Fall of the Panther || Chapter 7

Instructions

Locustburn stretched her forelegs. It was a little bit after sunhigh, and she’d only just realized it when the sunlight seeped out of her den, directly above her head now. The herb stores were all a disorganized mess, and she’d been carefully separating each individual poppy seed from the catmint seeds for a few hours now. “Argh. No cat told me that being a medicine cat was this much work. Everything hurts. Although,” she mused, “I do have the remedy for that.” She glanced at the daisy mixture she had prepared earlier when Cobaltshimmer came inside, complaining about his old, aching bones. Should she use it? After a moment, she shook her head. “No. I’ll save it for when Bonestalk comes in, probably complaining about the same thing.” She heard a rustle as the hanging herbs by the entrance swung wildly. Locustburn turned around to see Brownflash carrying Chasingpaw by the scruff, looking enraged. Blood dripped down from the younger she-cat. “Oh, dear…” She’d heard what happened between Chasingpaw and her mentor when Cobaltshimmer had come in. While she treated him, he’d explained that Chasingpaw went out of camp all on her own, as per Shimmersnow’s instructions. Now, it looked like she’d returned, and not in any better shape. “Lay her down here, love,” she muttered, already running through the needed herbs in her mind. Marigold or horsetail would be good for preventing infections. The cuts were shallow, but they still bled heavily. She would need cobwebs for sure. Maybe even those poppy seeds she so painstakingly separated earlier. Locustburn began to swiftly gather and prepare the needed herbs while listening to Brownflash’s frustrated voice. “It’s so unfair to Chasingpaw! She’s a brilliant young apprentice, and Shimmersnow just doesn’t care about that. She’s so neglectful! At least I care about her well-being. Maybe I should be her mentor! Sending her off all on her own?!? I never expected such irresponsible behavior from Shimmersnow, of all cats! I mean— I knew she didn’t have much self-confidence, and perhaps she’s forgetful, but this behavior is just downright dangerous!” Brownflash yowled. When she was finished, she paused and sheepishly looked at the medicine cat. “U-um… sorry about that. I just got a little bit upset, is all…” Brownflash flattened her ears. “Well, it’s not your fault. You did the right thing, going after Chasingpaw. However,” she added, “I wonder if Shimmersnow maybe regrets what she did now?” Locustburn smiled at Brownflash’s confused expression, applying the horsetail poultice to Chasingpaw’s side. The apprentice winced, and she softened her pressure a little bit. “Sorry,” she whispered. Brownflash sat down, watching quietly as Locustburn finished applying the mixture. The medicine cat began to wrap the cobwebs around Chasingpaw’s middle. When she was finished, she gave Chasingpaw some poppy seeds. “Just rest up, alright, love? I’ll ask Bonestalk to check on you later, if I don’t get back from patrol on time.” Chasingpaw nodded weakly, already drifting off from the effects of the poppy seeds. She’d been unusually quiet today. For Chasingpaw, that was almost more worrying than the wounds. Of course, any cat would be tired after such an ordeal. Locustburn sighed contentedly and turned to Brownflash. “I’ll need some help gathering more horsetail and elder leaves. Want to help?” Brownflash mumbled something that Locustburn couldn’t quite pick out, but she followed the medicine cat as she walked out of the dimly lit den. She’d count that as a maybe. As she studied the warrior, she couldn’t help but notice that she seemed lost in thought. Leaving her to her own thoughts, Locustburn led the way out of camp. They traveled along the narrow trail that led to the river. The birds chirped with a renewed intensity as she and her escort passed by. Locustburn beamed as two red finches sped over her, playing happily. The two cats were nearly to the river’s edge when Brownflash decided to speak. “Just because she doesn’t regret her actions doesn’t mean they’re not wrong.” Locustburn paused, turning to Brownflash. Ah, so that was what was on her mind. “I suppose you’re right,” she said slowly, making sure to be careful with her words. “But she can’t go back and reverse her actions. The only thing left to do is learn from them. From the sound of it, it looks like you believe she does, in fact, regret her words. That’s a step in the right direction, is it not?” “…I guess so.” Brownflash blinked, trying to make sense of the medicine cat’s words. “But… I’m still angry at her.” “And that might not change anytime soon,” she said, taking a step closer to her, “The least you can do, though, is try and forgive her, even if your definition of forgiving probably doesn’t match mine.”