"Put your paw here, Blazingkit." The medicine cat, Swiftheart, told Blazingkit. She put her paw on the kitting queen's flank.
"Do you feel the kits?" Swiftheart asked. Blazingkit nodded.
"Now what?" Blazingkit asked curiously, comforting the queen using her fluffy paws on the queen's stomach.
"We wait until the kits are ready to arrive, which shouldn't take that long." Blazingkit just nodded, and sat down until the kits were coming.
A kit slid out. "Quick Blazingkit, nip the sac and lick the kit fiercely!" Blazingkit did as she was told, licking the kit as the tiny, dark gray, tom started breathing. "It's a tom!" Blazingkit squeaked.
"He's beautiful!" His mother, Pinefeather, breathed. "His name will be, Cedarkit. How many more kits Swiftheart?"
The medicine cat felt the new mother's flank gently. "One more, I think." Said Swiftheart as another kit, a snow white tom with light gray patches, plopped out.
"What about Cloudkit, Pinefeather?" Blazingkit asked.
"I think that's a wonderful name!" The queen replied, licking her newborn kits to warm them up ask they suckled against their mother.
Blazingkit looked down at them proudly as if they were her own. Hmm. Cedarkit and Cloudkit. I'm only a half moon older than them, I hope they'll open their eyes soon. My littermates, Sorrelkit, Harekit, and Barkkit don't want to play with me because they think I'm too soft..
Almost six moons has passed since Cederkit and Cloudkit were kitted, and Blazingkit was spending more and more time in the medicine den. Helping Swiftheart sort herbs, treat sick cats, and even learning most of the herbs.
"When do you think Hawkstar will make me an apprentice, Swiftheart?"
"Any day now Blazingkit. How would you like to be my apprentice?"
Blazingkit was so happy she squealed, and ran out of the den and shouted, "I'm going to be Swifthearts apprentice!" The warriors were just staring at her with amusement, since they already knew that she was going to be apprenticed as a medicine cat.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey to gather beneath the Rockpile for an announcement." Hawkstar called out to the clan.
"Go and sit with your mother."
"Okay, Swiftheart." Blazingkit called back as she went to sit by Ravenscar. She's told the kits how she earned her warrior name. She was only Ravenpaw at the tine, and she was trying to bring down an eagle that tried to take some kits away, when the eagle scraped the left side of her face and halfway down her back. Even with that scar, I can see why Hawkstar chose her to be his mate. I want to have as much courage as her, to be able to fight off any predators that are attacking my clan. I know I can still do that being a Medicine Cat!
"We are gathered here to witness the most precious ceremony a clan can welcome. The making of new apprentices. Sorrelkit, come forward."
Blazingkit stopped paying attention when Cloudkit became Cloudpaw and it was her turn. She barely heard Hawkstar called her forward.
"Blazingkit, it's your turn come forward." Hawkstar repeated.
"Oh sorry." Her ears flattened her ears in embarrassment, as she walked toward her father.
"From this day forward, until she has earned her medicine cat name she will be known as Blazingpaw."
The clan chanted their new names, "Sorrelpaw! Harepaw! Barkpaw! Cloudpaw! Cedarpaw! Blazingpaw!"
"Ready to see the territory Blazingpaw?" Swiftheart asked her, as the other new apprentices started out of the camp with their mentors, Stormfoot, Flamefur, Yellowtail, Leafpelt, and Cherryclaw.
"Yes please!" said Blazingpaw as she followed Swiftheart out of the gorse tunnel onto the moor.
It's so big, and so is the lake! She thought as she saw how big the moor really was. "Wow! Does WindClan territory stretch on forever?"
Swifthearts whiskers twitched with amusement, "No Blazingpaw, but I thought that way when Milkspots first took me out here all those moons ago."
"We need juniper berries don't we?" Blazingpaw thought back to earlier when she and Swiftheart were sorting herbs.
"Yes we do. And do you remember what it's used for?"
"Treating bellyaches, or can help when a cat has gone into shock." She answered.
Swiftheart looked back and purred, her gaze filled with satisfaction. "Very good Blazingpaw! You learn fast!"
Blazingpaw smiled back, and then went to go get some juniper berries. "This is enough." She dug a hole in the ground to put the berries in to pick them up later.
By the time they were done exploring the borders, retrieved the berries they left, and got back to camp, Blazingpaw was exhausted.
"That was awesome, thank you Swiftheart!"
"You're welcome Blazingpaw. Now, take fresh kill to the elders, and then get yourself a piece."
Blazingpaw did as she was told, and sat down with a small shrew. Cedarpaw came over with a moorhen.
"So how was your first day as a medicine cat?" Cedarpaw asked.
"Medicine cat apprentice, and don't forget that I've technically been Swiftheart's apprentice since I was two days old," Blazingpaw said with amusement in her eyes. "and I helped Swiftheart with your kitting."
"Right," Cedarpaw looked up at Silverpelt, "I wonder if StarClan chose me to become leader one day." He took a bite of his moorhen.
After a couple minutes of silence, and after they've finished their meals, they started to share tongues when Swiftheart called, "Blazingpaw, come here for a minute please."
Blazingpaw got up, and went to the medicine den. "Yes Swiftheart?"
"Fawnleap has a cough, do you think that you could take come coltsfoot to her cough has gotten worse."
Oh no! Not Fawnleap! Ravenscar will be sad once she finds out her mom's not getting better. "Yeah sure." Blazingpaw got some coltsfoot and brought it to the elders' den.
"Fawnleap? It's me, Blazingpaw." She said.
"Blazingpaw? Come on in." replied Fawnleap, as Blazingpaw walked in.
"Here, chew them up, swallow the juice, and spit out the leaves." said Blazingpaw as she watched her mother's mother do as she said.
"Are you happy you've become a medicine cat apprentice?"
The young dark ginger she-cat choked back a sniffle of despair, "Yes, I love it very much Fawnleap."
"Good, WindClan needs more young cats like you to help take care of the clan, and thank you for the coltsfoot. I'll let you get back to your apprentice duties."
Blazingpaw backed out of the den, going back over to Cedarpaw to continue sharing tongues with him.
"Sorry, Fawnleap has a cough." She said as she sat down, and sighed.
Cedarpaw stroked her fur with his tail tip and mewed, "It's going to be okay Blazingpaw, these things happen, and there's nothing we can do about it. She'll be in StarClan with her littermates soon."
As Blazingpaw was on her way back to the medicine den to go to sleep, she froze when she hear Fawnleap mew, "Should I just take holly berries to get it over with? Both Swiftheart and I know that I'm not going to get better, and I'm sure Blazingpaw will find out soon enough."
Blazingpaw wailed and ran into the elders' den, "No! You can't have holly berries! I don't want you to go to StarClan yet! I'm not ready for you to go!"
Swiftheart heard Blazingpaw's wail, and rushed into the den. "What's going on here?" She demanded.
Blazingpaw stepped forward and explained quickly what Fawnleap wanted to do. "You can't let her Swiftheart! Tell me you can't let her!"
"Well, it's not my power to tell what a cat wants and what she doesn't want." Swiftheart replied solemly. "If she wants holly berries she can have them if she thinks she won't suffer any longer."
It's been three days since Swiftheart has agreed to give Fawnleap holly berries.
Today's the day that Fawnleap joins StarClan. Blazingpaw was furious at Swiftheart, but never showed it.
The clan was gathered in the middle as they knew that Swiftheart was giving Fawnleaf holly berries in the medicine den. Blazingpaw raced to the den entry just in time to see Fawnleap collapse.
"No! Fawnleap!" she wailed with grief.
As Swiftheart just dragged Fawnleap's light brown, limp body to the middle of the clearing, Blazingpaw attacked Swiftheart with outstretched claws.