Off the beaten path

Stars, it felt so far…

The small ginger apprentice could barely walk. She had gotten lost; there was a hunting patrol, they went one way, she went another.

Honeypaw found Fourtrees. She was just looking at the tree; and then, slam!

A dark as night pelt, crazed eyes… pain. It was all she could do to get away.

Honeypaw coughed, the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. Fresh jagged slashes marred her pelt, there was blood caked along their edges. Exhausted, she needed to be seen by the medicine cat.

The small apprentice found an empty nest and plopped down, her breathing heavy and choppy.

“Help me…” Honeypaw croaked, laying in the nest, Hopefully they could help.

Batsong had just returned from gathering some herbs... and it was a good thing she was back now. If she had been out much longer Honeypaw would be in even worse condition. Wow... she really needed an apprentice to help keep a second set of eyes on things.

She rushed to Honeypaw's side. The all black pelt on the medicine cat looked earily close to the skyclan aggressor. Of course, Batsong did not know this at all.

"Oh H-h-honeypaw..." she stuttered looking down at the many wounds the apprentice had sustained.

She quickly gathered up some herbs.

Poppy seeds for the pain.. Honeypaw was a young apprentice so like very few of those. They would also make the apprentice sleepy, which was fine rest would always help.

Marigold for stopping the bleeding and for preventing infection of the wounds.

chamomile to give the apprentice strength... It also had a soothing effect on the mind to calm them down hopefully.


Al-alright... t-there th..there... h-hold st-still for me th-this might sting j-just a little but it-its to stop any infection okay? I k-know you are v-very b-br-brave so bare with me" she meowed quietly and motherly to honeypaw

She chewed the marigold into a poultice and put it very generously and carefully on Honeypaw's wounds. The herb did sting on wounds but it was important to make sure that no infection set in. It also did a great job at stopping the bleading.

To help with the bleeding stopping even more, Batsong used cobwebs, pressing them against the wound to soak up the blood and pressure the wound to cut the bleeding out. The most important thing was stopping that bleeding and being very careful of infections... While this was true, the poppy seeds for the pain had to come last for poor Honeypaw.

Finally, after she was sure that most of the bleeding was under control, she gave Honeypaw some poppy seeds for pain control as well as some chamomile to keep their strength up and to hopefully relax them from this awful thing that had just happened to them.

alright... you are g-gonna be okay" she meowed staying by their side... She wondered if she was saying that for herself... Batsong had just lost Birchkits mother to whitecough so she was pretty distraught over that... surely she wouldn't lose another patient?

hmm speaking of Birchkit... he did like to hang around the medicine den alot... perhaps if Birch was around they would like to fetch Honeypaw some food or water .

B-birchkit? she meowed for them... "w-would you like to help care for h-h...honeypaw? she stuttered... she wasnt enterly sure if Birchkit was within earshot but if not.. that was okie too.

Honeypaw was ebbing in and out of awareness when a black cat walked into the den. Her eyes got as big as the moon, as she backed away from them. "No, no! You're not... you're not gonna hurt me! Get away! This isn't SkyClan! This isn't SkyClan! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The adrenaline racked her body, no longer feeling as much pain but her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Sheer panic took over her features, her whole body at attention, her tail jittering behind her. Escape! Escape? Where? The apprentice swiveled her head around, looking for a way out.

The older cat approached, showing the rest of themselves. The adrenaline crashed as quickly as it spiked. "No silver pelt, no silver pelt..." Honeypaw muttered, her body shaking. Her eyes were still huge, her heart felt sore, and the small ginger she-cat scowled from the returning pain.

"Why, why does everything, hurt?"

She watched as the black she-cat started to grab herbs. "Batsong? Is... that... you?"

Honeypaw's brain felt so foggy, waves of pain at the temples. She was going to put stuff on her? "Oh... okay..."

The apprentice grimaced as the marigold was put on her sides, breathing in sharply but saying nothing. By the time all the marigold was placed, Honeypaw barely registered the cobwebs.

"Thank you..."

She weakly chewed on the chamomile and poppy seeds. Honeypaw let out a sigh as the medicine started to kick in.

The she-cat trembled a little, trying to keep herself calm, but it was so hard. Stars only knew where that SkyClan cat went, if they even thought of her as she ran off, she could have died...

Batsong was startled at first by honeypaw squirming away. H-hey hey it’s okay… y-your safe now shh shh it’s okay t-there’s no skyclan h-here. She meowed quietly.

… so it was skyclan that had done this??? Frustration went through her … bold of skyclan to attack an apprentice… stupid too. Luckily, honeypaw soon calmed down and the medicine started to slowly work…

She sighed softly… shrikestar w-will need to be t-told at once … skyclan won’t get away with this she said shaking her head upset.

Little pawsteps sounded as birchkit appeared ahh birch she paused looking at how interested he was with the herbs and the apprentice wounds. Hmm interesting.


At first she had wanted them to go get food for honey but she had a better idea now. She called another apprentice and instead they went to go get the food and water. She gently ushered birchkit to honeypaw side l-look carefully s-she is hurting b-but you can see how I w-wrapped the wounds in marigold and cobwebs? she asked the kit holding them up gently to get him a better view.


Birchkit can you smell the herb? That’s marigold she explained to them… hmm was this young for showing a kit things like this?? Hmm maybe but birch was super interested and she had been looking for a cat to help her and before birch she had not found anyone . She gently put them back down


The other apprentice soon came back giving honey a meal.

Seeing that honey had stabilized , batsong poked her head out of the den for a second spotting shrikestar she beckoned him over.

Shrikestar she whispered quietly honeypaw is b-badly hurt… s-she says it was skyclan

She informed him. Every so often she checked back inside with honeypaw.

They c-can’t get away with t-this she meowed quietly

Shrikestar heard Batsong quietly call for him. He headed over towards his medicine cat, where he was delivered the news. It certainly wasn't good news. His eyes narrowed as he learned what had transpired, and that it was SkyClan that had done the deed. It looked like things hadn't changed despite the new leadership. "I will take a couple of warriors and leave for the border. Did she saw who it was?" If there was to be punishment, it would be worthwhile to know the perpetrator.