Many thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter and/or added the story to their favourites/alerts! As usual, you all made my day =).

This chapter mentions healing herbs, as the title implies, and I'm not 100% certain that I've got all the facts right – I found my information on the internet so it could be wrong. If anyone notices a mistake regarding the herbs (or anything else, for that matter), I'd appreciate feedback so that I can correct it. I also apologise for the rather lame ending lol. I hope you enjoy the chapter =) x

Disclaimer: All characters in this story belong to Erin Hunter - I am merely experimenting with them XD.

Chapter Ten ~ The Art of Healing

"Jaypaw, come and help me with this."

The small grey tabby turned away from the entrance to the medicine den, where he had been listening interestedly to the other cats go about their morning duties in the camp clearing. Everything seemed so familiar, and yet strange – how the hunting and border patrols set out into the forest; how the apprentices accompanied their mentors for their training sessions; how the kits tumbled playfully on the dusty ground, watched closely by their mothers... It really was unbelievable that Jaypaw and his littermates had ever travelled back in time at all. But we have, he reminded himself dully, and this isn't our Clan as we knew it. Sure, it was ThunderClan – but ThunderClan as it had been before Jaypaw, Lionpaw and Hollypaw were born, before the Great Journey to the lake... even before Firestar had become leader! Jaypaw could not remember a time when he had ever felt as lost or confused as he did now.

Spottedleaf, the Clan's current medicine cat and Jaypaw's new mentor, was crouched over a pile of herbs. Jaypaw pushed his preoccupation to the back of his mind and made his way towards her, using the aromatic scents of the plants to guide him. "What would you like me to do?"

Spottedleaf's sweet breath blasted his face as she answered. "This herb's called marigold; it's used for healing injuries and treating infections. It's what we'll be putting on Ravenpaw's wound, so I need to make a poultice for him. You can help me – it will be good training for you."

While he worked, Jaypaw did his best to memorise the feel and scent of the marigold so that he would be able to identify it again in the future. Spottedleaf also showed him a variety of other medicinal remedies, including feverfew ("This will help with head pain and cooling down cats with high fevers"), tansy ("This is good for curing coughs"), juniper berries ("These are useful for countering bellyaches") and celandine ("This is what we give to cats suffering from eye ailments"). So many herbs! Jaypaw felt dizzy, his head spinning with everything he had learned.

"It will be a while before you'll be able to recite each herb and its uses off by heart," Spottedleaf told him kindly. "It takes effort and patience to grasp the art of healing, but you'll get there eventually."

As soon as the marigold poultice was ready, Spottedleaf wrapped it carefully in a leaf and carried it over to Ravenpaw, who was snoozing in his makeshift nest. Jaypaw padded at his mentor's haunches, wishing he would be able to see exactly how she administered the poultice to the black cat's injury.

"Here," Spottedleaf mewed, placing the leaf at Jaypaw's feet, "I want you to try putting it on Ravenpaw's shoulder. Just dab your paw into the mixture and gently rub it into his wound. Use your nose – the scent should help you locate it."

She wants me to do it? "I-I've never done anything like this before," Jaypaw admitted, surprised. What if it goes wrong...?

Almost as though she could hear his anxious thoughts, Spottedleaf purred encouragingly. "It isn't difficult, and I believe you can do it."

Jaypaw was touched by her confidence in him. "Will we need to wake Ravenpaw first?"

"No, it's best if he rests as much as possible; it will help him recover faster," the tortoiseshell she-cat explained patiently.

Feeling somewhat nervous, Jaypaw dipped his paw into the poultice as instructed, his nostrils and mouth filled with the invigorating aroma of marigold. He could feel the medicine cat's eyes upon him as he sniffed along Ravenpaw's flank, searching for the tell-tale tang of dried blood that marked the spot where the apprentice's gash lay. Once he had no doubts that his paw was positioned in the correct area, he slowly rubbed the medicine into the black tom's fur. As he did so, Spottedleaf let out an approving purr behind him.

"You're doing wonderfully Jaypaw," she praised, watching as he finished applying the mixture and stepped away from his patient. She then walked forwards to take his place by Ravenpaw's side, presumably to examine the effects of the marigold on the cut. "That looks nice and clean," she commented warmly. "I'm sure it won't take long for the herbs to do their work. Ravenpaw will be up and about in no time."

A thrill of pride surged through Jaypaw at her words. He had done it: he had completed his first true task as a medicine cat apprentice! However, his cheerfulness evaporated as suddenly as it had appeared when he detected a new and unwelcome scent – Tigerclaw. He must be here to see Ravenpaw, Jaypaw guessed, forcing himself to hold back a hiss.

Meanwhile, Spottedleaf had also registered the arrival of the dark-pelted tabby. "Hello Tigerclaw," she meowed.

The sound of the massive tom's pawsteps came to a halt a short distance away from Jaypaw. "Greetings, Spottedleaf. I've come to check on my apprentice. Is he fit yet?"

"I'm afraid not," came the medicine cat's weary response. "If I guess correctly, he won't be ready for training again until tomorrow."

A bite of impatience entered the warrior's voice now. "Are you sure? It pains me to see him missing out on battle practice, you know." The worthless scrap of fur certainly needs it.

"Of course it does," agreed Spottedleaf.

Wait... what? Why hadn't Spottedleaf chastised Tigerclaw for his harsh words? Unless... Oh no, not again! The hackles rose along Jaypaw's spine. What was happening to him? While he struggled against his mounting apprehension, he paid little attention to the rest of his mentor's sentence. By the time he started to listen properly again, Tigerclaw was the one speaking.

"I shall return in the morning then," the tom was saying, and Jaypaw could tell that he was cleverly masking the asperity in his tone. Then, before either Spottedleaf or Jaypaw could open their mouth to reply, he had padded from the den once more.

The medicine cat let out her breath in a gusty sigh. "Tigerclaw is a great warrior, but he does get a bit too headstrong at times."

Jaypaw simply grunted. He was dazed and he desperately wanted to escape, to think. How do I keep reading Tigerclaw's mind? But he had no opportunity to excuse himself, for at that moment, faint noises could be heard from Ravenpaw's nest. Spottedleaf hastened immediately to his side, Jaypaw in tow.

"My shoulder doesn't feel so bad now," Ravenpaw reported groggily. Jaypaw heard the moss beneath him rustle as he flexed it.

"That's good," Spottedleaf mewed happily. "We have put marigold on your injury, which will aid in its recovery. You should be fine by tomorrow."

Jaypaw sensed the wounded cat's eyes fix on him and realised with a funny jolt that Ravenpaw wouldn't know who he was. He quickly introduced himself.

Ravenpaw's voice was friendly as he said, "Well, it's nice to meet you Jaypaw. Thanks for helping Spottedleaf treat me."

Pleasure for his accomplishment shot through Jaypaw again, effectively driving away his musings about Tigerclaw. "No problem," he replied with a rusty purr. But Ravenpaw's gaze was continuing to bore into him and, suddenly starting to feel self-conscious, Jaypaw asked, "What?"

"Oh, nothing." The young cat sounded acutely embarrassed. "It's just, your eyes..."

Instantly, Jaypaw grew defensive. "I'm blind," he told the other apprentice shortly; he disliked it when cats drew attention to that fact.

"Oh." Ravenpaw's voice held a note of sympathy that caused Jaypaw to bristle.

"I've learnt to live with it," he muttered brusquely. And if there's anything I hate more than being reminded that I'm different, it's being pitied, he mentally scowled.

Spottedleaf laid a paw soothingly on his side for a brief moment and Jaypaw felt himself begin to relax at her touch. He remembered having to explain to her about his blindness after the naming ceremony the day before, and Spottedleaf, contrary to his doubts, had accepted him without question, wasting no time in informing him that she would bring him to the Moonstone (This territory's version of the Moonpool, Jaypaw deduced) at the half-moon so that he could be formally presented to the other Clan medicine cats and StarClan. The prospect of meeting the spirits of his ancestors face-to-face, though exciting to the grey tabby, made him fearful of how they would react to him – would they know he was from the future? What if they spilled his secret to Spottedleaf or the others? However, now was not the time to dwell on these insecure thoughts. I have enough to worry about already... Resolutely, Jaypaw pushed his concerns away and faced his mentor. "Is there anything else that needs to be done?" he enquired, relieved to find that his voice was calmer now.

"Not at the moment. Would you like to take a break?"

Jaypaw nodded, grateful that she had suggested this. It seemed a long time since he had eaten and he wanted to pick something out for himself. He might even run into his brother and sister in the main camp and get a chance to ask them what they had gotten up to while he'd been busy in the medicine den. So, after assuring Spottedleaf that he would return later and meowing a quick farewell to Ravenpaw, he departed through the fern tunnel.

Sunhigh had come and gone. The heat of the afternoon warmed Jaypaw's coat as he walked across the clearing, steadily following his nose to the delicious smell of prey. He grabbed a chaffinch from the very top of the pile and settled down to enjoy it.

Cats padded around him as the minutes ticked by, completing various tasks for the Clan, but the scents he was searching for eluded him; Hollypaw and Lionpaw must still be out in the forest. Jaypaw felt a twinge of envy and loneliness at the idea of his littermates exploring ThunderClan's territory without him – he had never before been separated from them for so long.

Again, the apprentice pondered whether he ought to confide in them about his abnormal ability to hear Tigerclaw's thoughts. Something held him back; he did not want his siblings to be concerned about him, or worse, fear for his sanity. Jaypaw had believed that it was his fatigue which had triggered the peculiar occurrence previously, but now he was not so certain. Was it probable that he possessed some sort of special power that neither Lionpaw nor Hollypaw had? He pondered this intriguing notion as he finished his meal, disinclined to pass it off as a fabrication straightaway. What if it's true...? But still, that wouldn't explain why it was only Tigerclaw's mind he could read. Not entirely sure what to think, Jaypaw swiped his tongue around his lips and got to his paws. His brother and sister had still not returned from whatever they were doing, so, with nothing else better to do, the grey tabby padded back towards the medicine den, idly wondering if Spottedleaf had come up with a new job for him yet.