When she is Ashkit, she is bright, enthusiastic, and all rough-and-tumble. Her denmates are all moons older than her, but she doesn't really mind because it makes her feel grown-up. They accept her into their games with an exasperated roll of their eyes, but she never really notices or cares. After all, she thinks, aren't all cats nice?
This illusion is shattered when RiverClan's camp is invaded. It's loud and violent and her mother tells her to hide in the nest in a pinched, tight voice. Ashkit needs no other reminder, and like she's heard her mother so many times before, she prays to StarClan to stop the bad cats.
It may be just a coincidence, but the battle ends mere moments after she finishes.
By the time Ashkit is five moons old, all the kits she used to play with have been made apprentices. Now she spends her days pretend-training to be a warrior, but her heart isn't really in it. Not after she's seen that battle.
She doesn't say anything. No warrior she's ever seen has ever not liked their rank, and well, Ashkit doesn't want to be the first.
One day she decides to practice stalking. She lowers her belly to the ground and starts after a stray leaf lying on the ground. Just as she's about to pounce, it flutters away in a quick, nimble breeze. More than a little annoyed, Ashkit goes after it, but she cannot find where the leaf has gone. And suddenly, she's in front of a reed tunnel, somewhere she's never actually been before.
Olivebreeze, a new warrior, brushes past her and pads into the opening. Ashkit creeps forward, suddenly intrigued, and hidden behind a clump ferns, she watches as Olivebreeze and an unfamiliar cat converse.
"I've got a thorn in my paw, Whitefoot," explains Olivebreeze, voice pinched, and she holds up one of her forepaws. Ashkit can't see it, of course, but she knows the thorn must be stuck on the grey she-cat's pad.
The other cat is short, white-furred and blue-eyed. She's never heard of a "Whitefoot" before, and Ashkit hasn't even spoken to the cat, but she already likes her. Then she says, "Again, Olivebreeze?" She shakes her head. "Okay, stand still again. When I pull it out, you'll want to lick it to staunch any bleeding."
Ashkit is transfixed as the white she-cat tugs at something. Whitefoot jerks back, and she can just make out a small, pointed object in the white cat's jaws: the thorn previously in Olivebreeze's foot. "That's so cool," she whispers quietly to herself, eyes wide. "I want to do that someday!"
Later that night, Ashkit eagerly asks her mother who Whitefoot is. For a split second, Willowbrook looks startled, but then she says calmly and carefully, "Whitefoot is the medicine cat of this clan. She heals our clanmates and takes care of us, sort of like a second mother."
Ashkit announces, proudly, "I want to be a medicine cat!" and Willowbrook purrs softly at the grey tabby kit, but she doesn't quite see the fierce, burning determination in Ashkit's eyes.
"I'm sure you will be," answers her mother. Ashkit doesn't notice that Willowbrook isn't very convinced, and she doesn't care either way. The next day, she asks the leader to be a medicine cat apprentice. Her request is granted.
o - ~ - o
When she is Ashpaw, she is dedicated, loyal, and studious. She spends her days under Whitefoot's tutelage, continuously running herb usages and procedures through her head.
She is often praised for her affinity with herbs. Whitefoot calls her talented and says she's proud to have Ashpaw as an apprentice.
Ashpaw pushes herself relentlessly. Each day, she counts the herb stock and sorts the fresh from the old. Each day, she gathers whatever herbs they're running low on. The work is endless, but she finds she likes the routine of it. It is also a time-filler, which is useful when she doesn't want to spend time with other cats her age.
One day, Whitefoot catches her before she starts the routine, and bans her from doing any work. "You need to stop pushing yourself so hard," she says. "Take today off: socialize, be lazy; I can do the work."
She starts to protest, but Whitefoot stares at her, and she sighs and turns away in defeat. However stubborn she is, she knows she will always lose a fight with her mentor.
For the rest of the day, Ashpaw dozes in the sun, but her muscles are tense and she feels fidgety. She also feels unpleasantly lazy, but she finds it enjoyable, despite the fact she doesn't want to. After Whitefoot finishes the work, the white-furred she-cat joins Ashpaw with a carp in her jaws.
"See, Ashpaw," Whitefoot says, sounding just the tiniest bit smug, "isn't it nice to get a break every once in a while?"
Ashpaw is silent for a few moments. Then, she admits, rather grudgingly, "I guess so. I feel like I'm slacking, though."
Whitefoot shakes her head, and her green eyes sparkle. "Nonsense. It's not healthy to stay cooped up in the den too long, or to push yourself too hard." She nudges the carp towards Ashpaw. "Have some." Ashpaw obliges, and then Whitefoot adds, "Don't forget that you need to learn how to take care of yourself, too."
Caught off guard, Ashpaw nods. "Okay," she replies, because what else can she say? Whitefoot gives a satisfied nod at her answer.
"If you do that," she adds, "I might let you go to the next gathering by yourself, without me."
Ashpaw bounces on her toes, and her dark amber eyes glow with excitement at the prospect. "Really?" she asks, disbelieving.
The white she-cat gives Ashpaw a pointed look. "If," she reminds again. "Only if."
For the next moon, Ashpaw does her best to follow Whitefoot's instructions, and at the next full moon, Whitefoot agrees to let her go alone to the gathering.
When RiverClan arrives at the gathering place, Ashpaw finds they're the first ones to arrive. She settles near where the medicine cats talk, and it's not long before the other clans show up. Bramblefur of WindClan rambles on about his dimwitted clanmates to her, and she listens patiently, but Ashpaw is bored out of her mind.
The announcements are made and the clans begin to depart when a golden spotted tom amidst the crowd of ThunderClanners catches her eye. She thinks it's strange how she noticed him of all cats, and they make eye contact for a moment before he leaves.
His eyes are a striking dark blue, and she thinks they are pretty and intriguing. A moment later, she reprimands herself: he's ThunderClan, she made a choice, but Ashpaw cannot brush away her newfound curiosity—why did she notice his eyes?
After the gathering, life returns to normal. Ashpaw continues her studies and every so often, she and Whitefoot take a day off. But the strange spotted tom occupies her thoughts, and she finds herself confused why.
But she shakes off any thought of him when Whitefoot announces that she's to get her medicine cat name at the next half-moon.
She is given the suffix "berry" to symbolize her skill with healing and affinity for her position. She thinks it fits wonderfully
o - ~ - o
When she is Ashberry, she is patient, devoted, and calm. She shoulders the burdens of the whole clan, and Whitefoot often acts as her assistant instead of the other way around.
She likes having responsibility. She likes when she visits StarClan and she likes when she heals her clanmates.
She doesn't always see eye to eye with her clanmates, but she doesn't mind. She knows they will always listen to her as their medicine cat, no matter what they think about her. She likes being wanted and needed.
Ashberry's favorite part of her rank, however, is going to gatherings, however strange it might be. There she visits with her fellow medicine cats, and though she won't openly admit it, they gossip like old queens, especially her and Eaglewing, the ShadowClan medicine cat.
One cold gathering night she has just finished talking to Eaglewing when she hears a voice behind saying, "Uh, hi, I have a thorn in my paw, could you, uh, get it out?"
She turns to see the spotted tom she had noticed during her apprenticeship. He looks older and slightly awkward, but Ashberry finds his eyes are the same entrancing blue from moons ago. He holds his paw up off the ground, and she doesn't miss his grimace as she leans closer.
"Sure, I guess," she answers, inspecting the injury. Privately she thinks this is ridiculous, because she's taking care of an enemy warrior, but another side of her reminds herself he asked for help, and she took a vow to help those in need.
Ashberry takes the thorn between her teeth and pulls it out as quickly as she can. He yelps and then, looking embarrassed, starts to lick his pawpad, shoulders hunched.
"You're tons nicer than my own medicine cat," he tells her suddenly, and she's startled for a moment before she regains her composure. "Oh, and I'm Leopardspring, from ThunderClan."
She pauses for a moment before responding. "I'm Ashberry, medicine cat of RiverClan" she says, blinking at him. He seems impulsive but kind, and from experience, she doesn't think enemy warriors normally ask other medicine cats for help. The tom doesn't seem to care.
That night she relives the dream in her sleep. The next morning, she ponders why while doing her work. Was she supposed to dream of a stranger at night?
Leopardspring comes up to her again the next gathering, yet another thorn embedded in his paw. There's a sheepish, embarrassed look on his face, but Ashberry does not protest at removing the object from his foot. She manages a small smile.
"You'd better stay away from those thorns," she says, attempting to sound teasing. Leopardspring nods but evidently he doesn't listen, because he shows up to her for moons after, thorns in his paw every time.
Eventually he asks her to meet him at the border the next quarter moon.
Ashberry agrees. She's become rather fond of him at this point, and it wasn't going to do any harm. Besides, it wasn't like she'd let it escalate into anything.
Despite what she tells herself, their relationship grows strong over the moons, and soon she is expecting kits. She knows it's wrong, but Ashberry is already hopelessly attached: to both her mate and her unborn kits.
o - ~ - o
As a mother, she is fierce, brave, and protective. When she begins to swell at the middle she steps down as medicine cat under the guise of it not being right for her anymore. No one cares to ask why.
Whitefoot eyes her suspiciously when she is called back to service, but her old mentor does not say a word of anything to her, and she assumes, to nobody else either.
Ashberry is away from camp and near the ThunderClan border when her labor pains come. She cannot hold back her cries of agony. The kitting is the worst pain she has ever experienced, but soon there are three helpless bundles on the soil next to her. The pain is forgotten as she stares at her newborn young, already in love.
Leopardspring crouches next to her. He's whispering soothing words, but there's a clear panic in his eyes, and she cannot blame him. She wonders briefly when he got there before turning her attention to the kits.
There is a golden-spotted tom and a golden tom, along with a silver she-kit. Ashberry panics when she realized the golden tom has not moved or cried. He is limp under her touch. She blocks the stillborn from her view, and fights back a sob, feeling her heart shatter.
Leopardspring names the silver she-kit Vixenkit, for an elder's tale he once heard about a silver fox. She adores the name and in turn, names the golden spotted tom Eaglekit, for her friend Eaglewing.
Her mate takes Eaglekit with him at her request, and she lays there for what seems like eternity. Vixenkit squirms at her belly, weak, but alive.
She falls into a light doze, but wakes quickly when she, subconsciously, feels Vixenkit stop moving. Ashberry cries and rages at StarClan, but in her heart, she knows even StarClan can't bring cats back from the dead.
Her paws are muddy after she finishes digging their graves. She is no longer sobbing, but her chest feels heavy and her head is low when she pads into camp again.
Perhaps this is her punishment, she muses, but doesn't dwell on it. Why bother? she tells herself. After all, it's not like she can change anything that's happened.
Still, her dreams are haunted by the images of her passed away kits. It takes moons before she can sleep through the night again.
When she is called to fill in the position of ThunderClan's deceased medicine cat, she cannot find the will to say no. It's awkward living among the trees, but she finds it doesn't bother her as much as she had expected.
She and Leopardspring see each other every day, but she has not summoned up the courage to tell him about Vixenkit. Ashberry sees Eaglepaw, too, but she's afraid that being too close to him will make her accidentally spill her secret.
It's not worth risking it; risking their secret coming out.
So she spends her days teaching the young medicine cat apprentice, Robinpaw. Robinpaw is bright and curious and reminds Ashberry of herself, in a way. She enjoys being a mentor, and she may even be starting to like living in ThunderClan.
But then Eaglepaw fails his warrior assessment, and she doesn't know what to think when his mentor brings him into her den, bleeding and with one eye shut. At first she panics, but then makes herself take a deep breath.
She calls for all the appropriate herbs, and patches him up the best she can, all the while muttering prayers to StarClan under her breath.
It's a miracle he heals and gains his warrior name: Eaglecry.
She shares a glance with Leopardspring, and he gives her a nod, eyes soft. And she knows it was all because of the thorns.
Hey guys! Welcome to Thorns! This won't be an actual full-fledged story, but I was thinking, what if I tried to do something in second person? And this is the result. The end is kind of rushed, but I'm proud of it. Also, who knows, there may be a part two...
Fun fact: This was published two minutes before midnight.
Please review! It makes my day and I read every single comment posted.
~Ice