(Cat above is Ferretclaw)

Losttail looked up from where she was sorting herbs. Berryseed came into the den carrying a leaf that had small traces of honey on it.

"Do we have lavender or borage leaves?" He asked.

"No. Why?" Losttail answered, rummaging through the herb piles.

"Stormkit and Parsleykit have fevers." Berryseed mewed. "I just gave them honey for their throats."

"They're coughing too?" Losttail asked. "We don't have tansy."

Berryseed padded over and began to sort the herbs. "Can you go look for some and lavender or borage? I'll stay and make sure they don't get worse until you get back."

Losttail nodded and made her way across the clearing and through the gorse tunnel. She padded through the forest, the ground was cold and covered by snow, before coming to a small bush with small purple flowers. Leaf-bare had grown harsh, resulting in a few of their clanmates, including Stormkit and Parsleykit, to catch fevers and coughs. She bent down and nipped at the stems and packed the lavender into a bundle.

She continued to slipped through the forest until she stopped to collect a couple of plants with round yellow flowers. She wrapped up the tansy and tied the two bundles together.

She was about to head back to camp when suddenly she could distant yowls of cats and a growl from something else. She picked up the two bundles and sprinted toward the sounds. She came to a clearing with a small rock. She leapt on top of the rock, her eyes widened.

Rabbitstar, Ratfang, Ferretclaw , and Patchpaw were fighting a badger. Ferretclaw reared back a leapt at the black and white animal. With one massive, hook-clawed paw, it struck the white and brown warrior, sending him crashing to the ground. Ratfang ran and stood in front of the now motionless tom.

Patchpaw, who already had a small gash on his back leg, got behind the badger and clawed and bit its himdlegs. The badger whipped its head around. Kicking out strongly, it threw him off, and Patchpaw rolled into the the snow.

StarClan, help them! Losttail pleaded. Rabbitstar dodged one of the badgers paws and leapt for its blunt head. Losttail watched in horror as, in one swift motion, the badger knocked Rabbitstar out of the air with a blow to his head. The ThunderClan leader fell to the ground and his body began to shake. He's losing a life!

The badger reared onto its hindlegs, ready to attack the defenseless leader. Losttail looked over to where Ratfang was still standing over Ferretclaw. She gazed at the dark gray warrior, hoping he would help Rabbitstar.

But before she or Ratfang could react, a flash of black leapt from the bushes. A black cat attached himself to the badgers head and began to claw at its malignant eyes. Losttail felt her fur prickle. She recognized the cat; It was Thane!

Thane began to claw the badger's flank. Drops of scarlet blood fell onto the forest floor. The badger growled and, once it shook Thane off, it turned and lumbered off back into the bushes.

Losttail leapt from the rock and headed to meet the wounded cats. Thane look up her as she approached them. He had a small scratch above his left eye, a small gash in his shoulder and hindleg. Before she could speak to him, she heard Patchpaw's panic mew.

"Rabbitstar! Why won't he get up?!" He yowled.

Losttail padded over and placed a gentle paw on his shoulder. "He lost a life. He'll be alright."

Losttail was about to check the leader when he heard Ratfang say, "Losttail, look."

Losttail turned. Ferretclaw had blood seeping from his hind leg and shoulder, and a torn ear. On one side of his face the fur was torn away, and there was blood where his eye should have been.

Ratfang turned to Thane. "Who are you?"

"He's the loner I met." Patchpaw answered.

"Thane, how did know they were getting attacked?" Losttail asked the black loner.

"I could hear the yowling." Thane answered. "So I came to help."

"You know him too?" Ratfang asked her.

"Yes. This is the cat who gave us the mouse for Willowhaze." Losttail replied.

All the cats turned as Rabbitstar staggered to his paws. Patchpaw ran up to him and ran his head against his father's leg. Rabbitstar, limping slight, padded over to Thane.

"Thank you. You are a very skilled cat." He meowed.

Thane dipped his head to the light brown and cream cat. "You're welcome."

"Rabbitstar, Thane is injured." Losttail meowed, meeting her leader's eyes. "He saved you from losing two lives. Let him come back to camp so his wounds can be treated."

Rabbitstar turned and smiled at Thane. "I agree."

Thane's eyes lit up. "Thank you."

The cat's began to head back to camp. When they slipped through the gorse tunnel, several of their clanmates raced up to meet them.

"Ferretclaw!" Lillygaze exclaimed, sniffing at her mates pelt. Their sons, Barktooth And Brownfeather joined her, their eyes full of concern.

Berryseed emerged from the medicine cats' den and helped Ratfang place Ferretclaw on one of the nest in the medicine den while Patchpaw and Thane took the others.

Berryseed had already begun to put cobwebs on Ferretclaw's leg, shoulder, and eye and was currently wrapping up his torn ear. "Your wounds will heal well." He told the white and brown tom. "I'll get you a poppy seed for the pain."

Losttail glanced over at them as she finished putting cobwebs on Patchpaw and Thane's wounds. Berryseed was in the process of putting a poultice of horsetail, goldenrod, and marigold on Ferretclaw's wounds. He put some of the poultice on a leaf with some poppy seeds and brought it over to her.

"What are those?" Thane asked, pointing with his tail to the herbs.

"Poppy seeds to help the pain and a poultice of horsetail, goldenrod, and marigold for your wounds." Losttail explained as she pushed a poppy seed towards him and Patchpaw.

Thane looked at the small black seed for a moment then turned and watched as Patchaw lapped his up. Patchpaw have him a reassuring snile. Thane returned the smile and bent to lap up the seed. Once Losttail had finished putting the poultice on their wounds, she looked to where Berryseed was still helping Ferretclaw. Ratfang had entered the den to have his shoulder and ear looked at.

"How is Ferretclaw?" He asked.

"His wounds will heal," Berryseed replied. "but I can't say the same for his eye."

"He's blind?" Ratfang's voice was tinted with concern.

"Yes." Berryseed answered as he began treating Ratfang's wounds.

Ratfang gently laid his tail over Ferretclaw's back. "How long until he can return to his duties?"

"It'll be a while." Berryseed meowed. "He'll have to adjust to only seeing out of one eye."

Losttail lowered her head and gave a small prayer to StarClan that Ferretclaw would heal.
The lichen curtain rustled and Willowhaze padded through. "Is everyone alright?" She asked.

"Yes, everyone's okay." Berryseed answered.

"That's wonderful." Willowhaze smiled. "I just came to remind you about Stormkit and Parsleykit."

Losttail's ears pricked. She had completely forgotten about the two kits. She grabbed the bundles of tansy and lavender. "I'll come look at them." She mewed following Willowhaze to the nursery.

Inside, Stormkit and Parsleykit were curled up on Willowhaze's nest. Shadekit, Moonkit, and Kestrelkit were huddled together while Silverkit was standing over Parsleykit, her now opened blue eyes were wide with concern.

"Is Parsleykit going to be okay?" She squeaked as Losttail and Willowhaze entered. "What's wrong with him?"

Willowhaze bent down and licked her between the ears. "He has a fever. Losttail's here to make him feel better."

Losttail gently nudged the two kits. Parsleykit slowly opened his bright green eyes. Losttail pushed a small amount of lavender in front of him. "Here, Parsleykit, eat this. It'll help with your fever."

Parsleykit rolled onto his stomach. He looked at the lavender questionly for a moment before he took it and swallowed. Losttail did the same for Stormkit.

"Just let them sleep." Losttail told Willowhaze. "The lavender should work."

Willowhaze nodded and and curled up and wrapped her tail around the two now sleeping kits. "Thank you, Losttail."

Losttail turned away, walking away from the nursery. But before she could take many steps, her path was cut off by Nighthowl.

"How's everyone doing?" He asked. "Are Stormkit and Parsleykit okay?"

"Patchpaw, Ratfang, and Thane are alright." She answered. "Ferretclaw's blind in his right eye and Stormkit and Parsleykit's fever should be gone soon."

Nighthowl licked a paw and ran it over his ear. "I heard Rabbitstar lost a life. Is it true?"

"Yes. He has three left." Losttail mewed.

"This Leaf-bare's been harsh." Nighthowl muttered. "Prey's been pretty scarce."

Losttail looked at  how worn down her friend was looking. His fur was slightly unkempt but his blue eyes never lost the brightness in them. His ribs were poking from his skin. She looked around the camp and realized most of her clanmates looked the same; thinner and unkempt.

"Thank StarClan Leaf-bare's almost over." Losttail commented.

Nightcloud gave his fur a quick shake. "Anyway, are you looking forward to the gathering tomorrow?"

"I guess." Losttail muttered.

Nighthowl smiled and gave her a gentle lick on the ear. "It'll be fine." He turned and padded of to the warriors' den.

Losttail continued to the medicine cats' den, still thinking about the gathering. She gave a small prayer that Nighthowl would be right.