Story Part 19 *Repairs*

The forest was dark. A dark brown tabby tom with deep, sparkling brown eyes padded through the forest. A light rosy she-cat with green eyes strode beside him.
"Where are we going?" she asked him. "Why am I here?"
"I cannot tell you," the tabby tom responded. His gaze was clear, but his mind was racing. She shouldn't be here! How can I help her leave? A vision of a snowy white cat with blue eyes full of grief filled his mind. She doesn't deserve for her heart to be broken again.
"Come with me," he whispered in the rosy cat's ear.
She followed him. The trees thinned, and a light shone again. The tabby tom stopped walking. His companion turned to him, head tipped to the side in question.
"You must go on without me..." he said softly, eyes full of longing.
The rosy cat padded on.

*

Etharpaw, Eaglepaw, and Winterpaw padded into camp, dragging thorns and brambles with them. Etharpaw dropped her load by Eclipsepaw, who was working with her mentor Fuzzypelt. 

"Whew!" she exclaimed. "There sure is a lot of work to be done."

The fox attack had damaged the camp walls, and the apprentices were working on the walls. Eaglepaw dropped his load by Featherpaw and Jingletail. Winterpaw dropped his by Oakpaw and Dawnfeather. The older apprentices and their mentors were working on the wall while the younger apprentices got thorns and brambles from the forest and brought them to camp. A bit farther in the camp, Leafpaw was working with Raincloud and a few other warriors on repairing the dens. Mosspelt, Shadowclaw, Wavepaw, and Tawnyflash came into camp with lots of goldenrod and cobwebs for the wounded cats. The whole camp was busy with activity. Snowstar, Iceflower, Manderinpelt, Crowfur, Sassyheart, and Mintstream were on patrol, making sure the boarders were marked so no other Clan would think they were weak. Skypelt, the deputy, was organizing a hunting patrol.

Etharpaw sighed, and headed back into the forest with Winterpaw and Eaglepaw. She wanted to see Lilypaw, but there was so much to do! When she came back the senior warriors, Mistyleaf, Dewstripe, Hawkfeather, Heatherfeather, Shadowflower, and Startail were gathered around Skypelt and Snowstar, who had gotten back from patrol.

"I'll have to announce this at the next gathering," Snowstar was saying. "If I don't and some cat finds out, another Clan may think we hid it because we were weakened and attack us."

Mistyleaf, Dewstripe, Hawkfeather, Heatherfeather, Shadowflower, and Startail nodded.

"Then it's decided," Skypelt raised her voice. "We won't hide the fact of the attack."

Snowstar nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must speak to Tawnyflash about Lilypaw."

She saw her other kits watching from the entryway to camp and beckoned them with her tail. "Drop those brambles off and come with me."

The apprentices did as she said and scampered over to the medicine cat den. When they got the the entrance they hesitated, and then followed Snowstar's lead.