The Heatherpaw Vignettes/A Headache of a Sister and an Awkward Encounter
From Children of StarClan
< History:The Heatherpaw Vignettes
This is the sixth vignette in The Heatherpaw Vignettes series of short stories. It was written on the 12th of March, 2008. This features Heatherpaw, Frozenpaw, Smallpaw, Petalfur, and Blacksight. It takes place on the 7th day of the Moon of Tiger's Wrath (2006).
Featuring
Notes
- Written March 12th, 2008
- This is the longest vignette, at 777 words.
A Headache of a Sister and an Awkward Encounter
Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough - Og Mandino
Heatherpaw raced across camp, letting out steam with a run. Snow being flicked up at her heels, she did a couple of laps like a little kit before skidding to a stop near the nursery. Little pink tongue out in a pant, she poked her head in. There was Frozenpaw, nose crinkled as she was looking up at the elders.
There were their parents, Petalfur and Birchwood, and two other cats, mates, Cedarshadow and Frogstep. And there was Irispelt, a new elder, sitting up more alert than the others. Frozenpaw was being told a story, although why she did not know. This was supposed to be Frozenpaw’s punishment for disobeying Bearpelt’s orders. Frozenpaw was well liked by the elders, though, so this punishment was less than a punishment than Bearpelt would’ve liked.
Heatherpaw didn’t want to ruin her sister’s fun, but it blurted out anyways. “Aren’t you being punished? Getting rid of ticks?”
Frozenpaw whipped around and gave Heatherpaw a ‘please, don’t do that’ look, but the damage was already done. Petalfur’s gaze hardened. “That’s right, Frozenpaw. Disobeying orders! In a time of war! I think I have a tick near the base of my tail. Go get some mouse bile from Smallpaw, will you?”
Frozenpaw groaned and began to walk off.
Petalfur turned to her other daughter. “Why don’t you help out?”
The silver tabby’s jaw hung open. “But –” at her mother’s look, she shut her mouth and followed her sister.
They walked the short distance to the medicine cat’s den, and near the entrance Frozenpaw whipped around, annoyed. “Why’d you have to do that?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, Frozenpaw.”
“Well, now I’m stuck doing it,” she muttered.
“What am I doing, then, you sodden lump of fur? Surely not helping you.” Heatherpaw whispered this on the breeze, too low for her sister to hear.
There was Smallpaw, only three or four moons older than them, sorting herbs idly. Crestedback was nowhere to be found.
“He’s out seeing if any watermint can be salvaged. He’s afraid for greencough, and with all these kits,” mewed Smallpaw, as if she could read their minds.
Maybe the connection to StarClan made you closer like that.
“We need mouse bile,” Frozenpaw mewed, short and to the point.
Heatherpaw felt herself drifting off a bit. The dirt floor felt warm beneath her paws, and the mixed, perfume-like smell of the herbs and flowers mixed together was making her drowsy and lightheaded. It smelled so good, she just wanted to sleep here one night –
Oh what was that terrible smell?
Opening her eyes, Heatherpaw realized it was the wad of moss soaked in mouse bile. She crinkled her nose. “You take it,” Frozenpaw hissed.
Heatherpaw, not wanting to argue with her, picked it up gingerly in her teeth. She almost raced out the den, inhaling the fresh air to get rid of the heady, flowery scent, but got a full whiff of mouse bile. Retching a little in the back of her throat, she sped into the elders den, spitting the awful thing out.