CHAPTER 2

Medicine cat! The idea rang inside her head as she stared at the blackness of the nursery. It was night now, and she still couldn't get a wink of sleep.

Gingerly, Hawkkit got to her paws, but not without stepping on Finchkit's tail. Hawkkit winced, waiting for her sister to sit up, but she only grunted and rolled onto her other side. Hawkkit held back a small sigh of relief.

She began to hop across the nest, careful not to step on anyone. Everyone was asleep, even Skykit and Leafkit where sleeping peacefully in the darkness.

As Hawkkit clambered over the nest she thought, What am I doing, sneaking out of the nursery? But she pushed the thought away. She felt her paws tug her outside.

Soundlessly, Hawkkit padded past a few other nests, praying that she wouldn't trip on a tail or paw. But thank SpiritClan, she made it to the small hole in the tightly-woven hole in the nursery's bramble walls.

The dark sky was filled with bright, shining stars. Cherryfur said that each star is a dead warrior, and Hawkkit found that hard to believe, but, if Cherryfur believed it, it must be true.

The hollow was empty-looking beside from Icepool. The white warrior was guarding the camp entrance, his back turned to her.

Hawkkit sat down, blocking the nursery entrance. It didn't matter if Icepool saw her, what harm could a kit do sitting and looking at stars?

She could hear crickets chirp in the distance, she hardly even noticed their buzzing anymore. The hoots of owls echoed through the forest, making Hawkkit feel alive, and wild. There was so much danger beyond the hollow, yet it barely intimidated her. It seemed…boring. The forest, the life as a warrior. Just a regular warrior, hunting and fighting for your Clan. There has to be something beyond that. Hawkkit decided.

Suddenly the sound of something shifting against rock echoed through the hollow, making Hawkkit stumble back into the darkness and safety of the nursery. Despite her wonders of the mysteries beyond the forest, she was still a kit, and many things could easily kill a kit. How could she find an important destiny if she was dead?

Cautiously, she pressed herself against the brambles and crept closer to the hole, peering outside.

A pretty brown she-cat had emerged from the dark crack. Duskfall. Hawkkit recognized that tabby pelt she had often see at Clan meetings. Duskfall didn't even stop to meow a greeting to Icepool as she padded straight. Hawkkit shuffled back, hidden in the shadows as the medicine cat swerved left towards the hill that erupted from the dusty ground and led up to a gapping hole in the overhanging cliff that made it look like a dirt-cave.

As Duskfall padded past, Hawkkit could just about pick up the scent of water, and cold stone, which was hard to smell because of the thick layer of odd-smelling herbs on her fur.

Duskfall didn't even notice Hawkkit as she began to pad up the hill.

Barely daring to breathe, Hawkkit stepped soundlessly out of the nursery behind Duskfall, who was still tackling the hill, looking completely unaware of Hawkkit's presence. Curiousity began to gnaw at Hawkkit. She had to see what was in the cave. Besides, Duskfall was always very calm and gentle, and she wouldn't even notice Hawkkit in her den, she'd be fast asleep.

Hawkkit quietly began to follow the she-cat, feeling her paws fall into the pawsteps engraved in the dirt hill from many seasons ago. Excitement surged through Hawkkit as she saw the tip of the cliff hanging over camp, with a hole straight through it, a big one, too. She watched Duskfall pad into the shadows. Hawkkit quickly spotted a clump of thick ferns, and darted into them. Hawkkit's heart nearly stopped beating when Duskfalk's ears pricked, but then she just padded over to a row of leaves and berries, and started to mumble something.

"Juniper, comfrey, horsetail, catmint, daisy, dandelion, dock leaf, burdock root…" What were those things? More curiosity burned inside Hawkkit.

"You can come out, little one. I know you're here." Duskfall meowed, still sorting through the herbs, her voice a brisk murmur.

Warily, Hawkkit padded out of the ferns, expecting a long scolding from the medicine cat. She had dared creep up on such an important cat?

"I-I'm sorry," Hawkkit stammered, feeling an icy feeling creep up her spine; how would she be punished? Would Dawnstar cast her out into the woods for interrupting the medicine cat?

Duskfall turned around, and Hawkkit shut her eyes, preparing herself.

Instead of an angry scolding, Duskfall simply purred. Warily, Hawkkit opened her eyes. Duskfall's leafy eyes glowed with amusement, and for a moment Hawkkit thought she saw admiration.

"Aren't I in trouble?" Hawkkit asked, puzzled. She had snuck out of the nursery and attempted to sneak into the medicine cat's den!

"No," Duskfall's eyes gleamed. "You just were curious—I hope." She added humoredly.

"I was," Hawkkit meowed. She's not mad?

"Not many have the courage to come up here at night," Duskfall meowed, turning her gaze towards camp. "It would be a pity to punish you for that courage."

Hawkkit felt relief wash over her like waves lapping at a shore. "Why were you coming into camp so late?" She made sure that there was no suspicion in her voice.

Duskfall blinked as if she was surprised that Hawkkit had seen her enter camp. "I was coming back from the Mist Pool."

"What's that?"

"A mystical pool in a cave. I go there with the other medicine cats to exchange dreams with SpiritClan every half-moon." Duskfall replied.

Hawkkit bit back a gasp. Hawkkit only knew that medicine cats healed—which sounded important enough, but she never imagined that they actually talked to their warrior ancestors.

"You… talk with SpiritClan?" Hawkkit meowed slowly, wondering if she had misheard the tabby medicine cat.

"Yes. And I intercept signs from them, omens." Duskfall meowed, her eyes fixed on the stars.

"That sounds amazing!" Hawkkit couldn't hide her astonishment any longer. This sounded much better than training as a warrior. She imagined herself sharing dreams with SpiritClan at the Mist Pool, and healing her Clanmates, knowing every single remedy in the forest. She wanted to be a medicine cat apprentice.

Do medicine cats even have apprentices? She thought, frustrated by her little knowledge of the great mysteries of being a medicine cat.

She was about to ask Duskfall if medicine cats took on apprentices, but she spoke first.

"You'd better get off to the nursery, it's getting really late."

Hawkkit wanted to object and ask more questions, but that would be disrespectful. She only nodded, and dragged her paws down the hill. Only now did she realize how tired she was.

She glanced behind her to see Duskfall lumbering towards her mossy nest hidden in the shadows.

With a tiny sigh, Hawkkit began to trudge towards the nursery. Icepool had been replaced by Nightheart, who had his back turned to her

Quickly, she slipped into the dark and cozy nursery. Everyone was asleep. No cat had seen her sneak out to follow Duskfall.

Quietly, Hawkkit padded towards the deep nest where she and her littermates slept with Cherryfur. She climbed over and ungracefully stumbled over Foxkit. The bright orange kit muttered something, but didn't wake up.

Hawkkit collapsed between Finchkit and Foxkit, shutting her eyes, and made a silent vow.

I will become the Clan's next medicine cat!