Chapter One
"Sandypaw! I need cobwebs!"
"Coming, Leafchase!"
Sandypaw stuck her small sandy head into the herb storage, looking left and right for cobwebs.
"Aha!" she cried as she spotted a wad, dragging it out with her paw. She picked it up and ran over to Leafchase, who sat by the injured Morningpaw.
Sandypaw dropped the cobwebs by her mentor, sitting back on her haunches to watch Leafchase dress the wound in Morningpaw's side.
"Sandypaw! You've been an apprentice for two moons; you can apply a cobweb!" Leafchase snapped.
Sandypaw reluctantly sat up and did her best to smooth the cobweb over the small wound. It was already dressed with marigold. Just as well, because Sandypaw didn't have the slightest idea how to do that.
"It's decent," Leafchase growled, smoothing it over more. "There, Morningpaw. Come back tomorrow and I'll remove the poultice.
"Thank you, Leafchase," Morningpaw mewed, standing up on her paws. She playfully flicked Sandypaw with her tail. "See you later, Sandypaw."
Sandypaw smiled as her best friend padded out of the den.
"Surely her final assessment must be coming up soon," Leafchase meowed.
"I think it's tomorrow. Good luck to her with that wound," Sandypaw purred, sitting next to her mentor.
"Sandypaw… I know that StarClan chose you because of your… gift," Leafchase began delicately.
"More like a curse," she mewed, looking over at the long-dead Kestrelflight as he lay in her nest.
"It's a privilege to be able to speak to StarClan anytime, anywhere! You should be more grateful! As I was trying to say, even though you possess this gift-"
Curse.
"-you still need to learn how to heal your clanmates. Sandypaw, you cannot be a medicine cat if all you can do is commune with StarClan. WindClan will need you one day. You need to be prepared."
Sandypaw flicked her tail with irritation, "It's not like I wanted to be a medicine cat, Leafchase. I didn't even get a choice!"
Leafchase sighed, wrapping his tail around his paws, "I know. But StarClan chose you. There must be a reason."
Sandypaw felt her pelt bristle as the silence drew on. "I'm going to go and find Morningpaw."
Sandpaw drew herself up onto four paws and padded off, out of the den and into the warm sunlight.
"Morningpaw!" Sandpaw meowed, bounding over to where Morningpaw and Moorleap sat.
"Oh, Sandpaw! Bouncy as ever. When you were born, the entire nursery spiralled into chaos," Morningpaw mewed.
"And when you were born, Morningpaw, I became a warrior!"
"Quit boasting already," Morningpaw snapped, but purring when Moorleap licked her fur.
"Really, you two?" Sandpaw mewed.
"Really," Moorleap purred. "Are you going to the gathering in two days?"
"Of course. I'm the medicine cat apprentice. I can't not go. What about you, Morningpaw?"
"Well, by the end of tomorrow, I should be a warrior," she meowed proudly. "Ashstar will have to take me to the gathering and announce me to the clans!"
Morningpaw smiled happily. "When do you think you'll be a full medicine cat, Sandypaw?"
Sandypaw looked across the camp and saw Crowfeather sharing a vole with Breezepelt.
If only she was as good at medicine as she was with StarClan.
"Morningpaw, she's only been training for three moons!" a familiar voice mewed. "Give her some time."
"Ashstar!"
"Hello you three," Ashstar mewed, voice friendly. "Always glad to see a warrior sharing tounges with apprentices. Are you two going to mate?"
Ashstar looked between Morningpaw and Moorleap, the former blushing and the latter obsorbed in watching Webkit and Patchkit tumble across the sandy floor.
"It's a possibility," Morningpaw grinded out, blushing harder.
Ashstar purred in amusement, "I just wanted to tell you Morningpaw that your assessment will be tomorrow. Report to Earthshade at dawn."
Morningpaw puffed out her chest, "Yes, Ashstar!"
"Very well then," Ashstar mewed, pushing himself up onto his paws. "I'll see you at the ceremony tomorrow."
"Yes, Ashstar," Morningpaw mewed again. Then the dusk coloured tom stalked off, back to his mate, Hazelwhisker.
Everyone seems to be doing so well… except me.