Vanilla exhaled quietly. She sat dow, let her fur flatten, and curled her tail over her paws. "My name is Vanilla."

Gorsepaw finished with him. "You can go, now." she mewed. "Unless you're still waiting for your friend..." she added.

Stormblaze nodded. "Is it okay if I wait here?" he asked her.

Gorsepaw sighed loudly. "Okay, okay, fine." she replied. "Over there," Gorsepaw added, pointing at the side of the cave. He couldn't disturb other patients.

Stormblaze got up and slunk over to the wall. He sat down, tail flicking.

Shadowpaw looked up from her nest. "Yes..." she asked. "Marshtail?" Her ear flicked, batting away a small insect.

Stormblaze blinked, raised a paw, and turned to the entrance. "W-was that..?" he mumbled. It couldn't be his leader. "See you, Gorsepaw." he mewed briskly. Stormblaze got up and pelted across the clearing to the faint(, angry) voice across the border. "Willowstar?" he called, looking around. Why now? When I appear to be so pathetic? ... What's she doing now? Stormblaze stopped carefully. "Willowstar, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to hide his true feelings in his eyes as he looked at her.

((Hawkshadow then Shadowscar? o.0 Fluffy, did you make a mistake up there?

Lol, I didn't know you had a sister. XD))

((I has two sisters. Both of thems are a pain in the butt...))

"Stormblaze! did you find Marshtail?" Pinebloom asked. "Where have you been?!"

"Yeah... I think we need to talk." Marshtail said. She didn't know what to say. 'Sorry for killing your dad' seemed a little too straightforward. "How have you been?"

"That's nice to know" Gladestar said. "Where are your parents?"

-Fail post- 

((*huggles Whateber*))

Stormblaze breathed in deeply even though it was still raining so he should've sneezed out water. "Marshtail was being chased by a fox earlier. I went to help her, and the fox ran off to DarkClan. We rushed over to warn DarkClan of the fox, and then they drove it away. We were checked for wounds, and Marshtail wants to go talk to Shadowpaw. I was waiting for her when I heard Willowstar." he told Pinebloom.

Shadowpaw blinked. "I've... been fine..." she mewed. But what she should've said was, "What do you mean 'How have you been?'?! What kind of question is that?!?!" She flicked her tail.

Vanilla gave a sniffle. "I... They..." she stammered. Vanilla looked away, not wanting for the she-cat to see the agony in her eyes.

(( Er.. I think I might've gotten mixed up XD they're too close. So similar D8))

Pausing, Willowstar's voice rang out. "Nothing Stormblaze, I'm just worrying about the Gathering. It's nearly moon high, and we haven't gone yet..." She paused, and then looked at him, "What happened? did the fox hurt anyone?" Looking at the two cats, her face became grim. "Out with it." She ordered, not unkindly, "who got hurt?"

Shadowscar was thinking. He was thinkng about his past, and his apprentice days, think about how he never told anyone he wanted to be a debuty, instead, holding back on his full potential. He thought about his mother, and how she loved the elders. But he couldn't understand how she loved them so. Shadowscar shook these rebellious thoughts out of his head. Who cares? Mother's dead and gone now. And there are no elders or older warriors left now to tell me about who she was, save Gladestar.

"Well, if you'd like you could stay here. how old are you? Do you know?" Gladestar asked.

Pinebloom twitched her tail. "What makes you so sure that anyone got hurt? Gladestar must've been leading her cats to the gathering when Stormblaze found them. That's a lot of cats and only one fox."

Marshtail twitched her ears guiltily. "I'm sorry" she said, averting her eyes and staring at her paws. "I didn't mean to kill anyone that night" 

((I know. XD))

"I think Marshtail's paw got injured. But the medicine cat apprentice took care of that." he mewed. Stormblaze flicked his tail, not wanting it to become soggy. "I hope HailClan and OceanClan don't get too mad..." he murmured, looking concerned. Stormblaze wished that things were okay, that they were all underneath the Sky Maple, sharing news under the truce of the full moon. He shook the thoughts out of his head. He wa thinking like a kit.

Shadowpaw shifted and sat up calmly. She knew that Marshtail killed her father, but she also saved her. Would she forgive the she-cat? It was a tough decision.

Gorsepaw began to fix up the herbs. They would need some dock, yarrow, and catmint. Eagletalon had consumed much of it.

The tom stirred. He blinked weakly. "I feel worse." he rasped, eyes glimmering with sadness. "Very terri-" He was interrupted by a coughing fit. "Gorsepaw, I think I have greencough." The warrior trembled.

Gorsepaw was chilled by his words. "Oh, no.." she whispered sadly. She got a leaf of Crea and placed some scraps of catmint on it. Then she added a bit of Trint-a-La. Her paw hovered over the Chancebloom, but she recoiled and gave Eagletalon what she had already placed on the leaf.

Weakly, Eagletalon ate up the herbs. He turned away quickly to sneeze, then cough terribly. He continued to eat slowly. His body shuddered and heaved as he breathed, as if it was a c*censored*.

"Oh, StarClan. Please help." Gorsepaw whispered.

"I don't feel better." Eagletalon mewed hoarsely. He curled up again, his nest warm and cikly smelling.

Gorsepaw's eyes glimmered in pain. She had failed to heal him. But he didn't have blackcough yet. She took out a clean nest and let him rest on it. Gorsepaw quickly cleaned the other one and put it away. "Stay here. Rest. I'm going to find you a cure." she mewed before bolting out of the medicine cat den. Gorsepaw plunged into the forest, her silhouette soon hidden by mist.

Eagletalon nodded shakily and lied down. He coughed a few times before sneezing. Eagletalon coughed again and again and again. Pain choked his dry throat. He sipped some water from another leaf. Eagletalon felt a little better and drank the rest of the water. He coughed out a few droplets and coughed again.

Gorsepaw looked around forherbs that she could salvage. "Please, please, please..." she whispered. The sound of Eagletalon's coughing fit rang in her ears. It was replaced by Applesong's calming voice. She was remembering the day that her mentor told her all about herbs. A tiny, weak smile showed on her wet face.

Nodding in approval, she mewed quietly. "I hope Gladestar acknowledged your help." There was sadness in her eyes. Pinebloom should be leader. Why me? I got the mark of Star most likely by chance. I'm inexperienced and without a deputy. What can I do? Oh Starclan, help me!" She yowled silently. Dipping her head in silent agreement, she mewed to the cats. "Go bac kto the camp, gather Thrushcall, whiteriver, Crookedheart, and Acornpaw to go thethe Gathering. Stormblaze and Pinebloom, you two stay behind. I don't want the camp completely undefended. I shall wait for Marshtail here."

Vanilla replied, "Almost 11 moons." She shifted and relaxed again.

Shadowpaw closed her eyes nd breathed calmly for a moment. "I know. It was a battle. You had to defend your Clan and help fight." she mewed as calmly as she could, with her father's last yowl in her head. But a tiny, tiny part of her yearned for revenge.

Stormblaze gave a sniff. "The fox moved quickly. Marshtail was trying to protect Shadowpaw, because it lept at her. The other cats were too far away to do anything. Marshtail saved Shadowpaw, but she got hurt in the process."

Applesong watched Gorsepaw with approval. "It's alright Eagletalon, she's my apprentice, she knows what to do." She sat in her nest. She hoped Eagletalon would make it. "Do you want me to bring in Ashflight and Minnowfoot?" she asked. Applesong knew for sure that if Eagletalon wasn't showing signs of improvement by dawn, he'd be dead before dusk the next day. Her eyes glittered as she noticed the Chancebloom, sitting in the corner next to the yarrow stem and mouse bile. Will I have to use it? She wondered in her head.

She remembered the last time she used it with Nightcloud by her side. It was actually another of Blackthistle and Sweetblossom's sons. Darkleaf was the medicine cat apprentice when she was kitnapped, and she had fallen very ill after healing Gladestar, Gladewish at the time. Nightcloud was very old, near the end.

"You know what to do Applepaw" Nightcloud had said. "Chancebloom."

Applepaw's  heart fluttered in terror. "Is it black cough?" she had asked, her voice trembling.

"Not yet, but it will be" Nightcloud croaked.

Applepaw stared long and hard at the herb before she sighed. Darkleaf was very sick. She opened his mouth and put the herb down his throat. Darkleaf gasped almost immediatly, his eyes were wide with panic. And then he fell. His heart stopped. He was dead. Applepaw dipped her head guiltily and put her nose on his muzzle. He had been like a brother to her throughout her training. "He is with Starclan now..." 

Gladestar was suprised. "11 moons? Really? I thought you were younger. You could be an apprentice, and train alongside the others until you become a warrior. You seem to be the type who could lead a clan to me, maybe you'd be Vanillastar someday" 

Pinebloom nodded obediently. "Yes Willowstar" She bit her tongue. She would've called her Willowpaw for how she had been acting earlier. But she would never challenge her leader, even if she was young and inexperienced.

"You don't understand" Marshtail said. "When I go into battle, I black out. It doesn't matter who is who anymore. I killed him, and I had meant to at the time because I was so far gone in the battle" she said. "You shouldn't forgive me just because I was angry at the fox." she said sharply gazing into Shadowpaw's eyes. "I don't deserve it." 

((Lol, I actually like Willowstar's character. Pinebloom is actually a very headstrong personality who isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in- which isn't always a good thing.))

Pinebloom growled softly, not wanting to say anything more. But it slipped out anyway. "I have lived past my first battle and  my last will not be soon. I am several moons older than you are as well, so don't be calling me 'young one'" she snapped. She turned around and stormed to the border, sitting directly on top of it to wait for Marshtail as she had been instructed. She hated being told who she was and who she had to be.

((Your cats have such interesting histories!! XD))

Gorsepaw's tail swished happily. "Crea." She twisted and gently gripped the herb's stem. Pulling carefully, Gorsepaw managed to uproot it. It smelled nice, of course. It wasn't a surefire way to cure greencough, but it should help. Gorsepaw turned and rushed back, remembering Eagletalon.

Vanilla smiled. She relised that the Clan cats were nice, but not to intruders. She wondered why they all wanted to live the way that they did. "I would be honoured to live in your Clan." the small she-cat mewed polietly.

Shadowpaw gave a tiny smile. "It's okay, really." she mewed, knowing the feeling that was thirst for blood and death. The rush of the battle. Adrenaline seeping through your blood.

Stormblaze flinched at the two. "I uhh..." he mumbled. 

((lol, I bet you can't wait until Gladestar does one of her flash backs. And I'll have Ashflight have one too from when Eagletalon was a kit. :) I was going to have her remembering a time when Darkleaf was checking Ashflight for sickness before they became apprentices. :) ))

"Alright. I'll do your apprentice naming ceremony now, and then I'll have to send someone to the gathering so the clans know we are alright." Gladestar said. "Would you rather be Vanillapaw or Creampaw? I like them both because they are both related to the name you have now."

Marshtail smiled. "I'd best be going." she said. "Maybe we'll meet again someday" 

((Cool. 8D))

Vanilla nodded. She thought for a moment. "Vanillapaw." she mewed. Vanilla loved her name and didn't want to lose any part of it.

Shadopaw nodded. "Probably at Gatherings." she mewed. Or even in battle, the apprentice thought.

"Well, in that case, I'll see you in a moon." Marshtail said. She smiled and then left. She left the camp at a walk and then ran to the border to avoid getting more wet. "Pinebloom! Boy, am I glad to see you." Marshtail said, crossing onto Terraclan territory.

"Not in the mood" Pinebloom growled. "Willowstar wants to talk to you."

"Okay..." Marshtail said nervously. "Is she here?"

----

"Alright then. Follow me." Gladestar said. She jumped out of her den and onto the high stone. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high stone for a clan meeting!" Gladestar yowled. She beckoned with her tail for Vanilla to come forward.

Minnowfoot pricked his ears. Are we still going to the gathering? he wondered. He padded outside and sat beneath the high stone.

Ashflight followed her brother out and flicked her ear at a huge rain drop as it landed on her head. She looked around the clearing and saw Applesong at the mouth of her den. She looked worried- and the only cat in the medicine den was Eagletalon. Ashflight could do the math. She would visit him after this. 

Stepping out from her hiding spot, Willowstar purred. "Marshtail, you should have scented I was here." She was amused, then grew serious. "You were talking to someone." She stated, not even asking. Lightly stroking Marshtail's fur with her tail tip, Willowstar sighed. "I trust for you to make the right descision. And I hope I will be pleased with your choice. But, Starclan hasn't made anycat perfect yet, so I do realize things happen without our understanding." Closing her eyes for a bit, she murmured, "You shall come to the Gathering tonight, unless you wish to stay with Pinebloom and Stormblaze?"She mewed, giving Marshtail a choice.  Pinebloom would make a good deputy. Her strong sense of doing what she believes in is good, but how can the clan rest easy if her views sway? Stormblaze would also be a wonderful deputy, but he places too many burdens on his shoulders, as long as he can fight them. With the issue of arguing cats however..... Marshtail is a kind soul, and most of the clans know it.

Hawkit wondered where to go. He was to be in Terraclan for he did not like Hailclan. He darted to the Thunderpath, rain plastering his face. He didn't know where he was. Yuck! He thought. "OW!" he yelped as everything went black. This was NOT good.

Stormclaw growled as the rain was making him shiver. "Argh!" he hissed.