Icekit's Journey
Chapter One
Icekit woke up. There was a light frost on the ground of the nursery. Leafbare has come. Yet the thing that woke her up was her sister kicking her side. Streamkit was squirming more than a piece of prey.
" Get off of me!" Icekit wailed as her sister rolled on top of her. Streamkit woke up instantly at Icekit's yowl.
" Is an enemy attacking?" Streamkit asked, eyes wide with fear.
" The only enemy is you, disturbing my sleep!" Icekit hissed. The two kits heard a rustle. Snaketail!
" What are you kits doing? Smallnose needs to sleep! Treekit and Gorsekit are asleep and should stay that way! If you aren't quiet, I'll put you outside! I don't see why Rainstar hasn't made you apprentices." The queen murmured. The kits looked outside as soon as there mother had gone. Suddenly, Icekit saw Rainstar climb up the Hightree
" Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather before me." The mighty she-cat called.
" Icekit, Streamkit. Come here" The leader meowed. Icekit and Streamkit looked at each other with huge eyes. Could it be true? Is this really happening?They walked up to Rainstar.
" You two have reached 6 moons and are ready to receive your apprentice names. Icekit. Do you accept the responsibilities of being a warrior apprentice?" Rainstar continued. Icekit was about to say yes, when someone interrupted. It was Sandpool!
" Wait! I have a message from StarClan! They tell me Icekit is supposed to be trained as a medicine cat." Icekit was shocked. She had never thought of what it would be like treating sick cats. She wanted to be a warrior with Streamkit, but if StarClan wanted her as a medicine cat, she must obey. She dipped her head toward Sandpool. Rainstar nodded and said, " Very well, then. Icekit, from this day forth until you receive your medicine cat name, you will be known as Icepaw, medicine cat apprentice of MistClan."
Chapter Two
Icepaw was too excited to eat that night. She walked right past the fresh-kill pile and caught herself walking to the nursery. She realized her mistake and went to the medicine den. She pushed her way through the hanging lichen and entered the den. Icepaw saw Sandpool. Sandpool flicked her tail towards a pile of fresh moss. Icepaw went and gathered some. Sandpool helped her set up her bedding and then told Icepaw to follow her. She led her to the herb storage, where she was supposed to remember the herbs. Sandpool pointed with her tail to some blueish flowers. "That is borage. It produces milk for queens." She said. Icepaw nodded, remembering the beautiful blue flowers from her kithood. She looked at all the other herbs. How does StarClan expect me to remember all of these? she wondered.
Icepaw slept soundly that night. She woke up to the moaning of another cat.
" Willowstorm, you'll be fine." she heard Sandpool say through a mouthful of herbs. Wait... I know that smell. Icepaw remembered the scent from last night.
" Is that burdock root?" Icepaw asked, looking at the tall stem and dark leaves.
" Yes, it is Icepaw. Good job!" Her mentor praised with a shocked look. Icepaw nodded, feeling pride surge through her.
" So she got a rat bite?" Icepaw asked. Sandpool nodded.
" What else should I use?" her mentor asked.
Icepaw thought for a moment.
" Comfrey and Goldenrod?" she guessed. "Also some poppy seeds for the pain?"
"Correct!" Sandpool yowled with pride. Icepaw was lifting her chin high. But another question pushed into her thoughts.
"Can I go to the gathering tonight?" She wondered.
"Of course. You must be introduced to TreeClan, WillowClan, and ShadeClan." Sandpool continued, "It is getting late and we shall be leaving soon."
Icepaw realized that it was getting darker outside. She stared at the sinking sun for a moment more, then settled in her bedding for a quick nap.
Icepaw woke to Sandpool nudging her, telling her to get up for the Gathering. She got up. Her muscles ached with Leafbare frost and stiffness. Sandpool motioned for her to go out. Icepaw saw the clan was rustling around, lining up for the gathering. Suddenly, Rainstar howled. The clan rushed forward. Its finally happening! I'm going to a gathering!
Chapter 3
When MistClan arrived, Icepaw could scent many other cats. These must be the other clans. She walked toward a striped tom with a gray pelt.
"Hello." He said,"Is this your first gathering?"
Icepaw nodded
"I'm Crystalpaw, from WillowClan." said the tom. "Over there is my sister, Sunpaw." he pointed to a beautiful orange she-cat.
"That's my sister, Streampaw. She's training to be a warrior, but I'm training to be a medicine cat. I'm Icepaw, by the way." Icepaw said cheerfully. Crystalpaw nodded. Streampaw came and joined the chatting apprentices.
"Hi! I'm Streampaw." Streampaw meowed happily. Another cat came over. This cat was Crystalpaw's sister, Sunpaw. She had another cat with her too.
"Hello. I am Sunpaw. This is Jaypaw, from TreeClan." Sunpaw stated. Jaypaw stared at Icepaw with bright blue eyes. He had a pale gray coat that shined in the moonlight.
"Hello," Icepaw could hardly here his voice. He continued, but this time whispered in her ear,"I have seen you in my dreams before." Icepaw staggered backwards with shock. She did not expect that to be the first words any cat would tell her. Jaypaw came up and licked her ear to calm her down. "StarClan have told me something about you." he said.
Rainstar yowled for silence. "Mistclan has a new medicine cat apprentice. Icepaw, come up here with Sandpool." Rainstar meowed. Icepaw nodded, her white pelt burning with unknown cats' gazes. Especially Jaypaws'. She reached the old rock where the leaders gathered, and sat beside Sandpool. Icepaw looked at Jaypaw, who was staring straight at her with big eyes full of sadness. Is he sad that I'm a medicine cat? Does he think we can be together? We're in different clans for StarClan's sake! Several more questions filled her mind.
In a flash, the gathering was over and she had gone back to the medicine den. Yet, Jaypaw had said one thing that stuck in her mind. Something he said at the end:
Are destinies are meant to intertwine.
But we have never met before? She thought. She decided she needed to talk to Sandpool.
"Sandpool? I need to tell you something."
"What is it Icepaw?" Sandpool replied.
"A cat named Jaypaw from TreeClan talked to me at the gathering. He said something that scared me." she finished.
"Well? What did he say?" Sandpool meowed impatiently.
"He said that StarClan has spoken to him and that 'our destinies were meant to intertwine.'"
Sandpool stared in shock, but something inside of the medicine cat had already known about Jaypaw.
"Jaypaw - is destined to be medicine cat of TreeClan. Fernheart has not told him yet. StarClan will tell him tonight. You can not let either of you get hurt, though. Do you understand?" Sandstorm meowed in a serious tone.
Icepaw nodded, not understanding the sudden change in attitude. What could the medicine cat mean?
Chapter 4
That night, Icepaw had a very strange dream. She was walking through the woods when Jaypaw appeared. He looked shocked. StarClan has told him.
"Icepaw? I need to talk to you." he meowed urgently. She nodded.
"StarClan have made me a medicine cat like you! I told you our destinies would-" He was cut off by a cat moaning. But this moaning was from a kit.
"This kit will need poppy seeds! Now!" Howled Sandpool. Icepaw looked over to a bright orange kit. She looked wet and cold. Icepaw got the poppy seeds and ran to the shivering kit.
"Eat these!" Icepaw ordered. The kit licked them up and curled into a ball. Icepaw joined her and fell back asleep.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their prey gather here below me."
Icepaw woke to her leader's call. She wondered if it was about the new kit. It was.
"You all know that we have found a new kit. She is about 3 moons old and will stay in our clan. She will be known as Sunkit, due to her blazing pelt." Icepaw saw Sunkit come out proudly. Icepaw wanted to mentor her when she became a medicine cat, but she knew it was unlikely. She wondered when she would receive her full name. Any moon now, she thought.
Chapter 5
Icepaw got up and stretched her achy bones. She went outside.