Warrior Cats | Falling Leaves | By NightSky | Vol. 1 | ((OC-BASED))

Chapter 7

Marshpaw fluffed her pelt up against the cold air. Darkrose and Firefly seemed to do the same.
"Leaf-bare's coming quicker than usual," Darkrose commented from beside her.
Firefly nodded. "Which means we need all herbs we can get before snow buries them all. Thanks again for coming to help, you two."
Darkrose smiled. "It's nothing, Firefly. Marshpaw's glad to be out of camp, right?"
Marshpaw nodded and grinned reassuringly at the medicine cat. She smiled, her whiskers twitching happily.
"We're mainly looking for marigold and poppy." Firefly mewed. "Marigold grows in huge clumps down by the river. I'm sure you've seen them."
Marshpaw nodded. " They're those huge yellow flowers right?"
"Yep, and poppies are-"
Marshpaw butted in. "The bright red flowers that grow on the edges of the gathering area! Darkrose told me all about how each clan has access to them."
Firefly purred. "Yeah! They're so bountiful that there's no need to fight over them. The other medicine cats must be out gathering them about now, too. We might meet one of them at the border." Marshpaw noticed Darkrose's Amber eyes gleam momentarily at that. The black-and-white she-cat quickly shook her head as if dispelling whatever she was thinking about.
"How can we help once we find the herbs we're looking for?"
"I'll show you how to gather the parts we need once we get there," Firefly replied. "It's not that difficult, you'll learn quickly."
Darkrose nodded. The three she-cats then travelled in a companionable silence for a while. It felt weird to say it, but Marshpaw was enjoying their slow pace. It gave her a chance to take her surroundings, something she didn't really get to do while she was chasing after prey or being pinned down by one of the other apprentices in a mock battle. The trees had just about lost all their leaves, which lay scattered across the forest floor, brown and lifeless. Their barren branches moved ever so slightly in the cold wind, and through them, Marshpaw caught a glimpse of a dark, cloudy sky. Darkrose must have noticed her looking around. She chuckled.
"Lionstar always says this is his favorite time of the year. Just between leaf-fall and leaf-bare. I've never really understood the appeal of it. Everything just looks so... dead."
Firefly hummed in thought. "Well, it's better than when the snow falls and buries all the herbs and chases the prey into their burrows."
Darkrose sighed. "I guess. But the snow at least makes the forest look nice. Just look at all these dead leaves..." She lashed her tail, sending a few of said leaves spiraling into the air.
Firefly hummed again. "I see what you mean."
Marshpaw interrupted. "Hey, speaking of Lionstar, Darkrose..."
Her mentor tilted her head. "What's up?"
She hesitated. This question had been nagging her for a while, but she had always been too afraid to ask. "Isn't it against the warrior code for a deputy to have a mate and kits if they're a she-cat?"
Darkrose opened her mouth to reply, but Firefly quickly interjected. I don't really see a problem with it." When both Marshpaw and Darkrose stopped in their track to look at her questioningly, she stopped as well. "You manage to balance your duties as a deputy and mother very well, Darkrose. You've never let Lionstar or Emberpaw get in the way of you leading DuskClan. It's quite impressive, actually."
Marshpaw felt heat practically radiate from Darkrose's pelt. Was she... embarrassed?
"Thanks Firefly," She finally replied, continuing to pad towards the forest's edge. Firefly and Marshpaw followed. When thy finally caught up, she continued speaking. "It really does mean a lot to me. Sometimes... I feel as if the Clan doesn't approve of my decision, but hearing that from you... I-"
Firefly shook her head. "You deserve to hear it." She looked ahead. "We're almost at the river, let's get going."
When they reached the edge of the woods, Firefly stopped and scanned the area. Her eyes stilled, and Marshpaw followed her gaze. She was looking at a huge clump of marigold at the river's shore. She started towards them and signaled for Darkrose and Marshpaw to follow. As Marshpaw padded after the she-cat, her gaze strayed towards the pine tree forest of DawnClan. A flicker of movement caught her attention. She froze. Two cats had emerged from the shadows of the pines and padded over to the barrier of poppies that surrounded the gathering area.
"Uh, Firefly? Is that DawnClan's medicine cat?"
The she-cat lifted her head and followed her gaze. "Yeah, and her new apprentice, Nettlepaw."
Darkrose's eyes flicked towards them, shining with glee. "Lostecho!" she called out.
The Tortoiseshell cat turned her head, ears pricked. "Darkrose?" she called back. "Is that you?"
Darkrose padded towards the fallen tree that linked DuskClan's territory to the Gathering area. "I'll come to you!" She stopped and turned back to Firefly and Marshpaw.
"If that's okay with you guys."
Firefly nodded. "Go ahead. Oh! And while your over there, would you mind gathering some poppy seeds? Lostecho probably has something to carry them back in."
"Of course." Darkrose dipped her head and heaved herself onto the log. Marshpaw watched in awe as she effortlessly made her way across the river. She had nearly lost her balance the first time she had to cross it, and she had been going slow as a snail then.
"Alright," Firefly's voice caught her attention. "We only need the marigold's leaves. You have to nip them out from the stem." She demonstrated on the flower closest to her. "Like that."
Marshpaw crouched down and mimicked the medicine cat. She winced as the leaf's juice trickled into her mouth and onto her tounge. It had a sharp, bitter taste. She nearly spat it out, but resisted the urge. She set it on top of Firefly's already growing pile of leaves.
Firefly purred. "They don't taste very good, huh?"
Marshpaw licked her lips. "Not at all."
Firefly continued gathering up leaves. "Good thing they aren't for eating."
Marshpaw tilted her head. "What're they for, then?"
Firefly seemed glad to explain. "They help prevent injuries from getting infected. I chew them up into a poultice with some other herbs and smear them into a wound. Then, I have to bind them with cobwebs to hold it in place."
"Huh," Marshpaw grunted around a marigolds stem. "So you have to taste them, but the patient doesn't?"
Firefly shrugged slightly. "I'm used to it at this point."
Marshpaw straightened up and glanced t the pile of marigold leaves they had gathered. They had quite a bit now. An unfamiliar voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Hey there, Firefly!"
Marshpaw looked up.  A pure, long furred black tom was crouched atop the log that connected the two sides of the river. He looked a bit older that Marshpaw and Leafpaw. His night-blue eyes flicked between her and Firefly.
Firefly purred. "Hello, Nightpaw. What brings you to this side of the river?"
"Lostecho asked me to come over and gather marigold with you two. She wanted to catch up with her sister."
Firefly smiled warmly at him. "Of course! Come down here. Marshpaw can help you. I'm gonna go check on Darkrose."
Nightpaw nodded and leapt down from the log, stumbling slightly when his paws hit the ground. Firefly swiftly took his place. Marshpaw couldn't help but let her tail curl up in amusement. Nightpaw must have noticed.
"I've, uh, never had to cross the fallen tree," he muttered.
Marshpaw grinned. "It's not that difficult when you get the hang of it."
Nightpaw gave an embarrassed smile. "DawnClan and OneClan don't have much use for it."
Marshpaw gestured for him to sit beside her, and he did. "So," she started, watching as Nightpaw began picking marigold leaves. "You're Nightpaw, right?" The tom nodded. "I met your sister at the last Gathering,"
Nightpaw sighed. "I'm nothing at all like Blackpaw. She's brave and confident, and she's and amazing fighter. I'm... none of those things."
Marshpaw purred. "You'd have to be pretty brave to intrude on another Clan's territory with the deputy's apprentice right next to you!"
She thrust her face towards him and bared her teeth in a mock snarl. Nightpaw cast a glance at her. "Oh please, even I can take you."
He gently pushed her face back with his white paw. Marshpaw snickered. She enjoyed Nightpaw's company. They chatted aimlessly for what felt like forever. They were interrupted when Firefly and Darkrose crossed the fallen tree and padded towards them. Nightpaw gathered up his pile of marigold and nodded at Marshpaw before leaving.
I hope I can see him again sometime soon. He's really nice. He kind of reminds me of Stonepaw, actually...