Country Roads, Take Me Home [open, leader and MC man needed]

Each step towards home, filled Oakberry with a kit like excitement. She'd be gone about a moon she'd guessed. A moon of torture, one she'd barely survived. The crimson gloom, that had consumed the forest, not long after she had met the infamous rogue, Shade, reflected her troubles perfectly. A darkness that did not seem to end, dowsed with only bloodshed. Her mind drifted to Cinderfall, was he even alive? He'd given his life for her, for someone he barely knew.  The excitement simmered, he must have had a family to go home to, and he might not see again, or them him. Her pace slowed, she shouldn't of left Cinderfall, she didn't particularly have anyone waiting for her, and WindClan didn't need another useless cat to feed. At the moment she was nothing but a liability, she could barely hold herself up, even when propped up against Sharptooth, her vision was constantly drifting in and out of focus, and any sudden movement sent ripples of pain all through her body. She'd been useless before, but now she wouldn't of been surprised if they straight up rejected her.

The dip, that marked WindClan camp, swiftly came into view, Oakberry would of jumped for joy, except her injuries and feelings held her back. Her eyes sparkled happily, as she gazed upon it. "Y-you see that dip, Sharptooth?" she asked, looking up at the larger she-cat "That's WindClan camp, i-'s not much f-farther." The injured warrior turned her head back, to face forward. she inhaled deeply, allowing the scents of WindClan drift up her nostrils. It's been so long.. The track was so familiar, memories of racing with Barleytuft, and hunting with him, flashed through her mind. She was so close to seeing him again, but did he want to see her? She was so beat up, she must of been barely recognisable. Matted fur, various gashes, and of course, her leg. Would it be able to heal, would she be doomed to a life of hobbling around, never to run like a true WindClan cat again?

~Time skip~

The Gorse tunnel pricked at Oakberry's wound, opening the up again, causing the pain to become so much worse. It didn't matter though, she was here. She was home. Her pained steps quickened, just a few more and she was really there.

The dusty divot sprawled out before her, clan mates went about their business, weaving in and out of den, sharing tongues, and eating fresh-kill. It was Leaf-fall now, she' somehow managed to gather that. It'd been Greenleaf when she'd been taken, it seemed so surreal to be standing in the camp that was so familiar to Oakberry. She remembered every inch of it, the burrows she'd played in as kit, the nursery and elder's den, hidden within the gorse, and of course, the Tallrock. It looked too good to be true.

Her breathing hitched, as her emotions caught up with her, she was really here. This wasn't some cruel dream. The ground beneath her feet was real, it crumbled underneath her pelt, and the breeze really ruffled her pelt. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, as she collapsed to the ground, quickly overcome with exhaustion, pain, hunger, and emotion. The tabby she-cat broke down right there, she didn't care. She was home. she was really there.

Since she'd been taken, she dreamt of returning, it was all that kept her sane. The hope that she could be happy again, that she could serve her clan, and that she would see Barleytuft again. It had been what had kept her in place, reminded her of what was important, and saved her. It had given Oakberry, the determination to keep going. To be here, the feeling was indescribable.

The she-cat took a deep breath, swallowing up her tears. She turned her head to face her companion(s?), a smile appearing on her muzzle. "Thank you." she choked out.

Sharptooth flicked her tail, stepping carefully through the tall grass. "Go slow," She cooed gently, trying her best to support the young warrior. She reminded her of Wisteriapool, in a way. "We'll get there when we get there. It's important that you don't strain yourself..."
She could feel Oakberry's excitement as they approached the camp- if one could even call it a camp. It was little more than a large dip in the ground, surrounded by thin wall of dry bracken. Small shelters that could pass as dens were located around the edge of the camp, and a large pile of lean hares, plump rabbits, and strange, large birds with impressive tailfeathers and long necks. Sharptooth's tattered ears twitched as they made their way awkwardly through the tunnel and finally emerged into the heart of Windclan's territory.

She felt Oakberry shaking, collapsing to the ground. She was crying.
Sharptooth felt a swoop of motherly love toward a warrior she had met less than a sunrise ago. "You're home now, dear." She mewed softly, leaning forward as if to run her nose through the she-cat's pelt comfortingly. At the last moment, however, she seemed to think better of it and stepped back, turning her attention to the surrounding cats. "She needs a Medicine Cat!" She called, doing her best to peer further into Windclan camp without shifting too much. This wasn't her home, and these cats were not her allies. She was a stranger to them. An enemy.

The coolness of the air in the camp made Barleytuft shiver as he rolled up used bedding in preparation to make a new one. He had a short, thin coat that did little to warm him in leaf-fall - he couldn't imagine what he could line his nest with to keep him comfortable for winter. His thoughts drifted to his lost friend, Oakberry, for the thousandth time, wondering if she was warm where she was. The warrior growled and shoved the bedding away as though trying to shove the thought when a familiar scent hit his nose.

Barleytuft hesitated for a moment. His nest had been next to Oakberry's, and he hadn't let anyone move it since she disappeared. He wondered if perhaps he had just stirred her scent as he cleaned out both of their nests, but then he heard a shout from the clearing. "She needs a Medicine Cat!" The lanky tom sucked in a sharp breath and abandoned his task, sprinting into the clearing in the hopes of seeing that dark, pale tabby fur - and there she was. "Oakberry!" he cried, seeing the she-cat on the ground with tears on her cheeks.

The tom barely saw the strange and uncomfortable-looking she-cat beside his friend as he made his way to stand in front of her, barely holding back from thrusting forward to nuzzle her face and ears. Barleytuft felt his relief at seeing her home being replaced by fear and concern as he saw the state she was in. The stranger was right; Oakberry needed help. However, he couldn't bring himself to let her out of his sight. "Oh, StarClan, what happened to you?" he murmured, his voice thick with sorrow for her suffering.

The warrior had so much he wanted to say, and so many things he wanted to do. Barleytuft stepped back and stammered, looking uncertainly at his paws, "D-Do you need food? Or, ah, water? I-I'll do what I can to help you. If you need anything..." He broke off for a moment and looked at Oakberry as if she were the only cat in the camp. "I'll do anything for you." He longed to lay beside her and lick her wounds, but she looked thin, in pain, and exhausted. What if she didn't want him there?

It had become apparent that calamity had readily taken up residence within the forest these days, with strange happenings and phenomenon plaguing each new dawn. A narrowed gaze was fixated upon the bedraggled pair, reflecting nothing but the chilliest notes of the early Leaf-Fall day. Despite the cries for her immediate intervention, Brindlestar merely remained idle as the commotion grew and grew. Vexation-fueled distrust surged within her veins, souring her usually pragmatic state of mind. What was to be expected of her in a situation such as this, with circumstances such as the ones that were currently transpiring? They were in the midst of such dire turmoil, the last thing she needed was to question just why a fully grown cat had gone tromping off for some reason or another. "So I see that you've decided to return... with a guest." Brindlestar's silken voice was eerily placid as her pale gaze drifted between Oakberry and Sharptooth, entirely void of revealing emotions. "I should hope that there's a reason for such a poorly timed disappearance." After the actions of the Exiles and the deceit of Laurelsong, her patience with foolish young cats had dwindled beyond recognition- and now, she had no intent of welcoming the young molly back unless there were extenuating circumstances.

A familiar voice, made its way to Oakberry's ear and almost instantly the she-cat smiled, despite the pain she was in. It'd been too long since she'd heard Barleytuft's voice, every fibre wanted to jump and join him, but physically she couldn't. It hurt to me so close to the tom, yet so far. It was cruel. "Thank you, Barleytuft." she mewed, eyes shining happily.

Her head turned, as she heard Brindlestar's voice. Although she deeply admired her leader, it hurt that she seemed almost angered by her return. She knew she was useless, and it was what she had expected, but it hurt non the less. However, deep inside her weakened body, she felt angry. After everything she endured, she was just going to be turned away like this? Did the clan she'd sworn her loyalty to really not want her back? She could barely lift her head to look at Brindlestar, but she began to speak, her words loud and clear. "Poorly timed?! I don't know what time it is, nor what is happening! I have no idea how long I was gone for, and I have no knowledge of what has been happening to make my return poorly timed." Oakberry took a deep breath, speaking was painful. "I did not choose to leave, I would never leave. WindClan is my home, I've lived here since I was born, and I plan to serve WindClan until my last breath. " hissed Oakberry words laced with emotion. The tabby warrior gritted her teeth, unsure if Brindlestar would believe what she said. Her eyes filled with tears again, she knew that if Brindlestar turned her away, she would die. Even now, death felt closer to her than life. She couldn't lose this fight, when she was so close to winning, and prevailing.

"The night I disappeared, I was doing a solo patrol alone. Even then, I knew it was a bad idea, I kept telling myself I should of had some cat tag along, it was stupid to be out alone, what with Sh-sh-shade." the name felt like poison on her tongue, sending shudders now her spine. She loathed Shade with her whole being, and every time he was mentioned it reminded her of their close encounter. Oakberry thought she was going to die then, too. "As I was patrolling, I heard a cat yowl. All my instincts told me to run, to get away from there, but what if one of my clan-mates was in trouble. I couldn't not investigate. The yowls were coming from Fourtrees, and when I got there, there was no blood, no nothing, just two cats. One was Swoopnose of ThunderClan and the other C-c-cinderfall of RiverClan. I asked the toms what happened, and why I heard yowling, b-but it was at that moment a twoleg monster charged into Fourtrees. It happened so fast! One minute I was fine, and then the next I was sealed in the d-d-dark, no escape possible." She remembered being so terrified, she had thought all hope was lost. "Swoopnose, came up with this idea to break out. Cinderfall got out fine, and so did Swoopnose, I'm not to sure... I, I was in shock. I could barely think straight. I had to bust open the cage's door, but I wasn't strong enough... I heard a snap, and then  pain shot up my left leg. Somehow we made it out of the monsters belly, and began travelling through Twoleg Place. I found it hard to put any weight on my leg, so travel was slow." Oakberry stopped speaking, she didn't want to talk about what happened next, she doubted she'd ever get over it. It was all so vivid, so fresh. She prayed to StarClan Cinderfall was alright. "W-we were travelling, and the border of Twoleg Place came into view, I remember being so excited, I'd finally be home where I belong... Even though, I often feel like I'm not deserving of my place in this clan. It was fine, and I was beginning to feel, that I'd return in mostly one piece. But the whole time we were in that accursed place, we were being followed by Shade. He jumped out on us, and then it happened so quick. He had me c-cornered, I thought I was done for, but then Cinderfall attacked Shade, giving enough time for Swoopnose and I to escape. H-h-he saved me... B-but I can't save him, not in this state." Tears began to fall again, she was home, but it wasn't over yet, and as she spoke it was all being brought back up again. Cinderfall was more than likely dead, and it was her fault. "Swoopnose and I entered, clan territory. I was beginning to regain hope, maybe things would work out, but luck is never on my side. We ran into in a raccoon and in our weakened state, we could not fight it. I remember it swung at me, completely breaking my leg, and then everything went black... I thought I had died. I don't know what happened during that time, but when I came to Swoopnose was alive and Sharptooth had arrived, and the raccoon lay dead. Swoopnose left for ThunderClan, and Sharptooth helped me come home, I would not be alive if not for any of those cats." she finished, her words laying heavily in the air. The whole story out there. Oakberry felt more terrified than ever, what if Brindlestar didn't believe her? What would happen? Would she cast her out, never to return, or see Barleytuft again?

Sharptooth shifted slightly in front of Oakberry as Brindlestar approached, glancing guardedly at the harried-looking Windclanner. "A true warrior should welcome their clanmate back home without question," She grunted, her voice so gravelly she wondered if the surrounding clan cats were even able to understand her. Clearing her parched throat, she straightened herself as best she could and flicked her tail gently over Oakberry's flank. "I tracked Swoopnose, my kin, and Oakberry to the edge of Twolegplace. When I finally caught up with them, they were in the midst of battle with a raccoon. I arrived just in time to see Oakberry collapse."
Sharptooth spoke with a clipped, nearly reproachful tone, as if she wasn't bone-thin and coated in mud. Watching Brindlestar, the exile felt faintly indignant. What kind of leader was suspicious of their own warrior? Especially one that had nearly broken themselves just to return home?
"She's gravely injured, and needs a Medicine Cat." Sharptooth repeated, punctuating her words with a decisive twitch of her bedraggled ears. Have the clans really changed this much since I've left?

For just a moment while Barleytuft waited for Oakberry's response, he worried that she wouldn't feel the same. For a couple moons, with all the chaos, the thought that his best friend would return and be at his side again had been all that kept his head up. However, he barely had a moment to consider it before she responded, her voice still warm despite being choked with pain. No sooner had Oakberry said those words than did they all hear a cool, terse voice address Oakberry and her companion, who Barleytuft only now seemed to really notice. Immediately Barleytuft made his way to Oakberry's side and, carefully, crouched beside her to press himself against her. He wanted to help give her strength to face their leader.

Barleytuft had been there with their Clan after Oakberry disappeared; he had experienced the growing evil in the forest himself, and the growing tensions between all the Clans, and he understood Brindlestar's rather cold welcome in light of all this and the slow but certain arrival of leaf-bare. However, all he had dreamed of for moons was Oakberry's return. Anyone with eyes could tell that she hadn't gone of her own accord, and some of her first words stated that very clearly. Barleytuft winced at the hoarseness in Oakberry's voice, and at the anger she was showing towards the cat who would determine if she could return or not.

The young warrior listened closely as Oakberry described her experience, trying to keep his fur flat and his voice to himself until she could share her story. Barleytuft lay close to her side, and still; he wanted to be there to provide warmth and comfort, but he didn't want to press against one of her wounds and cause her pain. However, when she began to cry, he couldn't help but move his muzzle to her ear, making soft murmuring sounds to try to comfort her. His heart ached as he listened to all she had suffered, and when she finished her story he licked at her neck softly. He listened, but continued carefully grooming Oakberry, while the stranger - Sharptooth - said more.

Barleytuft didn't know what Brindlestar would say; all he knew was that he belonged with Oakberry now, wherever she went. She needed him.

"Trust is a privilege, not a right. I am allowed to question whether or not you deserve such a privilege, just as I am allowed to question why you left and why you returned. Whether you like it or not, in the eyes of many you simply fled WindClan as tensions escalated with RiverClan. If you cannot even handle rightful suspicion being cast upon you after an incriminating disappearance, then my daughter failed to mentor you properly. Disappearing at such a time, where war is inevitable, will earn you ire in the eyes of many- regardless of what truly happened. So forgive me for being rightfully wary about your intentions or motives," Brindlestar remarked dryly as Oakberry finished relaying her account of events, the characteristic note of frostiness prevalent within her soft voice, "But suspicion is how the truth is shown. In order for a decision to be reached, I must be sure of the story that is given to me. You are hardly old enough to recall Ashstar, but even a cat as kind as her would've regarded you with suspicion until you provided the truth." Wholly aware of Barleytuft's actions as the conversation continued, the faintest flicker of amusement resonated within her chest. The pleading intent went undisguised in both young cat's eyes, even whenever their gazes weren't fixated upon her. Tail twitching slightly, the brittle foliage easily gave way beneath her movements as she blinked down at the bedraggled young tabby with that same flinty gaze, void of emotions.

"I'll send word for Goldeneye, but you'll have to make do for a night or so. At least she'll be able to tell you whether or not Cinderfall made it back to RiverClan."

However, none of the momentary tenderness remained as the molly turned upon the stranger who stood within her camp, blatantly overstaying her welcome.

"A true Warrior? Do not feign to know of such behaviors, murderer. I ought to strike you down for speaking to me with such insolence, Sharptooth." The disgusted snarl that edged Brindlestar's words was not even remotely disguised. The one who willingly let her mother be marched into the grave for her own crimes suddenly finds herself mighty enough to speak down to others? She had only been clued into what terrible wounds that this half-starved creature had caused by the discussions brought forth by the Gathering, but it was enough to formulate an opinion on the matter. "The only reason I don't act upon such urges is because I trust in whatever reasoning Leopardstar has for letting you survive in spite of such heinous crimes." Bristling slightly, the molly's nostrils flared as she inhaled and exhaled in search of momentary composure. A festering disease had been unknowingly brought into their home, and it was utterly difficult not to eradicate it then and there. "You have a single night to regain your strength and say your goodbyes, but if you are found upon my Clan's territory by sunrise I shall gift RiverClan with your head."

By the time Goldeneye had arrived at Windclan camp, it would have dusk, Frostnose(NPC) was a swift runner and had allowed her to gather supplies. She left without a word to her apprentice other than 'I'm heeding Windclan's call, I will be back soon.' and leaving swiftly before Fallowpaw could keep her tethered much longer. It sounded like Oakberry had suffered a bad break, but there was not a lot she could do to evaluate it when she was still so far away. Goldeneye ran as hard and fast as she could, but no cat could ever match a Windclan cats speed. But soon she was dipping into the camp, a bundle of herbs in her jaws as she watched with hard amber eyes the suspicion the Windclan cats were regarding her with. Frostnose parted ways and Goldeneye dipped into the medicine cat den where Oakberry would no doubt be.

Goldeneye almost dropped her herbs at the shock of the she-cats wounds, rage filling her as she gently put her bundle next to the she-cat. It was obvious that she would not have been given any poppyseeds to numb the pain, or anything to give her comfort, even honey would have been better than nothing! Goldeneye wrestled in her emotions as she brushed her paws against her leg, the smell wafting from the she-cat made her nose wrinkle. So, an infection was setting in. If only she got here sooner. "Greetings Oakberry, I'm Goldeneye in case you haven't known already." Goldeneye meowed formally as she splayed her herbs out in front of her. Her eyes calculating as she coolly took in Oakberry's wounds and what she would need. Thankfully she had the foresight to bring Willow-bark, her favourite form of painkiller that would not affect her state of mind, unlike poppy-seeds.

Goldeneye stripped the bark into chewable strips, while it wasn't necessary to swallow the bark itself, all a cat would have to do was chew them to work out the nutrients and pain-numbing properties. "Chew." She meowed as she pushed the strips towards Oakberry, hopefully, the amount given would be enough to lessen the pain but not void it very completely, after all, the pain was important. Goldeneye set to work on her leg, her paws gently massaging and pushing the bone back to its place. A break was different from a dislocation, while one could pop it back into place, a break she had to carefully manipulate depending on the severity. Goldeneye's brows furrowed with concentration, a complicated game of tug of war under fur and flesh that she could not see. Once satisfied the she-cat grasped a stick and the toughest of the cat-tails she wrapped the leg against the stick to allow the bone to stay in place. But there were another couple of issues she had to watch for.

Goldeneye pressed her paw above and below the break, feeling for hotness and swelling but none came, even as she waited for what felt like hours. She was in the clear, what a stroke of luck! Goldeneye re-enforced the splint and went to work on crafting a polituce, pushing the mix into the she-cats wounds, infection evident. Worry made Goldeneye bite her tongue, as she pressed cobwebs over the polituce to be sure to keep the mix against the wounds to make sure the windclanners body soaked in the healing mix. Cleaning her paws she turned to her dwindling pile and pushed a special mix towards the she-cat, "Eat this and swallow, you have an infection and this mix should help your body fight it. You can expect yourself to get sick as well. I'll go into more detail once Brindlestar comes in so I can discuss your condition with you two." Goldeneye meowed as she drew her tongue over her paw and over her ears.

The warmth of Barleytuft's fur against her own, soothed Oakberry. Calmness quickly seeped over her, and instinctively, she pressed herself closer to him. Her eyes flickered closed briefly, savouring this short moment of calm, knowing that it wouldn't last. Brindlestar's voice cut through the silence, and the exhausted she-cat lifted her gaze from Barleytuft to her leader. Despite her previous anger, the reasonable part of her brain had understood where the pale cat had been coming from. Times were not easy, Oakberry knew that, just part of her had hoped for a warmer welcome. At least she was home now. Relief filed the young she-cat's heart when Brindlestar allowed her to stay. It was going to be fine. "Thank you, Brindlestar." she mewed softly.

The gentle she-cat, struggled to her paws. "Barleytuft? Could you help me to the medicine cat den?" she mewed. Her joints ached, as she heaved herself upwards. Pain shot through her body, causing her to stumble forwards. Brindlestar's harsh words to Sharptooth, barely registered in her mind as she limped forward.

~~~

The medicine cat den was uncomfortable and lonely. The moss of her bed itched at her wounds, and the only company she'd had was Barleytuft's occasional visit. Sleep had been fitful and short, and her nest's condition was pitiful. Oakberry's tired eyes drooped, maybe she could catch the sleep she longed for now. No sooner than had her eyes flickered closed, did Goldeneye walk into the den. The tabby she-cat smiled softly, yet tiredly, as Goldeneye introduced herself.

Her green eyes followed the golden medicine cat, as she worked. Although, she knew little of herbs it was still interesting to see the medicine cat work. Oakberry made no complaint as she was handed the willow-bark and instructed to chew. The taste wasn't pleasant, but she didn't want to inconvenience Goldeneye anymore by making a fuss, she'd already travelled all the way from RiverClan just to fix her leg. The pain was numbed slightly, but it was still excruciating, feeling all the shards of her leg being pushed into their correct position. It was almost impossible to not wince away, and it took all her will power to not yell out.

Once finished, she moved her head to look at her leg. A frown formed on her muzzle, would she ever be able to run like a true WindClan again? Still, it was better than dying slowly and painfully from her wounds. "Thank you, Goldeneye." she mewed hoarsely. In her tired state she'd managed to forget about Cinderfall, but now with Goldeneye here, she remembered what Brindlestar had said. "G-goldeneye? if you don't mind me asking, b-but did Cinderfall make it home?" she asked. She hoped all was well with the grey tom, but somewhere she knew all was not well with Cinderfall.

"Fair enough," was all the large she-cat was able to say. She didn't like Brindlestar in the slightest, but starting a fight in the middle of Windclan's camp didn't seem like a wise decision. Ignoring the other cats, Sharptooth swung around to give Oakberry a quick, gentle nod before striding as best she could out of camp, trying to hobble with dignity. The raccoon had managed to dig it's fangs briefly into her shoulder, which was already beginning to swell. The short-legged exile gritted her teeth as pain shot down her leg. She hoped that prey was easy to catch in Windclan territory, because unless she stumbled across a half-dead rabbit, she wouldn't waste time trying to catch something.
Her work wasn't done. There was still one more cat that needed to be found, and she had a faint idea of where to find him.

The commotion amid Windclan's walls was lost to one particular apprentice, at least temporarily. Her paws had been busied with the unfortunate task of ridding the elders of their ticks. As the bile rose in her throat at the wretched smell that radiated from their pelts and her once beautiful paws. Brookpaw had to admit there had been a moment where she had been tempted to find Finchpaw and ask him to accomplish the task for her. But instead, she wrinkled her nose and fought to keep a forced smile at the edge of her maw. Admittedly that twitched and faltered several times and yet the young she-cat managed to make it through, all the while charming the elders with her infectious nature. It had arduous but for now, the plight was over.

Brookpaw sucked in a cold breath that seemed to send icicles through her throat. However, it felt like a relief as the taste and stench was replaced with a mild numbness. Before she could head towards the camp entrance, her eyes settled on a gathering of cats in the center, just as her ears twitched from the several voices that piped up. Brindlestar was among them; Barleytuft, her mentor, was as well. Curiosity and dis-ease lead her to them. Unknown cats in the midst of her home made Brookpaw's fur prickle with a mixture of discomfort and frustration. Her chin tilted towards the unusual sky and her tail was high. As she trotted closer, the she-cat's eyes widened. A cat lay there in obvious pain while another, whose pelt scent told the tale of their rant, stood over them. Although confusion washed over her, the petite apprentice gave no outward sign of it.

"Barleytuft," she began slowly, addressing the tom who had just become her mentor, "what is happening? Who are these cats?" The words were soft but did not waver in their questioning. Brookpaw did not want to seem too out of place in her interruption, nor did she wish to upset the leader that she looked up to. And it appeared that no other apprentices had come to join. The tip of her feathery tail twitched ever so slightly as she stared down at Oakberry.

Barleytuft winced slightly as Brindlestar responded by saying trust was a privilege, not a right. The sandy tom felt Oakberry press her body against his at the same time. Surely, she won't send Oakberry away, Barleytuft thought fearfully. The young WindClan warrior deeply respected his leader, but he knew if she denied Oakberry the "privilege" to return home he would not accept her decision quietly. Though the thought of arguing with his leader or, worse, leaving his Clan to take care of Oakberry made his heart threaten to snap in two right there, he kept calm - for his own sake and for Brindlestar's. She hadn't delivered her verdict.

During all the recent chaos, Brindlestar had remained strong and indomitable; her judgement and guidance had saved them from dissolving into chaos, and was keeping them marching forward even in the face of evil and uncertainty. Barleytuft understood and agreed with all of her reasoning, but stubbornly he thought that it didn't matter what the other cats thought - he and Oakberry would just tell them the truth and set them straight. He begrudged to admit the solid points she made, even the one to "prove" that Oakberry's story was true. Barleytuft didn't know how they planned to do it - did they want to find and ask the raccoon that "allegedly" bit her?

However, Barleytuft fought back his impulses to fiercely defend his weak and tired friend. The least helpful thing he could do for Oakberry was get himself in trouble, or her in more trouble, just because he knew Oakberry was loyal, and had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time - and paid dearly for it. As Barleytuft rasped his tongue gingerly over some of her wounds, cleaning out as much of the dirt and grit as he could, he couldn't help but purr softly as he realized that she could've not made it home. He had known she was out there - would he have known if she had succumbed to injuries?

Brindlestar's tentative verdict was announced - Oakberry would stay, and be treated by Goldeneye since WindClan was without a medicine cat, until Brindlestar could prove the validity of her story. The sandy young warrior didn't need to think of what would happen if they decided Oakberry was lying. Instead, her soft voice, tight with pain, caught his ears. "Of course," he murmured, standing as she stood and pressing his shoulder into her to steady her as she stood. As they stood, Barleytuft suddenly found himself face-to-face with a young, curious apprentice. Brookpaw.

"Brookpaw," he greeted, his voice a little strained both as he offered his support to Oakberry and as he tried to sort through his own emotions. "This is Oakberry. She's a WindClan warrior - my... He hesitated. "... my best friend. I trained with her, and we became warriors together. She was kidnapped during greenleaf, and she's hurt. Will you help me take her to the medicine cat's den?" The sandy tom knew he could make it without Brookpaw's help, but he waited to see if his new apprentice would join him and Oakberry. Then, he set off for the den again at Oakberry's pace, aware of Brindlestar's harsh words to the ex-Clan cat who had saved his friend by bringing her home.

I'm sorry, Barleytuft thought sympathetically as he saw the bitter expression on the stranger's face, I won't forget what you did for Oakberry. I'll thank you somehow. He focused on taking Oakberry to the medicine cat's den and getting her settled the best he could; he wondered if Brindlestar would let him stay with her, since there was no medicine cat. He could help take care of her until she was doing better.

The stagnant air within the abandoned expanse of the Medicine Cat's den was wrought with the scent of infection and decaying foliage. Despite being cool upon to the touch, the sandy earth within the den was stifling under the weight of dust that had gone undisturbed for such a lengthy expanse of time. Pausing within the immediate proximity of the over-hanging entrance of the den, the rapidly dwindling light of the day lengthened the shadow cast by Brindlestar's being. Inhaling and exhaling through her mouth for fear of catching faint remnants of unwelcomed, agonizing scents, the pale molly's ear twitched as she caught the drifting end of Oakberry's inquiry. "Well?" The direct statement was brisk, fixated mainly upon Goldeneye.

'Did Cinderfall make it home?' Goldeneye stiffened and her jaw clenched, every part of her stiffening as she contemplated her answer. "No... Cinderfall never made it back. He's still missing." She meowed before turning her gaze upon Windclans leader, putting a conscious effort into relaxing. "I'm putting Oakberry on strict orders of bed rest, she has numerous infected wounds. Her broken leg may now heal completely but she will be able to continue warrior duties should you two wish it, but for her to be able to use it without too much damage she must keep off it until the first sprigs of life peak through the snow. She'll be required to stretch out her muscles except for her broken leg, that must be kept as still and undisturbed as possible. I'll come back in six sunrises from now to evaluate how she's healing. But you or another cat must take over changing her polituces and watching infection." Goldeneye instructed, any timidness or submission gone as she rattled off her treatment plans.

Looking around curiously she meowed, "You'll do good." Beckoning Brindlestar after her she stopped by Oakberry and gestured for the Windclan leader to sit next to her. "I figure that you probably smelled the infection on your way in, but there's more to identifying an infection than just scent. If you press your nose against or close to a wound, you can feel the heat and feel the swelling. If you press your nose to her forehead you can feel for fever, you can identify if she is thirsty or ill by seeing how wet her nose is." The medicine cat described, pulling her bundle close to her.

"Borage. You're probably familiar with this one, while it can help with nursing queens it can also help reduce fever. You ingest it for its healing properties as well." She placed the plant in front of Brindlestar before turning to another one. "Since I wasn't able to come in time infection has set in, honey is the way to go. Unfortunately, I don't have any of that so I brought mari-gold and already applied it. It's most plentiful so I've brought a fair amount with me for your stores. Chew the mari-gold to a pulp and rub it into the wound, use cobwebs to keep the polituce on." Goldeneye meowed, pointing and demonstrating. "It's important that this is done every day. If the infection worsens or her leg swells up and feels hot to the touch you know how to reach me. But before I leave, is there anything else you want to know?" Goldeneye meowed, turning to look at her inquisitively.