A Med Cat's Journey: Seeking a Cure from Riverclan

It was early morning, very few others awake this early when batsong woke up and began preparing for a journey.


Vulturepaw had been a sickly kit and had carried it even to his apprenticeship. Batsong had tried all sorts of herb combinations to heal the poor little Tom but nothing had really worked out yet. She had heard, from other med cats that perhaps the pools of riverclan could be of assistance.

Batsong for one, had her doubts. How was dunking someone in cold water gonna help a cold? Shouldn’t he be staying warm? She sighed shaking her head. Well the other med cats were convinced it might work and deep down batsong wasn’t sure if she was reluctant to go because of her pessimistic outlook on the pools effect or if it was talking with the riverclan leader that was also contributing to the hesitation.


Perchstar was hard to read during the gatherings. Batsong never really felt she knew what the leader was thinking. Usually she could read others pretty well but perchstar not so much.

This, combined with the fact that the only other outside leader she had met was nightstar, it was not hard to see why the shy med cat was not overly fond of this whole idea to begin with. But, if there was a chance it would heal vulture she had to try it.


She went to her patients nest. The little guy was clearly not well just from looking at him. His frame looked like a ghost of what could have been if he was not haunted by this illness.


It felt like he was getting worse too, if this pool thing didn’t work batsong wasn’t sure what else she could do.

Gently nudging him awake she offered him some traveling herbs and fresh kill.

She had discussed with him the plan earlier and had also already told shrike and small of their absence and where they would be.

Once he had eaten. She carefully knelt down beside him and nudged over so that he slid onto her back. He was pretty weak and could hardly even stand yet alone make the walk to riverclan.


She was worried about this a lot. What if the pools only made it worse… but then again if nothing was done she feared he would get worse on his own. This was a last attempt at something and she knew it was a bit of a long shot.


She purred softly trying to provide whatever comfort she could but she wasn’t kidding herself too much, she knew he was in a lot of pain and suffering.

“Just h-hold on a little longer vulturepaw” she whispered as they slipped out of camp.

The walk was long and slow going. Weighed down and purposely trying to avoid any bumps. The Sun rose more and more thankfully warming their pelts as they finally reached the riverclan border.


As they waited for a patrol at the boarder batsong felt herself growing more and more nervous about this. She wasn’t good at talking and didn’t know perchstar all that well. What if she was like nightstar and tricked them somehow? Like how nightstar had tricked her sister onto the thunder path to get hit by a monster.

Or… what if she was even meaner? Batsong had no idea what to expect. She had a decent relationship with sandyshell and hoped that maybe sandy had told perch of that.


A little bit of time passed and soon after the outline of a few cats came into view , clearly a patrol. In the lead the white chest of perchstar glistened in the mid morning sun.


Batsong flicked her tail in a shy greeting.

“P-perchstar, it’s g-good to formally me-meet you. I’m batsong med cat of windclan”

She dipped her head briefly in respect for the other clans leader.

"R-hmm t-this is vulturepaw he’s a little sick… I w-was hoping to talk with sandyshell and m-maybe have access to your clans pools”

She asked. Batsong had no idea what to even expect here so she watched perchstars expressions very closely. Batsong didn’t trust easily anymore after being stabbed in the back by shadowclan and since she didn’t know perchstar she was very on her paws and ready to make a run and quick exit if this went wrong quickly.

She didn’t think anyone would attack a med cat with a sick patient yet alone a leader. But Nightstar had actively tried to get someone killed by a monster so it wasn’t like leaders were incapable of corruption or bad decisions.

Even if he hadn't been the one walking, he found that he was still quickly exhausted by the trek. While he had managed to get a full meal down for once, which he couldn't help but feel a little bit of happiness with, it still didn't exactly mean he was out of the metaphorical woods. Sleep tugged at the tom, the warmth of the sun, and his nose and mouth not raw with the heat of fever, he found himself slipping into a darkness that was a little more pleasant than usual.

Vulturepaw was jolted awake by Batsong settling down, and it was with silent contemplation that Vulturepaw wondered just how strong Batsong was, or just how small he was. The sickly tom was quick to nod back off, taking advantage of the pleasant for once suggestions as the cold continuously soothed the hot fever, accompanied by the sunrays striking his back which in turn helped the constant ache in his muscles. Maybe, Vulturepaw dared to think, that maybe he could get better and be a warrior again, if he could feel as nice as he was now.

Vulturepaw's head picked up at Batsongs voice and the scent of something he'd never smelled before. Dull eyes looked up at the strange cats with the strange smell, with strange bodies, he himself not even knowing how to start explaining the smell they were giving off. The tom trembled for a moment, wondering if Batsong was doing the right thing and that it wouldn't cost him his life... whatever life he had anyway. He stayed silent.

A medicine cat of WindClan, wishing to speak with her? Well, the black she-cat who shifted her weight nervously from paw to paw across the border certainly didn't look threatening. However, Perchstar still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that crept up her spine once she saw the sickly-looking apprentice who accompanied her. This didn't just seem to be a courtesy visit. If she had to guess... WindClan wanted something. But what could RiverClan have to offer that required such a visit?

Still, Perchstar made her way to the edge of the border and sat down, long tail sweeping gently behind her. Her face bore no trace of the uneasiness, distrust or curiosity that mingled in the pit of her stomach. Instead, it was completely neutral, icy blue eyes regarding the medicine cat with nothing but a detatched, polite sort of interest. Her battle-torn ear perked up as she listened. The medicine cat's name was Batsong, and the apprentice was Vulturepaw. At first she'd assumed he must have been the medicine cat apprentice--though she didn't recognize him--but on second thought, that didn't appear to be true. The tom was drooping, almost wilting, and barely seemed to be holding himself together. Whatever kind of illness was debilitating him, it was strong.

"I was hoping to talk with Sandyshell and maybe have access to your Clan's pools."

Perchstar's expression did not change, but the tip of her tail twitched slightly. What an odd request. Speaking to Sandyshell would be expected (though the thought of the medicine cat currently languishing in her den made a dull throb of pain spike through her veins), but... access to the pools in RiverClan? And knowledge of them in the first place? Who had told her such a specific thing? Had it been Sandyshell? Well, unfortunately, she wouldn't really be able to ask in any sufficiently quick manner. She couldn't help but mistrust such an unexplained question. "I'm afraid Sandyshell isn't feeling well at the moment," the leader said flatly, though no emotion crept into her tone, "so you will have to speak to me. Please, explain to me how access to my Clan's territory would help this apprentice of yours."

The news that sandyshell was sick made batsong uncomfortable.  Sandyshell hadn’t been at the last medicine cat meeting and mallard had not revealed anything of what had happened.  Had sandyshell been sick this whole time?  Or was riverclan hiding something about what had happened to her friend in fear that it could look like a weakness being down a med cat.

Batsong could only hope that her friend was alright, it wasn’t her place to poke further on that issue.  “I h-hope she recovers s-soon.  If s-she needs anything d-don’t hesitate to ask”


Perchstar asked her a series of questions and batsong felt like she was being given a giant test.  She shuffled on her paws.

The leader questioned how she even knew about the pools.  Well that was med cat business but since she was asking for a big favor she supposed an answer was appropriate.

“B-before the earthquake occurred the m-med cats were given a dream where we f-flew on w-wings above the forest.  We could see all below us and it was beautiful and pe-peaceful.  But t-then it was all swallowed up into darkness.  A f-few days later the earthquake s-struck.  W-when I flew on the wings of eagles I s-saw your pools down below.”
She explained hoping that made more sense than it sounded, it was the truth as far fetched as it sounded… she hoped that sandy and dove at the time had told perch of the shared dream they all had so that it would be more believable.


Perch next asked what the pools would even do and batsong had a long pause on that one.  Batsong for one, didn’t think that this would work but others claimed that the pools may have healing properties.  She was less so convinced but was willing to try in order to help her patient.  How to answer that to perch though?? She couldn’t exactly say that…

oh yea I don’t think this will work but wanted to yolo it didn’t seem like a valid answer even though that was pretty much what this was, a move of desperation after every other herb mix had failed.

It took her a minute to figure out an answer that was more tactful but still true.

“I believe t-that the s-stars sometimes work in s-strange ways.  We are l-looking for a miracle and sometimes in order to do that we h-have to take leaps.”  She met perch’s eyes

“I don’t know w-what the pools will do, but I w-want to give the stars a ch-chance to help us.”

Even to batsong, it made her sound like she had no idea what she was doing… and in some reasons that was true.  This is why she wanted to talk with sandy so much.  The riverclan med cat might have other ideas about this.


Well in either case, perchstar had so far proven to be more reasonable than Nightstar.  Vulturepaw and herself still had both eyes and were still in one piece which is more than she could say about windclans recent encounters with the shadowclans leader.

But being more reasonable than nightstar was obtainable even by a badger in her opinion.  Perchstar's next answer would determine what batsong thought of her more.
“W-we of course will be r-respectful of your pools and will happily be escorted to and away from them” she added on quietly holding Vulturepaw close.

Telling perchstar between the lines they only wanted access to the pools nothing else.  Leaders liked to be secretive of their lands and camp locations (rightfully so).

And to Vulturepaw, it was quietly saying not to cause any trouble, not that she really belived he would but the last thing they needed was to upset the riverclan leader that held both of their fates right now.

While Perchstar had not said verbatim that Sandyshell was sick, the expression of condolences from Batsong was appreciated. The way her eyes had darted around at the new information meant that she had obviously been expecting to speak to the medicine cat, instead... All things considered, it would have likely been a far easier encounter. Perchstar was aware that she was not the easiest cat to approach. However, it may have been for the better that she was the one to handle these negotiations, since Sandyshell may have been too kindhearted to see past the request, if it truly was just a ploy to gain more information from RiverClan. There was only one way to find out. Perchstar's ears both swiveled forward to listen to Batsong's tale.

The answers were... not satisfying. While her facial expression did not change, Perchstar had to stop her eyes from narrowing at the beginning of the answer. A dream from the stars... that simply showed more of the territory? Of RiverClan's territory? It had warned of the earthquake, which made sense despite being unhelpful, but it did not seem to fit this circumstance at all. How would a dream, already fulfilled, correlate with this apprentice's malady? It was the same dream that Sandyshell and Dovesight had. They hadn't mentioned anything about the pools, probably because it hadn't seemed necessary. What an innocuous part of a prophetic dream to make into a sticking point. The leader's eyes darted temporarily back to the sickly-looking tom, taking in how he was barely standing on his own feet, before returning to Batsong.

"I don’t know what the pools will do, but I want to give the stars a chance to help us."

A light tinge of frustration crept up Perchstar's pelt. She was not an unreasonable cat, but what was she supposed to do with such an answer? "Sorry, I actually don't know what the pools have to do with the sickness, and I only know about them because of a dream about an earthquake, but I feel like the stars probably know something so maybe dunking this sick cat in water will make him better instead of giving him the chills." Even if Batsong was aware the request was unreasonable, which she seemed to be with the stuttering caveats she attempted to tack on, that didn't help her want to give away such valuable information for such awful reasoning. Still, she would feel bad to dismiss them out of hand. Instead she let out a quiet sigh and spoke. “While I am not without compassion, I hope you do realize that such a request means a large amount of trust in you and this apprentice for very little payoff. Does WindClan have anything to offer us in return for such access to our territory, without even the assurance that it would definitely be of help?” She would give the medicine cat a chance to actually make the offer acceptable. However, if it wasn't, then she would feel no remorse about refusing such an odd request. How would chilly, half-frozen water help some sick WindClanner anyway?

From just how Perch responded Batsong knew this wasnt going well.  She couldnt help but feel bad for not being a better advocate of this.  She was never much of a public speaker and talking to leaders especially of a different clan wasn't easy for her.  Perchstar seemed reasonable enough but was not wanting to let them in for nothing.

Batsong didn't exactly have the authority to go bargaining away what little resources Windclan had... what did perch even want when she said unless you have something to offer?  Herbs?  Windclan was low on those already, but as Batsong had already said if Sandy ever needed help she would... so what did Riverclan need really then?  Batsong wasn't really sure but figured she could ask.

P-perchstar, I understand this is an odd request, but it s-shouldn't be denied just because I c-cant explain what properties the pools might have.  N-no more than I can explain the properties that the moonstone has and yet, windclan has always allowed safe passage through our lands to the moonstone.  I cant explain h-how leaders live 9 times and yet they do she finally said quietly.

She didn't exactly know what Perch wanted in return for this and wanted to address that part next.
"Windclan w-would not soon forget y-your kindness shown.  As for t-the immediate if t-there is anything you w-want you may ask she started.  She figured if Perchstar was trying to get something it would be easiest if Perch would just say it.  

But at the same time she did have an idea in case Perch was just asking more in general.
She went closer to the leader slowly in a calm way so she could speak in a whisper.

"S-sandy hasnt been to the last meeting of the m-med cats and now you say she isnt well... Perchstar, I w-worry for her and truly meant what I said.  If s-she is unwell I w-will do anything I can to help her and y-your clan... P-perhaps a temporary m-med cat to help around riverclan?  Like w-what dove did for us all those moons ago?"

Was this a good idea? Batsong had no idea.  But it didn't take a med cat to figure out that Sandy was clearly unwell despite how much Mallard had tried to cover it up during their meeting when Mallard got all defensive when asked anything to due with sandy.  Perch earlier in this meeting now saying Sandy "isn't feeling well" ... yeah that was easy enough to see in between those lines that something was clearly wrong.  The higher ups just didn't want to expose any weakness, which was understandable, small and shrike would likely do the same thing if she was ill.  

Perhaps this contributed to why they were being extra guarded even now over a relatively small request.   It wasn't like they wanted to go to their camp and come on now... it was a med cat and a sickly apprentice were they really that much of a threat?


If this meant Batsong would have double work of keeping an eye on two clans until her friend Sandyshell could heal, that was okay with her as exhausting as that sounded, she just wanted to do her job of taking care of her patients and clanmates and if showing that to Perch was what it would take to maybe let vulture break this fever, well she had to at least try all things.  

"To me, a m-medicine cats job is about t-trying to s-save l-lives r-regardless of clan.  T-the only question then is i-if you believe the leader h-has the same job in that sense