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Longtail crouched low on the ground, careful not to make a sound. He could faintly hear Cloudtail giving his apprentice directions somewhere behind him, and he guessed that Brackenfur was also close by, as they’d agreed to stay in pairs while hunting. They’d gone out on a hunting patrol early that morning, before the sun was even fully up, and had been quite successful. Now, Longtail was crouching quietly under a holly bush, careful not to disturb the branches lined with tiny berries, watching as a fairly large rabbit chewed on some clovers in a small clearing just ahead, the warm rays of sun washing over the brown creature.
The rabbit looked up for a moment and sniffed the air, causing Longtail to move back slightly. He was downwind, but there was still a chance the rabbit could smell him. The creature looked back down, and Longtail slowly moved forward again, then sprang from the bush straight toward the rabbit, claws outstretched. But Longtail had misjudged just how far away the rabbit was, and only managed to grasp the rabbit's hindquarters. The rabbit whipped its head around, and in one swift move, raked a claw across Longtail’s face. The pale tabby let out a screech of rage and pain, and tried to pull the rabbit closer, just close enough that he could snap its neck, but the blood streaming down his face blocked his vision, and the rabbit managed to claw him again, once across his eyes and once across his shoulder, and kick its way out of Longtail's claws.
The ThunderClan warrior stumbled a moment, and then felt sharp claws rake across his face a fourth time. The pain was unbearable, and Longtail was yowling in agony, so much he almost didn't hear the hiss, followed by a thud and a small screech.
“Longtail? Are you alright?” That was Brackenfur. The young warrior sounded concerned as the sound of his pawsteps grew close to Longtail.
“I can't see!” Longtail yowled, still stumbling around the clearing, trying to figure out where he was and trying to stay on his paws. He heard running as he repeated the same three words, and then felt something pushing against his side, holding him up.
He could faintly hear his Clanmates speaking, but he could not focus on their words. All Longtail could hear was the blood pounding in his ears, and all he could focus on was the cool liquid pouring down his face, seeping through his fur, and the fact that he could not see. At all. And the pain, the pain was worse than anything he’d felt before.
And then he heard a scream, possibly Rainpaw as it sounded like it came from another cat. The sound made Longtail jump slightly, and he stumbled forward, his paw landing on something squishy, that exploded, wetness coating the fur on his paw. The apprentice screamed again, and he could hear one of the warriors on his patrol gag, before he felt Cloudtail holding him up again.
“I can't see! I can't see anything!” He yowled.
“Come on, we need to get you to Cinderpelt,” Cloudtail mewed.
“How! I can't see where I’m going!”
Cloudtail led Longtail through the forest back to camp, the tabby warrior wailing the entire way. He'd never felt like this before. The pain was too much. He needed it to stop. And he needed to see. He felt the familiar feel of the gorse ruffling his fur as Cloudtail led him through the camp entrance. Almost to Cinderpelt’s den now. Even that realization did not help comfort him; all he could focus on was the pain and his lack of sight.
“I can’t see! I can’t see!” he wailed as they slowed to a stop. He could taste Firestar's scent in the air, and twisted his head as he wailed to try and figure out where the ThunderClan leader was. Firestar, yes, Firestar will help.
“What happened?” He heard Firestar demand, and Brackenfur gave a quick explanation.
“Don’t worry,” Cloudtail reassured Longtail as Brackenfur spoke. “We’ll get you to Cinderpelt right away. She’ll fix you up.”
Cloudtail called for Cinderpelt as they padded through the fern tunnel to the medicine den, who he could smell approach quickly at his wailing and Cloudtail's calls.
“How did this happen?” Cinderpelt inquired as she approached.
Why was everyone asking that? Why weren't they helping him? He couldn't see for StarClan's sake! He felt a tail gently touch his shoulder, and his wailing slowed to shallow, rasping breaths as his throat began to hurt. He was shivering violently now, not from the cold, but from fear.
“I can’t see,” he whispered. “Cinderpelt, am I going to be blind?”
“I can’t tell until I’ve examined your eyes,” Cinderpelt replied. “Come over here and sit down in the ferns where I can get a proper look at you.”
She led him somewhere, and Longtail slumped onto his side, still panting hard as he landed in some bracken. He just wanted to be able to see again, and the pain to stop, and to curl up in his nest with Firestar, and forget about today.
“Rainpaw, bring me some moss soaked in water,” Cinderpelt directed, “as fast as you can.”
Longtail listened as the apprentice sped off. “The rest of you can go,” the medicine cat added, “and let Longtail have a bit of peace and quiet.”
Longtail wanted to call out, and ask for Firestar, ask for his leader to stay, but he had no voice left, and he was in too much pain to even speak now. He merely whimpered, and hoped Firestar wouldn't leave him.
He felt Cinderpelt run a paw over his flank, reminding him of how Robinwing used to do when he was upset as a young kit in the nursery. He wished Robinwing was here with him now, to comfort him, but his mother was long gone. He heard footsteps, and could faintly hear Firestar whisper something to Cinderpelt, who whispered back. Then he could smell Firestar's scent begin to move away, and Longtail whimpered again. He didn't want Firestar to leave.
But maybe it was best if Firestar wasn't here. He was a warrior. He didn't need some cat to comfort him over a simple scratch. How pathetic was he, laying here and crying out for someone just because his face hurt.
Cinderpelt pulled her paw away from his flank, but it returned again soon enough, this time guiding his mouth to some seeds.
“This will help with the pain,” She told him. He chewed them slowly, slower than he wanted, but his whole face hurt, chewing hurt, as Cinderpelt gently let water fall down his face, then coated his eyes in something cool.
“Get me some cobwebs,” he heard her mew, then moments after that he felt the familiar sticky webs being spread across his eyes.
The pain was getting better, but it was still there, the only thing Longtail could focus on, for what felt like eternity as he lay on the soft bracken, was his now lack of sight. Would Cinderpelt fix it? Would she even be able too? And what would happen if she couldn't? He doubted his Clanmates would still want him around after this. He’d been beaten by a rabbit! By prey! What warrior gets beaten by prey? The more he thought, the more frustrated and upset her felt, and Cinderpelt leaving to help Brightheart only worsened things, as now he was alone to be upset and didn't have to worry about what anyone thought just yet.
That was, until he felt soft fur pressing against him as another cat lay down next to him, and slowly began to gently wash the blood from Longtail's fur. The tabby warrior still was unable to speak, but grew calmer as his mate cleaned him up. Firestar pressed close to him, wrapping Longtail with his own tail. Longtail dropped his head down, resting it on Firestar's paws. Firestar murmured soft, comforting words to Longtail, soothing him and distracting him from the pain, and eventually lulling him into sleep.
Longtail lifted his head, a wave of panic washing over him as he tried to blink open his eyes, followed by grief as he remembered the incident from the day before. The memory of the incident with the rabbit had repeated all night in his dreams, and he'd awoken hoping it was all a dream. But he was still laying in the bracken, and still curled up with Firestar, and he still couldn't see.
His face was less sore this morning, or he assumed it was morning. He could hear some birds singing above him, and a nice cool breeze ruffled his fur.
“Hello?” He called, hoping someone was nearby to help. His mouth felt dry, and his stomach was empty, and he was so disoriented. How long had he been asleep? How long had it been since he’d been running through the forest with Brackenfur? Where was Sootpaw? Would someone have checked on his apprentice, and taken him out this morning? He’d promised Sootpaw before he left for a hunting patrol that they would do battle training later, and felt so guilty that he hadn't been able to.
“Good morning, Longtail,” Rainpaw greeted him.
“So it is morning,” Longtail thought as he twisted his head in the direction of the voice. He tasted the air. Rainpaw.
“I'm thirsty,” he told the apprentice.
“Well, it's a good thing I brought you some water then,” Rainpaw mewed, moving closer to Longtail. “Open your mouth, I’ll squeeze out some water for you,” Rainpaw instructed.
Longtail reluctantly opened his jaws, wishing he didn't need an apprentice’s help to do something as simple as drink, and heartbeats later his tongue was coated in cool water.
“Thank you,” Longtail mewed.
“Cinderpelt said to give you these,” Rainpaw told him.
“Give me what?” Longtail asked.
“Oh, um, I'm sorry, uh, here,” Rainpaw stammered, seeming to have forgotten that Longtail was unable to see, which just upset Longtail more. How would he ever survive now if Cinderpelt couldn't fix him?
“Here,” Firestar, now apparently awake and alert, guided Longtail to some more seeds, and Longtail chewed them. Poppy seeds.
“Do you need anything else?” Rainpaw asked.
“Thank you, Rainpaw, I’ll stay with him,” Firestar responded.
Longtail listened as Rainpaw's footsteps faded away before speaking.
“Firestar?” He felt the ThunderClan leader gently lick his ears.
“Hello,” Firestar responded.
“What will happen to me if I go blind? If I can’t be a warrior anymore?” Would he still be allowed to stay? Or would he be forced to leave the Clan?
“Don’t worry about that,” Firestar mewed firmly. “Focus on recovering. You’ll be okay. But no matter what, you’ll always have a home here.”
Longtail pressed closer to Firestar. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I'm sure, Longtail. It's not your fault the rabbit attacked, and it'd be wrong to throw away any cat over that.”
Longtail let out a long sigh and rested his head down on his paws, and could feel just how swollen his face was. He sighed again, and Firestar rested his muzzle on Longtail’s head.
“How bad does it look?” Longtail asked.
“Hm?” Firestar asked.
“How bad does my face look?”
Firestar was quiet for a few moments. “It's very swollen. I can't tell.”
“It's bad, isn't it?”
“No. No, it's not bad. It's just, it's just swollen. And covered with webs. I'm sure you’ll look almost exactly the same when they come off.”
Longtail turned his head, hopefully away from Firestar. He didn't want anyone to see him like this anymore. He felt weak, useless. He couldn't let Firestar see that, see him the way he was. He felt tears begin to form in his unseeing eyes, and whimpered slightly. Firestar had said there would always be a place for him in ThunderClan, but the way he'd been speaking seemed as if Firestar knew Longtail could never be a warrior again. What would he even do? He worked so hard, spent so long becoming the best warrior he could be, worked hard to earn his role as deputy. Was it all for nothing? Over a rabbit?
He felt a paw running across his flank, Firestar trying to soothe him, but that only made Longtail feel worse. He shouldn't have to have anyone take care of him. He was a strong, fierce warrior. He was the deputy of ThunderClan. He didn't need to be soothed. He’d been beaten by a rabbit. What would his Clanmates think? What would the other Clans think? What would his Firestar think? Would Firestar still want him after this, after seeing how weak and useless he now was?
He pulled away from Firestar, trying to wipe away his tears, but the cobwebs on his face blocked him from doing so. Everything was becoming horrible.
“Longtail?” Firestar mewed. He sounded hurt.
“I'm fine. You don't need to soothe me like I'm some kit with a thorn in my paw. I'm fine,” he choked while speaking, and even he could hear how not fine he was.
He felt a paw wrap around him, and then he was being pulled toward Firestar, and the ThunderClan leader wrapped his paws around the tabby warrior. “It's okay to be upset, Longtail. You know that, right?”
Longtail tried to pull away, but Firestar was holding him tightly, and honestly, as much as he wanted to pull away, and make Firestar leave him be, he really wanted to just stay, and let Firestar hold him and comfort him. But that was wrong. He couldn't let Firestar see that. Firestar knew the strong, proud, loyal Longtail, not a soft little kit who just wants
to be held. But Firestar was the one holding him like this. Firestar wanted this. That thought helped calm a few of Longtail's worries. And Firestar had said it was okay to be upset.
Longtail pressed his face into Firestar’s soft, thick fur, letting the familiar, comforting scent wash over his mouth and nose.
“Firestar?” Firestar paused for a moment.
“Yes?”
“You promise I can always stay in ThunderClan, even if Cinderpelt can't fix my sight?” Longtail wished for a moment that he could see Firestar's face, but the leader spoke before Longtail could think anymore.
“I promise. Always. ThunderClan is your home. No one would ever make you leave. I promise.” Firestar gently stroked Longtail’s flank while gently washing his fur.
Longtail lay still, letting the tom gently take care of him as he quietly rested. It was nice. He wasn't used to letting others do this; he hadn't felt comfort and warmth like this since he was a kit in the nursery. Longtail was the one who took care of his Clanmates, not the Clanmate being taken care of. But it was nice, the soft, rhythmic strokes of Firestar's tongue, the soft fur on his tail brushing over Longtail’s flank, the sound of Firestar's heartbeat softly pounding next to Longtail's ear. He let the sound lull him back into sleep, a much less restless one this time, a nicer sleep, with his Firestar.