"Goodbye, Horsemoon!" Cats called and waved their tails in goodbye. She'd stayed one day and then decided that she needed to go. Frill gave her lots of the flowers to make sure that every cat would heal. She thanked him, and couldn't wait to tell the clan about him.

"Goodbye, Horsemoon. Thanks for helping me!" Scrap mustered. He limped over and hugged her. Horsemoon enjoyed every moment as she hugged him back. Creamleaf will look after him. She assured herself.

She said goodbye to Amos, and she thanked him for leading them there. "Bye, Amos!" She mouthed, and nuzzled him. He would have made a fine warrior. She thought wistfully.

Amos nodded and stepped back.

Horsemoon resented the next goodbye. "Bye, Creamleaf," She said mutely. She was actually glad that she couldn't speak because she didn't want to let her mentor hear the tremor in her voice. "I hoped that you could come back."

Creamleaf chuckled. "Me too. But I'm old, and I want to help cats here. Plus, WindClan will have an amazing medicine cat in my place." She nuzzled her apprentice, and Horsemoon breathed in her mentor's scent one last time.

"I'll miss you," Horsmoon mouthed regretfully. She smiled sadly, and Creamleaf winked and turned away. She padded away with Amos and Frill and followed by a limping Scrap.

Horsemoon watched as her world tumbled. She wondered if the day could get any worse. She trudged out of the mound with the flowers in her mouth. She remembered the way out of the Twolegplace, and after a while of walking, she made it out. She was on the way back to the clan with the cure for the sickness.

<•>

Horsemoon stopped in WindClan territory to rest. She'd been walking all day, and thankfully she'd made it out of rival clan territories without trouble. Passing through ThunderClan territory brought back a fresh wave of pain for Quickpaw and Leafwind. She'd hunted a small rabbit, and ate it swiftly. She rested until nightfall and began to pad back to camp.

When she entered the camp, the weight of homesickness that she never knew that she had, lifted off of her shoulders. There was no cat in camp, and she realized that no cat was on guard. She hurried into the medicine den and was shocked to see so many cats in there. Every one of her nests was filled up with coughing cats, and she was even more surprised to see Rosepelt, the ThunderClan medicine cat.

Rosepelt turned and her face brightened. "Horsemoon!" She cried, racing to her, and avoiding sick cats. "Did you find the cure?"

Horsemoon stopped back. "How do you know about this? Why are you here?" She mouthed.

Rosepelt cleared her throat. "Stormstar called me to help with the sick cats while you were gone. It's gotten worse and"- she sighed -"Snakestrike, Scarletnose, and Soilnose have all succumbed to the sickness."

Horsemoon lowered her head in shame. She took too long and now some of her clanmates were dead.

"I got the flowers." She mouthed after a moment. "And we came treat every cat now. But first," she added, "take me to Stormstar,"

Rosepelt nodded and lead Horsemoon through the maze of ill cats. Soon they made it to the best that contained Stormstar. The leader looked so weak, every rib sticking out of his pelt. His gray fur was ruffled from lack of grooming, and his eye were full.

"Horsemoon," He rasped. "You're back. But where's Creamleaf?"

Rosepelt looked at Horsemoon. "Oh, yeah. Where is she?"

Horsemoon stares at her paws. Then she let the story spill. Stormstar looked sad, and Rosepelt shook her head regretfully. "She was always the cat who cared for more than herself," she muttered.

Stormstar squinted. "Give the flowers to the other cats first. They only have one life to lose."

Horsemoon mouthed in protest, "But so do you!"

Stormstar sighed ruggedly. "I have died eight times. One more will be my last, just like everyone else." Seeing the medicine cats' distressed faces, he coughed, "It's okay. If there's any flowers left, I will eat them,"

Horsemoon nodded, and gave some flowers to Rosepelt. Then they set off to work quickly, coaxing cats to eat the flowers. Every cat hat Horsemoon helped, seemed happier to know that she was home.

Soon, every cat was given some of the flowers, except Stormstar. They padded back to him to give him the flowers.

"We got extra, Storm– oh..." Rosepelt began. The leader wasn't breathing. His eyes were closed, flanks still. A smile was on his lips, and Horsemoon's heart broke. He was an amazing leader; he gave his last life for other cats. That takes great bravery. She let the tears fall, and she soon fell asleep to her sobbing and Rosepelt's soothing.