[Fawn]

55 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

They were one of the lucky ones. Sprucefur's heart was heavy as he finished burying Sedgepaw, the young apprentice having succumbed to the sickness late into the previous night. His body smelled of lavender, a small gesture by exhausted medicine cats to prepare him for burial.

Sprucefur felt tired, but it wasn't the kind of fatigue laced with illness. Both he and his apprentice had been fortunate enough to recover - and Sprucefur was willing to bet it was their frequent hunting for their much sicker Clanmates that kept their strength up. He much preferred it to sitting around the hidden thicket, swapping disease and exhaustion with the others.

The pale tom started, not noticing Bluejay's sudden appearance until the thin, wasted looking healer spoke up.
"We need more catmint. If I'd just had enough... I could've saved him..."

Sprucefur knew what that looked like. With a level stare, the senior warrior reached a decision. "Nightpaw and I will see what we can find. Just keep doing what you can, Bluejay, that's all anyone can do right now."

Bluejay looked at him, her heart bruised and aching by her patients' failure to thrive. Sprucefur held still while she checked him over, and then nodded. "Alright. But don't push yourselves. Chickweed is just as good."

With an acknowledging ear flick, Sprucefur turned away from her to go find his apprentice. The tawny tabby body of Zephyrfang appeared in his peripherals, and Sprucefur was surprised to find the former loner keeping pace.

"I'm going with you." He announced, and Sprucefur, thankful for the company, didn't argue. Instead, he found the dark-pelted she-cat getting a much-needed drink of water. "Nightpaw, we're going outside the territory to look for herbs. Do you feel well enough for it?"

He knew she did. She no longer coughed like her lungs were close to collapse. Zephyrfang's tail flicked impatiently. Silentsong's mate had only caught it mild, even with all of his interactions with his son, Finchpaw, while he'd been sick - and a quick visit to Bluejay had prevented it from escalating into something deadly.

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

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Word Count: 350 Words
Tags: @poptart
Notes:

[Deleted]

Worn and broken, reassembled,

Forgive our thoughts when they're shameful

TreeClan - 23 Moons - She-Cat

It was indeed true that Nightpaw was feeling better, and the mutual recovery of her and Sprucefur would seem to lend credence to his theory that activity had been instrumental in said process. Thus when a small party consisting of her mentor and Zephyrfang approached her whilst she maintained her standard hydration regimen Nightpaw was more than willing to set out for more much needed physical activity. The idea of traveling farther than their borders would most likely pique the interest of any other clan cat of similar age, however Nightpaw had spent an extended period of her life outside the territory causing such an adventurous expedition to seem routine. "Of course Sprucefur, where exactly do you want to go?" Nightpaws' prior mentioned experience may have been capable giving the group valuable insight for their search, and she was keen on dipping into her unique experience as often as she possible could.

Fawn || 152

[Fawn]

55 Moons || Senior Warrior || Tom

there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow

Suspecting either Nightpaw or Zephyrfang (a former loner himself) would have a better understanding of the valley beyond TreeClan's territory, Sprucefur answered Nightpaw but spoke to both of them. "Catmint grows in StoneClan's territory, so if we could find a terrain similar to theirs, we may get lucky."

Zephyrfang was quiet, and he scanned the trees as if the ideal place would simply spring out of nowhere if he gazed hard enough beyond the border.

Sprucefur, on the other hand, was guiding all three cats to the thin scentmarker that distinguished TreeClan from unclaimed, uncharted land. He crossed it without a second thought, though wisely took the time to slow down to get a better sense of his surroundings. Catmint was a flowering plant, tall compared to chickweed. He had seen Bluejay use enough of it and so often that Sprucefur believed he could identify it.

Zephyrfang likely had too. The tabby warrior had been watching closely when Bluejay and Falconstorm had brought medicine to his son, Finchpaw.

"It's got white flowers, right?" said Zephyrfang, and Sprucefur nodded.

"Then I think I know where we can get some." The tawny warrior took the lead, then. Sprucefur followed, frowning slightly as they walked the edge of TreeClan's border - away from the other Clans, unlike what Sprucefur had anticipated. Zephyrfang had a habit of breaking the rules for less noble reasons than a 'catmint shortage'. That he wasn't going towards StoneClan or LightningClan was puzzling, but Sprucefur wasn't worried.

Until he began to recognize some startling signs.

Sprucefur halted in his tracks, gazing stiffly at the side of a wide birch tree that had been used as a scratching post by something with very long claws.
"Zephyrfang, stop. We can't go any further."

The tabby tom rolled his eyes. "Do you want catmint or not? It grows near the lynx's den." The tawny warrior's gaze narrowed, and his words carried an edge meant to scratch him. "Would you hesitate if it was Feathercloud's life on the line?"

Sprucefur scowled, pelt prickling. "Don't bring her into this."

there's a feeling you give me, an everglow

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Word Count: 349 Words
Tags: @poptart
Notes: