Out of Breath

[Lionclaw]

[Wolfie will post soon. Just Lune for now ]

Lionclaw tensed a bit as Speckledfeather spoke. She was right. Lionclaw looked to her and Silverfur nodding. He looked back to Spiritpaw, thankful she was at least worried about him. He looked to Cherrysky after plopping back down with a heavy sigh. Amusement glittered in his big yellow eyes. "If I'm stuck here, you're sutck with me," he teased lightly before looking to Silkheart and nodding understandinly. He then looked to the WindClan leader, wondering how bad Flamestar had been hurt. He seemed to be in pain on his shoulder and Lionclaw remembered his own pain in his rear and all the shocking pain surged through him again for a second before he realized he was just remembering being hit by claws. The poppy seeds were working.

[Cherrysky]

Cherrysky meant to laugh, but it came out as a painful cough. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, waiting for the spur of pain to subside. This is pathetic! She thought sharply. I can't even laugh without being in pain. She silently cursed the badgers again. There was a bright side to all of this however. Cherrysky had kept her vow and avenged Swiftstar and Crystalstar.

When the pain finally subsided, she opened her eyes and looked to Lionclaw tauntingly. "Don't make me laugh, smart one," She replied, her voice tinted humorously. The spotted she-cat looked over the deputy and winced. "You don't look so good," Cherrysky commented, looking at the gash marks upon Lionclaw's back side. "Are you sure your ok?"

[Featherleaf]

Featherpaw bounded towards the WindClan camp. She had been at the camp, taking care of the less serious injuries. Without taking the time to cross the stepping stones, Featherpaw just went right into the river. Good thing I'm a RiverClan cat. She thought to herself. She swiftly shook her fur and quickly made her way across the moor. She went right into the camp, not caring who looked. Probably by this time, the WindClan cats were used to it anyway. She went into the medicine cat den, having smelt all the herbs and the great stinge of blood. Sorry I'm late. She said more to Silverfur more than anybody else. What did I miss? She asked as she quickly scanned the injured cats. Wow, this is bad. She thought, not noticing back home. But for the most part, everyone looked ok. Except Silkheart. The way she was looking around, she didn't have her sight. Featherpaw went up to where the medicine cats were talking quietly. How is Silkheart? Do you know if her sight will return? She asked quietly, not wanting to alert any of the cats.

[Silkheart<3]

Silkheart closed her eyes, not mattering because she couldn't see anyways, and pretended that she couldn't hear the medicine cats talking. She listened to Featherpaw worrying about her. Hmmmm..... I do wonder how long it will take my eyes to get better. Silkheart thought about this for a while. "Speckledfeather, do you have any idea when my eyes will be able to see again?"

[Flamestar]

Flamestar looked at Silkheart. He hoped her eyes would get better... And soon. He needed her as his deputy. He stared at the she-cat and waited tensly for Speckledfeather's awnser.

[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

^{Speckledfeather looked to her Deputy, and shook her head. "It shouldn't take too long," She mewed hesitantly, "but I'm not exactly sure when they'll be healed. No more than half a moon, I should think." The silver tabby curled her tail around her paws, sitting back down from her raised position. She was exhausted, and sleep was creeping up on her like a stalker in the night. "There's more room in the back, everyone. We don't have to be cramped." she mewed, fazed.}

[/sup][/color]

[x.bellrose]

Sunpaw had lost most pain and had calmed down a bit. A familiar scent hit her, "Hi Featherpaw." she said looking at the medicine cat apprentice. She had said it very lightly as if she coulden't speak well. She coughed a little. "Silverfur, I feel fine. Can I go back to camp now?" Being so polite was unlike Sunpaw but then again normal Sunpaw isn't half bloody like she was now.

She looked around. Lionclaw didn't seem well, she could say the same for Cherrysky, Spiritpaw seemed zoned out and the medicine cats were talking. "Please can I Silverfur. I'm not half as bad as anyone else. I feel like I could drive off another badger right now." Yet again very unlikely you'll hear the ginger apprentice act that nice. I mean, she is nice, yet she doesn't have much respect of authority.
((Sorry. Just a bunch of blabber. No muse.))

[Silkheart<3]

Silkheart let out a comforting sigh. She turned her head to smell where Firestar was. She felt filled with love because her leader cared so much about her. She also felt happy because she wouldn't be stuck with blindness for long. Silkheart laid her head ontop of Lightpaw's back and gave her a lick before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

[Flamestar]

Flamestar half smiled as his deputy went to sleep. She would heal soon. He turned to Speckledfeather and met his eyes to hers. What was going to happen next with the badgers. There was a lot of them and he was sure he didn't see the last of them.

[Brackenpaw]

The black, deafening shell that had entwined itself with the apprentice seemed to lighten slightly. The mute silence turned into a murmur of mixed voices; voices he knew well. With the sound, came the smells. The herbal scents of the medicine cat's den washed over him, calming his nerves. He must been in Speckledfeather's den. But then more scents began to come to him, catching him off guard. There was RiverClan as well, mixed with the scents of his own clanmates. There was blood too, lots of it, from both WindClan and RiverClan. Any other time, he would have been more curious and wary, but right now, he was still focusing on opening his eyes.

"Spp--" He tried to call out to Speckledfeather, but his voice seemed shot and his lungs didn't seem to be able to hold the effort or energy to talk. With his eyes still closed, he tried to scent the medicine cat to find out if she was even in the den. Her scent gradually came to him, but his head ached with the effort to pick out her scent from so many others.

[~.:Speckledfeather:.~]

<sup>The large, comforting, green eyes met her leader's, soothing him as best a mate could, knowing his fears, yet not wanting to say them out loud. There were badgers out, and it did seem like a scary time for all four of the Clans. This silver tabby knew that StarClan couldn't give her enough fresh-prey for her to lead her Clan at all. She simply wasn't born for it. Sighing with exhaustion, Speckledfeather closed her eyes and prepared to sleep. A dreamless, empty sleep was creeping up on her, slinking through the shadows like a cat from ShadowClan, when Speckledfeather leapt up, instantly on high alert. She had heard something! But what?

Leaping up, she searched wildly for her name, which was on the tongue of an injured apprentice. Cringing, she found her way to Brackenpaw, and wrapped her tail around him, without touching him. "Easy there, lean on me." she mewed. Leading him into the spare moss-bed that was for her, Speckledfeather gently set him down, and buzzed like a worker bee on his wounds. Inwardly, she frowned at the lack of moss that was left; An apprentice would be perfect for this situation! Grimacing, she gritted her teeth, and remained calm through it all, even when her kits started to kick her belly like a drum. She prayed no one would notice, not yet. Not now, they had enough to worry about.</sup>

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[Brackenpaw]

The apprentice gave a weak smile as he noted Speckledfeather's presence beside him. "M-m-y-y head," He staggered, his emerald eyes still clamped shut tightly in pain. He wanted so bad to tell her that he couldn't move to lean on her...actually, he couldn't move...at all. The pain was to much as it was, the last thing he wanted to do was move. The apprentice let out a small whimper of pain, hoping she would understand that he couldn't do like she had asked.

[sorry, no muse]

[Featherleaf]

Featherpaw took another look around the den. The other medicine cats seemed to have everyone under control. She then heard Sunpaw call her name. Hi Sunpaw. she said cheerfully. Oh no you don't. You're not going anywhere tonight. She said sternly, but kindly, to him. He was definately not going anywhere. Then, another sound caught Featherpaw's attention.
"Spp--" came from one of the cats. She quickly caught eye of the cat it had aroused from. Before she could even react, Speckledfeather was already on her way.

Featherpaw tilted her head to the side. Something didn't seem right about Speckledfeather. She's probably just worn out. She thought to herself, but something in her mind said otherwise. Either way, Featherpaw quickly went over to Speckledfeather. Here, why don't you let me take care of him. You look tired. Featherpaw then gave Speckledfeather a friendly suspicious look with a smile. Featherpaw knew she was hiding something, but she didn't know what. Without a confirmation or decline from Speckledfeather, Featherpaw quickly went to work helping Brackenpaw. So, you're head hurts. She said more to herself than to him. She then darted farther into the medicine den and searched for poppyseeds. She quickly found them. She put them in a leaf and she also grabbed some lavender to help calm him down. She brought it all back to Brackenpaw. Eat this. She said, nudging the herbs closer to him.

[Flamestar]

Flamestar sughed and rested his head on his paws. As he watched the medicine cat work around the den, he knew she had meant to comfort him. He looked around at all the sick cats and wondered what was in store for them now.

[Brackenpaw]

Brackenpaw winced as he half turned to the pile of herbs next to him. He took in a sharp breath and recoiled slightly as he tried to bend forward to eat the herbs. "S-s-sor--r-ry," He choked, his eyes still clamped shut in pain. The apprentice took in a deep breath and started to slowly open his eyes, knowing things would be a whole lot easier if he had them open.

As Brackenpaw's eye lids began to open, the smells and sounds began to form into a bigger picture. The strong light from the afternoon sun made him flinch back from the pain of not using his eyes. Then, more slowly than before, the apprentice opened his emerald eyes and took a look around, careful not to move his body to much.

The medicine cat's den was packed, with RiverClan cats and his fellow WindClanners. Speckledfeather was still laying by his side to lend support, but the apprentice hoped that she would get up to go get some sleep. Flamestar was curled up by the edge of the group, his concerned gaze swooping across the den. There was a mesh of RiverClan and WindClan warriors and apprentices in the middle of the den, the smells of poppy seeds and other calming herbs stenching the air.

He finally turned back to the voice that had called to Speckledfeather, recognizing a gray pelt with a piercing blue gaze. Brackenpaw gave her a small nod and stretched forward to eat the herbs in front of him, ignoring the shocks of pain that coursed through his body. As soon as all the herbs were in his mouth, he pulled back and slowly began chewing, letting the juices trickle down the back of his throat. Brackenpaw swallowed and laid his head back down, wanting to close his eyes but afraid he might not be able to open them again.