The moment she opened her eyes, Bonepaw darted out of the
den and headed straight into the forest. As per usual, the night patrol hadn't
yet returned. Although kindhearted, Burnpelt was a strict mentor and always
demanded of Bonepaw great discipline.

Bonepaw, an orange little thing with one paw as white as
snow, began her routine. She walked through the forest, naming every plant she
saw, making sure she had remembered each and every one of them and their uses,
if they had any. She stopped and dug up some comfrey root, gathered some
cobwebs and headed to Burnpelt's den.

“You are late." The Riverclan medicine cat spoke without
lifting up her gaze from the outside warrior laying on one side. “What have you
brought me?"

Bonepaw place the roots and cobwebs near Burnpelt.

“Comfrey roots and cobwebs. For the broken leg."

“Good work. But it won't be necessary." The cat picked up
the supplies and placed them in their appropriate pile. “His leg wasn't broken.
Just sprained. Never the less, you resupplied my stock."

Bonepaw took that as a gratitude. She had long ago learned
that the medicine cat didn't have much of a way with words.

“He's going to be alright then?" Bonepaw asked, sitting next
to her mentor.

“Yes. He'll live. Can you tell me, what did I give him to
fall asleep?"

Bonepaw thought for a moment.

“Pop seeds" she guessed.

The medicine cat chuckled.

“Almost. Poppy seeds."

“Right…"

“You should gather some later today. We are running low."

“But I'm always gathering poppy seeds!" Bonepaw protested.

“Because they get used up rather quickly." Burnpelt said
with a calm voice.

“But why? Injuries aren't so common! And yet we never have
poppy seeds."

Burnpelt sighed.

“There is an actual reason for that. And considering
Mouseclaw's situation…it might be an adequate time to learn about our expanded
duties."

Bonepaw examined the warrior, who she now knew as Mouseclaw.
A black tom from Thunderclan, if Bonepaw remembered correctly from the clan
gatherings. He looked rather young and was most likely very agile.

“How did he fall into the river?" Bonepaw asked.

“He didn't." The brown cat answered. “After we brought down
his fever last night and I sent you back to camp, he told me all about it. He
climbed up a tree and jumped from the highest branch, straight into the river."

“Why would he do that?"

“Apparently, he didn't want to live anymore."

Bonepaw tried comprehend those words. How was it possible
that a cat wouldn't want to live?

“He fell in love with a cat from Shadowclan. For one reason
or another she was exiled to Twolegplace and-“

“Really?" Bonepaw was shocked.

“Really."

She had never heard of an exile like that before. The idea
of not being part of your clan anymore was a chilling concept.

“So-“ Burnpelt continued. “-this warrior decided that living
a life without her was not a life worth living."

“That is strange."

“As a medicine cat…you have to learn to treat broken bodies
and broken hearts. We talked the entire night. Supposedly he's seen the error
of his ways. He should be awake by nightfall and he'll go back to his clan
then." The medicine cat watched the warrior's deep breaths, his body rising and
falling. “I trust you haven't told anyone that he is here."

Bonepaw shook her head.

“No. As you instructed."

“Good girl."

“But why? Outsiders should always be reported, right?"

Burnpelt sighed.

“You are right. In most circumstances, you would be right.
However, this is an exception."

Bonepaw tilted her head.

“He was injured. It's our duty as medicine cats to help any
cat in need."

“I understand" Bonepaw said solemnly.

“He was also…unwell., which would have made things even more
difficult."

“The sprained leg?"

“Not quite." Burnpelt answered and walked outside her den,
which Bonepaw took as a sign to follow her. “You see, Bonepaw, there are many
diseases and injuries that can befall a cat. Broken bones, open wounds, fevers
and so on…we can heal with herbs. Not always successfully, but we know what to
do and how to do it. But there is a different type of injury, a different type
of wound. A heart wound."

The cat stared out into the woods. The sun was already
rising. Soon the night patrol would pass by, leaving some fresh prey for the
medicine cat and her apprentice. Bonepaw had the nagging feeling that Burnpelt
would make her give her food to Mousepaw for when he woke up. It had happened a
few times before and she had gotten used to it by now.

“What is a heart wound?" Bonepaw asked, trying to ignore
that nagging feeling and knowing full well that Burnpelt wanted her to ask.

“It's what Mouseclaw had. I hope it's healed. By they rarely
heal so fast or so easily. Sometimes they never heal and all you can do is
treat them."

Burnpelt took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“You know about Flashpaw right?"

Bonepaw furrowed her brow in thought.

“I think so…he's a warrior. Lives in a separate den, right?"

“Flashpaw prefers to be called 'they'" Burnpelt interjected.

“They? What do you mean? He's just one."

“They are, yes. But that's what he wants."

“I don't understand. Why should we do that? Call him 'they'.
It doesn't make any sense."

Burnpelt turned towards her apprentice, her eyes bearing a
tinge of sadness.

“Flashpaw has had a troubled life with much suffering. The
least we can do to ease their pain is to comply with their wish. As a future
medicine cat, you should ease suffering as much as you can."

“I know…" Bonepaw said, still confused. “It's just…I don't
understand it."

“You don't need to."

“I-“

Bonepaw went quiet.

“Think about it later" Burnpelt said.

Bonepaw nodded and waited for Burnpelt to continue her
story.

“Flashpaw was always…and odd cat. During a patrol on the
outskirts of the forest, Cloudpelt found them all alone, a newborn kit.
Defenseless. Abandoned. You probably don't remember Cloudpelt, he died during last
leaf-fall. He was an honorable warrior and held up the warrior code. So,
according to the warrior code, he took the kit in. I was about three moons when
they were brought into the clan – a small, excited black and white ball of fur,
ready to become part of something bigger than themselves. We never did find out
who their parents were. Probably kittypets. That's what most of the clan
believes now at least."

Burnpelt turned towards Bonepaw to see if she was still
paying attention.

“They were very enthusiastic, always running around,
playing. The name Flashkit was an easy pick. I remember they were always the
first to wake up and the last to fall asleep. Playing games with them was quite
the experience, new rules being thought up on the spot and old ones quickly
abandoned, you never knew what you were going to get when Flashkit was playing.
They were also very curious, constantly asking questions, about the clans,
about the other cats, how the warrior code worked, what different plants did.
We were positively certain that Flashkit was going to be a medicine cat when
they grew up. But Leafsnout, the medicine cat back then, my mentor, didn't have
a particular liking to Flashkit. She was always a bit of an odd cat, but her
distaste for Flashkit seemed far too much. She constantly ignored all their
questions, constantly scolded them, ordering them to behave, making sure to
always mention that if they were to be a warrior, they'd need to learn the
virtue of patience."

“Patience?" Bonepaw asked. “That's not in the warrior code."

“No, but she was trying to find a way to make them sit
still. Sometimes it worked for a moment or two, but soon after Flashpaw was
back at it again, running around and pestering her with questions. Flashpaw was
one of a kind and everybody in the clan loved them. Besides Leafsnout. But
maybe Leafsnout felt something, knew something, none of us did. But they were
growing quite fast and most of the warrior believed they'd be a fine addition
to their ranks when the time came."

Burnpelt stopped her story as two apprentices came from the
woods.

“Fresh catch" one apprentice said after they both laid down
a fish in front of the medicine cat.

“They're quite big, aren't they?" Burnpelt commented, examining
the prey.

“Sure are!" the other apprentice excitedly said. “The river
has been overflowing with fish the past week! Hunting hasn't been easier!"

“We'll see you later tonight, Bonepaw! We need to share
tongues soon! It's been a while and I have so much to tell you!" the first
apprentice said as they both left.

The medicine cat and her apprentice watched them leave in
silence.

“They didn't smell Mouseclaw." Bonepaw commented.

“No. The herbs block out most scents. They wouldn't be able
to smell him if he was sitting right next to them."

Burnpelt pushed one of the fishes towards Bonepaw.

“Bring this inside. Leave it by Mouseclaw for when he wakes
up. You can eat the other one when you are feeling hungry."

Bonepaw did as she was told, surprised that she would be
getting food today. Maybe her mentor had something planned for her later on.

When she returned, she sat down next to Burnpelt and
patiently waited for her to continue her story.

“Flashpaw…" she began while staring at the fish. “…was quite
the voracious eater. Even at an early age, they managed to scarf down an entire fish. But no one seemed to pay it any thought. Flashpaw grew faster than
anyone of the other kits, so they needed more fish. It made sense. If you
didn't know better, you'd think that they were a warrior already. But as we got
older, Flashpaw didn't seem to change, preferring to play more and more games,
rather than begin helping around the clan. When the time came for them to
become and apprentice, Cloudpelt chose to mentor them, believing that all they
needed was a bit of discipline to grow out of their kitten habits. That is when
the real troubles began. I was already chosen to be a medicine cat apprentice.
If you think I am strict, you don't know what I had to go through with Leafsnout.
She kept me up all night, memorizing herbs, reciting their effects and use and
when the sun rose, we'd go out and gather plants. There was no eating until I
could name every clan's founding members, their deputies and their kits. Each
time I got something wrong, she'd smack the back of my head. She was one
cantankerous flea-brained she-cat. But she was one of the wisest medicine cats
in generations."

Burnpelt looked at Bonepaw, once more to see if she was
paying attention. She followed her eyes to the fish and Burnpelt gently pushed
it towards her. Bonepaw quickly started nibbling the fresh-kill, her attention
turned back towards her mentor.  

 “One day," Burnpelt
continued “Leafsnout told me that I had a special task. She sent me back to
camp, to sleep and rest until I was ready. Her instructions were simple –
follow Flashpaw and learn as much as you can from him. At the time, I didn't
really know what she meant. What was there to learn about Flashpaw? They were
an excited kit and an even more excited apprentice. I didn't think much of it
and took the opportunity to finally rest a bit. Cloudpelt had no problem with
me following both of them around, believing that having an extra pair of eyes
on them, Flashpaw might fix up his act. Sadly, it might have made it worse.
From what I observed back then, Flashpaw could not stand still for longer than
a heartbeat, constantly questioning his mentor on the inanest things. Each time
Cloudpelt tried to show them the proper stance to pounce on prey, Flashpaw was
gazing up at the sky, or down at the grass. And each time he was questioned
about it, Flashpaw didn't really know what to say. They'd constantly interrupt
Cloudpelt, talking over him, asking me questions about what I was doing there
and things about plants and wildlife. Most of the times I only answered with a
few words, but soon enough I learned to ignore them. I used to think it was
because Cloudplet would give bad looks whenever I talked to them, but, truth be
told, I was getting fed up with them."

“It couldn't have been that bad" Bonepaw said, munching on a
piece of fish.

Burnpelt didn't answer right away.

“It wasn't easy. It was like they'd just ask questions, not
caring about the answers. It was like they weren't even listening, only wanting
to talk. The other clan cats were of the same mind. Flashpaw would ask them how
their training was and right as the apprentice was about to answer, they'd cut
them off with another question, or something that happened earlier that day, or
something entirely different. Even then, it wasn't uncommon for them to just
stare off into the distance, uninterested in any actual answer. Soon enough,
all the cats had basically stopped talking to them, even refusing to share
tongues with them."

“All of them?"

“Some of them still talked with Flashpaw, when passing by or
when there was no one else around, but it wasn't out of genuine interest."
Burnpelt sighed. “I am guilty of that as well. They were becoming so hard to
deal with. Maybe it got worse because nobody talked with them, I don't know. But
at least all the new kits looked up to him. They couldn't wait for their uncle
Flashpaw to return from patrol and play with them. The kits were the only ones
who could keep up with them, really. But as the kits aged, they too stopped
started ignoring them. Flashpaw knew that there was something wrong with them.
Everyone knew, but nobody knew what. It wasn't natural for a cat to be so
overactive. Even when they were fully grown, their appetite didn't cease. In
fact, it got even stronger. They were able to eat three fishes per meal. And
they had three meals a day. Sometimes even more. There were numerous occasions
where they just overate and threw up. It was getting harder for the patrol to
keep up the prey supply. I can't really be certain, but I had some suspicions,
which I shared with Leafsnout and she said that I might be on to something. I
believed that Flashpaw's eating problem might be connected with what was going
on with their daily life."

“But…why? And how?"

“I can't really say. I continued to observe them, hoping I
would find something. I went on a few hunting trips with them and Cloudpelt.
Flashpaw's speed, at least at that time, was amazing. They had little to no
trouble hunting down mice and rodents. That would have been enough usually, if they
could sit still long enough to perform an ambush. But Cloudpelt was content
with letting them run around and catch a mouse or two. They'd eat any prey on
the spot, but Cloudpelt let them have it, without much fuss. I could see it in
the old cat's eyes – he was very concerned about Flashpaw. He was the one that
brought them to the camp and he probably had some sense of responsibility.
Still, there was nothing he could have done."

A rustling came from within the den. The medicine cat looked
inside. Mouseclaw was partially awake, tossing and turning uneasily.

“Nightmares." Burnpelt said. “A fever probably."

The medicine cat motioned her apprentice to step inside the
den.

“What will we do about the fever?" Burnpelt asked.

“We can use lavender?" Bonepaw suggested.

“We don't have it in supply."

“Feverfew?"

“Good choice. But it doesn't grow at this time."

Bonepaw thought for a moment.

“Quickly now, we don't want to prolong his suffering."

“There was another herb…bor…bar…berig root. That's it! Berig
root!"

“Think carefully. What's the proper name." Burnpelt said
with a sturdy voice.

“Bee…bii…"

“Faster, now."

“I-I don't know." Bonepaw surrendered.

“Borage leaves."

“Borage leaves…" Bonepaw quietly repeated.

“Can you find them?"

Bonepaw looked around.

“There!" she pointed with her muzzle.

“At least you know how they look." Burnpelt said with an
exhausted tone.

She looked down at her apprentice, how stared back up at her
waiting.  

“Well? They won't fly into his mouth like that! Give him
some."

Bonepaw jumped. She grabbed some of the leaves and placed
them in the warrior's mouth. He chewed them up and swallowed.

“There. He'll be fine in a heartbeat. Let's go."

Bonepaw's head hung low as the cats exited the den.

“You needed three tries until you found a good enough
remedy. And even then, you didn't know it's proper name." Burnpelt stared into
the forest. “But at least you could locate it quick enough. I shouldn't have had
to tell you to give it to him though."

Bonepaw didn't answer. There was a sense of shame and guilt
brewing inside her. Burnpelt put a paw on her head.

“We'll review the herbs again tonight and we'll go out to
gather more. There's no need to feel bad about it, as long you better yourself
in the end. Alright?"

“Alright…" Bonepaw muttered, still feeling uneasy, but much
less so.

“You know, when I was an apprentice, I had trouble remembering
most herbs. Leafsnout would make me recite them all, everyday, with all their
properties, and each time I got something wrong, I'd get hit on the head. She
would have preferred you as an apprentice over me."

“Really?" Bonepaw perked up.

“Oh, yes. You are doing a much better job that I did.
Leafsnout predicted that I would be the end of Riverclan. I'd cause the stars
to fall and the se the world on fire. She never liked anyone really. You
weren't a full-blown warrior, if Leafsnout hadn't berated you for not giving
her fresher prey and getting hit on the head over and over. But she was the
only one who actually tried talking to Flashpaw on a regular basis. She wanted
to understand them. She never got too far though. They constantly changed
subjects and would just leave in the middle of a conversation. But she never
held it against them. Maybe because she got to know them much better than all
the rest. Being such an excited critter, from a young Flashpaw tended to get
injured. Bruises, thorn bushes, ripped fur. If you can think of an injury, they
had it at one point or another. But the worst one was when Cloudpelt tried to
teach them to fish. He explained that you had to observe the fish in the river
and to sneak up on them and to be mindful of the current. But Flashpaw hadn't
been listening much and simply jumped in. They were quickly swept away by the
current. Me and Cloudpelt jumped right after him. We managed to catch them, but
unfortunately, by that time they got pretty beaten up. We rushed them to
Leafsnout and she started mending them – two broken legs and a fever. Flashpaw
spent the next moon incapacitated, stuffed with poppy seeds. It was the first
time anyone had seen them so docile, not only for the lack of movement but they
were much less talkative. Their eating habits hadn't changed though. And
without an outlet for all that energy, Flashpaw quickly started gaining weight.
By the time they healed up, they had become quite large, no longer the muscular
apprentice, now closer to a kittypet. Cloudpelt hoped that this experience
might mellow the cat a bit."

Burnpelt perked her ears.

“Hear that?" she asked.

Bonepaw listened, but she couldn't hear anything.

“Mouseclaw went back to sleep." Burnpelt said happily. “Anyway.
Flashpaw continued training. They were still as active as ever, but much
slower, because of the fat. And they refused to hunt in water. Now that was
something shameful. A Riverclan cat refusing to go into the river. Cloudpelt
had his paws full. But at least Leafnose had learnt something new about
Flashpaw – if they ever get too wild, poppy seeds could calm them. I had my
doubts how good of an idea that was. And for the first time in my training,
Leafsnout had agreed with me. But it was only for dire situations. And for the
good of the clan."

“Is that why you gave Mouseclaw poppy? To keep him calm and
out of trouble?" Bonepaw interjected.

“No. They were just to dull out the pain. Flashpaw on the
hand…" Burnpelt searched for words. “Flashpaw continued to take poppy seeds for
the pain for two more quarter moons, which actually helped them when hunting.
They could finally sneak up on prey. Their successful catches had dropped, but
there was some progress. Cloudpelt was finally seeing some results. And the
other clan cats were much more willing to spend time with Flashpaw as well. For
the first time in moons, Flashpaw had other cats around them."

“So, they were happier?" Bonepaw asked.

Burnpelt didn't answer right away.

“I can't really say. I'm not sure they felt much of anything
at that time, but at least they weren't as lonely, I can tell you that. And
even when they stopped taking the seeds and started to return to their usual
selves, the other clan cats were still more tolerant of their antics and they
were still the kit's favorite older cat. The real hurdles began after the warrior
ceremony."

“What happened then?"

“The initial ceremony went on without much trouble. The
leader then, Stonestar, was an oddball himself, so he actually found Flashpaw
quite endearing, deciding to include them in the warrior ceremony, even though
there was much to be desired of Flashpaw's skills. Flashpaw was given the name
Flashtail and was sent on vigil with two other warriors. And they did the
unthinkable."

Burnpelt took a deep breath.

“They spoke during vigil."

“What?" Bonepaw was shocked.

“The two other warriors confirmed it and Flashpaw didn't
deny it. According to Flashpaw, they tried to keep quiet, but just couldn't.
They started asking the others what they were thinking about and is Starclan
talking to them. They talked about being hungry and went off to catch something
to eat, abandoning their vigil. As they explained what had happened, I could
see the regret in his eyes and hear the shame in his voice. The older warriors
let an outcry, that Flashpaw should be banished from the clan. If they couldn't
trust them during a vigil, how could they trust them in times of turmoil? Stonestar
didn't want exile them. Times were hard already as we lacked warriors to hunt. So,
they decided to revoke their warrior name. They were once more Flashpaw and
they were now the shame of Riverclan. They were permitted to hunt, but no
warrior wanted to accompany them. And they rarely brought any prey back, most
of the time eating whatever they caught, which was understandable, really. There
was an unspoken rule that they should always be the last to eat from the kill
pile. It was around that time that Flashpaw wanted to be referred to as 'they'.
At first nobody complied, but with time most of the clan gave in. It wasn't
that much of an issue, since nobody really wanted to spend any time with them.
They preferred to spend most of their time with Leafsnout. Which meant I had to
spend most of my time with them as well. Ever since they began their
apprenticeship, there was a growing sadness in them. And now that sadness was
at it's peak. They would sleep through most of the day, eat whatever was left
when they woke up, go hunt and eat whatever they caught, go to Leafsnout, who
would usually share her food with them. None of the cats really paid them any
mind. They hadn't done anything all that wrong and they were still part of the
clan. But they were part of the clan in name only. The moons passed and it
seemed like Flashpaw was trying to drown their sadness with prey. They ate
every chance they got, at one point being unable to actually go out and hunt. But
Leafsnout never held it against them. She took care of them, like they were her
own kit and the only times they seemed happy was when they were talking to her.
Once, it so happened that Leafsnout had managed to convince Flashpaw to come to
the clan gathering. They hadn't been to a gathering since the early days of
their apprenticeship, Cloudpelt preferring to leave them at camp as to not make
any trouble. I remember they walked close to Leafsnout, both of them going at a
slower pace than the rest, one because of their age, the other because of their
weight. At the gathering, they were a laughingstock, the other clans accusing
us of bringing kittypets instead of real warriors. Naturally, Leafsnout threw
some of her insults and curses at them, but Flashpaw didn't say anything. For
the first time, they had nothing to say. That night, there was a traitor in our
midst. There were previously disputes between Riverclan and Windclan. The
Windclan leader, Morningstar, was a furious cat, easy to anger. A plague had
spread through his clan, wiping out the elderly and most of the kits, along
with much of the prey in the territory. He demanded that they received larger
hunting grounds to keep his clan alive, until they stabilized. Words were
exchanged. Words turned to curses. And curses turned to threats. Finally,
Morningstar had had enough. With little provocation, he jumped at Stonestar,
claws extended. He was ready to kill. And the first one to react was Flashpaw.
They had managed to jump in time, pushing Morningstar away. Chaos ensued.
Flashpaw was quickly dragged out of there by the new apprentices. They spent
the entire night at the medicine cat den. There hadn't been much of a fight,
but during the scuffle, Morningstar had ripped into Flashpaw's leg, ripping up
their muscle and tendrils. That was the night that I managed to prove myself to
Leafsnout. We applied ointments, herbs, we wrapped them up in cobwebs and gave
them poppy seeds, enough to keep them asleep for a quatermoon. We cared for
them night and day, bringing them water and feeding them for the brief moments
they were awake. By the time they woke up, they were considered a hero. They
were respected by the clan and every cat was ready, willing and able to help
whatever way they could. Flashpaw was carried back to camp, with a den made for
them, where they could rest and heal. Food was brought to them. Of course, when
they would never fully heal. They could barely walk, let alone hunt, being in
constant pain when they walked. But the warriors didn't mind. Nothing was ever
asked of them, for saving Stonestar. But one day, Leafsnout asked me to join
her in visiting Flashpaw. They had gotten larger than before. They asked of us
to give them more poppy seeds. It wasn't' for the pain, not anymore. For most
of their life in the clan, they were unhappy, but running and playing brought
them all the happiness they needed. But now…now they couldn't even do that.
They were finally liked, but at what cost? They wanted more poppy seeds.
Everyday. At least that way, they could block out the unhappiness. And maybe
the other cats would start liking them again. Not for what they did, but for
who they were. Leafsnout complied. She instructed me to give Flashpaw all the
poppy that they wanted. And to keep a close eye on them. That night, Leafsnout
went into the forest and disappeared. I think that the pain from hearing those
words from Flashpaw was too great for her. I kept my promise to her. I became a
medicine cat and gave most of my poppy seeds to Flashpaw, only keeping the bare
minimum that I might need. The clan cats continued to bring food and to revere
them. With how little Flashpaw moved, they only grew larger. Now, even they
wished, they can't leave their den, their legs unable to carry them."

Burnpelt fell quiet. Bonepaw had so many questions to ask,
but she was too afraid to break the silence. It weighted heavily in the air.
The wind whistled through the leaves as the sun began to set.

“Mouseclaw will be waking up soon." Burnpelt finally said.
“I hope he will be alright."

“Do you think Flashpaw will be alright?" Bonepaw asked,
ignoring her mentor's statement.

“No. They were never, what we might call, alright. They were
touched by Starclan, but we didn't realize it. And because we didn't realize
it, they are the way they are now. They would have made an excellent warrior
with their speed, or a terrific medicine cat with their curiosity. But because
we couldn't accept them for what they were, they lived a life of loneliness.
And now, they barely lead a life. Leafsnout knew it. She knew that Flashpaw was
destined for greatness and we were the ones who tarnished their destiny, so
much so, that they have to spend their waking time in a dreamlike haze for
herbs and food. Stoneclaw died his final death of a fever and ordered that no
leader after him should do any wrong to Flashpaw. Cloudpelt lived the rest of
his days staying by Flashpaw's side. For the first time, he was ready to listen
to his apprentice, and his apprentice couldn't really speak. This is why
Leafsnout wanted me to keep a close eye on Flashpaw. To learn from them, so as
no other cat would end up the way they were."

Bonepaw remained silent. She had now understood what her
mentor was trying to teach her that day. She was to inherit her duties of
protecting any cats that might deviate from the norm, like Flashpaw did.

“Go inside and tend to Mouseclaw. He's about to wake up."

Bonepaw did as she was told. Burnpelt remained outside,
gazing at the golden and violet sky, her heart heavy and her throat tight.

 Soon after, under the
cover of darkness, Mouseclaw left the den, thanking both cats for their help,
promising to not take such actions ever again. As he left, Burnpelt expressed
her doubts to her apprentice.

“He was quite eager to say that." Burnpelt spoke as she
gathered supplies.

“You think he lied?"

“No. Not lied. He truly meant it. But such an act isn't so
easily overcome. Let's go."

The pair walked through the woods, the night life slowly
starting to awaken, with owls hooing in the trees above and mice squeaking in
the distance.

“Are those poppy seeds?" Bonepaw asked, motioning to the intertwined
leaves in Burnpelt's mouth.

She nodded.

“Are they for Flashpaw?" Bonepaw continued.

Again, the medicine cat responded with a nod. They stopped
in front of the camp and greeted the night patrol – two young cats, who were
warriors for a few days.

“Have you seen ever seen Flashpaw?" Burnpelt asked.

“No. Just heard about them. I haven't been inside their den
before."

“They don't allow kits in their den. Although a hero, they
don't resemble a cat you have ever seen. I can guarantee that."

Bonepaw nodded. Before they entered the camp, she spoke.

“Can I…may I…bring the seeds to them?"

Burnpelt didn't answer. She put the leaves in front of
Bonepaw, who took them and stepped forward.

“Did the story inspire you?" Burnpelt asked as Bonepaw was
about to enter the den.

“Flashpaw is a hero. All heroes should be honored. In
Starclan and in Riverclan."

Hot, thick air filled the confides of the den. It took a
moment for Bonepaw's eyes to adjust to the darkness inside, as no outside light
could enter this place.

“Who's there?" Flashpaw spoke.

It was a startling sight for Bonepaw. Flashpaw was truly
larger than any cat she had ever seen, easily three times larger than her. They
were laying, sprayed on the ground, one leg visibly shorter than the rest, with
a large nasty scar running along the calf.

“I-I am Bonepaw." The young apprentice shuddered. “I am an
apprentice of our medicine cat."

“Medicine cat?" Flashpaw spoke through a haze. “It Leafsnout
there? You can tell her to come inside."

“Um, no, sorry. Leafsnout isn't the medicine cat anymore…"
Bonepaw answered, confused. “Burnpelt. Burnpelt is our medicine cat."

“Ah…Burnpelt. I remember her…she used to follow me and
Cloudpelt around all the time. I think she just didn't want to deal with
Leafsnout…" Flashpaw let out a sincere, throaty laugh. “What did you say your
name was, young kit?"

“Bone-bonepaw, sir" she answered, opting to not correct
them.

“Bonepaw…" they thought for a moment. “Oh, I remember you
now. I used to play with you, back in the days. Do you remember your old uncle
Flashpaw? We played hide and seek and catch the butterfly."

Bonepaw decided it would be best not to answer. She came
closer to the large cat, leaving the seeds in front of them.

“These are poppy seeds, Flashpaw." She said. “Burnpelt sends
them. She said she wants you to get well."

“Poppy seeds? Ah, thank you so much, my child."

The cat undid the leaves and in one gulp devoured all the
seeds, leaving Bonepaw shocked.

“This is just what I needed." Flashpaw said lazily. “Please,
help yourself to some of my fish. It's freshly caught."

They motioned towards a pile of fresh-kill, but Bonepaw
shook her head.

“I have to be going, Flashpaw. My mentor is waiting
outside."

“Oh, Cloudpelt is always there. He mentored me once, you
now. I don't think I did him proud. But you know, he's one of my best friends. He
rescued me when I was just a little kit, all on my lonesome."

Flashpaw's speech was becoming more slurred. The seeds had
taken effect.

“I'll be going now. I hope you get better, Flashpaw."

“Leafsnout would love to meet you…if you pass by her den,
tell her that Flashpaw sends his regards" they said as they closed their eyes
and drifted off.

Bonepaw exited the den and found Burnpelt waiting for them.

“How was it?" the medicine cat asked.

“It…it was hard."

“It doesn't get easier. Let's go. We have a long night ahead
of us."

“He thought that Leafsnout and Cloudpelt are still alive."
Bonepaw finally said, when they exited the camp. “Do they not know?"

“They've been told numerous times. But too much poppy seeds
makes the brain all mushy. These days there isn't much they can say, really."

Bonepaw didn't answer. They stalked the forest for the rest
of the night, gathering herbs in silence.