Spiderpaw followed Honeyflower through the reeds edging the Pool of Stars. Half a moon had passed since the Gathering, giving every cat a chance to cool off after Muskstar's behaviour. He still couldn't believe that after Rocktail doing such an awful thing to his leader, Muskstar was still not admitting her fault. 'She's far too proud of herself,' he thought to himself.
The half moon was sparkling above the two cats as they traveled. Spiderpaw felt as if the presence of the moon was almost welcoming him to speak with StarClan after the passing time. Honeyflower's thick golden tail brushed against him as she looked back and blinked sweetly at him. "How are you feeling about your dream?"
Spiderpaw shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
"Do you think you're going to share what you've seen with the other medicine cats?"
Spiderpaw shook his head before feeling a pang of guilt for brushing off a cat who meant so much to him. She was clearly just trying to make conversation with her son.
"I'm not sure," Spiderpaw answered. "I'm not sure how important that was."
Honeyflower gazed at him with wide eyes. "You may have received a prophecy."
"You think?"
"I can't see why not," she continued.
"I'm not a full medicine cat," Spiderpaw argued softly. "I can't see why StarClan would send me a prophecy instead of a more important cat who knows more about the wisdommy stuff."
"Well I think you'd be smart to let them know," she meowed. "Maybe this is relevant to one of the other Clans."
"Then maybe they made a mistake to send the prophecy to me."
Honeyflower turned around and stopped peacefully in her tracks. Her long fur was flowing one side due to the wind that pushed against her. "You'll never get anywhere as a medicine cat if you don't believe in yourself," she whispered.
"If that'll make you happy, I'll tell them."
Honeyflower dipped her head. Softly, with a beam, she added, "Now don't be rude to me. You're not just my kit, you're my apprentice. I'm the boss in two ways over one."
The cats pushed their way through the bushes and past the trees until they saw a small silky body trudging ahead of them.
"Gingerspot?"
The RiverClan medicine cat turned around and beamed at the ThornClan cats. She turned herself around and began to make her way towards them. "Greetings," she meowed softly. "How has the prey been running in ThornClan?"
"Very well," Honeyflower replied.
Gingerspot's ears flicked downwards for a few seconds, and her eyes strolled away. "How is Echostar?" she asked, her voice softening after every word. "She must be devastated over what happened to her kit."
Honeyflower dipped her head, sadness swelling in her eyes. "She's growing stronger every day," she meowed. "How have things been over in RiverClan?"
Spiderpaw felt a tang of anger. Gingerspot had seemed like she was pulling away from Rocktail, and just focusing on the kit himself. 'I suppose she has very mixed feelings about Rocktail,' he thought to himself, recalling the stories he had been told about Gingerspot's beloved kin finding a new mate in CedarClan.
"All has been going smoothly in RiverClan," Gingerspot meowed. "Heatherbird is shaped well for being a deputy, and I couldn't be prouder of either of my siblings."
Spiderpaw felt he could relate. He had felt so proud attending Briartail and Aspenclaw's first full Gathering as warriors. 'I wonder if they'll feel the same when I become a full medicine cat.'
He watched as Gingerspot took a quick look above at the twinkling sky. "The other medicine cats aught to be waiting by now," she meowed before walking forwards and flicking her tail to indicate to the other medicine cats to follow her.
Spiderpaw hasn't really thought about how shy he was at the halfmoon meetings. He supposed this was just because all of the medicine cats were older than him, and he hadn't received his full name yet. Although, he knew that every day he was getting more and more used to the herbs that he had to use, and he was secretly hoping that his new name would come soon.
He and Honeyflower followed Gingerspot all the way up the clearing until they pushed past a few more bushes so their eyes could be set on the Pool of Stars. The moonlight was reflecting in the water, and out of the corners of his eyes he could see most of the other medicine cats gathered around, giving friendly glances as they saw him.
"Greetings," Sedgepool meowed.
"How has the prey been running?" a small, grey tom continued.
Spiderpaw narrowed his eyes. Something was missing. He couldn't see the three-legged angry furball complaining non-stop besides Oceanfur, the grey CedarClan medicine cat.
"Where's Ashpaw?" he asked, dropping his tail.
There was a period of silence for a second, and Oceanfur said nothing. Spiderpaw felt regretful for asking his question until the CedarClan medicine cat heaved out a sigh. "I've just been telling Sedgepool," he began, his voice raspy. "Ashpaw has caught a leg infection, and he's ..."
Spiderpaw noticed Oceanfur stifled a gulp.
"He's very sick."
"That's horrible," Honeyflower meowed, dipping her head and sitting down in front of Oceanfur. "Is everyone else OK?"
Oceanfur shook his head. "I don't think there's a huge crisis for every cat in the Clan, but Mothspring's managed to get the same infection in a cut on her back. I think with the right herbs she'll be fine, but Ashpaw..."
He trailed off for a second, and dipped his head before continuing to speak, as if trying to find the correct words to say.
"I'm struggling so much on my own," he admitted. "I know I'm a full medicine cat and I aught to know everything by now, but I don't. I've never had to face an illness that I don't know how to cure without Pricklenose beside me."
Spiderpaw dipped his head, not really knowing what to say. He supposed that Pricklenose was Oceanfur's mentor.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sedgepool meowed.
Oceanfur opened his mouth to speak, but his jaws closed again and he looked to the ground. "No," he stuttered. "I don't think so."
"You seem reluctant, Oceanfur," Honeyflower meowed, pressing her muzzle closer to the CedarClan medicine cat's.
At first Spiderpaw was surprised that Honeyflower was being so kind to the medicine cat of a rival Clan - a clan that had forced so much pain among them. But Honeyflower has taught him several times that medicine cats lived a different code from the warriors, and they were to help each other in times of need despite any conflict.
"I fear more cats are going to get seriously sick," he meowed. "Most of the wounds of the cats at getting sore, but that's nothing I can't heal. I'm most worried about Ashpaw. He constantly needs a cat by his side to treat him, even if he wakes up in the night needing herbs. He can't move by himself, and since the infection is on his front paw, he can't lean down to eat or drink. There's only one of me to go around, and I still need to fetch herbs and take care of the other cats." Oceanfur dipped his head, and his fur tensed up. "I hope he's not in serious pain right now! I was nearly sure I wouldn't attend today because I was so worried about him."
Spiderpaw didn't know if he could say anything to make the medicine cat feel better. For all he had seen, Ashpaw wanted nothing to do with learning the ways of a medicine cat, and he didn't seem to show much interest in his mentor, either. Although Spiderpaw knew that he couldn't blame him. He knew that he was forced upon a path he didn't want, simply because of an injury he couldn't stop himself from getting. He knew Ashpaw was incredibly lucky to survive the way he was, but a wobbly feeling inside kept him wondering if Ashpaw would be able to stay this way.
"I wish I could help," Gingerspot meowed reluctantly. "But there's only one of me to go around."
Oceanfur's glance gazed towards Sedgepool, who dipped his head shamefully. "Honestly, I want to be able to come over to the Clan and help you," he meowed. "But if something urgent happened in my Clan, I wouldn't know, and I wouldn't be there to assist."
Oceanfur dipped his head as if he wasn't expecting an answer any different. Suddenly, he lifted his head and met Spiderpaw's gaze. There was a second of quiet, as if everyone knew what was coming. Oceanfur's gaze moved to Honeyflower, who draped her tail around her legs patiently.
"Honeyflower, you know I wouldn't be asking this unless I was in a desperate, desperate time of need."
Oceanfur stopped again. Spiderpaw felt a rush of guilt towards the cat, feeling bad that he felt so worried about asking his question. Suddenly he turned his head to Spiderpaw, and he noticed himself jump a little.
"Just until Ashpaw improves," Oceanfur began. "Would you be able to stay at CedarClan to assist me with Ashpaw?" Quickly, he continued. "We would make you the cosiest nest," he meowed. "And I would make sure that you reviewed the juiciest piece of prey in the Clan.
Spiderpaw looked up at Honeyflower, half expecting her to answer the question for him. He felt his pelt shake as he saw how calm Honeyflower's facial expression was. He knew he didn't feel safe living in a Clan that plotted something to cruel against his own. But he also knew that Oceanfur was a good cat, and he would never have bad intention. "Of course," he meowed shakily, wishing he could by lying. "If Honeyflower says so."
"I don't see a problem," the golden she-cat meowed. "I think this would be a great way to asses what you've learned, and this could give me a good idea as to whether you're ready for your ceremony."
Spiderpaw could barely be one his ears.
"I am going to have to check with Echostar," she continued. "But I know what she's like. She wouldn't let any cat stay in danger if she could do something."
For a second, Spiderpaw felt no regret.
Sedgepool spoke up. "StarClan must be waiting."
Oceanfur dipped his head. "Let's speak with them."
Honeyflower stepped forwards. "Just a minute," she spoke. "I think Spiderpaw has something to say."
Spiderpaw felt his pelt heat up with embarrassment as the gazed of the other medicine cats turned upon him. He took a deep breath into his lungs and stretched out his paws. "Well," he began, trying his hardest not to throw an angry gaze at Honeyflower for putting him on the spot. "I had a dream last moon that the camp was on fire."
"Go on," Sedgepool meowed with edge on his voice. Oceanfur was listening with his eyes narrowed, whilst Gingerspot's ears were pricked.
"I couldn't escape. At the end of my dream, I heard a voice. Apparently, 'only one can prevent the ash from bringing back the darkest flame.'"
For a moment there was quiet, until Gingerspot spoke up. "What's the darkest flame?"
Spiderpaw shrugged, and Sedgepool stepped forwards. "How real did the dream feel?"
"Too real," Spiderpaw admitted. "I felt like the end was coming for me."
Sedgepool dipped his head. "I don't know what any of that could mean, but perhaps one of us might receive information when we speak with StarClan."
Honeyflower nodded. "Let's go then."
Spiderpaw followed the other medicine cats to the edge of the water, a sigh of relief escaping him. He bent down to his paws and let his eyes close as he touched his nose gently and felt a fresh, freezing sensation as his eyes closed.