw peered out of the corner of her gaze to spot a frown arch back onto their face and she could only assume that memories shared with Leafdance were spiraling about in their mind. Leafdance and Flareheart often went on strolls and border patrols together, so it was no surprise that their search for herbs brought back memories that were utterly distasteful at the time.

The ginger tabby eventually adjusted their gaze back to Lynxpaw, their ears twitching. "So I'm guessing we're looking for cobwebs, of course. Anything else?" Flareheart asked.

Lynxpaw nodded in response, her tail swaying to and fro behind her. "Dock leaves wound be a great snatch as well to bring back. How about you handle cobwebs since you know what they look like and I'll gather some dock leaves?" Lynxpaw suggested, flashing Flareheart an amiable grin. "We can split up but just be sure not to stray too far."

The molly noticed the flicker in their gaze when she mentioned splitting up. Perhaps it wasn't a great time to part from one another, especially with the separation of Leafdance with his whereabouts unknown. She parted her jaws to fix her suggestion but was halted by Flareheart merely nodding to her words and replying themselves.

"Good thinking, Lynxpaw," Flareheart noted, whisking their tail along the apprentice's back as to show they were proud of the young molly.

They don't want to split up and I know it, Lynxpaw thought, grumbling under her breath as Flareheart parted from her side. They just don't want to reject my plan. I'm not some kit! It's okay if they don't agree with my suggestion.

Flareheart always carried others' fears and concerns upon their shoulders, and Lynxpaw did not at all understand how the tabby could remain so selfless as time progressed. Lynxpaw glanced after them for a few tail flicks until she turned away and disappeared through the undergrowth, on the search for dock leaves.

"Now, where are some dock leaves," Lynxpaw murmured to herself as her gaze scanned the forest.

Barren spots were what she was looking for. Areas barely littered in trees with a surface dry and leveled. Her fawn-colored pelt like honey in the sunlight, she approached the nearest clearing she could find. Trees still strayed near enough for taproots to be in the area, and taproots is where the dock plants usually grew. Her muzzle twitched as her gaze examined the clearing, carefully observing every foxlength of the space.

Lynxpaw's eyes sparkled with satisfaction when she spotted a few dock plants sprouted next to one another. The medicine cat apprentice grinned and bounded over to the plants, her eyes latched onto them like how a hawk spectated its prey. Leaning in, the molly carefully eased two of the dock plants from the roots and ensured that she did not harm any of the leaves.

A purr rumbled in her throat when she lifted the two plants in her jaws. It had been a few days since she was able to bound through RidgeClan's territory and spend a placid sunhigh collecting herbs. To others it would be tedious, but it relaxed Lynxpaw and wielded a barrier between her and her anxiety. She had nothing to worry about but herbs when she went collecting, there was no murder to fret about or tending to an agnozied warrior's wounds. It was her favorite part about being a medicine cat, allowing her to spend some time to herself or with Nightfrost roaming through their territory.

Now she was leaving RidgeClan territory behind her, and Lynxpaw was unsure of whether she would ever be able to adventure and collect herbs ever again.

"I found some!"

Lynxpaw was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by Flareheart's familiar voice. She turned to eye the ginger tabby emerge from the undergrowth, a grin plastered across their face where cobwebs hung from their jaw. Lynxpaw flashed the tabby a smirk as they padded over, a little bounce added to their steps. At least I managed to make this a calm experience for them, Lynxpaw told herself.

"Well, let's head back," Flareheart added, their tail flicking as they swirled around on their paws. "I know Nightfrost and I understand he wouldn't want us taking too long."

Lynxpaw nodded in agreement, stifling back a chuckle at their words. The molly followed Flareheart back towards where the rest of the group gathered, ducking through the undergrowth and ears angling towards the calls of birds in the distance. Part of her also hoped she would hear the familiar yowl of Leafdance, the tom signaling his safety and reassuring them he was okay. No cat knew anything about where the tom ended up though and with the way events overturned in her paws, Lynxpaw winced as she realized it wouldn't at all shock her if Cottonstar and the others had viciously murdered him.

She inhaled and emerged from her thoughts as they stepped back into the clearing where Nightfrost and the others stayed. Hastening her pace, Lynxpaw strode alongside Flareheart as he padded on towards Nightfrost. The black tom swiveled his ears and glanced their way in a heartbeat, a smile sliding onto his face as he granted them a nod of approval.

"Thanks, you two," Nightfrost hummed. "You can set everything down and we can get to work. Flareheart, I think Pebblestep and Smokebite are going hunting to gather some for us all to attempt to share if you wanted to tag along."

Flareheart beamed and dipped their head to the medicine cat. "Thank you, Nightfrost. I'll be on my way then!"

The ginger feline turned away and bounded off, though Lynxpaw kept her gaze fixed on Nightfrost. Her mentor scanned his gaze over Mottledpaw, Redpaw, and Daisytuft who still stood before him, patiently waiting for their wounds to be treated. Nightfrost tilted his head and glanced back over to Lynxpaw, parting his jaws to give her a command.

"I'll tend to Mottledpaw and Daisytuft. You can handle Redpaw-"

"No!"

Both of the medicine cats froze, alarmed by the exclamation erupting from Redpaw. The tom's pelt bristled and his eyes were wide, the apprentice appearing as if he was encountering a malicious group of foxes. His lips curled back into a light snarl and Mottledpaw and Daisytuft peered towards the tom as if he was a kit fussing over losing a game of mossball. His gaze flickered with hatred and the moment Lynxpaw observed him, she knew exactly why he wished for Lynxpaw now to tend to him.

He despised her and blamed her for the death of his sister.

It was as if a claw gently ran down her spine, sending a chill across her body. A growl rumbled in Redpaw's throat and Nightfrost narrowed his eyes, obviously vexed by the apprentice's rash behavior. Nightfrost sighed though and lowered his head, turning back to Lynxpaw and nodding to her.

"As much as this is severely unnecessary behavior, I guess I'll be tending to Redpaw instead. Perhaps even sharing a few words with him," Nightfrost began, Redpaw's ears pulled back at his words. "I'll stick take Daisytuft since I need to further examine her gash but Lynxpaw, you can take Mottledpaw instead."

Lynxpaw nodded and turned to eye Mottledpaw, who's gaze automactically met her's. She could spot the sympathy and irritation wavering through the calico's gaze. She never got along with Redpaw, since the young tom was rather snappy and impatient from time to time. Lynxpaw pulled away from her glance and snatched up a few leaves from one of the dock plants as Nightfrost whirled around to treat Redpaw a few foxlengths away, Daisytuft still straying near Mottledpaw and Lynxpaw.

The medicine cat apprentice cautiously chewed two of the leaves into a pulp, the taste lingering on her tongue. She grimaced and approached Mottledpaw, the calico sitting and watching her with a steady, observant gaze. Lynxpaw applied to poultice to Mottledpaw's scratches, which would help ease the wounds. She peered out of the corner of her gaze to notice Mottledpaw lightly wince as she applied some of the poultice.

"Don't listen to Redpaw," Mottledpaw suddenly murmured, nearly startling Lynxpaw as she finished up applying the poultice. "Foxpaw''s death wasn't your fault. Even if you tried to save her, you couldn't. You would only risk your life."

Lynxpaw scoffed at her words, though a drip of appreciation was smothered through her reply. "Maybe it wasn't, but I can't help but believe I still deserve the treatment he's giving me."

"You don't at all deserve it, Lynxpaw," Mottledpaw retorted in a mumble. "Redpaw should be taking it out on Cottonstar, not you."

"You two are adorable."

Lynxpaw's fur along her spine rose to sky at Daisytuft's taunting voice. She turned to cast a glare the elder's way, but was met with a smug grin stretched across the mollies visage. Mottledpaw only chuckled at the elder's words before Daisytuft was pulled off to the side by Nightfrost, the tom checking the gash on her shoulder.

"She gets on my nerves," Lynxpaw grumbled before she turned back to the small stash of cobwebs and dock.

The speckled molly snatched up a pawful of cobwebs and turned back to the calico apprentice. She carefully dressed the cobwebs over Mottledpaw's wounds, ceasing any excess bleeding. Her gaze was sharp as she remained focused on her work, Lynxpaw's thoughts merely specks of dust within the moment. That was until a light giggle interrupted her and pulled her gaze away from the wounds.

"She might be a little bothersome, but it's good to still enjoy the teasing and the little jokes. I bet any cat here would enjoy them now," Mottledpaw meowed, flashing Lynxpaw a glance. The medicine cat apprentice swiftly turned away to focus back on Mottledpaw's wounds as she continued. "Cats have died and we've lost so much. I'm not saying there isn't anything else left for us to lose, but we can't allow ourselves to lose what makes us a family. What makes us a Clan. The most important thing right now isn't fighting Cottonstar or bickering amongst ourselves, it is keeping ourselves together and stable."

Lynxpaw blinked and slowed the pace of her dressing at Mottledpaw's words. She wanted to sob and shout at Redpaw. She wanted to snarl at Daisytuft's teasing. She wanted to blame herself for the deaths of Marshleap, Heroncall, and Foxpaw.

But what she really wanted to do was keep the rest of her Clanmates alive and well, no matter what consequences followed in her pawsteps.