Foxkit glared as she watched Lonekit pad confidently across the clearing towards Amberpaw, with Duskkit at her heels. Chesterpaw nudged her. She turned her amber eyes to the larger cat. "I know you're mad and all," the apprentice began, "but glaring at Lonekit won't make it any better." Foxkit sighed.
"I know, but…" She looked at the ground. "She gets to be a warrior," she meowed softly. "She'll get a great mentor, too."
"Medicine Cats still learn fighting moves, you know," Chesterpaw meowed. "And I've already taught you some. If anything, you're already ahead of her." Foxkit let a small purr escape her throat.
"Thanks, Chesterpaw," she meowed. The two stayed silent for a few heartbeats before Chesterpaw spoke again.
"Your ceremony is today, isn't it?" Foxkit didn't even have time to nod before Heartfall surged out of the nursery and towards Lonekit, frantically grooming her. Foxkit looked down at her own, neat red fur. Sure, she didn't want to be Medicine Cat apprentice, but she wasn't going to let herself look like a fool in front of the whole Clan.
It was perfect timing for Lonekit, because right after Heartfall had finished with her, Sparkstar had padded out on top of the tower and looked over the camp. "May all cats old enough to walk the stones gather beneath the Ancient Tower for a Clan meeting." Foxkit felt a sudden nervousness fill her as she padded towards the tower with Chesterpaw. Lonekit sat next to her just a few tail lengths away from the tower while the Clan formed a ring around them. Sparkstar looked out at his Clan. "By naming apprentices, we show that our Clan is thriving and will continue to do so," he meowed, before nodding to Moonleaf, who was sitting by her den. The Medicine Cat approached the tower and sat down in front of it.
"Cats of MossClan," she began. "As you know I will not be around forever. We," she put emphasis on the word, as if she didn't agree with Foxkit being forced into the position either, "have decided it is time for me to take on apprentice. We have found a cat who has shown skill and patience. Your next Medicine Cat will be Foxpaw."
Sparkstar glared down at Foxpaw. "Foxpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Moonleaf?"
Foxpaw took a deep breath before responding. "I do."
"Than at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moon Fall to be accepted by StarClan before the other Medicine Cats," Moonleaf meowed.
"The good wishes of all of MossClan go with you," Sparkstar meowed. Yeah, right, Foxpaw thought as her and Moonleaf touched noses. "As for Lonepaw," Sparkstar's golden eyes went from Foxpaw to the newly named Lonepaw, "I have decided to be her mentor." Foxpaw's eyes widened and she heard some gasps from the Clan as Sparkstar leapt off of the tower and touched noses with his new apprentice. Even Lonepaw looked surprised.
"Foxpaw! Lonepaw! Foxpaw! Lonepaw!" Moonleaf flicked her tail.
"Follow me," she meowed. She lead the way towards her den, slinking inside.
Foxpaw had thankfully, never been inside the Medicine Den before. Uneven shelves made up the back of the wall, all of them filled with herbs. Moss grew across the walls, and a small trickle of water formed a pool in an area that was lined with stones and had sunlight reflecting off of it. Foxpaw guessed that moonlight would also reflect off of the water. Nests covered part the floor to across from the pool and herb stores, and there was a small tunnel in the middle of the wall across from her.
"The tunnel leads to our nests," Moonleaf meowed. Foxpaw tilted her head.
"I won't be sleeping with the other apprentices?" Moonleaf shook her head.
"You're a Medicine Cat, remember?" a small smile slipped on her face. "And trust me, once you hear Ghostpaw's snoring, you won't want to sleep with them anymore." The white she-cat led the way towards the herb stores and looked at her red apprentice. "We'll start off with all of the simple herbs, I don't want to overwhelm you," Foxpaw nodded. Moonleaf pointed her nose at the webs in the corner that Foxpaw didn't notice until now.
"Those are cobwebs. We wrap it around an injury to keep the wound clean and to stop bleeding, but when you collect it make sure not to bring the spider with you." Foxpaw nodded before Moonleaf pointed to a shelf that was full of blue and pink star shaped flowered and hairy leaved plants. "These are borage leaves, they bring down fever and brings up a Queen's milk supply." Foxpaw nodded again as she pointed to another plant, and another, and another. "We'll keep it to those for now," Moonleaf meowed.
"I have to memorize all of these?" Foxpaw meowed, looking up at the shelves, her eyes wide.
"And more," Moonleaf meowed. "We have to go gather herbs," she added. Foxpaw's ears perked. She would actually get to leave camp! The Medicine Cat turned and lead the way out of the den and camp with Foxpaw on her heels. The two padded through the forest until they stopped at a river with stepping stones across it. "This is where we get the 'all cats old enough to walk the stones' from," Moonleaf explained. "This river would be deadly to us if these weren't here, and MossClan cats are the best at crossing the river. There's plenty of other areas in our territory like this, too."
"What do you mean by 'best at crossing the river'?" Foxpaw asked.
"Most cats would slip, but our territory is naturally damp. We're used to it." Moonleaf lead the way across the stones, Foxpaw following close behind. The stones were harder to walk on than the forest floor, but it wasn't hard for her to adjust. They were across the river in no time, and encountered by an angry Amberpaw a few heartbeats later. She didn't seem to notice Moonleaf as she approached Foxpaw. "You scared off my mouse!" she hissed. "What're you doing out of camp anyway, Foxkit?"
"You weren't there for the ceremony?" Foxpaw asked. Amberpaw's attitude changed. Her ears perked up and she lifted up her head.
"I missed Lonek-paw's ceremony?" Foxpaw narrowed her eyes, but nodded. Amberpaw's eyes narrowed again. "Apprentice or not, you still scared off my prey."
"That's your newest Medicine Cat you're speaking to, Amberpaw," Moonleaf meowed calmly. "You never know what she might slip into your fresh-kill," Amberpaw, now noticing Moonleaf, seemed to pale before she dipped her head respectfully to both cats. She turned tail and ran back to where she came from.
"I can do that?" Foxpaw asked, looking up at her mentor. Moonleaf shook her head with a smile on her face.
"No, but let her think that for a while."
