mintberry

~~~

TRULY, MINTBERRY WASN'T SURE what happened between the time of Aeolus finding her and the dawn patrol arriving and chasing the rogues away.

All she remembered were Aeolus's green eyes boring into hers, such a startling color, reminding her so deeply of Berryfern. Thoughts of 'I'm going to die' and 'Clearfrost lied when she said Berryfern had no kin, they're right here' ran through her mind. Aeolus had to be Berryfern's kin, he just had to. Their eye color was one she'd never seen anywhere else.

She didn't hear the rogues' taunting words, instead bolting out of the brambles and doing the first thing she could think of: climbing a tree. She didn't know how to climb. She didn't know how she managed to get so high up, her flight or fight instincts simply kicked in. All she knew was that if she didn't go higher, climb faster, that Bellona's jaws would clamp onto her tail and drag her down to her most certain doom. 

She didn't even register when Snakestrike arrived. All she remembered was staring blankly into the distance, until Aeolus gave orders for Bellona and Deimos to grab Mintberry and Snakestrike. And that was brought to her attention because, well, first and foremost, fear, but secondly, the fact that they also cared about Snakestrike.

Weren't they here for her? Weren't they sent by Berryfern to punish her? Why would they bother with Snakestrike? They only had to knock him out of the way, and that was considerably easy with the three of them.

Then the dawn patrol was here, chasing the rogues away, and there was Brooklight, gently coaxing Mintberry down from her tree branch as Frozenpaw watched with concerned eyes. Now they were somehow back at camp, Mintberry sat in the middle of the medicine den as Viperfoot bustled about, nose wrinkled with confusion.

"What was it? What herb is used to calm cats again?" the large gray tom wondered aloud.

"I don't remember," came Frozenpaw's reply. Oh, she was here too. "Didn't it start with a 't'?"

"Yes, I think so," Viperfoot meowed, nodding seriously. He disappeared into the herb storage and reappeared with green stems, dropping them by the gray tabby's paws. "Here you go, Mintberry."

Mintberry glanced at him. You brought me tansy, mousebrain, not thyme, she thought almost affectionately. Whatever.

She didn't want to complain and send Viperfoot on a journey to find thyme (since he doesn't know what the herb looks or smells like). All she wanted was for him and Frozenpaw to leave her alone. So, she lapped up the tansy, wrinkling her nose at its bitter taste, hoping that would make the two leave.

It didn't work.

The two stayed, keeping her company, to the point her ears flicked with annoyance and she retreated to her nest, hoping they'd take the hint and go.

They didn't.

To be completely honest, it was comforting, in a way. Mintberry could feel herself slowly falling asleep, lulled by their chatter, and she felt quite protected. If Aeolus were to try and get her now, there were two cats who'd alert and warn her, that were watching her back.

After a while, Frozenpaw was beckoned away by Brooklight, leaving the two littermates alone in the medicine den. Mintberry was content on remaining in silence, but Viperfoot soon inched his way towards her, rather awkwardly. The gray tabby's eyes snapped open and watched him shift back and forth.

"What?" she mumbled. She could feel herself slowly calming down, slowly regaining her wits.

"I- er- I just wanted to check up on you. I know Clearfrost's death must've hit you hard," Viperfoot meowed.

"And I know you didn't really care," Mintberry shot back. She knew hardly anybody cared. "So why are you really here, Viperfoot?"

Viperfoot took a deep breath. "I may not love Clearfrost as much as you do, but I do care about you. You're my sister-"

"You sure don't act like it," Mintberry snapped. "You hardly ever speak to me unless you need something. So what is it? What do you need this time?"

"I'd like to think that we can be there for each other during hard times," Viperfoot continued, as though Mintberry hadn't interrupted. "And I know you're going through a hard time right now."

Mintberry's tail-tip twitched, her voice ice cold when she spoke. "Oh, do you? You know everything now, huh? Well I don't need your support or whatever, I'm doing fine."

Viperfoot sighed. "I know you loved Clearfrost very much, and her death must be hitting you very hard. I know you became a medicine cat only to please her. And I know that I was a stupid furball for acting the way I did to you when I was a kit and apprentice. I'm sorry."

Mintberry could feel herself relaxing. It'd been seasons since her and Viperfoot had been on truly good terms. "Thanks. And I'm sorry, too, for purposely ignoring you back."

"That's alright," Viperfoot meowed, looking happy. "I deserved it."

"It wasn't exactly you that I was trying to get back at," Mintberry mewed, thinking of Snakestrike.

"We'll get him to apologize too," Viperfoot promised. "During hard times like this, in the war, it's important to stick together." Despite his nice sounding words, Mintberry knew that her brothers were going through an argument of some sort. Snakestrike had hardly glanced in Viperfoot's direction since they became warriors.

It was sort of sad. Mintberry remembered the plans Snakestrike and Viperfoot had made as kits, promising to run around in the forest together, carefree, spending their free time hunting and practicing combat or climbing, just living their best life as warriors. Together.

Things now hardly lined up with their dream.

Viperfoot hesitated, before speaking again. "And I know one last thing, Mintberry. I know that you know the Great Secret."

Earlier, Mintberry might react badly. Act cold again, pull away, insist she doesn't know anything, and spend her night sleepless. But now all she could do was gaze tiredly back at Viperfoot. She didn't know how he knew it, but he was right; she did know the prophecy. And there was no point in pretending she didn't. Berryfern's kin were already here.

I might as well tell him, Mintberry figured. He's not stupid, he'll realize the danger. He won't tell anyone else. And I'm as good as dead, Berryfern's kin will come to hurt me and kill me soon. If I tell Viperfoot now, he might find some way to protect himself.

"The whole war is over the Great Secret," Viperfoot implored. "You know that. If you share the Great Secret with me, maybe you'll feel less pressured, and we can bear the burden of it together. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Mintberry took a deep breath, before reciting the prophecy:

"From lily and ice three will be born, 

with the power of stars, they were adorn.

Creates the most powerful wish the Clans will ever come to see."

Viperfoot didn't speak for several beats after that, his mind turning. "'From lily and ice three will be born'," he whispered. "So-"

"The prophecy's about us," Mintberry supplied. "The whole war... is about us."

Viperfoot was beginning to shake his head. "Great StarClan," he muttered. "Great StarClan. That can't be true. But why-" His eyes widened as he let out another, "Great StarClan!"

Seeing her brother's shocked state, Mintberry found herself rambling. "There's a line missing, that's not the full prophecy. Clearfrost mentioned once that I knew how to fulfill the prophecy because I knew the prophecy, but there's no lines that say how to achieve it. So there's a missing line. I'm not sure how exactly to find the missing line, since our connection with StarClan's been cut off, nor do I really care. But I think the missing line probably goes between the stars one and the most powerful wish one, because there's nothing to rhyme with 'see'-"

"Great StarClan, you talk a lot," a gruff voice spoke.

And Mintberry froze. Because that voice didn't belong to Viperfoot. There was someone else in the den with them. Someone else who had heard the prophecy.

Her head turned ever so slowly to the left.

Snakestrike, curled up in one of the patient nests, blood covering his pelt, stared right back at her, eyes bright and alert. He'd heard every single word.