"Coalpaw."

Coalpaw turned to see Spottedbreeze standing in the entrance to the medicine den, "I think Talonkit has whitecough."

"Do not!" Talonkit was interrupted by a fit of coughing. Coalpaw stifled a sigh. This was the second case of whitecough he'd had to treat today, and it was just past sunhigh. Silverfur had been sick for at least a day now, and Grayleap had come in this morning.

"Bring him in," he told Spottedbreeze. She nudged the five moon old kit into the medicine den, and Coalpaw brought him into a nest. He turned to Sandkit and Brownkit.

"If you get too close to Talonkit, you're going to have to eat herbs." Both kits squealed and ran away from the den. Constantly, Coalpaw had to remind himself that he was only three moons older than them. They needed to start acting like almost apprentices.

"Go fetch a small fish." He said to Spottedbreeze, who hurried away. Coalpaw padded over to his herb stores and got some yarrow. He dropped it at Talonkit's paws.

"Eat this." Obediently, Talonkit bit onto the stems before spitting them out.

"They're icky."

"Do you want to cough?"

"No."

"Then eat them."

"But they're GROSS!"

"Do you want to become an apprentice?"

"Of course I do!"

"Miststar won't apprentice a kit with whitecough."

That got Talonkit to chew up the yarrow. He made a couple faces, but gulped it down. Immediately after, he looked sick, and vomited up a clump of moss.

"Sorry I vomited," he said sheepishly.

"That's what yarrow is supposed to make you do. How did the moss ball get into your throat?"

"I was playing moss ball with my littermates, and I wanted to show them I could catch it. But Sandkit threw it so hard!"

"Eat the fish your mother is getting in small bites, then come back tomorrow. If you want to play moss ball, only whack it with your paws, don't show off."

---

Coalpaw watched the sun as it set. He could see Whitesnow and Diamondspray sharing tongues, and thought about how good it would be to be with Shadowpaw. He missed her, and the times when they had done everything together as kits.

"Coalpaw. You should get some rest." Silverfur croaked from her nest in the back of the den. She was right. It was unlikely anyone would come sick in the middle of night. He padded into his nest, and sleep took him quickly.

In his dream, he was sitting in an herb and prey rich meadow. In the distance, he saw a forest. It was a nice meadow, covered in grass and flowers. The sun was high, not a rain cloud in sight.

Suddenly, clouds covered the sun, making the day outside gray and dreary. Confused, Coalpaw looked up. The sun was still there, but the clouds cast a shadow. The sun moved below the skyline, while the moon came up. The stars started to glow. One star was different than the others, however-- it was cast in shadows.

Coalpaw found himself walking towards the distant forest. He kept walking, even once he reached it. Once he got into the forest, it turned into a place similar to RiverClan hunting grounds. Miststar was stalking a piece of prey. Coalpaw inhaled. Did she die? The horrible thought struck him the same moment lightning struck a tree close to his leader, and set the water vole she'd been stalking scrambling into her paws. Coalpaw heard words echoing around him.

To save the clan of wind on waves,

a half-clan will be born.

She'll lead her clan to victory,

her loyalty untorn.

A final battle to be won,

A treacherous journey.

Fate and will will join,

forming all clan's destiny.

The scene shifted. Coalpaw was sitting beside Redpaw, one of Shadowpaw's closest friends in any clan. The red and brown she-cat pricked her ears, "Shut up." Had he been talking? Something told him to trust the WindClan she-cat. Then he heard it too. Pawsteps? He glanced down the hill- he had incredible night-vision. Two badgers were walking towards him.

"BADGERS!" He yowled, "BADGERS! GET UP!" He was facing a small, make-shift camp. Two warriors leapt up- Peakrise, and a ThunderClan cat- Cloudyfrost or something? Two other warriors looked up groggily- ShadowClan and WindClan, he guessed- but they made no attempt to really move. The other two apprentices there were still asleep. He had to wake them!

"BADGERS!" That woke them up- ShadowClan and ThunderClan, definitely. Redpaw jumped away from him, probably because of his vocal chords, and the ShadowClan warrior lowered his ears as if he'd gone deaf. With a battle yowl, Coalpaw launched himself down the slope at the badgers. What was he doing? He was a medicine cat. He should be preparing herbs while the other cats fought. His black paw stretched out in front of him, along with the white paw on the other side. Wait- Coalpaw had all black paws. But Shadowpaw- She had one white paw in the front. Was this happening to Shadowpaw on her journey? Had it already happened?
The dream skipped ahead. The ThunderClan apprentice lay on the hill, bleeding. He tried to yell out the herb the ThunderClan cat needed, but instead he yelled, "Redpaw!" The nine moon old cat rushed toward the thirteen moon old apprentice, and started shouting things she needed. Good- it was under control.
"Coalpaw?"
"Silverfur?"
Coalpaw blinked his eyes open, and found himself staring at his mentor, "I woke you up. It sounded like you were having a bad dream."
Coalpaw shook his head, "I'm fine. You sound much better."
Silverfur nodded, "I feel fine. Whitesnow is bugging me about leaving, but I don't want to check him if I'm still sick.
"Now that Coalpaw is awake, he can check me." Whitesnow's grumpy mew sounded from the back of the den. Coalpaw got up and padded towards his older brother before bending down and listening to his breathing. It was normal.
"You can go, but come back tomorrow." With a curt nod to the medicine cat apprentice, Whitesnow left. Silverfur was nodding.
"Good call."
"Do we have any comfrey or dried oak leaves?"
"Yes, why?"
"Just curious. Would they be good for head wounds?"
"I've never tried that, but yes, I'm  sure they would."
Coalpaw padded to the herb stores and made a pile of dried oak leaves and comfrey.
Dried oak leaves and comfrey. For the ThinderClan cat.