redstar pushed herself atop the high rock, her gaze narrowing as she watched her clan. ❝ all those old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting, ❞ she beckoned.

the clan migrated across into the clearing, settling in the dirt, heads stretching upwards towards the red furred molly who ruled over thunderclan.

❝ i'll keep it short and snappy, ❞ redstar began after expelling a quick sigh. ❝ all patrols must consist of two or more cats. this applies to all patrols, ❞

redstar's eyes drifted towards the crowd and settled on gentlebear. he flexed out his toes, and flicked his whiskers, before averting his gaze elsewhere.

❝ that is all, clan dismissed, ❞ muttered redstar. she clambered down off the stone and slithered towards her den, vanishing into the darkness.

gentlebear rose to his paws. he wasted no time to get up and travel across camp, towards his den. a voice called out from behind him, but ignorance claimed the medicine tom, and he continued on.

❝ brother? care to share this rabbit? ❞ muttered his littermate, who trailed close behind him, a fat rabbit in his jaw, swinging left and right as he walked.

gentlebear barely spared his brother a glance. his ears pushed against his head, and he just continued on, leaving grasslion standing alone.

the welcoming scents of herbs pulled gentlebear into a state of relaxation. gentlebear retreated to his nest and settled down. the soft moss of his nest cradled him gently as he lowered himself down onto the bed of leaves and moss. his tail wrapped around himself, cocooning himself with barrier to block out the world outside his den.

gentlebear blinked open his eyes, the dim light of the morning sun filtered through the entrance.

every waking day seemed to be the same as the last.

days had passed since he was attacked by that fish—headed feline at the sunning rocks, and nothing had happened since. no one within the clan had had any sort of altercations with riverclan, yet redstar was still on edge and worried about the matter worsening gradually over time.

with a heavy sigh, gentlebear pushed himself up, the ache of tiredness gnawing at his bones. each day just blurred into the next, following the same monotone routine: tending to the elders, gathering herbs with a warrior escort, sitting and listening to his brother babble about how amazing his day was, and then, to end it all, returning to the medicine den to rest.

it was a tiring loop, one that left him feeling drained, both physically and emotionally. but, such was life, that's what gentlebear thought, as he emerged from the medicine den and into the clearing. he blinked a crust of sleep from the corners of his eyes as he eyed the glaring sun that showered down light into the wooded hollow of thunderclan's camp.

another day, like usual.

he was ready to run the rounds: sort the elders out, pull thorns from the warriors paws, and pluck burrs out of their pelts after they clambered in a bush after some prey, and complained that something scraped them up.

but first, ravenmeadow.

the tom—cat stepped lightly across the camp as he steered towards the nursery. gentlebear approached and peered inside, his eyes settling upon the curled up queen. her chest steadily rose and fell with each soft huff and puff as she slept.

the exhaustion of motherhood weighed on her. she had been struggling to drift off to sleep with her kits running rampant, and causing chaos, so gentlebear was pleased to see her sleeping.

gentlebear decided to not disturb her rest, so he turned on his heels and made his way towards the elders den. a check—up was on order for the old tom, smokecough.

the elders' den was dimly lit, slightly dingy, with an earthy tang to it. it was the way they liked it, so he had no room to complain.

smokecough and his running nose had since eased up over the days, as gentlebear and his treatment of 'disgusting herbs' had helped.

❝ mornin', ❞ chirped the tom—cat after he rose to his paws, greeting the medicine cat.

❝ great starclan, where's the real smokecough gone?  bring him back, i don't want this imposter, ❞ bleated gentlebear. he stepped closer to the elderly feline.

smokecough's eyes just rolled. ❝ i'm feeling good, i think my nose has stopped, ❞ he spoke clearly while addressing the medicine cat before him, ❝ i'm only sneezing and sniffling a few times, which is much better since last time, ❞ he added.

gentlebear's head bobbed up and down as he took in the elders words, all the while probing him. the elder was right — he was getting better.

smokecough's eyes were bright, his chest lost its pop and crackle that it had days ago, and no liquid leaked from his nostrils.

❝ well, i think you're good to return to your old cat shenanigans now, ❞ laughed the medicine cat as he gently pushed his shoulder into smokecough's, who retorted with a loud snort, followed by a chuckle.

❝ thank you, gentlebear, ❞ cooed smokecough. he stood up and shook out his pelt, gliding across the den towards the entrance. smokecough's turned to the medicine cat behind him, then spoke, ❝ hope you have a good day, kiddo, ❞

that was sweet, gentlebear thought, as he plodded out of the elders den, pressing on to continue with whatever the day threw at him.

the familiar rhythm of daily life enveloped him like a comforting embrace. cats dotted around the camp, divulged in deep conversation, engulfed in another's embrace as they blabbered and chattered.

he didn't get far across camp when the beckoning of his name vibrated across the clearing.

gentlebear sighed.

the booming voice of bisoncatcher echoed across the clearing, drawing curious glances from those around camp.

gentlebear turned towards the source of the wailing, and watched as bisoncatcher stumbled into camp, his fur ruffled and his expression pained. the large tom—cat limbed heavily, his movements awkward and ungainly.

❝ gentlebear! ❞ bisoncatcher cried out, ❝ i think i've broke my paw! ❞

the medicine cat approached, his brows furrowed as he assessed the tom's limbering gait. gentlebear gave a flick of his tail for the warrior to follow him, and he pushed on into his den.

❝ have a seat, i'll look it over, ❞ he grumbled under his breath, retreating to the wall of herbs behind him to gaze and what he had, and what he may need. he turned back to bisoncatcher.

with probing paws, gentlebear examined the paw that was raised in front of him, feeling for any signs of swelling, or tenderness, and after a thorough once over of firm prodding, he breathed out a sigh.

❝ well, it's not broken. that's the good news. the bad news: it's sprained. which means you'll need to take it easy. limit your patrols, ❞ explained gentlebear.

he slowly let bisoncatcher's paw drop back down onto the ground and he got up. ❝ you'll be back on your paws in no time, ❞

bisoncatcher drew out a breath. he was relived that it wasn't broken. ❝ thank you. i was worried i'd gone and buggered up my paw... ❞ he uttered, but a weak smile pushed its way onto his maw.

bisoncatcher rose to his paws and applied a soft amount of pressure to his sprained paw before he ambled out of the den, mrrowing a thank you once again to the medicine cat upon his departure.

gentlebear breathed out heavily. it wasn't even mid—way through the day, and he had dealt with two cats in the space of a short matter. he needed a moment alone.

the chaos of camp life was exhausting, and settled upon him like a heavy cloak. the demands of his clan mates had left him feeling drained and weary, and left his mind like a whirlwind.

with redstar's strict rules, the tom weighed out the consequences of if he was to be caught out alone, but brushed it aside. should he get scolded: he'd not care much, it was be a stern telling off, and nothing more.

gentlebear made up his mind. he briskly left his den and walked across camp, checking over his shoulder before he exited and entered the forest.

the canopy overhead cast beautifully dappled light patterns and long shadows on the forest floor. the soft rustling of leaves and the gentle crack of twigs provided the tom with a soothing backdrop, as he stalked through the forest.

gentlebear paused at the sunning rocks. he drew in the sights of the territory, and heaved out a relaxed huff. he settled into the grass, beside the river.

he closed his eyes, his senses attuned to the gentle flicker of leaves and the soothing hum of the forest behind him. he allowed himself to slip into a state of quietness.

the breeze whispered through the trees, carrying with it a scent. gentlebear's ears twitched with alarm.

riverclan.

a shiver zapped down his spine as he sat and recalled what happened days ago.

in a brief moment of panic, his eyes snapped open. he scanned his surrounding, spotting movement in the distance. he wasted no time in bounding towards a nearby bush. seeking refuge from prying eyes, he sheltered within the leaves of the bush and watched from afar.

gentlebear crouched low. his eyes fixated on a cat on the other side of the river. it was monarchdance, the pretty she—cat from riverclan, one of the cats on the same patrol as ratramble, the fish—brained cat that had attacked him days ago.

monarchdance pursued after a rabbit that bounded and zigzagged with nimble grace, swerving from the swipes of the felines claws. monarchdance's sleek form followed suit, closing in on the creature many times. her face bore a determined glare.

the rabbit veered off quickly. it bounded towards the river, and hopped across the rocks that comfortably sat within the waters, hopping across the other side of the river.

monarchdance followed it to the border, skidding to a halt at the embankment of the river. it was now in thunderclan's territory, there wasn't anything that monarchdance could do. the she—cat growled lowly, and kicked her paw downwards into the grass.

something kicked in. gentlebear's shelter was soon behind him, as the tom bolted from the bush. he, as a medicine cat, lacked the prowess and skill of that of a warrior. he couldn't hunt, he shouldn't hunt, yet here he was, barrelling after the rabbit.

his heart fuelled blood through his body at a rapid pace and his ears burned. a determined glint flashed in his eyes as he pounded heavily after the fleeing rabbit. his muscles coiled and ached: he hadn't run in such a way since he was a kitten, playing with his brother.

the rabbit squeaked. gentlebear closed in on it, his paws thundering the grass as he lurked behind the frightful rabbit.

with a final burst of speed, and a firm kick off from the ground, gentlebear launched himself onto the rabbit with his claws pushed out. the small mammal just wailed under the cats weight, it's fragile frame trembling.

gentlebear hesitated. the rabbit's eyes were widened with fear, and the scent that wafted from its fur bore the same stench. a pang of sympathy caused his gut to twist and churn.

he could just let it go, allow it to hound off and dart into the darkness of a shrub. but then, on the other paw, monarchdance would return to her camp with no prey... and he knew, from word of mouth, how difficult a hunt could be sometimes.

gentlebear's eyelids pulled together. he sucked in a heavy breath, then expelled it.

he could do it.

the rabbits writhing body soon ceased following a firm to the back of its neck. it was a swift end, and a merciful one — so gentlebear felt a little relieved. 

the rabbit's corpse remained collapsed in the grass for a short period, while gentlebear coordinated his mind. he just killed a creature, and he wasn't sure as to how he should feel about it.

with a firm head shake, he leaned down and picked it up by the scruff of its neck, and walked back to the river, hoping monarchdance was still present.

gentlebear stood by the riverbank. his eyes looked up and down riverclan's side of the territory for the she—cat, and he huffed, feeling defeated.

❝ good catch, ❞ a soft voice resonated off to the left of him. ❝ it's a good job i'm not some blood thirsty killer, ❞ monarchdance purred as she strolled along her side of the embankment, ❝ you should really use that nose of yours, it comes in handy, ❞

gentlebear's ears drew backwards. he gazed down at the rabbit he held, then towards the riverclan cat, and dropped it to speak. ❝ i got it for you, ❞

monarchdance's face wrinkled up with confusion. a medicine cat managed to catch some prey? she did tire it out... so she may have made it a little easier for him.

but, the she—cat just shook her head. ❝ you caught it, it's yours, ❞

gentlebear's head jerked as he shook it. he couldn't take prey back to camp. redstar would know he had vanished, and he would already be scolded for his actions.

❝ no, i can't take it to camp. redstar would drag me by my tail... it was yours, so take it. i won't waste it either. starclan would be angry if we did, ❞ babbled the tom—cat, his eyes narrowing.

gentlebear crouched and picked up the rabbit. he pulled it backwards, then flicked his head forwards and released the rabbit. it glided over the rocks and the river before colliding with the ground over the opposite side of the water.

monarchdance grabbed the rabbit up from the floor and stood upright. she dipped her head downwards to thank gentlebear, then began her departure back to riverclan's camp.

gentlebear stood and watched as her frame shifted from sight, and blended with the colours of the fields in the distance. he rocked on his heels before turning to leave, not wanting to be away from camp for too long. someone would soon notice his absence.

❝ you need to be more careful next time ❞ whispered gentlebear, his paws tenderly applying a cobweb to the smaller paw of a kitten.

scorchkit squirmed impatiently as she waited for his ministrations to be complete. with a gentle smile, the medicine cat assured her that she'd be fine, and that it was only a small cut. but scorchkit blabbed that she already knew that, and that she wasn't a silly kitten who didn't know things.

❝ okay... and... done, ❞ gentlebear patted his paw on scorchkit's head, ruffling her forehead. he grinned as she bounded out of the medicine den, and back to the nursery to continue harrowing her sisters.

gentlebear turned to the herbs that just lay scattered around his paws. he huffed. kittens were hard work. he put his time to good use and scooped up what he could, shovelling his herbs back into the right place.

he swiftly shifted and departed from the medicine den, and into the clearing of camp. it had quietened down since the morning — a few cats lounged in the light of the setting sun, while others returned from a patrol, or a hunt.

❝ gentlebear, ❞ called marshrabbit, from the other side of camp. the three legged feline lingered by the leaders den.

gentlebear's stomach dropped and his heart skipped a beat. did marshrabbit know about his time out of camp gallivanting after a rabbit for riverclan?

curiously tilting his head, gentlebear walked over.

❝ yes? ❞ choked the tom after he arrived beside the deputy. his mind raced with the possibilities of what it could be, or what he had done wrong, and he just winced: ready to take whatever it was he had to say.

❝ how are your herbs? i have two warriors to spare that are itching to get out of camp, ❞ asked the three legged tom—cat.

relieved, gentlebear could breath. he looked over his shoulder and mentally took note of what he had, and what was needed. he could benefit from a quick run out into the territory. ❝ sure. it'll help, ❞ he replied.

❝ dustfur and briarpurr: gentlebear requires the two of you to escort him to gather some herbs, ❞ yelled marshrabbit as he turned his head around camp to pinpoint the two she—cats.

gentlebear figured he may as well drag his 'paw with them, and eyed the clearing for chalkpaw. she was sat beside fishpaw, sharing some prey, and talking.

❝ chalkpaw, with me ❞ gentlebear ordered quietly.

the hairless she—cat groaned, but got up. she shook her body and trotted over quickly. ❝ patrol? ❞ she squeaked, realising that a gathering of two warriors had arrived. after the nod of her mentors head, she whooped and bounded towards the entrance.

briarpurr and dustfur stalked beside gentlebear and chalkpaw, their eyes shifting across the forest for any potential threat. they walked silently, content on just listening to the lesson gentlebear talked of to the she—cat that followed close behind him.

❝ blackberry leaves? ❞ asked gentlebear. he turned to chalkpaw, who stared off into the distance.

❝ uhm... a bush with white flowers, and black berries on them. they grow in... sunny areas, like fields, as well as shrubs and forests, ❞ recalled the apprentice as she hobbled after gentlebear.

the older tom—cat nodded. chalkpaw was taking everything in nicely. she listened to his lessons, and made a mental note of everything he had said. she was a great apprentice.

❝ excellent job, ❞ gentlebear chirruped. ❝ okay, what about feverfew? ❞

the pair went back and forth with naming off herbs and how to identify.

it was clear by the blank looks on the warriors' faces that they weren't at all entertained by the matter, and neither had a clue about what was being talked about.

but gentlebear cared less for either of their opinions, as he had an apprentice to teach, a cat who would take his place as the main medicine cat for the clan, upon his passing, or retirement, so querying her on plant properties was necessary.

chalkpaw bounced towards gentlebear with a large, thick stick in her jaws. on it, sticky sap hung to the wood. the apprentice grimaced at her mentor as he gave her a conforming nod — one that meant she'd done well and gathered something useful.

gentlebear looked over his shoulder to the warriors who sat nearby, talking quietly. ❝ we won't be too long, ❞ he mumbled with a small smile. they nodded their heads to acknowledge his comment, and so he continued nosing around at the base of the owl tree.

a glistening object caught gentlebear's eyes, and he pushed his paw into a hole within the trees trunk. he clawed and pawed until his pads came into contact with some cobwebs. if he was to be dealing with the kittens and their antics, he'd need more. that and the warriors were often getting scraped up while out on a patrol, and chasing prey.

fools, the lot of them, gentlebear mused internally. he caught himself laughing under his breath as he picked up the webs and added it onto a piece of bark he had stripped from the tree.

he turned to catch a glimpse of where his apprentice had scurried off to again, and watched as she trailed back towards him with some marigold in her maw.

❝ that's brilliant, chalkpaw! ❞ congratulated the tom as he stared, gobsmacked at how well she had done with the days lesson.

they had more than enough now, and so gentlebear was satisfied and happy to move on back to camp.

the sun had since shifted in the sky, sitting lower and blazing down soft hues and dappled light onto the patrol.

gentlebear grabbed up the bark from the ground and trotted beside chalkpaw, guiding her towards the two warriors who continued to converse. ❝ right, we are ready to head back now, ❞ cooed gentlebear.

briarpurr and dustfur bobbed their heads and got up with a quick stretch, and stepped on along the trail back towards thunderclan's camp.

suddenly, dustfur halted. her ears pricked and her nose tweaked and twitched. briarpurr copied dustfur after having sensed the same thing she had. their demeanour changed dramatically, and their bodies tensed up.

❝ what is it? ❞ gentlebear asked, his voice lowered.

❝ riverclan... ❞ briarpurr replied. she pushed her nose upwards and scented the breeze. ❝ their scent is strong here, and it's coming from our side of the border, ❞

gentlebear felt a cold chill flicker down his spine. riverclan warriors on thunderclan's territory had already caused a number of issues. gentlebear toed a little closer towards chalkpaw.

with a whispered tone, he leaned down. ❝ stick close to me, chalkpaw, ❞. gentlebear watched as the gaze in chalkpaw's eyes watered with worry.

❝ stay close, ❞ instructed dustfur. she circled around the side of gentlebear and chalkpaw, pushing them both into the middle of briarpurr and herself: to form a protective barrier between them and any possible threat.

the patrol moved on, cautiously, following the scent that led deeper into their territory. the air was thick and riverclan's scent lingered on the wind.

briarpurr pushed through a thicket of brambles, the rest of the patrol followed close behind her. a small patch of trampled grass and broken twigs lay before them — a clear sign that riverclan had passed by.

❝ they're getting bolder, crossing the border like this, ❞ briarpurr muttered. her eyes scanned the area for any further signs of intrusion.

a knot tightened in gentlebear's chest. if he felt this worried, he only worried for how chalkpaw felt. he stared down towards his apprentice, and watched as her eyes jumped back and forth between the dustfur and briarpurr.

❝ i swear, if we come across them. i will shred them into tiny pieces, ❞ snarled dustfur. the she—cats tail twitched with agitation, but she realised standing in the clearing wouldn't help anyone. ❝ let's get back to camp and tell redstar, ❞

gentlebear nodded.

gentlebear felt a sudden shift in the air. the opening in the bushes that trailed the forest on their right opened up, unveiling a patrolling pair of riverclan warriors.

briarpurr's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of them, her fur bristling with anger. the thunderclan warriors came to a halt, their bodies tensing up. dustfur stood close by, her eyes dark with suspicion.

❝ look who we have here, ❞ a riverclan warrior called out, a smirk playing on its lips. the cat wore a pelt of brown tabby fur. ❝ a thunderclan patrols sniffing about. ratramble's missing out on this one, ❞ the cat chortled with a snarled chuckle, their yellow eyes burning into gentlebear's as the two stared each other down.

gentlebear's heart seemed to skip a beat and stop for a second. the riverclan cats' eyes just glinted with challenge. it was clear what they wanted.

gentlebear's gaze drifted towards briarpurr, as he watched the she—cat extend her claws, her tail lashing with barely contained fury. and dustfur, who was positioned nearby, stood with coiled muscles, as if ready to strike.

❝ the sunning rocks will be ours, ❞ taunted another warrior, a tom—cat with piercing blue eyes, ❝ it is only a matter of time, ❞

the sensation in the air was odd. gentlebear was on edge and his gut churned with worry.

❝ we don't have time for you petty taunts, ❞ growled briarpurr. her voice was gruff and low, and sounded ominous. ❝ thunderclan won't back down, no matter what you blabber, ❞

gentlebear pawed in front of briarpurr. his voice was calm, but firm, ❝ let's just get back to camp? ❞ he said, addressing the patrol. ❝ we don't want this to escalate any further, ❞

briarpurr turned to him, her eyes blazing with anger and her tail slithering above her back. ❝ are you just going to let them talk to us like that? ❞ she hissed, her fur still on end.

❝ we aren't here to start a fight, ❞ replied gentlebear, meeting her gaze with a steady resolve. ❝ we have to think of the clans safety, and chalkpaws too. let's just go, ❞

for a moment, it seemed as if briarpurr might argue, but then she relented, her shoulders sagging slightly as she nodded in agreement. dustfur shot one final glare at the riverclan patrol before turning to follow gentlebear's lead.

❝ mark our words, kittypet lovers! it'll be ours even if we have to clear your corpses and bloodied bodies off of them! ❞

the echoed voice of the riverclan felines faded as the patrol hurried back to camp.

unease gnawed at gentlebear's insides. ❝ we will tell redstar about this right away, ❞ he whispered as he continued on at a steady gallop towards camp.