I'm so happy to see you have returned for book #2, I hope you like it, and have an amazing day! :)

(Credit to -peachyymilk for the aesthetic!)

Echoclaw flattened her ears against the downpour, though it wasn't bothering her much. Water pooled over her paws, as it had for several sunrises. Mud squished into her pads and in between her claws, making her cringe. "This isn't too bad, am I right?" Copperheart asked cheerfully, padding beside her.

Echoclaw shook her head, annoyed by how naive he was acting. "This is calm before the storm, I know." She replied, her pelt now thoroughly drenched now as she bent down and snapped off a stem. "You know, this is water, but maybe getting our paws wet is the worst that will happen."

That wasn't true. Visions of fleeing cats and floods still haunted her dreams, keeping her awake at night until the point she didn't sleep anymore, except for in the day. Whitefeather was worried about her, but Echoclaw told him not to be. She didn't want to seem any weirder than she was already considered.

It had been two moons since the Gathering, and Whispershade, Stemthorn, and Robinflight had earned their warrior names. "Echoclaw?" "Yes?" she replied. "What if we were wrong?" Echoclaw snorted. "Then thank StarClan for haunting our dreams pointlessly and move on with your life." She scoffed, hoping Copperheart would get the message and shut up.

"Get back into camp before you catch Greencough!" Carmelpelt suddenly yowled, running up to them. "You stupid furballs." she muttered, trotting alongside Echoclaw as they hurried back into the shelter that camp provided. "Whitefeather wants to see you," Stemthorn yowled from the warriors den.

"Okay...?" Echoclaw mewed, ducking into the den. "Great StarClan, get in here, Echoclaw, you're soaked!" The medicine cat exclaimed, ushering her deeper into the den. Echoclaw shook out her long fur and relaxed as the weight of the water left her flank. Water wasn't good. "Water isn't good," She muttered. "Water isn't good. Water isn't good." She found rhythm in her chant.

"Water isn't good! Water isn't good! Water isn't good! Water isn't good!" She roared. "Echoclaw, Echoclaw, calm down!" Whitefeather hissed. Echoclaw guessed that cats were gathering, but what did she care? They needed to leave! "Water isn't good! Water isn't g-" She broke off as something barreled her over. "Shut up! Shut up!" Firepaw yowled, her voice crackling.

Mouse-brain! How had I forgotten that Firepaw had almost drowned on the same day her sister died? Then Echoclaw realized something. Firepaw knows water isn't good, either! "Water isn't good!" She resumed. "Echoclaw, please stop!" A voice yowled. Copperheart. He should've been chanting with her. "Water isn't-" Everything faded into darkness.
. . .
Echoclaw was going insane. That's what it must've been. And poor Firepaw, left trembling in the apprentice den. StarClan was haunting Echoclaw. "It's not fair," Copperheart whispered to a sky of glittering stars. He had only gotten a vision or two since the Gathering, and both of them were just water lapping at the shores. Even more than that, peacefully.

Copperheart wasn't wet even though it was raining, for he was thinking this from inside the warriors' den. Shardstorm and Stripeheart burst into camp, their ears flattened and pelts soaked. "No prey here," Stripeheart reported. "Anywhere." Shardstorm added gruffly.

"Where are Stemthorn and Heronpool?" Reedstar leaped down from Meeting Rock. Shardstorm's eyes were slitted against the hard rain as he replied. "They wanted to hunt some more." He muttered. "May we leave?" Stripeheart interrupted, shivering. "Oh, yes." Reedstar's eyes flashed. "Go ahead." As Shardstorm and Stripeheart splashed towards him, Copperheart ducked back inside.

"Oh look, here Frogpelt comes!" Stemthorn exclaimed smugly, her tail waving teasingly. Shardstorm's eyes lit up as he saw her. "Hello, Stemthorn," The tabby tom mewed softly, sliding in beside her after shaking out his pelt. Copperheart sighed as Robinflight licked in between his ears, catching Fuzzfoot's glittering with hurt. Copperheart closed his eyes, the pattering rain lulling him to sleep.

"Go ahead and rest, it won't hurt," Robinflight whispered.
                                                                                                       .  .  .
Echoclaw grimaced as her paw met a huge puddle of water. "Ugh, it won't stop!" She complained as another drizzle set in. "Deal with it, we need tansy, Petalbreeze had another coughing fit this morning." Whitefeather replied shortly. "Mouse-dung, someone's in a bad mood," She grunted, shaking out her paw after stepping in another. "Says the cat who told Branchkit to shut up when he got a thorn in his pad." The medicine cat snorted.

"The water's getting down your spirits," Echoclaw muttered absently. She didn't want another vision, so she was focusing on blocking them. Light edged her vision of darkness, and she started trembling. "Echoclaw?" "I don't want this, I hear you!" Echoclaw yowled to StarClan. "Echoclaw!" "I-I'm okay." she murmured. "Let's get that tansy, then." Whitefeather mewed uncertainly.

"Mhm," She muttered, her trembling easing. Echoclaw parted her jaws, scenting for the herb. The birds where silent, and Echoclaw could hear the light pawsteps of a mouse some tail lengths ahead. Not wanting to disturb it by telling Whitefeather, she crept away, careful not to fall in any puddles. Grateful for the rain disguising her scent and the small noise of her paw skimming the forest floor, she continued seemingly silently.

She was a mouse-length away from the mouse when it raised its head and bolted away. Echoclaw was too fast for it, though, digging her claws into the mouse and letting out a triumphant yowl that echoed throughout the forest. "Echoclaw, are you okay?" Whitefeather asked, hurrying up to her. The next thing she heard was a splash and a pained grunt. "Whitefeather, where are you?"

"Oooover heeere." The medicine cat strained from around the front of a tree. Echoclaw shook the rain from her pelt so her senses wouldn't have the water interfering with them. "I-I'm okay," Whitefeather stammered, sitting up. "Oh!" Echoclaw exclaimed, rubbing a small bump over his paw. "You've sprained your paw." Whitefeather couldn't limp back to camp, he would just continue to fall into puddles and slip. "Hold on, I'll be right back." Echoclaw mewed.

"No, Echoclaw, don't leave me sitting in the rain." Whitefeather said, agony edging his voice. "Hey." She snapped. "Just, sit here." She mewed, dashing off. She needed to find a few warriors to carry him back to camp, so she veered into the direction that Curltail had sent the last border patrol. It was hard to track their scent, and she was about to give up when she heard some voices.

"It's useless, I don't even know where the border is!" Stemthorn whined. "Nonsense, it's right here." Copperheart reported. "Whispershade, over by the large bramble thicket." Firepaw said helpfully. "I can still smell it." She added proudly. "If we can't scent the borders after a little rain, then WindClan must be in some trouble." Echoclaw snorted. "Echoclaw!" Copperheart exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be here," Stemthorn muttered.

"I need some warriors to carry Whitefeather back to camp. He sprained his paw and I don't want him spraining another one." She reported. "I'll come," Copperheart offered. "And Whispershade, too." He added. "Can I come?" Firepaw asked. "No, you stay with me," Stemthorn replied sourly. "We can mark the borders by ourselves." She spat. "Let's go!" Echoclaw yowled, starting at a slow trot before picking up speed.

She was behind her Clanmates when she heard an astonished yowl. "What? What is it?" She asked, feeling more blind than ever with rain filling her senses. "Over here Echoclaw, help!" Copperheart yowled. Echoclaw stumbled over to them, rain now midway to the middle of her leg. Her paw bumped into something hard and wet. Oh StarClan, is Whitefeather dead?

"It's a branch." Whispershade muttered worriedly. "A branch? Why are we stopping at a branch?" Echoclaw asked, her concern mounting. "B-Because Whitefeather's under it," Copperheart murmured, almost to himself. Echoclaw rushed over to his side and felt the medicine cat's body until he found his chest, then pressed her ear against it. She let out a sigh of relief. "He's only knocked out...but we don't know how badly he's hurt yet." The warriors remained silent.

Then it hit her like a powerful gust of wind. She was the medicine cat for now, the one in charge. "Er, pick him up, but be careful. I-I'll get Stemthorn and Firepaw to help, so, uh, don't pick him up." "No." Whispershade said firmly. He only talked because Echoclaw couldn't see him, and she could tell that he hated it. "I'll be faster, no offense, and we should get some older warriors from camp." He said, taking off before any cat could protest.

Echoclaw knew he was right, though. They were all barely apprentices, and Firepaw still was one. "He's not bleeding..." Copperheart trailed off. "What?" She frantically parted her jaws and skimmed her paw across the ground. "Maybe he just got knocked out." He said cheerfully. Echoclaw slid under the branch, and with her shoulders pushed. "It's too heavy." She mewed grimly, sliding out from the branch. "It must be internal,"

"Here." Copperheart offered. "Get under the branch, let's try and lift it up." Now oblivious of the rain and wet, she dragged herself under the branch through the mud and squared her shoulders. "One, two, three!" Echoclaw pushed with all of her strength, fighting the urge to allow her legs to buckle underneath herself.

The branch shifted, and Echoclaw felt sick as she heard a dull crunching when it settled back down. "We're breaking Whitefeather!" She moaned, pressing her ear against his chest to hear a faint thump every few seconds. Thump. Thump. Thump...thumppp....thump. The rumble of pawsteps caused Echoclaw to take her ear off of his chest. "Bring him back to camp." She ordered the warriors, suddenly feeling as if she had some control over this. "Get Firepaw and Stemthorn, tell them to bring me smooth, straight sticks, a thick stick, thyme, and...and comfrey."

"But-" Copperheart began. "I don't want to hear it. Right now, except for me, you know the most about herbs. Now get them." Echoclaw growled. "Pick up that branch!" She yowled, feeling a familiar pelt brush hers. "I can take care of this, you run ahead and get your herbs." Reedstar mewed gently. Echoclaw hated how he made "herbs" sound like sticks or leaves, something insignificant and useless.

"What if Whitefeather's-" Her eyes stung, and she felt like throwing up in the rain. It'd be washed away, no cat would see her tears blended with the rain. "He won't, I promise, he's strong." Reedstar murmured. "Go!" He said, shooing her away. Echoclaw did go, she ran. She'd been running a lot lately. Well, since she was a kit.

When Willowleaf scared her, she'd run. When she got overwhelmed at RiverClan camp, she'd run. She trembled at Gatherings. Copperheart was practically her bodyguard. Suddenly, she slowed to a measured pace and continued walking that speed. She was tired of running. She was a warrior, and she was acting like a new apprentice! She could sense herself nearing the camp, and she broke into a frantic gallop as she nosed into the entrance.

"Echoclaw! Is everything okay?" Sorreltail questioned. "I heard something was up, but I was asleep. Is some cat hurt?" The queen fretted. Echoclaw gave a brisk nod before ducking into the medicine cat den. It felt so strange to be treating her mentor! She grasped in her stores for the remaining herbs that may help, praying to StarClan that Stemthorn, Firepaw, and Copperheart had gotten the right herbs.

"We're back!" Duskheart yowled. "In here, lay her in the-nest!" Echoclaw answered, frantically fluffing up her nest, which was closer to the entrance. "Copperheart?" "Right here." A voice breathed in her ear. A soft bundle dropped onto her front paws, and Echoclaw immediately separated the herbs, aware of half of ShadowClan's gaze on her. "Get back, mouse-brains! You're being as noisy as a badger dying!" Poppykit giggled before falling silent.

Echoclaw felt around the medicine cat's body until she felt a pulsing knot. It was located at the side of Whitefeather's head, where it was spreading heat across his body. She was trembling as she slid poppy seeds down his throat and shook him awake. She was met with a pained groan. "Whitefeather, I need you to be awake so I know what you need," She said gently. "Whitefeather? I'm Whitepaw, but I like the name!" He slurred, his head swaying.

To Echoclaw's horror, Whitefeather carried on. "I'll hang out with you after Fogbranch finishes teaching me about thyme." "Whitefeather, does this hurt?" Echoclaw asked him, trying to ignore his nonsense. She tapped her claw to his flank gently. He yelped and rolled over, moaning. "Showerfall, stop, that hurts!" "I'm not-" "I have to go now." Whitefeather interrupted her, sitting up before falling down with a sickening crack.

Echoclaw found herself giving Whitefeather thyme, then poppy seeds. "Night, Showerfall," He murmured before drifting into sleep. Echoclaw didn't know what to do with a shattered rib cage, she had never been taught! So she gave Whitefeather more pain reliever, set up the sticks for his sprained paw, and pressed cool moss onto the bump on his head.
                                                                                                       .  .  .
Copperheart sat down next to Robinflight shakily. He had decided to stop being so....so...ignorant towards her. After all, she had done nothing to him, and Echoclaw was a medicine cat! He scolded himself for being so silly as an apprentice. The tabby she-cat purred softly and nestled next to him, closing her eyes. It was night, and he was sitting outside the warriors' den, watching the stars. "It's cold out here," She mewed, sitting up reluctantly and shaking the rainwater out of the den.

"No, you can lave, I'll stay here." Robinflight's gaze flashed towards the medicine den before briefly nodding and padding into her den. I hope Whitefeather's okay....poor Echoclaw.... No! Copperheart shook his head. Echoclaw was a medicine cat, it was her job. He shouldn't be worried about her doing her duty. He flinched as he heard a screech, then a panicked murmur. It took all he had not to check and see if they were all alright.

It's the first chapter, guys! I hope it was as good as you anticipated, tell me in the comments! :3
I want your feeedback, please!