Hi! Yes, this is another oneshot, for one of my favorite series, Warriors! It doesn't have too much of a plot, it's just a long drabble (oxymoron!). If you're reading Worth the Ride, then I will be working on the next chapter, and I'll have that…soon. I hope. Anyways, I've started a Warriors Forum, called Warriors Talk, so please join! (The link is in my profile, below my username, click on the blue thing that says Forums.) Anyways, on to the story….
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.
Squirrelkit opened her eyes, and quietly crept out of the nursery. It was a bright, dew-soaked morning. The air was filled with a gentle breeze, and grass and buds were starting to shoot up from the leaf-bare hard ground. Although it had been snowing only a quarter moon ago, most of it had already melted, and the warm air of newleaf was quickly melting the snow that still lay in the ThunderClan camp.
"Squirrelkit!"
Squirrelkit jumped, worried that her mother, Sandstorm would scold her for being out of the nursery, but as she turned around, she saw that it wasn't her mother, but her sister, Leafkit. The light brown tabby was sitting in the entrance to the nursery, her amber eyes filled with worry.
"Come back before you get into trouble!" Leafkit hissed.
Squirrelkit sniffed, and twitched her tail. "I'm only a foxlength away from the nursery. Besides, I'm allowed to be outside as long as I don't get under anybody's feet."
Leafkit rolled her eyes. "Well, now that you're out, let's go and get something to eat. Let's get something for Ferncloud, too." The gray she-cat had moved into the nursery yesterday, and Cinderpelt had predicted that she would have her kits in about half a moon.
The two sisters bounded away to the fresh-kill pile, Squirrelkit grabbing a blackbird for them to share, and Leafkit a couple mice for Ferncloud, and their mother, Sandstorm. As
the two kits entered the nursery, they saw their mother awake, and looking at them, her
ears twitching. Squirrelkit and Leafkit flattened their ears, but Sandstorm's expression had a hint of amusement to it as she scolded them.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Yes, you're old enough to go out by yourselves, but for StarClan's sake, ask me first!"
Next to her, Ferncloud purred, amused. "Don't be so hard on them, Sandstorm. After all, kits will be kits."
"I suppose you're right," Sandstorm meowed. "Still, the sooner you two are apprenticed, the better. Now, go share that blackbird. You can eat out of the nursery, but don't tread on any cat's tail, or you'll have your father to respond to."
After promising not to get into trouble, Squirrelkit and her sister bounced out of the nursery. Settling down a few tail-lengths from the nursery entrance, the two she-cats started to gnaw on the blackbird.
Squirrelkit let out a purr. "I can't wait until we're apprentices! We'll only have to wait another half-moon before we start training!"
Leafkit's tail waved excitedly in agreement. "I don't suppose it'll be fun having to clean up after the elders, but Shrewpaw told me that if you get lucky, they tell you stories!"
Squirrelkit nodded her head enthusiastically. "And we can train together, too! We should ask our mentors if we can someday. Spiderpaw told me that he and Shrewpaw do sometimes."
To Squirrelkit's surprise, Leafkit's ears flattened, and the tip of her tail twitched uncomfortably, but a heartbeat later, she responded, sounding as cheerful as ever.
"Yes, I heard that medicine cats learn some warrior training, too, in case their Clan needs their warrior skills."
Her answer had taken Squirrelkit by complete surprise, and it was a couple moments before she squeaked, "Medicine cat? You want to be a medicine cat?"
Leafkit flattened her ears, and nodded. "Remember when Sandstorm got that fever? Cinderpelt put some herbs on it, and cured it so fast! It was amazing! I want to learn about those herbs, and treat patients!"
"Yes, but you wouldn't be able to go on patrol, or go hunting. It'd be fun to go hunting together." Squirrelkit's expression was dismayed.
"I'll still learn how to hunt, mousebrain! But don't you see? By being a medicine cat, I can help build up my Clan after they fight! Because after a battle, everyone would be tired and injured. But because I didn't fight, I wouldn't be, so I could help treat the wounds, and make sure everybody gets some rest, so the Clan could heal and become strong quicker!" Leafkit's eyes shone with excitement as she spoke.
Squirrelkit sighed, knowing she was being selfish at wanting her sister to be a regular apprentice. But she looked at her sister's eyes, and after seeing the elation in them, she realized that this was truly the path her sister wanted her to take. And if she wanted to be a medicine cat, why couldn't she help her?
"Well, have you ever been inside the medicine cat's den?" Squirrelkit asked her sister.
Leafkit's ears twitched. "Well, no."
Squirrelkit sprang to her paws, waving her tail. "Come on then! You can't be a medicine cat apprentice if you never see a medicine cat's den!"
"Well, we can't go now," Leafkit pointed out.
"Why not?" Squirrelkit's paws kneaded the ground impatiently.
"Cinderpelt will probably be there, and she'll tell Sandstorm. Why don't we go after sunhigh?" Leafkit suggested. "Sandstorm and Ferncloud will be napping, and Cinderpelt will probably be out collecting herbs."
Squirrelkit sighed at her sister's suggestion. She wanted to go now. But her sister's plan was more sensible. "All right. We can sneak out while they're sleeping."
xxx
"I told you Cinderpelt would be out collecting herbs," Leafkit mewed to her sister. "I saw her leaving camp just after we left the nursery."
Squirrelkit's whiskers twitched. "Good thing Sandstorm and Ferncloud are sleeping peacefully. Let's not stay too long. They'll have our fur off if we're not asleep, or at least pretending to be when they're awake." That was true, but truthfully Squirrelkit didn't like the smell of the medicine cat den all that much. The scent of all the herbs and berries tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze.
Leafkit, however, seemed to be in no discomfort. She padded over to a split in the rock filled with herbs. Leafkit walked over to a pile of dark green leaves, and sniffed them. "This is borage," she announced.
Squirrelkit sniffed the pile, and sneezed. Shaking her head to clear the scent, she asked, "How do you know?"
"Cinderpelt gave it to Sandstorm when she had a fever. Remember?"
Squirrelkit nodded. Cinderpelt had had a herb that looked a lot like that. "Do you know what any other herbs do?"
Leafkit walked over to another pile and dug her nose into it. "This is marigold," Leafkit told her sister, prodding the pile with her paw. "Cinderpelt put it on your scratches when you rolled into the nursery wall. And these are poppy seeds. They help relieve pain, but nursing queens shouldn't eat them, because it's bad for their kits."
"Okay. What about these?" Squirrelkit poked a pile of fleshy green stalks.
Leafkit sniffed them. "I don't know," she admitted. Suddenly, she stiffened as she heard rustling near the entrance of the den, then the sound of a cat's pawsteps.
A gray-furred cat appeared in front of the two sisters. "What are you two doing here? Did you eat anything?" Cinderpelt mewed.
"Cinderpelt!" Leafkit squealed, then ducked her head, embarrassed. "We thought you were out gathering herbs."
"I was going to collect some juniper, then I decided to see if I was running low on horsetail, when I walked in and found you two here. Now, did you eat anything?"
Squirrelkit shook her head.
"Good, now, go back to the nursery, and don't come in here unless you're hurt or ill!" She rolled her eyes. "Kits!"
Squirrelkit's whiskers twitched irritably. "But we only came in here because Leafkit wants to become a medicine cat!"
Cinderpelt, who had been pawing at a pile of herbs, looked up at the two sisters, her eyes full of surprise. She spoke to Leafkit when she meowed, "Really? Why?"
Leafkit told the medicine cat what she had told Squirrelkit.
"Those are all good reasons. But as a medicine cat, you won't be able to have a mate, or kits, you know that?"
"Yes, but I can take care of the Clan! Sometimes they can act like kits, when it comes to a thorn in their paw, or a poultice that stings."
Cinderpelt looked amused. "That's true enough. But I'll have to talk to Firestar and see if he agrees. Now, you two better head off to the nursery. Come on! Out you go!" and she flicked her tail toward the entrance.
xxx
Cinderpelt walked out of the medicine cat den around sunset, and flicked her tail at Firestar and Sandstorm, who were at the fresh-kill pile. When they came over, she told them what their two daughters had been doing earlier. "Leafkit wants to become a medicine cat," she finished.
Firestar and Sandstorm looked at each other, surprised. "Leafkit is a lot gentler then most kits are, and she isn't as eager to play-fight as Squirrelkit is. Plus, she always, "heals" Squirrelkit's wounds when they do play-fight. I think she would make a great medicine cat," Sandstorm purred.
"I agree," Firestar put in. "Any daughter of mine would make a good medicine cat. If you'd be willing to train her, Cinderpelt, then I have no issue with it."
"I'd be glad to help her become ThunderClan's next medicine cat," Cinderpelt mewed. "She has the perfect personality, and she remembered what herbs I gave you, Sandstorm, and Squirrelkit."
Firestar and Sandstorm looked impressed. "Well, that's great," Firestar purred. "We'll hold their apprentice ceremony in about half a moon!"
xxx
Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw were sharing toungues near the apprentice's den a moon later. It was now newleaf, the air was warm, the grass and flowers were growing, and the prey was running.
"Cinderpelt says that we're going to collect juniper today, because we have to get it before the birds do," Leafkit told her sister.
"Mm, that's nice. Dustpelt taught me how to catch birds yesterday! And we're doing a training session today! But I have to clean the elder's bedding first."
"That's too bad. We're not leaving until after sun-high, so I can help you if you want."
"That sounds great! I'd help you collect those berries, but I can't, sorry."
"It's okay."
And so the two sisters chattered on, and even when they grew older, they always knew that they'd have each other. Even if they quarreled, even though they took different paths, even when they had duties to do all day, they would still be sisters.
That ending so sucked. Anyways, please review!
-Susmita B-) :D