She Looks So Perfect ~ Don't Stop ~ Good Girls ~ Kiss Me Kiss Me ~ 18 ~ Everything I Didn't Say ~ Beside You ~ End Up Here ~ Long Way Home ~ Heartbreak Girl ~ Mrs All American ~ Amnesia ~ Tomorrow Never Ends ~ Independence Day ~ Close As Strangers
OA: 5SOS
By Firey <3
Please don't stop now
Don't stop loving me
I need you nearby
Stay with me...
Don't Stop
You're like perfection, some kind of holiday
You got me thinking that we could run away
Blackshadow knelt by Darkstar's side, hoping his leader would be alright. She had been terribly sick, and the rumor he had passed around about how Darkstar had survived the worst of the plague was a terrible lie.
He breathed in slowly.
"Blackshadow?" He heard Darkstar rasp, "Is that you?"
"Yes," he cautiously drew forward. He knew he was taking a risk, approaching the sick cats everyday. Though Amberfrost reassured him that if he did not touch any of the plague-infected cats, he would be fine. "Are you alright?"
Darkstar let out a choked laugh, "Am I alright? Are you losing your wits, Blackshadow?" she seemed to sneer at him, even on the verge of death, "I am dying, Blackshadow. This is my last life too."
Blackshadow couldn't breath for a second. "You're last life?" He echoed, not registering the fact.
"Yes, my foolish deputy," Darkstar closed her eyes, "And I fear I am going to lose my life soon."
Thoughts ran through Blackshadow's mind. If he had to become leader...what would become of him and Applebreeze? Surely he couldn't continue with her, especially in dire times. No wonder Darkstar didn't have a mate, it was too much pressure.
You want I'll take you there,
You tell me when and where,
As Blackshadow padded back outside, Amberfrost ran a quick check over him and then sent him off. "Go back to the camp for a bit and stay there," she instructed, "The Clan needs to see somebody in control or they'll panic. Plus, I can tell you need someone."
Blackshadow had felt his ears turn red and he hurried back to the mossy camp.
From there, he and Applebreeze had went hunting together at her request. It wasn't as awkward as before, as she had confessed her real feelings to him.
She loved him.
"Stop daydreaming," Applebreeze teased, "I bet I can catch more prey then you!"
"You're on!" He purred, though his heart wasn't in the mood. He then berated himself. Applebreeze is here for you. He told himself, and even if she doesn't know what's going on, she always makes you feel better than you feel.
Oh oh oh oh
But then I asked for your number,
Said you don't have a phone
"Can I ask you something?" Blackshadow asked nervously.
"Sure," Applebreeze mewed, tipping her head as she surveyed the black tom, "Is something wrong?" She looked geniunely worried.
"Nothing's wrong," he lied quickly, not wanting her to worry about the plague raging on back at camp, "I just wanted to ask you if...if we were mates."
The orange she-cat blinked. She answered immediately, "If you want to, I'd gladly be your mate."
Blackshadow entwined his tail with hers. "Oh, Applebreeze," he whispered, "I do wish we could be mates..."
It's getting late now,
I gotta let you know
"What do you mean?" Applebreeze frowned, "We can be mates, I certainly want you to be mine. Is something...wrong?"
Blackshadow grimaced, "No, nothing," he muttered, "I shouldn't have brought it up." How could he explain about the plague when he told her everything would be fine? Darkstar had asked him not to share the disaster with the others.
Applebreeze took a step back, her eyes hurt, "Oh, alright then." She pulled away from him and stood separate, "We better get back to camp then."
She quickly walked away, and Blackshadow felt a pang of sorrow as he watched her. Please don't think I'm pushing you away, Applebreeze...
That everybody wants to take you home tonight
But I'm gonna find a way to make you mine
Blackshadow stayed at the mossy clearing for the next three days, though it was filled with lonely and gloomy days.
Applebreeze made sure to stay in separate patrols from him. She spent a lot of her times with Ashflight, a gray tabby tom who was a good talker when it came to she-cats.
He also noticed that Willowfur and Foxfire spent a lot of time with one another, and Foxfire was generally the only other cat Blackshadow talked to.
"Hey, you look down," the russet tom nudged his friend, "What's wrong?"
He followed Blackshadow's line of sight and sighed, "She-cat problems?"
The black tom rolled his eyes, "Yeah."
Foxfire frowned, "Ashflight's got an eye on your she-cat, Blackshadow. I'd watch him more closely. Seems to me that he's taken a liking in Applebreeze and decided to play with her for a bit."
Blackshadow only narrowed his eyes.
Don't stop doin' what you're doin'
Every time you move to the beat
"Applebreeze, let's go hunting," Ashflight cooed, "It'll be fun!"
"You hate hunting," Applebreeze sighed, looking quite annoyed, "Plus, I've already gone hunting and I don't have to do everything with you. Mind you, your sweet talking doesn't affect me and I only think that you're more annoying than you should be."
"Harsh," Ashflight frowned, "Come on, you can't be serious about liking the deputy."
Blackshadow winced from where he was listening. Applebreeze's gaze slid over to him, and she pursed her lips, "I can do what I want, Ashflight."
She turned and stalked towards Willowfur, "I'm not going to like you just because I've decided not to chase after some other tom!" She called out to Ashflight.
"What a touch she-cat," Ashflight muttered, glancing at the deputy, "Too bad you disappointed her; she's such a lovely choice."
Blackshadow shook his head, "Love is harder than you think."
It gets harder for me
And you know it, know it, know it
Despite the orange she-cat's desperate attempts to stay away from Blackshadow, he managed to get on the same border patrol as her.
She chatted with Willowfur all the time and Blackshadow grudgingly tried to make conversation with Shineblossom and Pinepaw.
Pinepaw's mentor, Creamshadow, was sick with the plague, so Shineblossom was asked to take over for now. "How are you both adjusting?" Blackshadow mewed, trying not to be intimidating to the young apprentice.
Shineblossom shrugged, "Pinepaw's an easy apprentice to train, she's obedient and I can see why Creamshadow liked being her mentor."
Pinepaw puffed her chest in pride and mewed shyly, "I really like Shineblossom was a mentor," she confessed, "Though she's harsh when it comes to rules!"
Shineblossom purred, and Blackshadow joined in. "That's good," he mewed, upbeat, "Hopefully Creamshadow will be better soon and both of you can return to your regular duties and schedules."
Don't stop 'cause you know that I like it
Every time you walk in the room
As they walked on, Blackshadow pulled ahead to let Shineblossom and Pinepaw bond more. Suddenly he caught her scent and he heard her mew, "Hey."
Blackshadow whirled around to see Applebreeze behind him. "Hello," he mewed, blinking in confusion, "Look, I'm sorry I-"
"No, it's okay," Applebreeze shook her head, turning away, "Willowfur said I should come talk to you about...stuff."
"Stuff," the deputy echoed, feeling disappointed that Willowfur was the only reason he had this chance to talk with Applebreeze.
"Yeah," the orange she-cat look distinctively uncomfortable, "Just...stuff."
Blackshadow felt the urge to wrap his tail around her and tell her everything about the plague. But he forced himself not to. I can't let her fear about Darkstar and the others' lives. And yet...he wanted her to know that he wasn't pushing her away too.
"Look, um, I need to lead this patrol and..."
Applebreeze looked slightly hurt, "Oh, okay, I'll leave you be then."
Pain flared in Blackshadow's chest as he watched her pad away. It's for the best, I don't want to accidentally infect her.
You got all eyes on you
And you know it, know it, know it
They returned to the mossy camp just as the sun was setting. Ashflight immediately pinpointed Applebreeze and bounded towards her. Applebreeze looked annoyed, though she didn't seem to want to leave either. Blackshadow drooped.
"You told her to leave, didn't you?"
Blackshadow turned to see Willowfur. "I told her to try to talk to you again, but then she came back looking dejected. What did you do?" Her intelligent green eyes sparked.
The deputy was starting to get uncomfortable on how all his Clanmates knew about him and Applebreeze. "Well, I don't want her to-"
"Just take good care of her," Willowfur mewed, "she's a valuable she-cat, and she needs someone to lean on." She pointed at Ashflight, "If you're not there for her, she'll have to settled with another tom."
Before Blackshadow could reply, Willowfur went to talk with Foxfire.
You're coming close now, swear I can taste it,
You got me tongue tied, I can't escape it
Again, Blackshadow was on the same patrol Applebreeze was on. He didn't plan it this time, she was the last warrior available for patrol so he had to take her.
The hunt went well, though Blackshadow could tell that Applebreeze was avoiding him. She chatted with Screepaw and Foxfire, which left Willowfur with Blackshadow.
"Remember what I said," Willowfur advised as they went their separate ways, "You don't want to apologize when it's too late."
As he watched her stalk off to hunt on her own, Blackshadow recalled on how quiet and distant the gray warrior always was. Yet, whenever she spoke, he could hear the intelligence in her words. She's right, I need to prove to Applebreeze that I'm not trying to push her away.
But how?
I'm loving what you got,
But then you push me off,
Blackshadow didn't even make it to Applebreeze before she turned and walked away. He stopped in his tracks, staring dumbfounded after her. All he could hear was the buzz in his ears and a faint noise-probably Foxfire asked Screepaw what he could scent.
Will she ever talk to me again?
Panic seared Blackshadow's heart and he started after her. He followed her scent, and she must have noticed because the scents became more and more jumbled until Blackshadow realized he was walking in circles around two trees.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to no one in particular, though he had a feeling she wasn't nearby and wouldn't hear him, "I didn't mean to..."
It was too late though.
Oh oh oh oh
And everybody wants to take you home tonight
Blackshadow returned to the mossy clearing, carrying no prey. He was still miffed about how Applebreeze hadn't even wanted to hear him out, but he figured it was his fault anyways.
Ashflight was persistantly asking Applebreeze about something, and she calmly replied. They struck up a conversation and soon both were exiting the camp again.
Blackshadow grimaced, though he set out too, turning his paws towards the main camp to find out what had happened in there with the plague.
He tried to clear Applebreeze out of his mind, but he constantly berated himself for being so dense. How could he have not noticed how hurt she was by his actions?
Applebreeze...please give me another chance...
But I'm gonna find a way to make you mine
Don't stop doin' what you're doin'
Blackshadow didn't stay in the mossy clearing for long. After awhile of yelling at himself in his mind, he decided to go check on the plague cats. He had to make sure they were alright.
He entered the camp cautiously, and headed towards Darkstar's den, where she was being tended. Amberfrost was there, and she looked up when he entered.
"How is she?" Blackshadow asked, crouching in front of Darkstar's limp form, "Is she-"
"No," the medicine cat shook her head, "Darkstar's still well, though I'm not sure how long she'll hold out. Blackshadow, I need you to go find a cure. It might be in HollyClan, it might be in the Wilds. But I don't have the herbs to cure these cats."
The deputy stared at Amberfrost. "Me?"
"Or someone," Amberfrost mewed, "Anyone can go, but someone needs to go or I'll never find the cure. These cats will die, Blackshadow."
"I'll do it," he murmured, "Better me then the others. If they find out we need a cure, they'll understand that the plague is much worse than they thought."
Amberfrost nodded, "Please try to hurry with it..."
"I'll try my best," he dipped his head.
Every time you move to the beat
It gets harder for me
As he hurried out, Amberfrost did a quick check on him before sending him away. He rushed out of camp and got ready to make a bee-line for the HollyClan border.
Five steps near it, he crashed into Applebreeze and Willowfur.
"No, you should try to talk to him again. He's not trying to be rude or anything, he's just...I don't know, dealing with other things!"
"Well I don't want to-"
That's when they collided.
"Blackshadow!" Willowfur mewed, exasperated, "You couldn't have chosen a different time to butt in on our conversation?"
"Sorry," he apologized quickly, "I was just-"
"You don't have to try to pretend you're ignoring me," Applebreeze interrupted, "I already know why and I've been stupid to-"
Willowfur slapped her tail over her friend's mouth. "She's not feeling quite well, Blackshadow, please ignore her. Now what were you saying?"
Applebreeze looked quite miffed, but the deputy mewed, "I was heading for the HollyClan camp. Redstar may have something I need."
"For what?" Willowfur asked, her intelligent eyes searching mine. He felt uneasy to meet her gaze, as he didn't want to alarm his Clanmates about the news of the plague. When Blackshadow hesitated to answer, she narrowed her eyes.
"Amberfrost is running low on something and she can't find it in our territory," Blackshadow managed to say, "So I thought I would help her out by asking Cloudstorm if he had any to spare."
"Oh," Willowfur mewed, though her eyes showed she didn't believe him, "Then why don't we accompany you?"
And you know it, know it, know it
Don't stop 'cause you know that I like it
Applebreeze didn't say anything to Blackshadow as the three of them set out. They paused at the HollyClan border to wait for a patrol to come by.
None of them said a word as they waited.
Finally, HollyClan scent washed over them. Blackshadow stood up as the deputy Fireshade stepped out. Her eyes blazed with hostility and she growled, "What are you disgraceful, LeafClan cats doing here on the border?"
"I need to see Redstar and Cloudstorm." Blackshadow replied.
Fireshade scowled, "Why?"
"It's none of your business," Willowfur mewed smoothly, "You see, our deputy clearly stated that it was for your leader and medicine cat, not for you."
The HollyClan deputy hissed in outrage. She flicked her tail, indicating for the tree of them to follow her. The HollyClan warriors formed ranks around them, and Blackshadow strode across the border.
It wasn't a long trek, though Blackshadow was confused on the route they were taking. "This isn't to your normal camp," he muttered, as he had been there before.
One of the warriors mumbled, "We had to move."
Fireshade cast him a glare and he closed his mouth in a hurry. "There were a few problems in our old camp," she snapped, "Though that is none of your business."
Blackshadow didn't reply. He had inkling on why the HollyClan cats had moved.
The plague...
Every time you walk in the room
You got all eyes on you
Despite being in HollyClan's camp, Applebreeze still attracted a lot of toms. Blackshadow resisted the urge to wrap his tail around the orange she-cat as they walked through the camp. Applebreeze looked distinctly uncomfortable, and she still wouldn't glance at him.
Willowfur frowned, "They set this up hastily; they must have been in a hurry."
Fireshade's ear twitched, though she didn't bother to respond. Blackshadow examined the camp. It definitely looked like the mossy clearing that LeafClan had adopted as their new home. His suspicions must have been right then.
"Wait here," Fireshade instructed.
She bounded to one of the dens-probably Redstar's-and stuck her head inside to call the leader. The young she-cat padded outside, authority shining in her eyes.
"Welcome to HollyClan's camp again, Blackshadow," she greeted.
One of the toms-Nightfrost-had his attention focused on Blackshadow. This only made him even more nervous.
My father...?
He ignored the tom and dipped his head to Redstar, "Greetings, Redstar, it's a pleasure to be here again." He didn't mention that this was not the camp he had been to last time.
"What are you here for?"
"If you don't mind, we would like to talk to Cloudstorm," Blackshadow supplied, "It's for the upmost importance."
Willowfur shot him a look that said: An herb is that important? What is it for?
Blackshadow waved her down and waited for Redstar's reply.
The russet she-cat furrowed her brow. "I'm afraid you'll have to talk to his apprentice, Mintpaw, instead... You see, our medicine cat is...away for now."
And you know it, know it, know it
Every day it's the same, love and games that you play
When they reached the medicine cat den, Blackshadow asked the other two she-cats to wait outside. "This is something I need to do myself," he mewed, "Please."
Applebreeze obliged, though she still wouldn't meet his gaze. He stared at her for a moment longer, wanting to see her beautiful green eyes.
Then he dropped his gaze and turned to Willowfur. The gray she-cat was watching him through narrowed eyes. She obviously wanted to question what he wanted from the medicine cat apprentice of HollyClan. He shook his head, not wanting her to ask now. Later, he mouthed.
She nodded reluctantly and Blackshadow stepped inside.
A young, gray furred she-cat looked up. "B-Blackshadow-?"
"Sorry to barge in like this," he mewed softly, "Can I ask what happened to Cloudstorm?"
Mintpaw's gaze dropped, "He...he got sick."
"Sick?"
"Yeah," Mintpaw nodded worriedly, "It's a sickness I've never seen before. He was the first to go down... We haven't had anymore, but without Cloudstorm, I'm afraid I'll-" she stopped abruptly, "Sorry, I shouldn't be telling you any of this."
Blackshadow shook his head, "We've been suffering from a plague too. Amberfrost wanted me to see if Cloudstorm knew the cure."
"Well..." Mintpaw sighed, "If he did, he wouldn't be back at the old camp, trying to fight it off."
Blackshadow let out a huff of defeat, "Do you...perhaps...have any idea?"
She shrugged hopelessly, "He once told me that there was this deep purple flower who's stem could be used as a herb for this one sickness that rarely happened in this area."
Excitement coursed through him. "Do you know where it is?"
She shook her head, "Sorry..."
Back and forth, round and round, kinda like it this way
Don't stop doin' what you're doin'
They left soon after that, and Blackshadow sat in the shadows of the mossy clearing, pondering over his next options. The sound of pawsteps surprised him and Blackshadow looked up to see Willowfur standing over him.
"You promised me an explanation," she huffed, "Obviously you're hiding something from the rest of us. Why bother going to HollyClan for some herb and ask us to wait outside instead of going in with you? This herb is for something big isn't it?"
Blackshadow gauged what he wanted to tell the gray she-cat. "Willowfur...if I tell you this, you must promise not to inform anyone else, not even Applebreeze."
She narrowed her eyes, "Why?"
"It's...I-and Darkstar-don't want to alarm the others. It's major, major enough for Amberfrost to go against Darkstar's decision to never ask HollyClan for help." Blackshadow replied, keeping his voice low.
Willowfur sat back, "Alright, I promise."
Blackshadow nodded and leaned closer, "The plague hasn't actually gone down. It's gotten worse and Darkstar's close to losing her last life. If we don't get this herb soon, cats will die."
'Cause every time you move to the beat
It gets harder for me
Before the dark gray she-cat could make a comment on that, Applebreeze appeared at Willowfur's side. "Willowfur, I'm taking a hunting patrol out. Do you and Foxfire want to come?"
Willowfur looked as though she wanted to protest, but Applebreeze nosed her away. Willowfur cast Blackshadow a glum look, but the deputy just watched the two go.
As he focused on Applebreeze, he didn't notice Shineblossom padding up to him. "Blackshadow?" She asked cautiously, "Do you have time to spare?"
He started, "Oh, um, yes. What is it, Shineblossom?" He turned to face her, prying his eyes away from Applebreeze.
"It's about Pinepaw."
Blackshadow blinked, "What about Pinepaw? Is she okay? Is she adapting well to having a new mentor?" He himself had been worried about the young she-cat.
"No, no! She's been doing quite well," the pale yellow she-cat averred, "In fact I wanted to see if I could do an assessment on her and Screepaw. They might be ready to be warriors."
"Warriors..." It was exciting to have new warriors, but Blackshadow knew their leader was in no condition to do a ceremony, "Yes, an assessment would be fine."
Shineblossom purred, "Alright then, would you like to help assess it?"
He cast one last glance at Applebreeze's departing back and shrugged, "I'd be glad to help."
And you know it, know it, know it
Don't stop 'cause you know that I like it
Blackshadow trotted after the two mentors, ready to help the apprentices with their assessments. Now that he thought about warriors, one of the queens, Shadownose, had a litter of kits ready to become apprentices.
But Darkstar wasn't well enough to do the ceremonies.
Sighing inwardly, Blackshadow knew he would have to do them for Darkstar.
While he was watching Screepaw's stalking skill, Amberfrost padded out of the undergrowth, making Blackshadow jump. "Amberfrost!" He exclaimed.
"Blackshadow," the medicine cat mewed coolly, "I assume Cloudstorm wasn't any help?"
He had nearly forgot about the medicine cat's request in the excitement of having new warriors and apprentices in the Clan. "No," he shook his head, "Cloudstorm was sick and his apprentice, Mintpaw, didn't know much. Although, she said he had mentioned a lavender flower who's stem could cure a very rare disease."
Before Amberfrost could reply, Screepaw let out a yowl and another cat made a grunting noise. Amberfrost looked amused, "Alright then, you better go deal with those two apprentices."
He smiled slightly and hurried towards the apprentice...
...only to find himself staring straight at Applebreeze's startled face.
Every time you walk in the room
You got all eyes on you
"Applebreeze, what-"
Screepaw sheepishly got off the orange she-cat. "Sorry, Blackshadow," he apologized, "I was hunting a squirrel and I thought it was below me so I dropped down before realizing who it was."
Applebreeze shook out her pelt and turned to Screepaw, "It's alright," she soothed, "Just pounce on real squirrels next time." She sent him away, her whiskers twitching. Blackshadow noted how well she dealt with apprentices and thought about how she could mentor Stormkit, the energetic she-cat.
"Assessing the apprentices?" Applebreeze asked carefully.
"Yeah, you're...hunting?" Blackshadow asked.
"Being hunted," Applebreeze corrected, amusement lighting up her eyes. Blackshadow let out an awkward purr, which made Applebreeze's smile fade slightly.
"Well, I best be going," she murmured, brushing past him.
Blackshadow wanted to say more, but he couldn't open his mouth. He watched, frozen, as she just padded away.
He sighed and went after Screepaw once more.
And you know it, know it, know it, know it
Don't stop (don't stop, stop what you're doing) doin' what you're doin'
('Cause you know that, you know that I like it) Both apprentices did well, and Blackshadow, Shineblossom, and Foxfire all agreed that the two should become warriors.
"Let's go back to the mossy clearing and I'll hold the ceremony," Blackshadow suggested, "Since Darkstar's still recovering, I'll do it in her place. It's unfair to hold back the apprentices just because Darkstar's not here to do it."
"That's true," Foxfire nodded, "Where's Darkstar, anyways?"
Blackshadow kept his paws moving, "She's recovering back in camp like the others. Amberfrost wants to make sure they're all fully recovered before letting them into the mossy clearing. She doesn't want to take any risks."
"That makes sense," Shineblossom murmured, believing him.
He let out his breath and let the way back to camp.
He weaved through the cats and found a tall(ish) boulder he could stand on. "Cats of LeafClan, please gather around this rock for a Clan meeting."
The cats gathered, some confused and some happy to oblige. "I know Darkstar's usually the one to do this, but because she's still back at camp, I will do it in her place," Blackshadow began, "Pinepaw, Screepaw, step forward."
The two apprentices gasped.
"Both apprentices have done well today in their assessment. Shineblossom, is Pinepaw ready to become a warrior?"
"Yes she is."
"Foxfire, is Screepaw ready to become a warrior?"
"Indeed."
Blackshadow nodded, "Pinepaw, step forward. From this moment on, you shall be known as Pineflash. StarClan admires your courage and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan." The quiet she-cat licked his shoulder and stepped back, looking happy.
"Screepaw, step forward. From this moment on, you shall be known as Screepelt. StarClan honors your quickness and quick thinking and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan."
The Clan cheered for the two young warriors and Blackshadow added, "That is not all. Shadownose's kits are six moons old and ready to become apprenticecs."
He turned to the queen, "Berrykit, Stormkit, and Littlekit, step forward."
Every time you move to the beat
It gets harder for me
Blackshadow gave Berrykit to Willowfur, Stormkit to Applebreeze, and Littlekit to Ashflight. He hoped they were good choices and that Darkstar would have done the same.
After that, he watched as Applebreeze let Stormpaw out for a tour of the territory. Each apprentice looked so joyful, Blackshadow was reminded of when he had been an apprentice, before he learned his father had come from HollyClan.
Ever since knowing he was half-Clan, it took twice as long for Blackshadow to get credit and earn his place. But...he had made it to deputy after all.
And the only part of his life he hadn't had to work hard to earn was Applebreeze.
He stared longingly after the orange she-cat, wishing she would understand without him telling her that the plague had gotten much worse and that he couldn't keep hanging out with her.
But as he watched her lead her apprentice away, he couldn't help but wish that the plague never existed and he could just spend every moment of his life with the she-cat.
No, I must be strong for my Clan...even if it means rejecting the she-cat I love.
And you know it, know it, know it
Don't stop, 'cause you know that I like it (you know that I like it)
Despite his intentions to stay in camp to rest, Blackshadow got up and trotted out of camp to follow Applebreeze.
He didn't want her to be suspicious of why he was tailing her, so he decided to hunt instead while staying close to her.
As he scented the air, he heard Applebreeze tell Stormpaw. "This is the HollyClan border. Never cross it without..." Her voice faded as she padded farther away.
He was going to set out after her, but Amberfrost blocked his path. "Blackshadow, you need to search for the herb."
The deputy was startled. "What?"
The medicine cat mewed patiently, "The cure to the plague. If you don't get it soon, Darkstar will die."
"I don't know where to find it!" He blinked, "I can't just leave my Clan to search for a cure. The Clan will be confused and they'll realize something's wrong."
"I saw the new apprentices," Amberfrost continued, ignoring his protests, "You did the ceremonies?"
"Yes," Blackshadow ducked his head, "I had to. Waiting for Darkstar would be unfair to Pineflash and Screepelt, as well as Berrypaw, Stormpaw, and Littlepaw."
"You're right," Amberfrost nodded.
She started to pad away before looking back at him, "Just...if you can't go find the herb, try to find someone else that you trust to find it instead."
Applebreeze.
Every time you walk in the room
You got all eyes on you
That afternoon, as Blackshadow dozed in the setting sun, he spotted Applebreeze walking into camp with an exhausting looking Stormpaw.
He jumped to his paws, intending to pad over to her and tell her about Amberfrost's request, but at that moment Willowfur crossed his path and bounded over to talk to her best friend.
The two she-cats started to share tongues, and Blackshadow hesitated.
Then, deciding it would be better for her to go instead, Blackshadow headed towards her again, trying to think of something to say so she wouldn't think that the plague was getting worse than it was.
She spotted him coming and whispered something in Willowfur's ear and ducked into the den behind her. Blackshadow stopped, his heart plummeting.
Before Willowfur could open her mouth, the deputy had turned around and stalked off too.
And you know it, know it, know it