Echokit trembled. She had learned everything Hazeltail had told her, from words to colors to cats. She had also learned her age, three quarter-moons. She felt much younger than three quarter-moons, but her mother had assured her she was three quarter-moons. Echokit had noticed, however, that every time she said that, something unreadable flashed in her eyes.

Now it was time for Echokit to meet the Clan.

Echokit took a few stumbling pawsteps out of the nursery. It had obviously just rained, because there water was dripping off of the dens and puddles had formed on the ground. Echokit padded unsteadily over to a puddle and looked down into it, trying to see what she looked like. She was a gray tabby, with pale blue eyes.

"You're out of the nursery!"

Echokit spun around and nearly lost her balance. It was Lionblaze, her father, who twitched his whiskers in amusement.

"Looks like you haven't got your legs under you yet," he meowed jokingly.

Echokit swatted at his paw. "You just wait," she hissed. "I'm gonna be the best warrior ever!"

Lionblaze licked her between the ears. "I'm sure you will," he mewed reassuringly.

Echokit tottered away, looking in awe at all the things around her. There was a light brown tabby tom who seemed to be Birchfall, Whitewing's mate, and Dovekit and Ivykit's father. Echokit liked Dovekit and Ivykit. They were about five moons old, almost ready to be apprentices, and they were Echokit's best friends.

A ginger she-cat walked past with a mouse in her jaws. That would be Squirrelflight, Firestar's daughter.

The smaller black-and-white tom should be Toadpaw, who was cleaning out the elders' den.

Echokit finally got control of her feet, so now she walked like any other kit. She strode into a den which she believed to be the warriors' den. Inside there were a few shapes of sleeping cats, but it was mostly empty now during the day.

After exploring the apprentices' den, the elders' den, and even the leader's den, the only place left to explore was the medicine cat's den. She had heard that the medicine cat was Lionblaze's brother, Jayfeather. She also heard a few mentions of their sister Hollyleaf, but what happened to Hollyleaf Echokit didn't know.

Echokit walked slowly into the medicine cat's den. There were rows upon rows of different herbs stacked in the clefts in the walls. Echokit saw a cat in the very back, mostly hidden by shadows, sorting herbs. That must be Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather?" Echokit asked nervously.

The cat jumped, then relaxed. "Oh, you're Lionblaze's kit, aren't you?" he meowed. After that, he muttered, "I could have sworn there was only going to be three..."

"Yeah, I'm Echokit," Echokit replied proudly. "I'm gonna be the best warrior ever!"

"Your brothers and sister were in here earlier," Jayfeather grumbled. "Messed up all my herbs. Now I have to sort them again."

Jayfeather stepped out into the light, and Echokit gasped. Jayfeather looked almost exactly like her! Well, it wasn't that surprising. Jayfeather was her uncle. Echokit noticed for the first time that there was another cat behind Jayfeather. The sunlight began to filter in, and Echokit could see her clearly. She looked like Jayfeather and Echokit, except her eyes were a darker blue. Cinderheart.

"Oh, Echokit!" Cinderheart exclaimed. "I'd been hoping I'd get to see you. I saw your siblings, but when I didn't see you, I got worried."

"I'm fine," Echokit meowed stubbornly.

"I can see that," Cinderheart mewed. She tried to get up, then fell back down.

"What's wrong?" Echokit inquired tentatively.

Jayfeather replied, "She got a wound from a battle. Lost a lot of blood, then wrenched her bad leg again."

"Oh," Echokit mewed. She had heard of how Cinderheart had once broken her back leg.

Jayfeather growled, "If you'd kindly leave us."

"Jayfeather." Cinderheart flicked her tail over his shoulder. "She's just a kit."

"The others were just kits too, and they destroyed most of my herbs," Jayfeather mumbled, but his voice had softened.

"Can I help?" Echokit intervened.

Jayfeather looked startled, but Cinderheart shot him a warning glance and meowed, "If you don't destroy anything."

Echokit padded to the back of the medicine cat's den. "What are these?" Echokit asked, gesturing toward the three piles of different herbs Jayfeather had laid out.

"This is borage." Jayfeather pointed to the first pile. "It's for fevers, and for queens to help their milk come." Jayfeather wrapped them up and stored them. He jerked his head toward the next pile. "Those are juniper berries. They help with belly aches and give you strength." Jayfeather then let Echokit put the berries in a neat arrangement, then he stored that too.

"What about the last one?" Echokit mewed.

"What last one?" Jayfeather turned his sightless eyes on her.

"The one that smells all funny." Echokit shoved some toward Jayfeather with her paw.

Jayfeather sniffed it, then looked confused. "That's parsley. But your siblings didn't get into that, so it shouldn't be out."

"What does it do?" Echokit meowed excitedly.

Jayfeather hesitated, as though he were remembering something, then meowed, "It stops queens' milk from coming. Like, if their kits die."

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Echokit padded back toward the nursery, still lost in thought. Jayfeather had taught her a lot, about yarrow and yew, watermint and catmint. There was so much to learn...but it was so interesting at the same time. And you got to speak with StarClan, and you healed your Clanmates...and you still got to fight anyway, if necessary. Being a medicine cat seemed like the coolest thing.

"Echokit!" Hazeltail meowed, sounding relieved. "You'd been gone for so long, that I thought you'd gotten lost."

Echokit shook her head. "No, I met Jayfeather, and he taught me herbs."

"That's wonderful!" Hazeltail licked her head.

"I wish I could be a medicine cat," Echokit meowed wistfully.

Hazeltail looked surprised, but then recovered quickly and mewed, "Well, you could. Jayfeather doesn't have an apprentice."

"He doesn't?" Echokit's heart leapt.

Hazeltail shook her head. "Nope, he's been the only medicine cat since..." She trailed off, then finished, "Well, he's the only medicine cat now. I'm sure he'd be grateful for the help."

"Great!" Echokit bounced in excitement. "I'm gonna go ask him now!"

"No, wait--" Hazeltail called after her, but Echokit was already bounding out of the nursery.