CHAPTER 6

"Ouch." Honeypaw winced as Echopaw led her back to camp, lending her his shoulder for her to lean on.

While training with her, and their mentors, Honeypaw had stepped on a thorn and the mentors paused their training session until Honeypaw return with a healed paw.

"Does it hurt too much?" Echopaw asked her.

Honeypaw stumbled and Echopaw had to catch her. "No, but it hurts when I put it down."

They returned back to camp and straight to Briarnose's den. They pushed through the lichen curtain and saw him tending to one of Maple-eye's kits.

"Now, Skykit, remember not to eat any kill rotting on the fresh-kill pile, no matter how tempted you may be."

Skykit nodded guiltily, licking her chest fur in embarrassment. The Briarnose dismissed the kit and turned his attention towards them. "What's the problem?"

"Honeypaw has stepped on a thorn during training," Echopaw explained.

"I hope it can be fixed easily," Honeypaw mewed uncertainly.

Briarnose gave her paw a sniff and went to the back of the den to get some herbs from the herb store, digging his paw deeo into the store. "It is a common injury, so don't worry about it. I won't cut off your paw," he reassured her with a purr. "However, we can't have apprentices stepping on every thorn wherever they go."

Honeypaw eld up her paw for him to inspect. Then, he clamped his teeth professionally around the thorn and pulled it out. The apprentice let out a hiss of pain. Then, Briarnose chewed up some herbs and spread the ointment on her paw pads.

"Yarrow prevents infection," he explained.

"Can I go back to training?" Honeypaw asked.

"Yes, but light training so that means no running. Meet me again tomorrow so that I can check on your pads and apply more yarrow."

"Briarnose really knows his herbs," Honeypaw meowed as she and Echopaw padded back to the training hollow, with Echopaw walking slowly so that his sister didn't have to strain her paw.

"Of course he does, he is a medicine cat, he should know so that he can cure other cats," Echopaw replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, but the skills you take to learn all of them and which to apply are rarely considered by other cats," Honeypaw replied, sounding offended.

"What are you proposing?"

"I'm saying that a medicine cat is very skilled, probably more skilled than the strongest warrior. He doesn't use his claws to fight, he uses his mind battling injuries and diseases," she meowed. "In my opinion, a medicine cat's battle can happen anytime, anywhere and to any cat. Being one is a great honor."

Echopaw considered her statement. Suddenly, she sounded like a warrior telling a story to a day old kit. He shook his head furiously. This was his own sister talking to him. What she thinks about medicine cats isn't important. Both of them and Stormpaw are going to be warriors one day and what she had said didn't matter at all.

After a more merciful training session, the four arrived back at camp, each carrying prey to deposit at the ever increasing fresh-kill pile. Echopaw heard of stories of dreadful leaf-fall that threatened the Clans around the lake, of the cold, long nights and the agony of a starving, limited day. Despite all that, he wanted to experience his first leaf-bare, it would make him seem more like a seasoned apprentice rather than an amateur apprentice, because that's what he was.

Cats were gathered around Ravenwing as he named the warriors to attend the Gathering later at moonhigh.

"Is Echopaw here?" he asked as he raised his head to look over the heads of the waiting warriors.

"I'm here," the apprentice replid.

"Good, you and your littermates are coming to the Gathering."

"I don't think I can make it," Honeypaw mewed disappointingly. "I've injured my paw."

Immediately, Ravenwing pushed past the impatient warriors and crouch to meet his daughter at eye-level. Echopaw could see some of their faces were filled with displeasure and some even grumbled under their breath, clearly they were dying to know if they were going to the Gathering tonight. But other's were more understanding and even nodded in approval of his caring nature. "Is it serious?"

"No, I just stepped on a thorn," Honeypaw replied, she licked at her pad and showed it to her father.

"Ah, you rest then, you can come next moon." He licked her pads and got up, returning to his position in the center of the waiting cats and continued to name the rest of them.

"Cypresslegs, Ferretface, Fawnstep, Sleekfleet. Briarnose is Hazelfoot safe to travel?"

Briarnose who was lingering at the edge of the crowd shook his head. "Her walking patterns are still irregular. I advise you not to take her tonight." Briarnose needn't need to hear if he would be coming to the Gathering because the medicine cat must be present under normal circumstances.

"Very well then. Cherryfern, too," Ravenwing finished. "That will be all."

The warriors returned to their dens to rest for the night's Gathering and among them was Sleekfleet, she looked down and disappointed. Echopaw figured it was because her sister wasn't chosen to attend the Gathering. All new warriors attended the Gathering, Echopaw could only imagine the ecstasy as the leader announced your name in front of all four Clans and the voices of the cats around the lake cheer your name - at least, until it was his turn.

He reluctantly approached her, his ears laid back, expecting a snapping retort from the young warrior.

"I'm sorry," he started, unsure wether to go on or just stop there.

He was surprised when Sleekfleet turned to him without snapping his head off. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault that Hazelfoot didn't get to go to the Gathering."

"I mean about the other day at her warrior ceremony. I shouldn't have said something like that about your sister. It was my fault for assuming things so quickly, especially when she was still recovering," he mewed.

Sleekfleet blinked at him in surprise. She purred, much to the shock of the apprentice. "I appreciate your honesty, Echopaw. And I'm sorry too for not listening to you. I know that Hazelfoot has been acting weird ever since she woke up from her shock and I just don't want to admit to myself that my sister has changed." She lowered her head in sadness.

"I'm sure she will get better soon, littermates always come around for each other," Echopaw meowed to her, trying to make to older cat feel better.

Sleekfleet just sighed and continued her path towards the warrior's den.

"Echopaw."

The grey apprentice jumped and spun around. He hadn't heard anyone approaching, too absorbed in his conversation with Sleekfleet. Honeypaw was standing uncertainly behind him.

"You were eavesdropping!" He accused her.

"I dropped no eaves!" Honeypaw argued. "I was just coming up when Sleekfleet was just leaving." Her face turned into a mischievous grin that he hadn't seen since they were kits when she had a great idea to scale the walls of the hollow. It was lucky that Foxtail realised that they were missing. "What is up between you and her?"

"If no cat can think of anything weirder, you can." He rolled his eyes. "What is it that you want?"

"I need to tell you something, but not here. This is important." She turned and made her way towards the thorn tunnel, Echopaw followed after her.

"Yes?" Echopaw prompted.

Honeypaw might have looked like she doubted her decision but the moment had passed and she muster her courage. "I think I want to be a medicine cat's apprentice."

"What?!" Echopaw exclaimed in disbelief. There might be leaves stuck in his ears and he was wishing he hadn't heard her correctly.

"You heard me, I want to be Briarnose's apprentice," she insisted.

"But why? How about our dream about being the best warriors ThunderClan had ever seen? Does Stormpaw know about this?"

"No, you're the first cat I told. I wonder how will I tell Briarnose this news?"

"Is that all you're worried about? How will you tell Brightfur? And Foxtail and Ravenwing? Ravenwing will be so disappointed."

"Shut up, Echopaw!" Honeypaw shrieked, causing a bird from a nearby tree to fly away. "You're always so worried about how they feel. But how about me? Don't you care about how I feel and what I want?"

"Think about how many cats you will disappoint, just for your own selfish wish!"

"It's not selfish! Briarnose will be glad that he finally had an apprentice to take on and Foxtail will be proud with me no matter what. I will be helping the whole Clan. I can find a way to tell Brightfur without hurting her feelings too much, and as for Ravenwing, it's obvious who's the better kit here. You're always so special to him and it makes Stormpaw and me feel so jealous!"

Echopaw was taken aback. "You were jealous of me because of Ravenwing? But he cares about you too! He was even worried about you when you told him that you were injured. He's the best father any cat could have!"

"Then he would understand when I'll tell him I chose my path as a medicine cat. Telling you was a mistake, Echopaw. I'm going to tell the news tomorrow morning when everyone is rested."