by Erin Hunter
“We’ll be extra careful in the future,” Hollykit promised.
She hurried over to Lionkit with the leaves. “Did you get all the thorns out?” she whispered.
“All except one behind my ear,” Lionkit whispered back.
Hollykit licked the back of Lionkit’s ear and felt the thorn.
Gripping it with her teeth she tugged it out.
“I put the rest under the brambles at the edge of the den.”
He flicked his tail to the den wall near his nest. Hollykit went and spat out the thorn with the others.
“We can reach under from outside and drag them out later,” she mewed. “Now, where are the worst scratches?” She began to chew up a dock leaf while Lionkit twisted and pointed with his nose to a sore spot on his flank.
The dock leaf tasted foul. “Yuck!” Hollykit screwed up her nose as she chewed. She leaned down and licked the juice into Lionkit’s scratch, just as Leafpool had shown her. As she dragged her tongue firmly across the wound, Lionkit flinched and let out a squeak of pain.
Hollykit leaped back in alarm.
“Are you two fighting?” Ferncloud asked, not looking up from her kits.
“No,” Lionkit meowed. “The dock juice hurts; that’s all.”
Hollykit felt her tail tremble. She couldn’t do this! Seeing Lionkit’s pain made her feel queasy. But she couldn’t let any of his scratches get infected, and if she was going to become
a medicine cat, she would have to get used to treating patients.
She chewed another horrible-tasting leaf and set to work licking the juice into another scratch. Lionkit only winced this time, but it was enough to send Hollykit leaping away again.
“Sorry!” she squeaked. Then she remembered Leafpool’s advice. It may sting, but it will save a lot more pain later if you do it properly. Focusing on Leafpool’s words, she carried on, forcing herself to ignore Lionkit’s squeaks of pain and the sickening taste of the dock.
“That feels much better,” Lionkit breathed as she tended to his last wound. Hollykit sat back with relief.
Ferncloud looked up. “Why don’t you two go to the fresh-kill pile and have something to eat? Daisy’s in the clearing.
I’m sure she’ll keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t get into any mischief.”
Happy to be able to leave the nursery without breaking any rules, Hollykit hurried out into the clearing, Lionkit on her heels. But the taste of dock had ruined her appetite, and she followed Lionkit to the fresh-kill pile without enthusiasm.
Mousepaw, Hazelpaw, and Berrypaw still sat in the flattened grass patch in front of their den. Mousepaw could hardly keep still. “Brambleclaw told me that our assessment would begin after sunhigh,” he mewed excitedly.
Hollykit pricked her ears. Daisy’s kits had been training for nearly four moons. It wouldn’t be long before they would be made warriors.
“Who’s assessing us?” Berrypaw asked anxiously.
“Brambleclaw wouldn’t tell me,” Mousepaw replied.
“Do you think it’ll be Firestar himself?” Hazelpaw’s tail twitched with excitement.
“Don’t say that!” Berrypaw breathed. “I won’t remember any of my training if I think he’s watching!”
“Can we hunt together?” Hazelpaw asked.
“Spiderleg said it was up to us,” Mousepaw reported.
Ashfur and Whitewing were sharing tongues nearby.
Ashfur’s whiskers twitched with amusement as he overheard the apprentices talking. “You’d be wiser splitting up!” he called over. “On your own, you might just manage to surprise your prey, but the three of you clumping through the forest will scare everything from here to sun-drown-place!”
Whitewing poked him with her snowy paw. “Don’t tease them, Ashfur!” she scolded. “You were an apprentice once.
You must remember how tense you were about your first assessment.”
Brook trotted through the entrance carrying three mice by their tails. Hollykit watched as the Tribe cat dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile.
Lionkit helped himself to one and began to eat hungrily.
“Thanks, Brook,” he mewed with his mouth full.
Brook eyed him with her soft gray gaze. “You should eat more slowly,” she advised. “In the mountains we say that prey eaten slowly feeds us longer.”
Lionkit looked at her in surprise. “Okay.” He nodded and began to chew more carefully.
Hollykit watched as the mountain cat twisted to smooth down her brown tabby pelt. She had always liked the sound of Brook’s mew—it was low and strange compared with the forest cats’.
A yowl sounded outside the camp entrance, followed by a threatening hiss. Hollykit recognized Honeypaw’s voice.
Honeypaw’s mentor, Sandstorm, raced toward the
entrance tunnel. “Honeypaw?” she called. “What is it?”
Hollykit held her breath. Was the camp being attacked?
Then she heard a friendly yowl of greeting. Sandstorm returned through the thorn tunnel, leading Mothwing, the RiverClan medicine cat, and her apprentice, Willowpaw.
Honeypaw padded after them, her tail bristling with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” she mewed. “I didn’t realize who it was. I just smelled RiverClan.”
Sandstorm reassured her apprentice with an old nursery saying: “It’s better to scare off a mouse than welcome a badger.”
Hollykit’s heart leaped like a fish at the sight of Willowpaw. She had met the medicine cat apprentice once before, when Mothwing had brought precious supplies of catmint from the clump that grew in a sheltered part of RiverClan territory. Leafpool had welcomed the gift, since the patch that grew near the abandoned Twoleg nest in ThunderClan territory had been killed by frost. Hollykit had spoken to Willowpaw then because she wanted to find out
what it was like to belong to a different Clan. But this time she wanted to find out something else: how to become a medicine cat’s apprentice.
While Sandstorm went to find Leafpool, Hollykit scampered across the clearing toward Willowpaw. “Hello!” she mewed shyly.
Willowpaw, who had been looking troubled, brightened up. “Hello, Hollykit!” she purred. “Or is it Hollypaw now?”
“Not yet,” Hollykit told her. “Why are you here?” The RiverClan cats weren’t carrying anything. Perhaps they had come to ask for supplies in return for the catmint.
Willowpaw’s whiskers twitched. “I had a dream,” she mewed. “I want Leafpool to help me interpret it.”
“Can’t Mothwing do that?” Hollykit asked, confused.
Willowpaw glanced at her paws. “Mothwing suggested we get Leafpool’s opinion.”
“What was it about?”
Willowpaw looked solemn. “I can’t tell you until I’ve shared it with Leafpool.”
“Mothwing, Willowpaw!” Leafpool stood at the entrance to the medicine den. “Welcome! Come in!” She waited, holding back the trailing brambles, while Mothwing and Willowpaw weaved past her into the shadows beyond.
Hollykit stared wistfully after them as the leaves swished back into place. She felt a nudge in her flank and turned to see Lionkit butting her gently with his head.
“Why are you staring at them like a dumb rabbit?” he
mewed. “Mothwing and Willowpaw have visited the camp before.”
Hollykit was unable to keep her wish to herself a moment longer. “I want to be a medicine cat!” she blurted out.
Chapter 7
“A medicine cat?” Lionkit stared at Hollykit, bewildered. “Why?”
“There are other ways to serve your Clan apart from being a warrior,” Hollykit snapped.
“But you’ll be stuck in the camp with all the sick and injured cats instead of out in the forest hunting or fighting.”
There was no criticism in Lionkit’s tone, only disbelief.
Hollykit did not want to hear about what she would be missing. “But think how much I’ll know,” she pointed out. “I’ll learn a
ll about healing herbs, and I’ll be able to share dreams with StarClan.” She stared at him, willing him to understand.
“What could be more exciting than that?”
“Fighting ShadowClan?”
“But I want to have dreams just like Leafpool and Willowpaw!” Hollykit insisted.
“You already do,” Lionkit purred, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Dreams about hedgehogs!”
“You cheeky kit!” Hollykit squeaked in mock anger. With a small leap, she pushed Lionkit to the ground and began to tussle with him.
“What are you two doing?” Squirrelflight’s stern meow made Hollykit freeze. Lionkit struggled from her grasp, and the two kits sat up and faced their mother. “If you’ve got nothing better to do than make the fresh-kill pile dusty with your fighting, you may as well go back to the nursery.”
“But I haven’t eaten yet!” Hollykit protested.
“Then take something with you,” Squirrelflight answered.
“And take something for Ferncloud, too.”
Hollykit hated eating in the nursery. Prey always tasted better eaten in the fresh air. But she didn’t protest. She saw that Squirrelflight had already turned to look at Thornclaw, who was resting beneath Highledge.
“I hope Thornclaw’s remembered that he’s leading the sunhigh patrol,” the flame-colored she-cat meowed, half to herself.
“You’d better go and remind him, seeing as you seem to be keeping an eye on everyone around here,” Hollykit muttered.
“What was that?” Squirrelflight’s thoughtful gaze remained on Thornclaw.
“Nothing,” Hollykit mewed guiltily.
“Don’t forget Ferncloud,” Squirrelflight reminded her, padding away.
Hollykit stared after her mother, feeling a surge of rebellious anger. “It wouldn’t be so bad if she even noticed she was spoiling our fun!”
“She’s just busy,” Lionkit mewed. “You know what she’s like.”
“I suppose.” Hollykit sighed. She knew she wasn’t being fair. How could she criticize her mother when, in truth, she wanted to be just like her, brave and loyal and respected by her Clanmates? “Let’s go back to the nursery.”
Hollykit dragged one of Brook’s mice from the fresh-kill pile. Lionkit pulled off a thrush more than half his size and began hauling it toward the nursery. Hollykit guessed that Ferncloud wouldn’t be able to eat such a large piece of prey, but her brother never changed his mind once it was made up.
Back in the nursery she ate the mouse, giving thanks to StarClan for the food before she tucked in. When she had finished she gave her paws and muzzle a quick lick and then lay flat on her belly to peep out under the brambles at the clearing. Lionkit had fallen asleep beside her, and Ferncloud was trying to persuade Foxkit and Icekit to try a piece of the thrush that she’d softened with her teeth. Hollykit narrowed her eyes and stared at the entrance to the medicine den, watching for any movement. She wanted to speak to Willowpaw again.
At last the brambles twitched and Leafpool led Mothwing and Willowpaw out into the clearing. Hollykit glanced back at Lionkit, still sleeping, and Ferncloud, busy with her kits. As quietly as possible she slithered out under the bramble wall of the den, dislodging a wad of leaves that Squirrelflight had pressed into place the day before. I’ll fix it later, Hollykit vowed as she scooted across the clearing.
“Hello!” she mewed to Willowpaw.
Willowpaw’s ears twitched. She blinked at Hollykit, and the faraway look cleared from her gaze. “Hi,” she mewed.
“Did Leafpool help you?”
Willowpaw nodded. “I can tell you about the dream now, if you still want to know.”
Hollykit flicked her tail excitedly. “Yes, please.”
“Well,” Willowpaw began, “I dreamed that clouds were streaming across the sky, flowing and tumbling across the blue. And then they stopped and the sun scorched down onto the RiverClan camp, shriveling the plants and drying up the nests until there was no shelter from the burning heat.”
Hollykit shuddered. “What did it mean?”
“Leafpool thought it could be a warning of trouble with our water supply. But there’s been plenty of rain this leaf-bare, so it probably doesn’t mean a drought. She advised me to tell Leopardstar to check all the streams near the camp and make sure they are safe.”
Hollykit leaned forward. “How did you become
Mothwing’s apprentice?” she asked.
“I helped her with some of her patients when there was an outbreak of illness,” Willowpaw told her. “I enjoyed the tasks she gave me, so I just kept going back to the medicine den and helping out until Mothwing suggested I should become her apprentice.”
“Did you always want to be a medicine cat?”
“I didn’t really think about it,” Willowpaw admitted. “It just sort of happened, and then I couldn’t imagine doing any
thing else. Being a medicine cat is great!”
Hollykit opened her mouth to agree, but before she could speak, Mothwing called her apprentice away. “Willowpaw, we’re leaving.”
Mothwing brushed muzzles with Leafpool and headed for the thorn tunnel. Willowpaw bounded after her. “Bye, Hollykit!” she called over her shoulder.
Hollykit watched the two cats disappear through the tunnel. Willowpaw had made her even more determined to be Leafpool’s apprentice. Forgetting that she was not meant to be out of the nursery, she hurried after Leafpool, following her into her den.
Jaykit was sprawled in his nest, the soft gray fur of his belly showing. He was clearly sleeping more comfortably than last time Hollykit had visited.
Leafpool turned as Hollykit followed her in. “Do you need more herbs for Lionkit?”
Hollykit shook her head. A question fizzed on the tip of her tongue, but she was struggling for the right words.
“Is something wrong?”
Jaykit flipped over and lifted his head. “What do you want, Hollykit?” he asked, his ears pricking as though he sensed that something important was happening.
Leafpool glanced at him. “Go back to the nursery, Jaykit,”
she meowed softly.
“Am I well enough?” Jaykit mewed, sitting up.
“As long as you don’t start play fighting the moment you
get back,” Leafpool warned him. “But you might as well sleep in your own nest now.”
Jaykit got to his paws. His first steps out of his nest were a little unsteady, but he soon found his balance and padded toward the bramble-covered entrance. “Thanks, Leafpool,”
he mewed. His sightless gaze flicked toward Hollykit, taking her by surprise. Sometimes it was almost as if he were looking straight at her, though she knew he couldn’t see her.
“I’ll come and check on you at sundown,” Leafpool promised him.
As soon as Jaykit had disappeared through the brambles, Leafpool sat down. “Now,” she meowed, gazing at Hollykit,
“tell me what’s troubling you.”
“Nothing’s troubling me,” Hollykit answered at once. “But I have something important to ask you.”
A look close to alarm flashed momentarily across Leafpool’s gaze. “What?”
Hollykit took a deep breath. “I want to be your apprentice!” She tensed as she waited for the reply. What if Leafpool refused to take her on?
Leafpool looked stunned. “I never would have thought—”
She stopped midsentence, then meowed gently, “Being a medicine cat is a big commitment. You will rarely fight in battles or go on patrol. You won’t be able to take a mate, or have kits.” Hollykit saw her eyes darken with sadness. Was that regret she saw in their amber depths? There was no time to wonder. “What has made you want to be a medicine cat?”
“I want to be able to help the Clan,” Hollykit told her. “If
I were a medicine cat, I could heal my Clanmates when they were sick, and I could share dreams with StarClan.” Leafpool was still gazing at her questioningly, so she went on. “As a warrior I could feed the
Clan and defend it—I would die to protect the Clan if I had to—but as a warrior I would be limited to fighting with tooth and claw. As a medicine cat I could fight with all the knowledge and power of StarClan.
What better way could there be to serve ThunderClan?” She stopped, breathless, and stared hopefully up at Leafpool.
Leafpool’s tail twitched. “Those are all good reasons,” she agreed.
Hollykit’s heart soared. Was she going to say yes?
“But,” Leafpool went on, “before I can make a decision, I must talk with Firestar.”
Hollykit blinked, feeling a flash of doubt. But she pushed the doubt away. She hasn’t said no. “Thanks, Leafpool!” she mewed. She turned and trotted from the den. Of course Leafpool would have to talk to the Clan leader before making such an important decision, she thought as she bounced back across the clearing.
She wriggled into the nursery and found Ferncloud asleep, her kits quiet for once. Lionkit was plucking the feathers from the remains of the thrush. They would make a good nest lining.
Jaykit looked up from his nest as she squeezed through the entrance. “What was so secret that I had to leave the medicine den?”
“I’m going to be her apprentice,” Hollykit announced.
“Whose apprentice?”
“Leafpool’s, of course.”
Lionkit looked up from the thrush, delighted. “Did she say yes?”
“Well, she’s got to talk to Firestar first, of course.”
“You want to be a medicine cat?” Jaykit mewed, putting his head to one side.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Hollykit demanded.
“I’d hate to be stuck in the medicine den, worrying about sick cats and sorting out piles of old herbs.” Jaykit sank his claws into the moss that lined his nest. “I’d much rather be a warrior, patrolling and hunting and fighting in Clan battles!”
Hollykit looked at her brother, fierce and proud. Firestar had to let him become a warrior!
Hollykit awoke before dawn. The nursery was dark and cozy, warmed by her sleeping denmates. She lay in her nest and listened to an owl calling from the trees lakeside of the camp. She was too excited to go back to sleep. Brambleclaw had told her last night that Firestar would be going ahead with the naming ceremony after all.
