"Smokepaw! Pay attention!" Tangleflower hissed. "Huh?" Smokepaw said, looking up from his snowy white paws. "I said, pay attention! You won't get any further in your training until you memorize these herbs." She placed down a couple of roots. "What is this called?" She pressed.
"Uhh... Burdock root?" He guessed. She shook her head. "No. Comfrey root. What do comfrey roots do?"
He wracked his brain. "Er, help... with... infection?" The medicine cat shook her head. "Wrong. Mending broken bones and soothing wounds. Also for itching, pulled claws, or stiff joints. Honestly, Smokepaw, have you been listening to anything I've been saying?"
He twitched his tail. It wasn't his fault! Tangleflower looked up at the sky with a sigh. "It's time for your excersises. Jayfall should be waiting by the river."
With a nod he turned and padded away. It had been ten sunrises since he had his dream, and it had not stopped nagging him at the back of his mind, eating away at him until he was awake into the hours of the night pondering its meaning.
He made his way to the river, where a pale gray tomcat was waiting for him. "Smokepaw!" Jayfall purred. "Ready to start?"
Smokepaw flicked a white-tipped ear, diving into the river. Jayfall quickly followed him. The current was flowing harder than usual and the apprentice had to move his working legs more swiftly. Suddenly, Jayfall pushed on his side in an attempt to off-balance him.
Smokepaw shrieked, losing focus and being submerged underwater. He was quickly yanked up again. "You need to learn to keep your balance!" Cried the pale gray tabby.
Smokepaw hissed indignantly as his father pushed against him once more. He moved away. It was difficult enough fighting the current without the tom attempting to shove him over.
The apprentice began to dodge around his pushes, moving away from him swiftly whenever the tomcat approached.
He reminded himself that dodging wasn't the point of the excersize, but quickly pushed the thought away. Having been distracted for a few heartbeats, Jayfall shoved him over with a great push.
Smokepaw fell underwater for a split second before rising over the surface. He looked over to see his father turning to swim out of the river. "What're you doing?" He asked. Jayfall angled his ears over at an approaching thundercloud. Smokepaw followed him onto the shore.
He shook out his thick, smokey pelt, scattering clear droplets onto the pebbles, and followed Jayfall back to camp.
Smokepaw purred at the relaxing, rythmic thrumming of raindrops against the roof of camp. Unsure of what to do, he padded over to the medicine den.
The apprentice padded in to see Tangleflower curled up in her nest with a half-eaten group of minnows beside her and a cluster of herbs neatly stacked a few fox-lenths away. He twiched a tufted ear, feeling a small spark of irritation. Why should he have to swim against tough currents while his mentor ate and slept?
He inwardly hissed at himslef. She had his best intrests at heart. The apprentice walked over and finished the minnows. After a few minutes, Swiftpaw pushed into the den.
"Swiftpaw!" He purred. The she-cat padded over. "Training was cancelled because of the rain!" She informed him, sitting down next to her brother.
"How has training been?" He asked in a low voice, flicking his tail at his sleeping mentor. "It's been going really well! Yesterday I almost knocked Lizardpaw over! Oh, and I caught a whole carp!"
Smokepaw held back his shock. She was catching carp already? That should be you, a voice hissed in the back of his mind. He shoved the thought away. "That's great!"
"What about you?" She asked.
He suddenly became intensely focused on his snowy-white paws. "Not much. We did go to the moonstone a few days ago, and it was beautiful. It lit up the whole cave!" Also, I'm being stalked by a crazy, long-dead, murderous she-cat.
"Nothing too important since then. I've learned a few herbs. Tangleflower taught me how to remove a thorn from a paw, and how to dress a small wound. That's about it, though."
"Show me."
"What?"
"I want you to show me."
He gazed at her. "Why?"
"Just do it."
He nodded, still confused. "Well, you just grab the thorn in your teeth and pull it out as quickly as you can."
"What happens after that?" She asked. "Um, if it's deep enough you add some cobwebs and some herbs for infection."
"What herbs?"
He flicked a white-tipped ear at the pressing questions. Why was she starting to act like Tangleflower? "Dock and goldenrod. Why?"
Swiftpaw flicked her tail over at Tangleflower's nest. He followed her gaze to see his mentor facing them with one pale green eye open. "You're awake!" Smokepaw purred. "Of course I am. How could I sleep through you two?" She stood and stretched, shaking bits of moss that clung to her pelt.
"So you were paying attention." She praised, padding over. "Swiftpaw, it's past dusk. I reccomend you head to your nest unless you want your paws feeling like stones come tomorrow."
The white she-cat nodded and scampered off. "You did well memorising the thorn removal tactic. Now come on, you need some rest." Said Tangleflower.
Smokepaw curled into his nest and fell asleep.