Chapt 25

"And this," Jayfeather explained,"Is burdock root. It's the best way to treat rat bites." Lionblaze watched intently as the medicine cat explained useful herbs. He was quivering with excitement, he was going to find Skyclan!
"To make a pulp, chew it carefully. Try not to swallow the pulp and spit it onto a leaf. Put some on your paw and spread it over the wounded area. Wash your hands as soon as possible. This seed I have here is a poppy seed, which you probably all know reduces pain and makes you drowsy. At most only have 4 seeds, if you swallow anymore, try and sleep it off." Jayfeather mewed.
"What do we do if we have a fever?" Heathertail asked the tabby medicine cat.
"Feverfew leaves can be eaten, or lavender. If you eat a poison, eat yarrow and you'll throw it up. If wounded find cobwebs, the more the better. These are all common remedies. I will review them again before you leave." Willowshine explained, padding up to them. "Jayfeather, can you make the traveling herbs while I check the queens and the kits?" Jayfeather grunted before padding back into his den to get the herbs. Lionblaze padded out of the clearing and searched the clan for his mate an his kits. He looked around the clearing, but found nothing but angry and scared stares as he walked to the nursery. He poked his head in, only to be greeted by squeals of fear.
"Your not going to hurt us, right?" Cedarkit squeaked.
"Why would I hurt you?" Lionblaze asked, confused.
"Because, your more powerful than Starclan." Cedarkit mewed quietly.
Before Lionblaze could speak, Cinderheart padded into the nursery with his kits.
"Do you know why these cats from long ago chose him," Without waiting for an answer she continued," Because he knows good from bad, even though he doesn't always do the right thing, he learns from it. He knows where his loyalties lie." With that the kits looked less afraid and crept from where they were huddling.
"Come on Mountainkit, lets go play badger attack!" Cedarkit mewed cheerfully. All the kits left, except for one spotted she-cat. Leopardkit lay down crestfallen.
"What's the matter Leopardkit?" Lionblaze sat down next to his daughter.
"No one wants to play with me! They all want to play Mountiankit, it's no fair, I'm just as fun!" She wailed. She cuddled up to her father and snuggled deeply into his golden tabby fur.
"Do you want to go into the forest with me and Cinderheart?" He looked up at his mate who nodded her agreement, Leopardkit looked up.
"Do you really mean it?" She said sniffing her nose.
"Yes, come on let's go before it gets too dark." They got up and padded out of the camp.
"I want to see you hunt!" Leopardkit stumbled over a rock. Lionblaze flicked his ear to tell her to be silent and crouched down. He crept forward, towards the sound of a vole, scrabbling in the ground. He ducked under a fern and padded silently, until he was a fox-length away. He located the vole under the leaves. Gathering his haunches, he prepared to leap. He leaped and landed right behind the vole, reaching out his paws, his threw the vole up in the air. He jumped after it, killing it quickly with a bite to the throat. LeopaButrdkit squealed  in excitement as Lionblaze  set the vole at her tiny paws.
"Can I have some?" She squealed.
"No, your much too young. But you can bring it to the elders and maybe they'll tell you a story!" Cinderheart purred.
Leopardkit picked up the vole, which was nearly as big as her, and ran to the camp. When they arrived back in camp, all the kits looked up in shock as Leopardkit padded to the elder's den with Lionblaze's catch.
"Did you catch that?" Rainkit mewed in disbelief.
"She couldn't, she's too small!" Stonekit jibed.
"She could so!" Mountainkit defended his sister. All the while Leopardkit was in the elder's den, probably hearing a story. Lionblaze let out an amused mrrrow and padded to the warriors den to nap. He woke up as a paw prodded his side.
"Come on, Jayfeather and Willowshine want to review herbs." Crowfeather growled. Lionblaze couldn't believe it was dawn already. He joined the other cats at the medicine clearing.
"Now, what do you do if your attacked by rats and you get bitten?" Jayfeather tested the cats. Lionblaze tried to think back, but all he could remember was to say goodbye to Cinderheart and the kits before he left.
"Find burdock root, chew it into a pulp and spread it over the wound." Heathertail replied automatically.
"Good, now what do you cover the wound with to stop bleeding?" Willowshine asked.
"Cobwebs; the more the better." This time Gingerstep spoke.
"Correct. What happens if infection sets in after you step in a thorn?" Jayfeather quickly asked.
"You chew chervil and if you get a fever chew lavender or feverfew." Crowfeather mewed nonchalantly.
"I think you are all good to go. Come and eat your traveling herbs. Then eat a peice of fresh kill. We want to you to be as fit and strong as possible." Jayfeather pushed herbs toward the warriors. Lionblaze ate the bitter herbs quickly. He padded to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a chaffinch. It was stale and tasted horrible, but he knew he would appriciate the meal later. He then padded quietly to the nursery, careful not to disturb the sleeping camp.
"Cinderheart, Cinderheart. Come on, wake up, I'm leaving." He whispered into her ear. He felt the kits squirm. He looked down and saw Mountainkit open his eyes, then nudged his sister awake. Cinderheart looked up at Lionblaze, stood up and guided the ktis out into the clearing with Lionblaze.
"Where ya' going papa?" Mountainkit yawned.
"I'm going to find Skyclan." He mewed,"I want you two to be on your best behavior while I'm gone. Do what your mother tells you and Leopardkit watch out for your brother."
"I don't need taking care of," Mountainkit mewed indignantly.
He twined his tail with Cinderheart's and leaned close to her ear.
"I love you," He murmured.
"I love you, and I always will," She mewed back,"But if you don't come back, I'll kill you." Lionblaze let out a mrrrow and gently licked his mate's head.
"Good-bye my kits, I won't be gone for long." Lionblaze heard Squirrelflight mew to her kits.
"Can't we come too? We could help!" Firekit pleaded.
"Then who would protect the camp?" Squirrelflight stepped out of the nursery, purring to her kits. "Would you watch them please?" She whispered to Cinderheart.
"Of course," Cinderheart nodded.
"Come on, I want to be out of here before sunhigh!" Crowfeather growled impaitantly. Lionblaze padded to his patrol of Heathertail and Gingerstep. Bramblestar padded up to them.
"I want you all to know that all of the clans are proud of you. If the tribe or Skyclan don't want or can't come, don't force them. We want willing fighting cats." He dipped his head to the two patrols. The three cats in Lionblaze's patrol looked at each other, nodded and headed through the gorse tunnel. They traveled towards Shadowclan territory when Gingerstep stopped moving.
"Can we do something really quick?" She asked, turning her head towards a part of the pine forest.
"What do you want to do?" Heathertail asked, clearly confused.
"I want to see what the camp looks like, it will only take a second." She pleaded.
"I guess...but only a quick peek." Lionblaze mewed. The three cats ran towards the pine trees, which Lionblaze recognised as the Shadowclan camp. Parts of the bushes and brambles surrounding the walls were missing and Lionblaze could smell crowfood coming from the camp. They padded through the bramble bushes and a clearing opened up around him. He had been here a few times, but he never saw it so empty. Suddenly, a new scent flooded into his nose. Fox! He opened his mouth to warn the patrol when a red, scrawny animal padded out of a large den, which Lionblaze guessed was the warrior's den. Lionblaze heard growls rumble from the patrol as the fox snapped it's mouth and stepped forward. Lionblaze stepped forward, a snarl bursting from his mouth. He yowled a furious caterwaul and launched himself at the fox. The fox, clearly suprised by the golden tabby's strength, barked and snapped at his hind legs. By now the other two warriors joined the fight, biting the fox's forepaws and tail. Lionblaze drew back and slashed his claws down the fox's muzzle. Scarlet blood pored from the muzzle. The fox jumped back from the fierce cats, barked angrily, before running into the heather. Lionblaze looked at his patrol, surveying the injuries.
"Is anyone seriously hurt?" Lionblaze was worried that they would have to turn back to camp if anyone was injured.
"I have some scratches, but most of the blood is the fox's." Heathertail purred.
"What about you?" He turned to Gingerstep.
"I'm fine," She muttered. He saw her look around her former camp, sadness glazing her eyes over. He could still smell the faint scentof blood and fear. He saw snags of fur on bushes and a pile of prey, probably the freshkill pile, was now crowfood.
"Come on, we can't do anything here." He mewed. Without waiting for a reply and padded out of the camp. He jumped over rocks and started running as the two she-cats ran up to him. They soon were out of clan territory and were following the stream. Lionblaze and the patrol past a Twoleg place.
"We met three kittypets here, they helped us fight the badgers." He mewed, remembering the fight with the horrid brown beasts.
"Kittypets? The great prophecisised warrior need kittypet help?" Gingerstep snorted,"So Thunderclan isn't that great."
"Your clan was in the battle too," He shot back. Gingerstep seemed to know she had gone too far and dropped to the back. Lionblaze felt uncomfortable about being in the open and he looked up to the sky. The sun was starting to set, and looked back to Heathertail and Gingerstep. They looked asleep on their paws.
"Why don't we hunt and find a place to sleep?" He suggested.
"Good. Those traveling herbs are wearing off." Gingerstep purred. Lionblaze could feel like he could walk forever, but he couldn't leave the patrol behind. He peered through the bushes, smelling for prey. He could smell birds and mice, but he could also smell rabbit. He saw a frond of fern wave, then he saw a white tail between two pieces of plant. On the other side of the fern, he saw another rabbits whiskers twitch. He hissed to Heathertail, who was stalking a mouseLionblaze went for the rabbit in front of the bush. He got into a hunters crouch, lightly stepping down so he made no sound. The wind was blowing towards him, so he could quickly identify where the rabbit was exactly. He jumped a tail length away, but the rabbit was faster. He got to his paws quickly and took off through the ferns. The rabbit was running in zig-zags, trying to confuse Lionblaze. But he was smarter, he jumped on the rabbit and killed it with one quick bite to the neck. He triumphantly padded towards where they were setting down for camp. Heathertail had caught her rabbit, and was sharing it with Gingerstep.
"Were eating better here than at camp!" Gingerstep mewed.
Lionblaze sat down to eat his rabbit, when a different voice entered his ears.
"Greeting Lionblaze. I didn't think I would see you again so soon."