"And I can't blame her for her decision," Oceanfur argued back to Ashpaw in the medicine cat den, an emotion flashing in his eyes in which Spiderpaw was unable to tell. "You know you're too weak to get to the Pool of Stars, and you need to rest."
Spiderpaw hadn't moved a muscle other than his tongue to fight back to Oceanfur since he had returned from Muskstar's den. He had promised Ashpaw that he would try and persuade her to let Ashpaw make the journey, but by the tone of his voice, he was sure that Muskstar had even convinced him. In resentment, Ashpaw had refused to let his wound be rubbed by marigold, flicking the wet herb onto the ground.
"I've been resting for moons. I can't remember the last time I could walk," Ashpaw sulked.
"Don't try that with me," Oceanfur scolded. "You know I've done all I can, if Muskstar says no, then the decision is final!"
His voice suddenly lowered as he took in a deep breath. "I'm very sorry Ashpaw," he meowed. "You know I am. You know how badly I want you to be happy, but going against Muskstar's wishes is going against the warrior code. Besides, Muskstar has been very kind to allow me to make the journey for you."
"But I don't want you to make the journey," Ashpaw complained. "I need to!"
Oceanfur dipped his head, and Spiderpaw could see the remorse in his eyes. He understood how much the medicine cat cared for the wellbeing of his apprentice.
"Ashpaw, you cannot even get up," Oceanfur stated. "You know you are in no way fit to travel."
Suddenly Ashpaw's eyes went grunt, and Spiderpaw's eyebrows lowered in concern as the apprentice gritted his teeth together. "I'll show you I'm strong!"
Oceanfur glanced a quick look of confusion at Spiderpaw before turning back to Ashpaw, shock pulsing through his face when he had realised that Ashpaw was trying to hurl himself up.
"Stop!" Oceanfur pleaded. Spiderpaw took a brisk step back when Oceanfur launched from his sitting position towards the weak apprentice.
"Be careful!" Spiderpaw called out, his eyes blazing on the crushed, wet marigold on the floor of the den. If Oceanfur had heard him, he hadn't listened. Spiderpaw slammed his eyes shut the moment he heard the call of agony from the medicine cat as he slipped over the herb, plummeting onto his head in the centre of the den.
Despite his mentor potentially injured, Ashpaw showed no signs of stopping standing up. Carefully watching the ground so he didn't slip over the herb, Spiderpaw bolted towards Ashpaw's nest, sinking his teeth into the scruff of his head and knocking him down again. "
"What in StarClan did you think you were doing?" Spiderpaw scolded, flicking his tail angrily at the grey apprentice. But he knew he didn't have time to shout at the apprentice when Oceanfur could be in need of help. Spiderpaw whisked around, bending down besides Oceanfur and immediately lowering his head below his belly to help him up.
"Thank you," Oceanfur murmured, his voice lost and sounding slightly dazed, as if he was talking to the wall of the den and not expecting a response.
"Are you feeling alright?" Spiderpaw questioned. "You took a hard fall, and you have a scratch on your face!"
Oceanfur winced, tightening his face around the scratch on his nose. "I'm really fine," he murmured. "Just a little sting. Besides, I shouldn't have been clumsy enough--"
Spiderpaw cut him off. "No cat is perfect," he meowed. "Now let me rub some dock on your wound."
Oceanfur heaved out a quick breath, struggling to his feet. "Really, there's no need."
Spiderpaw looked him in the eye. "Oceanfur, you know as well as I do, a cat that's just been injured - no matter how minor should not be doing any sort of activity without being checked over."
Oceanfur seemed to acknowledge he wouldn't win the argument. "Come on then," he murmured, padding towards his pile of herbs. Spiderpaw was relieved to see that the medicine cat was not limping. "But let's be fast. I need to leave so I can arrive before sunfall."
Spiderpaw dipped his head before making his way over to the pile of herbs. Gently, he picked up a wad of dock and began to rub the leaves together, letting the juices trickle into his pads. Once his paws were moist, he took the liquid and smeared Oceanfur's nose, making sure the wound was filled with the gooey juices before stopping. "There we go," Spiderpaw meowed, setting his paws down.
Oceanfur seemed to be relieved that the applying of herbs had been so quick. "I must be on my way then," he meowed, giving a friendly nod to Spiderpaw before turning around to pad towards the exit. "Thank you," he murmured, pushing the lichen away from him as he exited the den.
Spiderpaw took a scan at Ashpaw. The apprentice definitely wasn't asleep - Spiderpaw could tell by the way his chest wasn't rising and falling perfectly steadily. Even though he was turned over and Spiderpaw couldn't see him, he knew he would be awake, because his little snores weren't filling the clearing. He turned his gaze back to the exit of the den, watching for a moment as the sunlight glistened against the lichen. He could still see Oceanfur slowly padding, although with every second the medicine cat was getting further and further away. "You don't mind if I come along to see you off?" Spiderpaw called.
He knew Oceanfur was more than capable of being watched over, especially by an apprentice. But Spiderpaw, even though he felt he was kneeling at his feet and giving him too much of his attention at some times, he couldn't help admiring him so fully after the way he had helped him settle into CedarClan, where he felt so frightened, like there was an attacker behind every corner.
To his surprise, Oceanfur turned back with a pleased glint on his face. "Sure," he purred back, turning his back and padding slowly.
Spiderpaw took one last glance at Ashpaw, who was still in the same position before bolting towards Oceanfur, stopping right at his paws.
Spiderpaw let his eyes wander across the clearing as he walked at Oceanfur's side. He could see Pinepelt and Longfoot - two CedarClan warriors sharing a squirrel towards the apprentice den. Shivers sent down his spine as he remembered the way they had attacked ThornClan those moons ago, and he suddenly felt so shocked at the way such cruel warriors were able to sit down together and have a nice, peaceful meal.
Still, he let his eyes wander, attempting to shake the thought from his head. He noticed his gaze falling back onto Oceanfur, admiring the way the sunlit golden glow radiated his pelt. But he noticed Oceanfur's gaze was turned on something else, and Spiderpaw was surprised to see a small black figure making their way up to them.
"Who is that?" Spiderpaw questioned in a whisper. Oceanfur turned to reply, but by the time any words came to his mouth the cat was standing in front of them, bright eyed and bushy tailed.
"Are you Spiderpaw?"
Spiderpaw's eyebrows lowered slightly. He felt confused as to why he hadn't seen this cat before, as she seemed to be no stranger.
"Yes," Spiderpaw meowed, followed by a small cough in which he concealed into his shoulder. "And you are?"
"Oh, I'm Blackpaw!" the apprentice squeaked. "I've been wanting to meet you, after all you've been doing for my brother!"
'Your brother?' Spiderpaw thought rapidly.
"Yes, this is Blackpaw," Oceanfur meowed. "Or as we like to call her, the biggest furbrain in CedarClan."
"Hey!" Blackpaw whined, but to Spiderpaw's relief he could see that the medicine cat's taunt was followed by a friendly smirk.
But Spiderpaw couldn't hold back the question any longer.
"Why haven't you come to visit your brother?"
Blackpaw suddenly seemed to shy away, and Spiderpaw instantly regretted saying anything. He opened his jaws to quickly apologise to the apprentice, but Oceanfur beat him to words.
"I don't think she realises the amount of noise she makes coming in every night to tell Ashpaw all about her day. Not to mention the colourful feathers and rocks!"
Spiderpaw was shocked, and at first he expected Blackpaw to panic about whether she was in trouble. But her eyes seemed to widen in relief.
"Do you really do that?" Spiderpaw questioned. "Why don't you come and see him during the evening? You'd be very welcome."
Blackpaw dipped her head. "I would," she meowed, her voice suddenly becoming only a tad louder than a whisper. "But I like to spend lots of time with Ashpaw, but the set amount of time everyone else gets to see him for. Besides, I'm busy every day with my warrior training, so seeing him at night makes more sense!"
Oceanfur rolled his eyes, sticking his tail up high. "So that's why he's so grumpy!" he exclaimed. "He's lost all his sleep!"
The three cats seemed to enjoy the moment of hilarity, snickering away whilst Blackpaw nearly fell into hysterics. The apprentice seemed a little embarrassed, but was able to collect herself after a few seconds.
"Have you seen Muskstar?" Oceanfur questioned. "I assume she'll want to know I'm leaving."
Blackpaw lowered her shoulders, and her eyes widened a little too dramatically. "She just went hunting!" she exclaimed. "You might be able to catch up to her if you're quick!"
"Right!" Oceanfur exclaimed. "We're going to have to be on our way then. Thanks so much for your help, Blackpaw," he meowed.
"And nice to meet you!" Spiderpaw continued.
"Nice to meet you too," Blackpaw meowed proudly. "And have fun at the Pool of Stars!"
The two cats watched as Blackpaw trotted off, her tail high in the air.
"I can't believe she's been so sweet to Ashpaw without me even noticing," Spiderpaw meowed. "How come you hadn't told me?"
Oceanfur turned towards him, smirking. "I thought you knew," he spoke. "Perhaps you were sleeping on the cobweb the first night and some stuck inside your ears."
Spiderpaw rolled his eyes teasingly and began to follow Oceanfur as he made his way across the clearing towards the leader's cave.
Spiderpaw still couldn't grasp how different the CedarClan camp was to his own. He didn't feel at home - but he couldn't help feeling intrigued by such a differing environment. Although he had to admit, he missed having the sun blazing on his pelt full on, instead of being knocked away by the towering leaves in the sky.
He stopped patiently behind Oceanfur as the two drew themselves to a halt in front of the opening to the den. Spiderpaw tucked himself away slightly as Oceanfur let out a small call of the leaders name. He heard his welcoming, and he stepped inside after him, pressing his paws lightly as he swung the lichen over his body.
"Greetings, you both," Muskstar meowed. Spiderpaw dipped his head to the stone-grey leader, who was curled in her nest with Rocktail at her side. Spiderpaw couldn't meet the cold eyes of the deputy, and once again, he felt frozen.
"I'm just letting you know that I'm on my way to leave for the Moonpool," Oceanfur meowed quietly. "Thank you so much for letting me go tonight - the gratitude comes from Ashpaw as well as me."
Muskstar seemed tense, her pelt a little prickled as she let out a sigh. "He has my welcome," she meowed. "But this cannot be a regular occurrence."
"I wish you safe travels," Spiderpaw heard Rocktail say, his flint-sharp voice slicing through the fur of his ears.
"Thank you very much."
Oceanfur's tender voice wasn't nearly enough to calm Spiderpaw. His tail was flicking with discomfort, and he flinched every time Rocktail noticed.
But to his relief, sooner than he expected, he was following Oceanfur back out from the leader's den and back across the clearing.
"The camp seems rather empty tonight," Spiderpaw commented.
"Muskstar must have arranged an extra patrol," Oceanfur replied. "Everyone is usually in by now."
He followed Oceanfur up to the thorn tunnel, careful as he made his way through, a little too paranoid that he would prick himself walking past the thorns.
Oceanfur was waiting by the exit, flicking his gaze back at Spiderpaw thoughtfully.
"You know, you've settled in better than I thought you would have," Oceanfur meowed as Spiderpaw began to follow him through the darkest, most unsettling part of the forest.
"I like to say I'm quite the act," Spiderpaw shuddered, aware of the black, towering trees above him glaring down from every side.
"You must miss your siblings."
Spiderpaw heaved out a breath, suddenly a little relieved and less intimidated by his surroundings now he had the thought of them in his head. "I miss them a lot," he meowed. "But this experience has changed me."
"Really?" Oceanfur sounded shocked.
"Yes," Spiderpaw meowed, suddenly feeling a little surprised at how certain he sounded. "I've stepped very far out of my comfort zone this moon. I've met cats who are enemies, and spoke to them as if they were my own Clanmates. A little part of me is going to miss you guys when I leave, but I'm sure you understand I'm going to be relieved to go back."
"Of course," Oceanfur replied, his deep eyes connecting with his as they travelled through the forest. "I feel weird knowing you won't be around for much longer."
Spiderpaw halted. "What do you mean?"
"Keep walking," Oceanfur heaved, throwing his head in front of himself with a deep sigh. Spiderpaw followed quickly after him, his ears pricked with worry.
"You've seen the way Ashpaw has been acting despite his injuries. He's so lethargic he can barely stay awake for long anymore."
"He's most likely just tired because of his little meetings with Blackpaw," Spiderpaw meowed.
"I know that's the easiest thing to think," Oceanfur replied, his voice cracked with sadness. "But Ashpaw's infection has shown no signs of healing."
"He's not in half as much pain as he was when I arrived!" Spiderpaw argued, struggling to believe what Oceanfur was saying to him.
"I think that's his body's way of giving up the fight," the grey medicine cat replied.
Spiderpaw didn't know what to say, and the spade between the two travelling cats was filled with silence.
"You can't think so negatively," Spiderpaw meowed. "Ashpaw is still around, and we both know we're going to do all we can for him."
Oceanfur's eyes narrowed, and Spiderpaw felt a little attacked over his tone.
"All we can do is ease his journey," Oceanfur hissed. Spiderpaw shoved down his head, too stunned to say a word. He knew Oceanfur wasn't trying to hurt him - he was so filled with grief from what he knew was going to happen.
"Stop."
Spiderpaw's whisper seemed to shock Oceanfur to a halt. "Do you hear that?"
Oceanfur definitely seemed to hear the same mumbles. Cats were talking - not far from them.
Spiderpaw struggles to make out what the feminine voices were saying, but his heart tore when he recognised Jaggedclaw's raspy voice torn with sadness. Why was she wailing?
"She must be on hunting patrol with Mothspring," Oceanfur whispered. "Where are they?"
Spiderpaw turned his head, racing over the muddy ground towards the calls of sadness. He heard Oceanfur running up behind him, and Spiderpaw's heart was racing over the panic of what could have made Jaggedclaw so upset. And then the thought of panic struck him. 'What if something's happened to Mothspring?'
To Spiderpaw's panic, he realised that Oceanfur must have had a similar thought, as he was now boosting ahead of him, racing towards the sound. Spiderpaw didn't let himself waste a single second, following directly behind Oceanfur.
"They're up there!" Spiderpaw whispered, his eyes narrowing as his sight adjusted to two small feminine figures.
Oceanfur whipped his head around, bolting towards the direction in which Spiderpaw flicked his tail. Spiderpaw hurried after him, ignoring the heaving of his lungs and kicking back dirt until Oceanfur finally hurled to a stop. The two she-cats were behind a bush of leaves, and for a second Spiderpaw felt too fearful to step around. He could see the heartbroken look on Oceanfur's face as he looked down to the cats, and with every passing second, he felt more and more panic over what the problem was.
"Jaggedclaw, speak to me," Oceanfur softly demanded. The calmness and sympathy of his voice loosened Spiderpaw a little, just enough for him to pad towards him and look around the corner.