GET READY TO CRY-
**WARNING: GRAPHIC**
Hillrunner Mountainshadow
The storage of catmint was uneasily low for Mountainshadow's liking. Nosing through the leaves, he frowned. A lot of the leaves were dried and dead, and the rest were very close, so if they needed them, they'd have to use about five leaves per cat to even get the full effect of one leaf by itself. With a sigh, Mountainshadow motioned for Hillrunner to come over from where he was voicing how to apply cobwebs to Ripplekit. The young kitten had taken an interest in medicine when he had opened his eyes.
Padding over, the medicine cat apprentice blinked slowly at his mentor. "What's wrong, Mountainshadow?" The gray tabby medicine cat apprentice asked. He let his gaze shift down to the nerve wracking low, frowning deeply before nodding slowly, understanding what Mountainshadow was suggesting. "Okay... But our regular stalks are just beginning to sprout, Mountainshadow. They'll be just as useless as these herbs here. What do you suggest? We look outside territory? Would Northstar and Waspstreak approve?" The tabby tom asked, whiskers and tail twitching curiously. His mentor always had an idea and answer. Even if it wasn't one most wanted to hear.
A hesitant sigh left the aging tom before her blinked his cool amber eyes at the younger tom. He looked serious, but tired. "There is one place I know it grows earlier than the rest. I figured it out when I was an apprentice under Cariboutrot. He didn't want me to get it, as I hadn't had proper training to trail the cliffs. But now we both have that training, and we're in desperate need as leaf-bare continues to come, and it seems thing season this time around will be unforgiving." The elderly medicine cat meowed before getting up and leading his apprentice out of the den.
Hillrunner followed, but first ushered Ripplekit back to the nursery to nap, telling him they'd be back soon. The blind black tom pouted but went on his way to play with Honeyslip, Rainkit and Wildkit. Turning towards the exit, where Mountainshadow was waiting impatiently, seemingly scowling once the smaller gray tabby tom caught up. "Sorry, Mountainshadow." Hillrunner mumbled before ducking his head. Mountainshadow rolled his eyes and snorted. "Nevermind apologies. We need to get there now if we want to have catmint that isn't nipped by frost." The fluffy medicine cat stated, leading the way out of the cavern Summitclan was sheltered in their whole life.
Mountainshadow's pace was brisk and steady, huffs of white breath leaving him as the two trailed over the mountain side, zig-zagging up and down the unsteady rocks. Hoping from cliff to cliff. Mountainshadow slowed down as they reached a narrow path, looking back at his apprentice.
"Be careful, Hillrunner. The ground is very narrow here, and it's a steep drop. If you fall, you won't die, but you could be injured badly. It gets higher the further we go up, and then there is an overhanging cliff we will need to jump on where the catmint grows. Just follow." The fluffy medicine cat tom mewed before guiding Hillrunner across the path.
Heart lurching, a small chunk fell below underpaw, and Hillrunner watched it fall with wide, terrified eyes. He blinked and looked ahead. Mountainshadow was a few paces ahead, seeming to have no fear as if he had walked this path a million times. Hillrunner swallowed the thick bile that formed in his throat, his stomach churning. "M-Mountainshadow," The apprentice started before picking up his own pace to catch up once more.
Mountainshadow had stopped a few treads ahead, tail twitching as he eyed a cliff that was high enough for a fall to kill a cat, but also low enough that the pair could just barely make the jump. He looked at Hillrunner before nodding. "It grows up there. I will jump up first, and follow me after I get up and on my paws, okay?" He didn't exactly wait for Hillrunner to nod or respond before he turned, bunched himself, shook his hindquarters and leaped daringly up to the ledge.
For a second, Mountainshadow dangled at the edge, half pulled up as he kicked his back legs to grasp the jagged rock from below. Hillrunner felt his heart drumming in his throat, feeling as if he was about to vomit. He couldn't speak, his tongue seeming to be gone. He was tense but relaxed a smidgen as he watched Mountainshadow gain his balance and pull himself up completely. Hillrunner let out the breath his didn't know he was holding before sitting down. He felt dizzy and wanted to pace himself.
That was until Mountainshadow peered over, whiskers twitching irritably. "Are you going to stay down there like a scared kitten or come up here and help me collect the cat mint?" Of course, he wasn't actually giving Hillrunner an option, but he wasn't going to make the other think he himself was almost terrified of his own life being lost. Hillrunner eventually nodded, gulped and bunched his haunches, wiggled and then leaped. His leap seemed more powerful and well spaced as he landed neatly beside his mentor. Mountainshadow snorted. "Show off."
Turning, the two medicine cats began nipping at the stalks. Hillrunner almost forgot they were on a very small cliff until his back paw slipped from behind him. Mountainshadow was quick to grab his scruff, snorting. "Mouse-brain! Watch your paws. I'm too old to lose you and train another cat. And Ripplekit still has five more moons before he can be an apprentice." The fluffy medicine cat muttered.
Licking the bristling fur down on his shoulders and chest, Hillrunner nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." The apprentice medicine cat muttered. The two finished grabbing the stalks, putting them in a few maple leaves. Hillrunner was tying them while Mountainshadow stood a few pawsteps away, burying the stems to plant more for the future seasons.
That was when he felt a shift on the cliff. Hillrunner looked up, ears perked. He could faintly hear... Cracking? He blinked slowly and looked at Mountainshadow. It seemed as if the medicine cat hadn't noticed. Maybe the old tom was losing his attention span, or maybe he did sense it, and just figured it was nothing. Frowning, Hillrunner went to speak before the whole ledge that Mountainshadow was on seemed to shift quickly. "Mountainshadow! The cliff is breaking! Hurry!" It seemed as if the medicine cat was almost frozen until he turned to look at his apprentice, eyes wide a fearful.
It all seemed to be going in slow motion, the cliff falling underneath Mountainshadow's paws. Hillrunner's heart raced as he paced to the edge the other side of the cliff broke from. He watched as Mountainshadow powerfully kicked off the half of the cliff that was plummeting to his death. Hillrunner almost thought he made it to where he stood, but the faint thud of paws scrambling at the edge let the apprentice know he had just barely gripped the edge.
Looking over, he saw the fearful medicine cat dangling from just a claw hold. "H-Hold on! I'll get you up, Mountainshadow!" Hillrunner looked around in a rush, his thoughts racing before he tried grabbing the toms paws. Mountainshadow let out a yowl, his claws slipping. Hillrunner couldn't pull him up by his paws, he'd probably rip them off. He whined and growled in terror, but simply couldn't help the medicine cat get a better grip.
Claws streaking across the dirt and rock, the medicine cat lost his grip, sending him in a horrifying yowl of terror as he plummeted to the ground far below. Hillrunner peered over the edge in horror, watching his mentor plummet to his death. Tears streamed, clouding his gaze as he shrieked. "Mountainshadow, no!" His voice was full of horror as he could just barely see the impact of the fluffy gray tom hitting his neck on a rock, obviously breaking it in two, and a large and sharply jagged rock seeming to penetrate his stomach.
Hillrunner stumbled back and vomited on the floor before him out of trauma. He took in deep breaths. I need to get back to camp and tell Waspstreak and Northstar... He thought, his mind racing as he stumbled and made his way back to the path, herbs in jaw. It's all my fault... It should have been me.... Mountainshadow, I'm so sorry. He thought, trailing back to camp with terror and grief in his eyes.
As he returned to camp, he stumbled towards the deputy and leader where they looked at him, almost horrified by the terror shining in his eyes. As Hillrunner spoke, a wail sounded from him, and little Ripplekit seemed to whimper from behind him. "Mountainshadow is dead! And it's all my fault!"