Cold Cinders

Shredded Leaves
Lightshade crossed the clearing to where the apprentices watched her with huge eyes. "Hi Lightshade!" Jaggedpaw yowled at her. Lightshade waved a paw and turned away, intent on the pile of herbs in front of her. A young medicine cat apprentice, she had work to do. "Jaggedpaw!" she called to the young tom. "Will you help me with something?" Jaggedpaw whirled around as he heard her voice. "Sure!" he called back, bounding over. "Thanks," Lightshade said. "Now, in the reeds down at the lake, there's a pile of watermint. Bring me back some," she instructed. Jaggedpaw dipped his head and ran off. Hollyblossom padded out of the medicine den and over to her apprentice. The sleek black and white she cat stretched herself in the sunlight. "You busy?" she purred, her tone slightly amused. "Very," Lightshade replied to the medicine cat. Hollyblossom sat down and separated the leaves Lightshade was sorting. "I was wondering if I gave you something to sort that treats bellyache," she mumbled. "Dewpaw seems to be coming down with one." "I sent Jaggedpaw for watermint," Lightshade offered. "Mallow would be better," Hollyblossom sighed dryly. "Well, I guess I'll have to wait for that watermint." Lightshade's mentor padded away. "And remember Lightshade, we have to go to the Moonpool tonight." "I know," Lightshade sighed. A fern rustled from behind her. "Hi Lightshade!" Jaggedpaw yowled. "I have the watermint!" Lightshade purred, picking a reed out of his fur. "Thanks," she said as she saw the amount he had retrieved. "Rushpaw wanted to see you. Something about a training session." Jaggedpaw cocked his head as if he didn't understand. Then his eyes widened. "Ohhh," he said, dashing off. Lightshade shook her head and backed into her den, taking her herbs with her.

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"Hi Rushpaw!" Jaggedpaw greeted the tall brown apprentice. "You're late," Rushpaw teased in answer. "Hey!" Jaggedpaw tackled her and the two rolled around the clearing practicing their fighting moves. Finally they separated. Rushpaw stretched and flopped down in the reeds, her long, sleek black-streaked fur glinting in the sunlight. Jaggedpaw sat down next to her and began to wash himself. "Jaggedpaw?" "Yes?" Jaggedpaw rolled down the small grassy slope and sat up. "What do you think it'll be like to be a warrior?" Taken aback by Rushpaw's question, Jaggedpaw did a double take. "I don't know," he confessed. "I guess it'll be like... I mean..." "We might be more likely to get chosen to go on a quest," Rushpaw said, her amber eyes lighting up. An adventurous cat, she was always the first to volunteer for explorations of the area, or a trip to the mountains. "Not a lot of cats get chosen for quests," Jaggedpaw warned her. "I know," Rushpaw sighed, her daydream melting. "I wonder what it would be like to have an apprentice," she said thoughtfully, brightening. "You? Have an apprentice?" Jaggedpaw teased airily. "Hey!" Rushpaw growled, pouncing on him. They streaked through the trees, the sun warming their backs. Finally, they slowed down and entered the camp. Hollowstar greeted them on the edge of the camp. "Good sun-down, apprentices. Where have you been all day? I haven't seen you since sun-high. "We were... practicing fighting moves," Rushpaw offered. Hollowstar stiffened, then relaxed. "Oh... then you must be tired." A leader only appointed a moon ago, Hollowstar seemed to be successful in his position, though everyone knew he still wanted to be a deputy under the leadership of Icestar. "Well, be on your way then," he purred. "I'm off to catch up with the hunting patrol." He bounded away, his broad, powerful shoulders rising and falling with his stride. The medicine cats stood on the edge of the camp. All of a sudden, Fernsplash darted into the camp. The warrior was panting heavily. A split second later, two more senior warriors exploded from the brush. "Hollyblossom!" Dustyjaw yowled, slamming into the medicine cat. "What?" Hollyblossom brushed herself off, voice tinged with alarm. "What?" Bubblefall ran to accompany Dustyjaw. She whispered something to the medicine cat, and Rushpaw noticed that her usually clean dappled gray pelt was ragged and there was fur missing in patches. Hollyblossom turned to Lightshade. "You must go to the Moonpool by yourself. I'm sorry. Go, now!" "What happened?" Jaggedpaw ran up to Fernsplash, who looked terrified. Hollyblossom seemed strangely calm, in all of the hectic and scared cats that were gathered around the camp in small huddles. Rushpaw encountered her just as she was padding out of the clearing, a slight hurry to her walk. "What's wrong?" Rushpaw demanded in a whisper. "It's Nightfire," Hollyblossom replied, her voice edged with concern, but her face showing nothing of the emotion. Rushpaw's stomach lurched. "What's wrong with her?" Rushpaw gasped. "S-she... she fell on the cliffs. We know that much, but we can't find her." Only Hollyblossom's icy blue eyes displayed her fear. "It'll be best if we keep our fear under control," Hollyblossom growled, her face going blank, eyes completely losing emotion. Rushpaw swallowed and nodded, trying to wipe her face clean of feeling as easily as Hollyblossom had. Hollyblossom purred. "It's easier with practice."

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Rushpaw and Hollyblossom ran as fast as they could to the rocks with Hollowstar close behind. "There's the cliffs," Rushpaw breathed. Hollowstar caught up with them. His dark tabby pelt illuminated in the last rays of the golden-pink sun. "Stand back," he warned, his face twisted with worry. Hollyblossom whispered something to him, and his tensed shoulders fell back, his body became more relaxed. He made his way across the rocks, agile body easily springing from cliff to cliff. "Where is she?" he demanded of Hollyblossom. "We never found her," Hollyblossom replied, her white tail thrashing. "There!" Rushpaw yowled. "I see," the black and white medicine cat sighed with relief. She darted over to the silver body splayed across the rocks.


 * = spoiler alert! plot and ending details follow!