When I was born those countless moons ago, the cat who I believed my mother told me the warrior code kept us from fighting. It kept many innocent cats from being slaughtered every full moon, and the warrior code would guide us to the right decisions.
When I first heard this, the warrior code became a sort of honor for me. And though I and my littermates dreamed of one day being warriors, a young medicine cat apprentice by the name of Willowpaw changed that.
Willowpaw told me of magnificent things- our ancestors, StarClan, which influenced the warrior code to a deeper meaning. It was our duty, as warriors, to follow the code, and StarClan was the basis of it. StarClan was the seer of the warrior code, and I realized at once what my duty to the code was. The answers were in the stars, and so was the code. My mind took on a sudden realization- if sharing dreams with StarClan was like sharing dreams with the founders of the code- the very basis of our lives- then perhaps medicine cats shared the deepest bond with the code there was- StarClan.
Though our chat was brief, my decision and destiny were clear. I wanted to have dreams with StarClan. I wanted to preserve the warrior code in the best way there was- meeting with these starry, strange cats, who had founded our beloved honor. Just thinking of it gave me a warm feeling inside.
When I explained this decision to my littermates, however, their first emotion was shock. Shock that I, Hollykit, the she-kit who had boasted she would be leader one day, was about to give up her ambition for a couple dreams with some stars. Not interesting at all.
But they didn't see- or rather, he, Lionkit, didn't see- that I needed this. This was my destiny, my want. Nothing could keep me from that. And nothing would.
As many things I had been wrong about, I had been wrong about this. Though I would not let my petty brothers know, the life of a medicine cat was not all dreams and starlight. The memorization of the many herbs was achingly long, and Leafpool, despite her kindness, was beginning to become frustrated with my inability to master healing. It was quite sad, and heartbreaking, to watch my brothers train and hunt like I had once dreamed of while I was stuck in the stuffy medicine cats den, watching Leafpool sort herbs for the twentieth time that day. It was then that I realized my destiny- wherever in lay- did not inhabit the medicine den.
I proposed this idea to my leader, and grandfather, the great Firestar. He seemed disappointed at first, and rather confused, for something in this manner had never happened to him. After, though, I explained my dilemma, he acknowledged my needs and assigned me Brackenfur, one of his most trusted warriors, as my mentor. It was a sad experience to watch him furrow his brow in wonder and slight disappointment, though he congratulated me for my bravery in approaching him, and going through with my decision. My switch of places was convenient, for Jaypaw soon became a medicine cat after. Though he seemed reluctant about it. I will never tell him this, even as I die here, but I was glad for his switch, for I could not bare to watch him train each day, and stumble as his moves were once again failing because of his loss of sight. I've never seen a tom look so anger and so disappointed before. And I dear hope I will never see one again.
Coming next: Dark River.
No, I don't own warriors. Or Hollyleaf. And yes, I really hate her, but this was interesting to write.
-LRL