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Spottedfeather hated being out here. Not because she hated her job oh no she loved where she was in her clan. She knew it was important and worth everything but the herbs she needed were always here and very close to the Nightclan border. Spottedfeather was always scared she would get accused of going over to their border but so far so good. Spottedfeather was never the kind of cat to just go off and break rules.

Looking at the herbs she needed she knew they all werent here. Just some of the very important ones. Picking up some of the herbs she needed carefully she set them into a giant leaf she was able to wrap up and take back with her. S cold wind blew past her and it made this medicine cat shiver. Even leaf fall was hard for medicine cats because herbs wont be as plentiful.

It broke her heart knowing she wont be able to save every cat that comes into her den with a cold or cough or battle scars. The spotted she cat gathered up what she needed and tried to push the future out of her mind and focused on what was happening now. Wrapping up her leaf she took it into her mouth gently and padded quickly back to her home with a million things going through her mind.

Just because I have these herbs doesnt mean I'm done for the day.. now let's see I was able to get lavender and poppy yesterday, I got comfry and mint today.. if I go back I can see what else I need...I know marigold is going to be hard to find in this weather.. cobweb im loaded on.. fever! great starclan I need fever!

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

Distantstar wasn't looking too well, the last time I saw him. Worry clawed at him like the serrated teeth of Demon, ripping his thoughts to shreds until there was nothing left but anxiety and stress. Lionstep had always hoped that it would be many many moons before their leader finally left to join his ancestors in Silverpelt, he had always hoped he'd have more time to hone his skills and become a leader worthy of TreeClan... But with Distantstar's failing health, it looked as though he'd be taking up the name 'Lionstar' a lot sooner than he would've liked.

Wishing to quell some of his anxieties, Lionstep had gone off in search of the TreeClan Medicine Cat, Spottedfeather undoubtedly off in search of herbs, replenishing her stocks before Leafbare arrived with a vengeance. He nearly crashed into the spotted she-cat carrying a bundle, lost in his own thoughts, and awkwardly dipped his head in apology.
"Sorry Spottedfeather. Can I help you carry anything? I wanted to speak to you about Distantstar." Trying to keep the pain out of his voice, Lionstep hoped his offer wouldn't be turned down, though he knew Medicine Cats could be proud, independent creatures sometimes.

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Almost losing her herbs from having her deputy run into her she still held them firmly in her jaw and blinked a few times at her deputy. She heard him tell her he was sorry then what after made her eyes grow wide. Distantstar? Setting her herbs down gently she slowly looked back up at her deputy and tilted her head to the side. What do you wish to talk about regarding our leader Lionstep? She had a feeling this was going to take some time. The last time she checked on her leader he did look a bit.. off but she gave him herbs to help make sure he was okay but was that not doing enough? Did lionstep see something in her leader that she didnt? She was so busy now of course she should be making sure all her clan mates were okay! Cursing herself for not looking more closely at her leader she went back and focused on her deputy who wished to talk. Excuse me for zoning for a few seconds there but Distantstar..?

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

"He's not doing well, to be honest." Lionstep confessed, kneading the ground with worry. Since he was away from their companions and with the StarClan-blessed Medicine Cat instead, the big golden deputy felt it was okay to finally let his emotions rise to the surface, unable to chain them down any longer. "He's lost another life since I was last with him, I don't think he's going to be with us much longer." It was some kind of bizarre illness - Lionstep had never seen or heard it before, but it didn't appear to be contagious, which was good. What was bad, however, was that it had been robbing Distantstar of his 9 lives - slowly, painfully, and away from the curious eyes of the cats he was supposed to be leading.

Left to shoulder the worry over Distantstar and the well-being of the Clan almost entirely alone, it was no surprise that the golden deputy was a bit stressed out. Hoping for some sort of support, Lionstep looked to Spottedfeather for an answer - she was just as stumped about Distantstar's illness as he was. Even now he felt a gnawing sensation in his stomach that he shouldn't be away from camp right now, but Spottedfeather had been here, in the marshlands, not back at camp, and there was no one else he could talk to about this.

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Spottedfeather flattened her ears back just to hear her leader had lost another life. Spottedfeather looked away from her deputy for a bit and thought about what had to be done. Spottedfeather was never really one to cry when it came to death. She was use to cats dying, weather it be under her care or from a sickness even a kit not making it out of birth. Letting out a sigh she looked back to her deputy still silent. The more time they spent out here the worse her leader would get.

"I do not know what this illness he has is. I'm also pretty sure no medicine cat even those who have passed onto starclan would even know what this is. It is a terrible shame our leader had to end up getting this illness. We can't.. hide this from the clan. They know somethings wrong and playing it off as if it's nothing won't do anyone any good."

Taking in a breath she looked at her herbs and then back up at the tom and mewed, "We can do one of two things. Watch him until he loses all his lives and go through his suffering with him..."

Tears came to her eyes as her mind went to this idea. She hated to see cats suffer. Sadly.. what was the quickest way to end a cats life in the medicine cat world... "...or feed him deathberries in a little herb feed and have him eat it. They will take action in his system very fast..."

Did she just offer to kill her leader?! Spottedfeather was now waiting for a huge yelling from her deputy. Before he could say anything she jumped on it,

"Lionstep I'm sorry but watching him suffer is something I will not stand. He can barely move and hes getting weaker and weaker. We know hes in pain and last time I was with him he couldn't keep a mouse down for more then half a day... if you have anything better please tell me right now.." Her voice shook with sadness and confusion even anger. It wasn't fair.. none of this was fair. Sadly what say did her leader have in this?? He was dying! She couldn't ignore the fact neither could lionstep.

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

End his suffering? The golden tom felt as though he'd been dropped into a frozen lake. He knew trying to heal their sickly leader had been somewhat of a lost cause when none of Spottedfeather's herbs had been any help - but he hadn't realized Distantstar's fate now hung by whether or not they gave him deathberries to ease his suffering. Lionstep shivered, golden eyes as round as a kit's for the first time in many many moons.
"Isn't there any other way? I don't like watching any cat suffer more than you do - but to kill him, to just kill him..." Shaking his head slowly from side to side, the golden tom, for all his strength and all his loyalty, wasn't sure he could go through with something like that.

StarClan help me. I know this is coming from a Medicine Cat, but it's so... To feed him death berries... Lionstep looked down at Spottedleaf with obvious distress, before he sucked in a deep breath, forcing himself to be calm in such a serious situation. Distantstar did not deserve to suffer, not when they had the power to end his suffering and send him to StarClan where he would at least be free of this terrible illness.
"Alright," replied the TreeClan deputy at last, his whiskers twitching still with a sense of unease. "But we aren't going to tell the Clan we fed Distantstar death berries. We're just going to say he passed away through the night." The TreeClan cats were many, and all had opinions of their own. Some would see the act of feeding your leader death berries as the ultimate form of treason, others would've agreed with Spottedfeather, that his suffering should be ended while it was still within their power to do so.
And then others, they would keep their opinions to themselves - and that was what scared him the most.

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Spottedfeather felt a little relief when she heard her deputy agree to the idea. Sadly she knew it was wrong. What would starclan say? The medicine cat nodded and agreed with her deputy about not letting anyone else know about how he went. Dying in his sleep sounded just as normal as anything else. Nodding slowly she looked at her deputy and mewed,

"I know this is going to be hard on both of us. It was my idea. I will mix up the herbs tonight and feed them to him and stay in his den until morning. I advise you to not see him or follow me into his den until I come get you when I know hes..''

Her voice got quiet and hoped no one else was around to hear any of this. Pain tugged at her heart but she can't see him suffer any longer. The medicine cat thought back and wondered if she even had any deathberries in her den. It's not something a medicine cat would honestly carry. She never had to use deathberries even when she was an apprentice.

"Don't think of it as killing him Lionstep you know thats not what we are trying to do here. Get real and put your big boy deputy fur on and open up your eyes and look at your leader then you tell me if we are killing him. You know hes suffering and so am I. He's on his last life. It's not like we will be feeding him these over and over again." she mewed with a hint of aggression in her voice.

Looking away from her deputy she shook her head and mewed, ''We are not killers. Never in Treeclan. We are helping his pain and suffering go away so he can get to starclan faster and not suffer like he did down here. There is nothing I will not do to see my leader happy. You and I both know this will make him happy.''