Greencough plague (LS)

"Stupid furball! Which cats did we just fight? Barkface might give Leafpool catmint, but Onestar would have to know, and if he found out ThunderClan is weak, he'd attack again before you could say 'mouse.' It's useless talking to you. I never thought my own brother would stand by and let his Clan die."

— Jaypaw scolding Lionblaze about fetching catmint from WindClan in Long Shadows, page 164

Greencough plague
General information
Book	Long Shadows
Timeframe	Leaf-fall
Event	Greencough outbreak and catmint shortage
Place	ThunderClan's territory
Outcome	Lionblaze steals catmint from WindClan Jaypaw earns his full name of Jayfeather The sick cats successfully recover after a few days
Participants
Key characters	Jaypaw, Leafpool, Lionblaze
Affiliations involved	ThunderClan
Chronology
Preceded by:	The Great Battle
Followed by:	Fire

The greencough plague was an epidemic that affected ThunderClan during Long Shadows when they experienced a catmint shortage.

Summary

Premise

Jaypaw: "I bet WindClan and RiverClan did this deliberately."

Poppyfrost: "Surely no cat would be that cruel?"

^{Long Shadows, pages 54-55}

ThunderClan's medicine cats have been cultivating catmint at the abandoned Twoleg nest since they discovered it on their territory. The Twolegs who lived there owned gardens with catmint and the herb thrived after the nest was abandoned. Part of a medicine cat's job is to tend to the catmint and ensure proper growth. However, during a battle between all four Clans on ThunderClan's territory, a portion of the fighting occurred near the abandoned Twoleg nest. During the battle, the catmint was destroyed by fighting cats.

Overview

"I'm doing all I can, but what if it isn't enough?"

―Leafpool ^{Long Shadows, page 137}

Because of the destroyed catmint supply, Leafpool and Jaypaw are unable to properly treat the sick cats when they fall ill with greencough. More cats fall ill, and Jaypaw receives a vision from StarClan telling him that there is more catmint on WindClan's territory, though he cannot ask Barkface and Kestrelpaw due to poor relations between their Clans. After dream walking in Kestrelpaw to find a bountiful location of catmint on their territory, Jaypaw asks his brother Lionblaze to sneak into the tunnels to steal some catmint. However, Lionblaze refuses out of fear of his nightmares of killing Heatherpaw coming true. To prevent the sickness from spreading, Firestar decides to quarantine the sick cats in the abandoned Twoleg nest. After witnessing Firestar lose a life, Lionblaze agrees to fetch the catmint. He briefly encounters Heathertail but manages to gather enough catmint to heal the sick cats. Jaypaw lies to Leafpool that StarClan showed him where to find the catmint and Leafpool grants him his full medicine cat name for his discovery. The sick cats quickly recover from greencough over the span of a few days.

Description

Early infections and the destroyed catmint

«We need more, but I don't know where to find it. And if these are the only two cats we have to treat before newleaf, then I'm a mouse.»

—Jaypaw about the catmint shortage ^{Long Shadows, page 58}

Millie and her daughter Briarkit catch whitecough that struggles to go away with catmint and borage, with Leafpool fearing it might turn into greencough since it's close to leaf-bare. Leafpool sends her apprentice Jaypaw and Poppyfrost to fetch more catmint by the abandoned Twoleg nest, but to their horror the catmint is all destroyed. Poppyfrost surmises that cats during the battle must have accidentally trampled the herbs, though Jaypaw wonders if it was done on purpose. They only manage to salvage enough catmint for a few cats and the remaining stems won't regrow until newleaf. Leafpool isolates Millie and Briarkit, who now have greencough, in her den to keep the sickness from spreading, but she frets about their only source of catmint being destroyed.

However more cats fall ill and Leafpool stresses how to isolate them all and how to treat them without catmint and a dwindling herb supply. Jaypaw experiences a vision of Bluestar and her Clanmates worrying about the sickness. Three special StarClan spirits arrive, Brightspirit, Shiningheart, and Braveheart, and Brightspirit urges Jaypaw to seek for the wind. Jaypaw surmises that Brightspirit was referring to WindClan and he visits Kestrelpaw's dreams to learn they have plenty of catmint growing on their territory. He asks his brother to fetch the catmint, but Lionblaze refuses since he's been having dreams of killing Heatherpaw.

Relocating to the Twoleg nest

«Firestar led the way, his head raised proudly even though he was shaken by a bout of coughing as he padded past. Cloudtail supported Thornclaw, while Dustpelt leaned on Brightheart's shoulder. Hollow coughs came from the brown tabby; Lionblaze could see every one of his ribs, while his pelt was thin and dull. Ferncloud let out a piteous mew, instinctively starting forward; Birchfall raised his tail to bat her way.»

—Firestar leading the sick cats to the abandoned Twoleg nest ^{Long Shadows, page 176}

With more and more cats getting sick, Firestar proposes isolating the sick cats to the abandoned Twoleg nest to prevent others from getting sick. Brambleclaw organizes patrols to patch up holes, gather fresh bedding, and collect herbs and fresh-kill for the sick cats. Once they finish refurbishing the Twoleg nest, the sick cats support each other as they leave the camp. However, Spiderleg soon falls ill and Leafpool orders him to join the others but not before she and Daisy chew his ear out for not visiting his kits in the nursery. When Lionblaze brings fresh-kill to the sick cats, he witnesses Firestar losing a life. The ThunderClan leader is revived and is cured of his greencough, but he insists on staying with the others. Lionblaze is finally convinced that he needs to act.

Gathering the catmint

"Go, and don't come back. You can take the catmint. I've no quarrel with ThunderClan; I don't want to see cats suffer, whatever you might think. Just be careful you don't end up a bully like your kin, Tigerstar."

―Heathertail to Lionblaze ^{Long Shadows, page 248}

Lionblaze enters the tunnels and quickly locates the catmint near a stream in a rocky outcrop. After gathering the catmint, Heathertail confronts Lionblaze at the tunnel entrance. Lionblaze experiences a vision of killing Heathertail but the WindClan warrior merely tells him to take the herb and leave. Jaypaw meets Lionblaze at the tunnel entrance in ThunderClan's territory to fetch the herbs. Leafpool quickly notices him with the catmint and assumes that StarClan must've shown him where to find it. They take the catmint to treat the sick cats.

Cats who were infected

• Millie (Recovered)
• Briarkit (Recovered)
• Thornclaw (Recovered)
• Dustpelt (Recovered)
• Longtail (Recovered)
• Honeyfern (Recovered)
• Rosekit (Recovered)
• Firestar (Lost one life; recovered)
• Brightheart (Recovered)
• Cloudtail (Recovered)
• Spiderleg (Recovered)

Daisy is originally stated to have been coughing along with the other sick cats, but she is later stated to be healthy enough to not accompany Rosekit to the Twoleg nest.

Aftermath

"Jaypaw, from this moment you will be known as Jayfeather. StarClan honors your skill and your thirst for knowledge. You have saved the lives of many cats."

―Leafpool granting Jaypaw his full name ^{Long Shadows, page 253}

At the half-moon meeting, Leafpool names Jaypaw a full medicine cat with the name Jayfeather for finding the catmint. Though Jayfeather feels slightly bad he had to steal from WindClan, lurk in Kestrelpaw's dreams, and lie to Leafpool to find the catmint, he feels warm satisfaction that he helped his Clanmates. Brightspirit greets Jayfeather in StarClan and Jayfeather thanks her for saving his Clan. The sick cats quickly recover from greencough, though Firestar stays in the Twoleg nest with Millie and Briarkit until they recover. Millie and Briarkit eventually return to the camp a few days after the fire.

Characters

Jaypaw and Leafpool

«He slipped his shoulder under Millie's as she struggled to her paws; her chest wheezed with the effort and her coughs were weak, as if her strength was ebbing fast. Jaypaw's belly twisted with frustration. The prophecy said he had the power of the stars in his paws, but what good was that if he had to witness the cats in his care die?»

—Jaypaw about Millie's prognosis ^{Long Shadows, page 142}

Jaypaw and his mentor Leafpool struggled to heal their sick Clanmates without catmint

Leafpool and Jaypaw are ThunderClan's medicine cats. The two monitor Millie and Briarkit's cough and fever with borage. While checking their low herb storage, Leafpool worries their sickness might turn into greencough so he asks Jaypaw to gather more catmint from the abandoned Twoleg nest. However, Jaypaw discovers that their only supply of catmint is destroyed and he wonders if the other Clans are to blame. Leafpool and Jaypaw worry about how to treat the illness when more cats fall ill; Jaypaw questions how he can be so powerless to save his Clanmates even with his powers. Brightspirit, a StarClan cat, visits Jaypaw and informs him that there's catmint on WindClan's territory. Leafpool and Jaypaw do their best to ensure the sickness doesn't spread by isolating the sick and using what little herbs they have. When Firestar suggests quarantining the sick cats in the abandoned Twoleg nest, Leafpool supervises the repairs on the old den. She and Jaypaw help carry Millie to the den when she's too frail to walk. The medicine cats supply the remaining warriors with strengthening herbs as they continue to change bedding and participate in numerous patrols. When Lionblaze fetches the catmint from WindClan's territory and gives it to Jaypaw, Leafpool assumes that StarClan must've shown him where to find it. After they treat the sick cats, Leafpool grants Jaypaw his full name in honor of his success. Jayfeather feels slightly conflicted since he lied, but he feels satisfaction for saving his Clan.

Lionblaze

«Guilt swamped him. He knew that he had the power to help his Clanmates—the power to do anything, he reminded himself—but he had refused to use it.»

—Lionblaze about gathering the catmint ^{Long Shadows, page 142}

Lionblaze feared his vision of killing Heatherpaw would come true if he stepped paw into WindClan territory

Lionblaze is a ThunderClan warrior and Jaypaw's brother. Lionblaze begins to have nightmares of killing Heatherpaw, his former friend, and becoming a murderer like his grandfather Tigerstar. When the sickness worsens, Jaypaw asks Lionblaze to gather catmint from WindClan using the tunnels since their sister Hollyleaf would oppose breaking the warrior code. However, Lionblaze vehemently refuses out of fear of encountering Heatherpaw and killing her. Jaypaw begins to resent his brother for allowing his Clanmates to die, though Lionblaze wishes he could tell him the truth. Heatherpaw's death continues to plague him. After witnessing Firestar lose a life and his Clanmates' suffering, Lionblaze finally agrees to fetch the catmint. He encounters Heatherpaw, now Heathertail, outside the tunnels and reexperiences his vision of killing her. Heathertail notices his reaction but allows him to leave with the catmint. Lionblaze frets how his vision nearly came true.

Brightspirit

"Seek for the wind. The wind holds what you seek."

―Brightspirit to Jaypaw ^{Long Shadows, page 145}

Brightspirit visited Jaypaw and provided help in finding catmint.

Brightspirit is a StarClan spirit, and she and her parents Shiningheart and Braveheart visit Jaypaw in a vision. Her presence awes Jaypaw and instantly confides with her his worries about his Clanmates. Brightspirit informs him to seek for the wind, and Jaypaw realizes she's referring to WindClan. When Leafpool assumes that Jaypaw found more catmint due to StarClan telling him, he agrees since Brightspirit did inform him where to find it. In StarClan, Jayfeather thanks Brightspirit for saving his Clan and she tells him it's her duty to help any cat in need.

Quotes

Lionblaze: "How's Brightheart? I heard her coughing this morning. And Honeyfern was on her way to your den."

Jaypaw: "Like you care!"

^{Long Shadows, pages 163-164}

"I have lives to lose, my Clanmates do not. I have to do this, for their sake."

―Firestar about leading his sick Clanmates to the abandoned Twoleg nest ^{Long Shadows, page 167}

Brightspirit: "Jayfeather. Now you are a true medicine cat."

Jayfeather: "I owe it to you. You saved my Clan by telling me where to find the catmint."

^{Long Shadows, page 255}

See also

• Long Shadows
  • Long Shadows/Cliffnotes