So this chapter was going to be about Cleardawn and Snowfall's second attempt at their warrior assessment, but mouse-brained me, I decided to squeeze it at the end of chapter 16 and hope for the best *Face plant*.

So since I didn't want to ruin my days (cough cough, minutes) of hard work and planning, I decided that this chapter is going to be a bonus chapter in the perspective of Songpaw! Trust me, she becomes important in the second book. I've got it all planned out.

Due to me recently hitting 1K reads on this book (which I still can't get over), this chapter is going to be EXTRA long, which is why it took a long time to come out. Also, I had to do some research since I don't know a THING about medicine herbs and stuff. Enjoy! Chapter 20 will be back on subject, I promise. :D

PS The pic is of Songpaw! Also please go check out my Art Competition and enter otherwise I'll be lonely :(

Songpaw was in a bad mood. She was tired of being an apprentice. Aldercoat had sent her to retrieve catmint incase of any greencough or whitecough outbreaks in Leaf-bare, which was soon.

As Songpaw padded at the shores of the huge lake, she saw a weird light coming from it. No... lights.

Suddenly, the lake bubbled, and out of it emerged a cat with stars weaved through it's transparent pelt.

"Songpaw, the clans are in great danger," The Starclan cat warned.

Songpaw rolled her eyes. "Well aren't they always," She grumbled to herself. The Starclan cat took no notice of this and continued.

"Prepare for a great battle. It will take the lives of many, and the clans may be lost for good if the Cats of Hope (I know, cringe, but I couldn't think of anything else!!!) do not come together. You are essential to the clans survival, Songpaw. Prepare..."

And with that, the Starclan cat faded away into a cool mist that rested on Songpaw's nose.

Songpaw was also sick of Starclan's useless warnings about 'terrible tragedies' that were going to take place in Thunderclan.

"Darkness is coming! The clans are in danger! One of the kits stepped on a thorn and now every cat is going to die!"

Okay, so maybe Songpaw was exaggerating just a bit. But she wasn't in the mood to deal with a prophecy now.

Let the clans suffer, for Starclan's sake, just give me time to be alone!

Songpaw was aware of the 'medicine cat code', and she knew that she should feel honoured to receive such an 'important' prophecy, but she needed a break.

Abandoning her search for catmint, Songpaw turned and began padding in the direction of the Windclan camp. Suddenly, a loud yowl pierced the air, and Songpaw began running in the opposite direction.

She crossed the Shadowclan border, going too fast to try to scent if there was a patrol. She didn't care. There was a cat in pain that she had to treat.

As she came to the border of Riverclan, the yowl sounded again. Songpaw walked north until she wasn't in any clan territory, but she was still in the forest. She knew exactly where she was, though: The Dark Warrior's camp. Well, just outside it.

The yowl grew louder and Songpaw came to a stop where the trees parted into a small meadow. And there, lying in front of her was an injured, ginger tom.

Blood oozed out of deep wounds and the state of the cat's hind leg was terrible. He had ginger fur with a white underbelly, and hazel eyes that glowed with fear. He looked at least one or two moons older than Songpaw at least.

Songpaw turned and skimmed the meadow in search of the herbs she needed: marigold, comfrey roots and goldenrod. She'd also need some damp moss and cobwebs so that the wound would stop bleeding.

Songpaw rushed around, collecting the herbs. She then relocated the injured cat who'd fallen silent and started to treat him. The rogue loosened up a bit, letting Songpaw treat him and only doing so much as wincing when Songpaw shoved the bone back in place in his leg.

Finally, when Songpaw was done, she rested back on her haunches, letting the tom sit up.

"Thank you..." He seemed a bit dazed. "What's your name?"

"Songpaw." Songpaw answered simply.

"I'm Russel. Before I go... I just wanted to ask, why did you help me? I don't know you and you don't know me. I'm not your kin. I'm a complete stranger!"

"Because I'm a medicine cat and our code states that we have to treat injured cats no matter where they come from." Songpaw replied.

When Russel gave her a confused look, she added, "I'm a clan cat."

Russel nodded, understanding showing in his wide eyes.

"If you stay here, I can sneak out later and replace the cobwebs so that your wounds don't get infected if you want?" Songpaw suggested, her tail twitching with awkwardness.

The russet cat nodded, with a mischievous glimmer in his deep hazel eyes. Songpaw turned and left, managing to find some catmint on the way back.

"Songpaw, quick!" Songpaw was greeted with Aldercoat urgently calling her. "What took you so long? Ryebrook's having her kits! Go and get a stick!" He yowled.

Songpaw immediately dropped the bundle of catmint and ran out of the medicine cat den. She picked a big twig and returned to the den with it.

"Good, now go and get some damp moss." Aldercoat ordered, not even looking at her when he said it. Despite her earlier feelings, Songpaw knew this was no time to be grumpy.

By the time she came back with a huge, dripping piece of moss, Ryebrook was purring, Aldercoat looked satisfied, and three tiny kits were yowling for more food.

Songpaw set down the moss and gazed in awe at the scene. It was beautiful.

The rest of the day carried on normally, and Songpaw treated two ktis with thorns in their paws, checked on Cloudpool, whose breathing was getting difficult, and cleaned out the warriors' den.

The Sun was dipping beneath the tree tops as Songpaw remembered about Russel. She quickly excused retreated into the medicine cat den to collect the herbs and cobwebs Russel would need and set out to where she had last met Russel.

He was there, his back turned on Songpaw so that he had no idea she was observing him. Russel was trying to walk, but his hind leg let him down, the cobwebs Songpaw had placed on it earlier now dripping with blood. Songpaw knew it would be almost impossible to move. The wound looked painful.

Finally, Russel gave up and sighed, lying down to rest his injured leg. That's when he saw Songpaw.

"Hi! You came back!" He meowed brightly, his voice portraying none of the pain he was feeling.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your wounds are terrible." Songpaw admitted, sitting down next to the ginger tom.

"Oooh! I thought you were too busy with your clan duties to have me on your mind!" He purred.

Songpaw rolled her eyes and meowed, "I'm done for the day. Do you want me to heal you or not?" It was hard to be angry at the tom, though.

"Okay, okay, what put you in such a bad mood?" Russel added under his breath.

Songpaw chose to ignore the last part and set to work. First, she removed the cobwebs and licked the injury clean. Then she dabbed it with some poultice she had chewed up earlier. She then added fresh, new cobwebs.

Russel watched in silence, and Songpaw couldn't help but purr at his awe stricken face. When she was done, he extended and bent his leg over and over like to check if it was still working. Finally, he turned to Songpaw.

"How did you do that? It feels so much better! Can you teach me?" He asked. Songpaw could barely keep up with his questions.

"Only if you teach me some battle moves." Songpaw insisted.

"Alright then," Russel said, his face flashing with determination and excitement. Songpaw looked at him and wondered if he could take it all in. Then, she started.

Marigold is good to put on wounds so that they don't get infected. Then you would put cobwebs on that wound to soak up the blood. Everyday, you'd switch the cobwebs so that they wouldn't get dirty. Borage Leaves and Feverfew are for fevers. Burdock Root are for rabbit bites, Catmint is for Greencough and/or Whitecough, Cherville is used to keep away and treat infections. Comfrey is good for broken bones, Dock Leaves are for sore paws, Goldenrod is used to treat aching joints and stiffness, though it can also be used to treat severe injuries. Juniper Berries and Watermint are for bellyaches, Poppy Seeds are used to numb pain and help a cat sleep, Thyme is to calm a nervous or anxious cat. Yarrow is used to make a cat vomit if they have accidentally eaten something poisonous, Mouse Bile is for ticks..." Songpaw went through and listed all the herbs she knew, and then she explained what they looked like and where they were found. Russel nodded and listened silently. When Songpaw was done, though, his calm look turned bewildered.

"Woah... that was a lot."

"Well it's not easy!" Songpaw meowed with an amused flick of her tail.

"Teach me more!" Russel begged, his hazel eyes wide and pleading.

"Well, medicine cats don't just heal cats, they communicate with Starclan."

"Starclan?" Russel repeated.

"Starclan. The clan of our dead ancestors that watch over us in the stars and warn us of the future by sending visions, dreams or prophecies. Every half moon, the medicine cats of each clan gather around the Moonpool and talk to Starclan via dreams."

Russel stared at her. "So you're saying... that if you're a member of a clan, when you die, you get a second life in Starclan?"

Songpaw shrugged. "That's one way to put it." Quickly she added, "Okay! I've taught you enough! Now show me how to hunt and battle moves!"

Russel purred and nodded. "Okay. First, I'll teach you how to stalk prey silently." He dropped down to a low position where his belly fur just touched the floor.

Songpaw copied, rocking slightly on her paws.

Russel taught Songpaw how to stalk and catch prey, and then he taught her some battle moves.

Suddenly, Songpaw realised something- the Sun was rising! They'd practised battle moves through the night! Her clanmates must be looking for her!

"Russel! I have to go!" She hastily told him.

"Okay. Will you meet me tomorrow at Moonhigh?" He meowed.

Songpaw gazed into his hazel eyes that seemed to search her soul. She had no idea why she agreed, but Russel felt different to every other cat that Songpaw had met.

She trotted back to camp, feeling happy...

Until she found herself face to face in front of Aldercoat, who was fuming.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" He yowled.

"We were just about to send search parties!" Rushstalk, the acting deputy while Ryebrook nursed her kits, joined in on the screaming fest.

"Sorry! I just went out on a morning walk and got side tracked..." Songpaw squeaked. Before the two cats could roar at her anymore, she turned and retreated into her den, where she squeezed her eyes shut and went to sleep.

When Songpaw awoke, it was in the middle of the day. Since no cat wanted to see her- they were all still angry at her- she decided to visit Ryebrook and her kits in the nursery.

When she arrived, she saw 3 squeaking balls of fluff. One of them was red like Fireflare with amber eyes, one of them was a tortoiseshell with green eyes (A mini version of Ryebrook), and the other one was a pale brown kit with amber eyes. They were all gorgeous.

"Hey Ryebrook! Have you named your kits yet?" Songpaw asked, approaching the tired queen.

"Yes, this one's Flamekit, after Flamebriar. This one's Birchkit, and that one's Mistlekit."

At the sound of her name, Mistlekit turned around and stared right into Songpaw's eyes.

Her wide, jurassic-green eyes narrowed as she continued to stare, and it was only when Birchkit nudged her and urged her to join in on his game when she broke eye contact.

And Songpaw immediately knew that Mistlekit was one strange kit.

I finished this at exactly 1999 words, but know it's ruined because I'm writing this. Sorry it took me so long to update, but here you have it! Please check out Ininyy's profile, because she wants more reads and votes and definitely deserves them. Thank you to all my AMAZING followers.

Till next chapter,

Simple_Warrior_Lover 

;D