A storm had shaken the forest below. Pairs of eyes were gleaming in the shadows. Paws were heard rushing towards the camp. "What in the name of StarClan-" A voice hissed, but was soon cut off by a wail of fear.
"I need Runningleaf," A cat yowled in the camp. "Now!" Soon, a gray tabby bounded out of a den.
"What is it, Cedarstep?" Runningleaf, the Clan medicine cat, asked fearfully. She had known that warriors would only call for the medicine cat when they truly needed them.
"It's Silverpaw!" Cedarstep, a dark ginger tom with amber eyes, wailed. "He fell off of a high branch because it was slippery due to the rain, and he fell down and broke something! He can't even move without groaning in pure agony!"
"Where is he?" Runningleaf immediately demanded.
"Follow me!" Cedarstep meowed before bolting out of the camp, fur bristling. The two rushed out of the camp, their paws gliding over the ground that had been churned to mud. Soon, a small silver tabby came into view. The tabby was on his side, his back looking a bit strange; it seemed to have caved in...
"What happened?" Runningleaf wailed, rushing towards the apprentice.
"I-I fell...off of that tree..." Silverpaw explained. "But hit a rock...and my back feels weird...kinda loose. Now I-I'll never be a warrior!" Runningleaf stared in horror; she knew something Cedarstep hadn't.
"We have to get him back to camp!" Runningleaf meowed. "Be careful; he can't stand, so you'll have to carry him. Make sure his paws don't drag!" She padded swiftly ahead while Cedarstep gripped his apprentice gently by his scruff. The two high-ranked cats charged back to camp, eyes wide.
"What happened?" A voice or two asked.
"What is wrong with Silverpaw?"
"Is he okay?" Voices surged through the camp like a flooded stream. The two cats rushed towards the medicine den, giving warning glares to those who stood in their way. Cedarstep set Silverpaw down in a nest gently.
"Let me examine his back," Runningleaf meowed before nudging Cedarstep out of the den. A while later, a wail sounded from the den. "Cedarstep!" Runningleaf called, her voice brimming with fear and sorrow. "Cedarstep, come here!"
"What is it?" Cedarstep meowed.
"It's Silverpaw..." Runningleaf whispered urgently. "I know what happened..." "Tell me!" Cedarstep demanded. "Tell me what is wrong with my apprentice!" "I'm afraid he had...broken his spine due to the fall." Runningleaf explained. "It's pushed out of place, and the central bone is snapped in two, others fractured. I fear Silverpaw can no longer be a warrior apprentice. It is very difficult to treat those who have a broken spine. I fear Silverpaw must be my apprentice after a few moons of healing... I'm sorry, Cedarstep... But, your apprentice can no longer be yours—he must become my apprentice."
Silverpaw raised his head slowly, his vision in a blur. "W-where am I?" He wondered aloud.
"You're in the medicine den." A voice responded. Runningleaf..? Silverpaw thought, looking around as his vision cleared.
"Is that you? W-What happened..?" The apprentice asked.
"Yes, it's me. You broke your spine, remember?" The medicine cat meowed.
"Oh..." Before he could say anything else, Runningleaf padded away.
"Hold on," She murmured. "Storm!" She yowled. "You can visit your son!"
A large gray-and-white shape lumbered out of the warriors den, eyes like shards of amber. "Yes?" The large tom growled.
"Visit him, would you?" Runingleaf murmured.
"What?" Storm spat angrily. "Visit the runt? Why should I? I already know what happened! It'd be different if it weren't him..." He whispered the last part, but Silverpaw still caught it.
"Runt? Just because he's different doesn't mean he should be forgotten! Don't you care about your son?" Runningleaf growled. Soon she whispered something in Storm's ear.
"Hawkpaw, Stonepaw, and Lilypaw are bigger than that lump of fur! I'm aware he has broken his back, but he can live, can't he?" Storm snarled before padding away, tail lashing. The tom had been found by a patrol with four kits and was taken into the Clan with the help of Runningleaf's persuasion. Runningleaf stared after him, ears flattened.
The medicine cat padded back into the den. "Don't worry," She murmured. "He's, umm...busy." Silverpaw knew it was a lie.
"Yeah..." He sighed. "Busy..."
"I need Runningleaf," A cat yowled in the camp. "Now!" Soon, a gray tabby bounded out of a den.
"What is it, Cedarstep?" Runningleaf, the Clan medicine cat, asked fearfully. She had known that warriors would only call for the medicine cat when they truly needed them.
"It's Silverpaw!" Cedarstep, a dark ginger tom with amber eyes, wailed. "He fell off of a high branch because it was slippery due to the rain, and he fell down and broke something! He can't even move without groaning in pure agony!"
"Where is he?" Runningleaf immediately demanded.
"Follow me!" Cedarstep meowed before bolting out of the camp, fur bristling. The two rushed out of the camp, their paws gliding over the ground that had been churned to mud. Soon, a small silver tabby came into view. The tabby was on his side, his back looking a bit strange; it seemed to have caved in...
"What happened?" Runningleaf wailed, rushing towards the apprentice.
"I-I fell...off of that tree..." Silverpaw explained. "But hit a rock...and my back feels weird...kinda loose. Now I-I'll never be a warrior!" Runningleaf stared in horror; she knew something Cedarstep hadn't.
"We have to get him back to camp!" Runningleaf meowed. "Be careful; he can't stand, so you'll have to carry him. Make sure his paws don't drag!" She padded swiftly ahead while Cedarstep gripped his apprentice gently by his scruff. The two high-ranked cats charged back to camp, eyes wide.
"What happened?" A voice or two asked.
"What is wrong with Silverpaw?"
"Is he okay?" Voices surged through the camp like a flooded stream. The two cats rushed towards the medicine den, giving warning glares to those who stood in their way. Cedarstep set Silverpaw down in a nest gently.
"Let me examine his back," Runningleaf meowed before nudging Cedarstep out of the den. A while later, a wail sounded from the den. "Cedarstep!" Runningleaf called, her voice brimming with fear and sorrow. "Cedarstep, come here!"
"What is it?" Cedarstep meowed.
"It's Silverpaw..." Runningleaf whispered urgently. "I know what happened..." "Tell me!" Cedarstep demanded. "Tell me what is wrong with my apprentice!" "I'm afraid he had...broken his spine due to the fall." Runningleaf explained. "It's pushed out of place, and the central bone is snapped in two, others fractured. I fear Silverpaw can no longer be a warrior apprentice. It is very difficult to treat those who have a broken spine. I fear Silverpaw must be my apprentice after a few moons of healing... I'm sorry, Cedarstep... But, your apprentice can no longer be yours—he must become my apprentice."
Silverpaw raised his head slowly, his vision in a blur. "W-where am I?" He wondered aloud.
"You're in the medicine den." A voice responded. Runningleaf..? Silverpaw thought, looking around as his vision cleared.
"Is that you? W-What happened..?" The apprentice asked.
"Yes, it's me. You broke your spine, remember?" The medicine cat meowed.
"Oh..." Before he could say anything else, Runningleaf padded away.
"Hold on," She murmured. "Storm!" She yowled. "You can visit your son!"
A large gray-and-white shape lumbered out of the warriors den, eyes like shards of amber. "Yes?" The large tom growled.
"Visit him, would you?" Runingleaf murmured.
"What?" Storm spat angrily. "Visit the runt? Why should I? I already know what happened! It'd be different if it weren't him..." He whispered the last part, but Silverpaw still caught it.
"Runt? Just because he's different doesn't mean he should be forgotten! Don't you care about your son?" Runningleaf growled. Soon she whispered something in Storm's ear.
"Hawkpaw, Stonepaw, and Lilypaw are bigger than that lump of fur! I'm aware he has broken his back, but he can live, can't he?" Storm snarled before padding away, tail lashing. The tom had been found by a patrol with four kits and was taken into the Clan with the help of Runningleaf's persuasion. Runningleaf stared after him, ears flattened.
The medicine cat padded back into the den. "Don't worry," She murmured. "He's, umm...busy." Silverpaw knew it was a lie.
"Yeah..." He sighed. "Busy..."