The sky broke open that day began pouring rain unexpectedly. However, it quickly tapered off.

And then returned again. It was that uncertain type of rain, the kind that couldn't decide whether it wanted to stay or go. So by the time Crescentsky and Cheetah arrived back, they were annoyed that it had begun to rain again for the third time.

All the way there, Crescentsky's wound was practically yowling at her to stop and rest. She felt dizzy and uncoordinated. And they hadn't caught anything on the way back; not just because the riverbanks were rapidly swelling, but because they didn't want to draw attention to themselves at being gone for so long.

Tinyflame's original plan had been to fly by the seat of their tails and come up with some lame excuse along the lines of checking for wolf scent beyond clan borders. But Crescentsky refused to lie a tenth time if she had the choice. If any cat asked her what she'd been doing, she planned to announce "I'll tell you everything at sundown."

She didn't know how much longer she could go on, physically, anyways. She could feel it in her body and mind that she needed den rest and medicine care. The kind that kept her confined to the medicine cat's den.

After tonight, I'm going to rest. I should've spent today doing just that. But... we needed to tell the clan.

Her paws were so weary, it felt like they would drop off. It wasn't the tired and overworked kind of weary, it was the sluggish 'my body might be fighting to keep me alive' kind of weary. And Crescentsky could feel it.

The rain wasn't even doing anything to soothe her upturned wound, exposed and red. It only stung as water trickled over its cracked and oozing edges.

Should've listened to Tinyflame. She padded faster.

In a way the spontaneous downpours had brought them luck. Any cats who weren't on patrol or in the dens sat in sheltered areas around camp. The foliage was weighted down with rain.

Crescentsky desperately craved relief from her swollen haunch-wound in the form of sleep. She was in the middle of heading for the medicine cat's den when she heard pawsteps behind her.

The dark tabby and-white warrior turned her head. Tinyflame was walking up with a messy leaf-wrap in her jaws. Herbs were spilling from one side of it.

"Hey, Crescentsky. Cheetah. Don't tell me anything about it here. It can wait until later."

"Hi." Crescentsky knew what she meant. Tinyflame would be disappointed to hear that they had more questions than answers now.

"Did anyone say anything about how long we were gone?" Cheetah whispered.

"Trufflefur asked how you were doing earlier, but other than that no." Tinyflame's dark pelt was speckled with herb-litter.

"Come to the medicine cat's den so I can apply your poultice. I hope I remembered all of the herbs and how to extract them correctly..."

The smaller she-cat looked ruffled and overworked, but despite this Crescentsky could detect some trace of relief in her violet eyes. She blinked.

"I will. My hip's been hurting worse than usual. And I feel hot even when I'm out in the forest." She slid her pelt along her littermate's.

"Which means you have a fever... Whiteleaf said I could treat that with feverfew, though; and I already have some fresh stalks. I sent Oatpaw and Emberfawn after some earlier."

I'm so proud of you. Crescentsky tried to muster a strained purr, but it tapered off.

"Are you okay?" Tinyflame asked. She stepped forward to support Crescentsky with her shoulder, but Crescentsky sat down heavily instead.

"No matter what happens I won't let the clan prevent you from being a medicine cat. They can do whatever they like to me, but I won't let them demote you for something you couldn't control." Crescentsky stared over her sister's shoulders and out into the sheet of rain, keeping watch while she spoke.

"Tinyflame is going to be the best medicine cat that the clans have ever seen. She's being trained by Riverclan's ancestors!" Cheetah meowed out loud, but still there was no one in sight but them.

Crescentsky watched as Cheetah stepped closer and rubbed her jaw along Tinyflame's pelt and then hers.

"Well, okay, but-" Tinyflame began, sounding like she wasn't much concerned about that right now.

"Crescentsky isn't looking too good. I'm worried about her. Starclan said that she-... well, I just want to get her to the medicine cat's den."

"It's your den now, remember?" Cheetah replied.

I love them so much. This can't be the end of clan life for us. If it's just me that has to get banished, I guess I could live with that.

But then I wouldn't be able to protect Riverclan...

I don't want to lose them or my clan...! Crescentsky's heart dropped, and she felt a unnerving thought worm its way to the front just then.

Would she really let the clan drive her out, if that's what they truly wanted?

I guess I would. It would be kit-like and dishonorable to go against the desires of her clanmates, to stay and serve them when it was against their wishes. Her mood dampened even further.

"You really need to come to the medicine cat's den and rest, Crescentsky." Tinyflame repeated for the third time.

"But before we get out of this rain, when are we telling them?" She asked, stepping back from their short embrace.

Cheetah looked around. "Not every cat is in camp right now. Half the warriors are out on patrol."

"I'd hate to be them," Tinyflame glanced up while Crescentsky flicked raindrops from her ears.

"I'm due for a pre-sunfall patrol later on today," said Cheetah. "Hopefully the rain has tapered off by then."

"So? When? Crescentsky, you need to lie down in your nest. How many times do I have to say it?" Her littermate insisted. Tinyflame's dripping black fur was drooped down around her face.

"We'll tell them this evening, after Cheetah and her patrol get back and every cat is sharing tongues." Crescentsky stated.

"What about the guards?"

"We'll bring them in so they can hear it. We can just say we have something important to tell the clan." They'll have to listen.

The two she-cats standing beside her nodded. Tinyflame's tail was low and stiff, while Cheetah glanced at them as if she were worried for the two.

"They can't throw you out," she began as the  three she-cats started walking toward the dens.

"They just can't. You guys have done so much for the clans already! You're too valuable to lose no matter what you have or don't have."

Cheetah was still crowing on as they left the pebbly river-shore behind them, rounding the walls of the rocky leader's den.

"Hush!" Tinyflame scolded her.

"Your claws being gone doesn't mean a thing," the spotted she-cat contained her voice to a loud whisper.

"It just means you can't hunt as well. So what? Is all I'm saying. And about the other thing-"

"Shh!" Crescentsky warned, gently placing her tail in front of Cheetah's muzzle. They were almost through the pelt of fog and rain, and within a few fox-lengths they'd be right in front of the medicine cat's den.

"Keep quiet about it now. We're in the heart of the camp." Tinyflame flicked her ears low, whisper-hiss drawn out as she peered around anxiously.

"What was that you just said about not being able to hunt, and somecat's claws being gone?" A derogatory voice spoke up from somewhere beyond the sheen of rain.

________________
A/N: Questionnaire

Q: Who is the cat speaking?