Jaypaw probed lightly at Cinderpaw's stomach, gently moving his paw over her soft underbelly until she cried out angrily, "Ow, Jaypaw! Great StarClan!"
He snickered under his breath. "Does that hurt, then?"
"Yes, it hurts," she snapped.
"You just have bellyache. It'll pass on its own."
"You can't give me some sort of herb or berry?" Cinderpaw's face was a mask of horror, and her voice was despairing.
Jaypaw snorted. "You'll be fine. I can't just waste the Clan's material on you when we might need it for a worse case."
Cinderpaw sighed. "Okay," she agreed.
Jaypaw listened to her pawsteps as she left, then he let out a great sigh. He had settled into being a medicine cat, but contrary to popular belief, he still didn't like it. He was missing out on way more than he wanted to. He absolutely hated the moments when some other apprentice brought in a juicy, fresh-caught mouse for him. Leafpool didn't mind it at all, which he didn't understand. Wouldn't she rather catch a mouse for herself?
But because he was blind, he didn't really have that option. It wasn't that he couldn't do it, but that they didn't want him to. Ever since that time when ill luck had had its way with him and he'd fallen off a cliff into the lake on WindClan territory, no cat had trusted him with his own pawsteps.
"Ridiculous!" he said aloud.
"What is?"
Jaypaw almost jumped out of his skin. As it was he leapt into the air and whirled, every hair on his pelt bristling furiously until he caught Poppypaw's scent. But he didn't relax then, hissing angrily at her for scaring him.
"I'm sorry," meowed Poppypaw quickly, "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Jaypaw snorted derisively.
"But Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw are having their warrior ceremony..." Poppypaw ventured.
Jaypaw let out a low growl. If he wasn't expected to be present at these things he wouldn't go. Why would he want to see other cats made warriors and apprentices if he didn't have the option?
"Are you coming?" asked Poppypaw.
"Yes, I'm coming," snapped Jaypaw gruffly, and he even stormed past her, coming to a stop as far from the Highledge as he could get. Poppypaw settled down beside him, her emotions tentative.
"Cats of ThunderClan!" Firestar's voice was strong even as he aged. "It is time for three apprentices to become warriors, in my opinion. Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, and Spiderleg, do you agree?"
Brambleclaw and Spiderleg, determined to outdo one another, meowed instantaneously, "Of course!"
Dustpelt said more calmly, "Yes, I do."
"And do you, Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw, agree to uphold the warrior code and to defend your Clan, even with your life?"
Jaypaw heard their simultaneous excited "I do's", Berrypaw's the loudest.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Berrypaw, you will be known as Berrynose. Hazelpaw, you will be known as Hazelcloud; and Mousepaw, you will be known as Mouseclaw. May StarClan light your paths as we welcome you as full warriors of ThunderClan."
Jaypaw didn't join the cats as they cheered the new warriors' names. If he was being honest with himself, he really didn't care. It only made him feel inferior, and that was a feeling he hated.
That was when he remembered words that had been spoken to him only last night:
"You seem like a really brave cat, being blind and all."
If only others would see that! thought Jaypaw furiously. I'd prove it to them if I could!
And that was when he started wondering just how he could...
Quote of the Moment:
Stan Shunpike: What you doin' down there?
Harry: I fell over.
Stan Shunpike: What you fell over for?
Harry: I didn't do it on purpose.
