"Ow!" Rainwillow yelped, as Rapidpaw tugged at the thorn again. She paused to look at it. It was a long, sharp thorn, firmly stuck in Rainwillow's paw.

"Maybe you should be more careful where you step next time you go strolling through the forest," Dustwhisker meowed briskly as he swept past Rapidpaw and Rainwillow, heading toward the back of the den where they kept DappleClan's store of herbs. "You shouldn't be out in the forest anyway." His voice sounded echoey in the back of the den. "You need to be resting, after that battle."

Rainwillow shifted his hind leg, wincing. "But the Clan needs prey. Besides, everyone got hurt in that battle. My injury's not the worst."
"Yeah," Dustwhisker snorted, poking his head out from the herb store, leaf scraps hanging from his whiskers. "Everyone got hurt. Well, the ones that got the worst of it are staying in camp, and that includes you. And that's final."

Rapidpaw gripped the thorn tighter in her teeth and pulled again, ripping it out of Rainwillow's paw. "Ow!" he snarled again, and snapped at Rapidpaw. "Can't you be a little softer?"
"Sorry," Rapidpaw gasped, feeling a jolt of panic. "Did I hurt you?"

"You didn't," Dustwhisker meowed, coming out finally and dropping a bundle of leaves on the floor. Two poppy seeds bounced out onto the ground, and Dustwhisker glanced at them briefly. "He's just being whiny. Rainwillow, you got an injury several times worse than a scratch in that battle. Or do you not remember?"

"Ugh, Dustwhisker," Rainwillow growled.

"Just 'cause you're Chasmstar's brother doesn't mean you should be immune to pain," he carried on. He nudged the leaves with his paw. "Rapidpaw, can you tell me what these leaves are, and how they'll help?"

Rapidpaw sniffed. "Dock? To stop his scratch from getting infected."

"Good," Dustwhisker sniffed grudgingly, as if he'd been hoping she'd get it wrong. Rapidpaw smiled at the thought that Dustwhisker just wanted to show off his medicine cat skills.

"Why do I need poppy seeds?" Rainwillow mewed. "It doesn't hurt that much."

Dustwhisker laughed. "Don't be silly, Rainwillow. Poppy seeds aren't just to sleep off pain. They help heal, uh, thorn scratches. Eat up."

"Really?" Rainwillow shrugged, dabbed the seeds with his paw, and ate them.

"Just kidding," Dustwhisker growled. "They make you sleep. Now go to your nest and fall unconscious. Your leg needs to heal before you go running around in the forest, which is what you were just going to do, don't deny it. Get gone."

Rainwillow padded out, huffing and glaring, and as soon as he was gone, Dustwhisker began laughing uncontrollably. The laughter bubbled up in Rapidpaw's throat as well, and pretty soon mentor and apprentice were laying on the ground, heaving and gasping.

Dustwhisker grinned at Rapidpaw, then rolled onto his feet and stood up, flicking dust and leaf scraps off his tail. "Sorry to spoil the fun, Rapidpaw, but you've got work to do."

Rapidpaw sat up. "Aw, come on, Dustwhisker," she grumbled. More than anything, she wanted to go out in the camp and converse with her Clanmates, but she knew Dustwhisker was right.

He nodded. "That's right. The new apprentices are tired from morning patrol, and Rustpaw did it last time. It's your turn."

Rapidpaw sighed in resignation. "Buzzardpaw and Drypaw better not complain about having to do morning patrol when they wake up! They were supposed to do that today." Rapidpaw turned and headed for the entrance to the den, her tail dragging in the dust. It had never bothered her, the way her tail hang limply, the way she couldn't move it or feel it. It had been that way since before she'd opened her eyes; it was part of her life. And even if she wanted to, she could never grieve for her mother and siblings; they had died before she'd gotten the chance to know them.

Rapidpaw glanced around the camp, and turned to head for the elder's den, but voices behind her stopped her. She turned to see Buzzardpaw and Drypaw, sitting by the fresh-kill pile. As Rapidpaw had expected, they were complaining. "I can't believe Owlswoop made me go on patrol," Buzzardpaw was grumbling.

Drypaw hissed. "I can't believe I had to come with you," she growled under her breath.

"I'm so tired," Buzzardpaw growled, stretching then crouching against the ground with his eyes closed.

"At least you don't have to go clean the elder's den!" Rapidpaw found herself saying before she could stop herself. This was her problem. She kept going, even as she tried to stop herself. She could only hope she wouldn't insult them. "Even though it was your turn."

Buzzardpaw went silent, eyes wide. Drypaw, on the other hand, offered Rapidpaw an expression that matched her name perfectly. "So? We have a perfect excuse. We're tired."

Rapidpaw opened her mouth. She usually wasn't one to snap at cats, but Drypaw was just asking for it."

"Good morning, Rapidpaw!"

Rapidpaw jumped, then turned around, and grinned when she saw the cat who had spoken. "Hiya, Stormblaze!" she purred happily, anger forgotten. She was only slightly upset that she couldn't raise her tail in greeting.

"Went to clean the elders' den and got distracted, I see," Stormblaze responded, sounding amused. "Well, you better get on with it."

"Sorry," Rapidpaw squeaked.

Stormblaze smiled at her, and paused beside her before continuing. "You'd better work hard, Rapidpaw. Just being medicine cat apprentice isn't enough to make me proud of you."

"I know, Stormblaze," Rapidpaw mewed. "I was going to clean the elders' den. I just stopped for a moment."

Stormblaze laughed. "That's my daughter," he purred, and went on his way.

Having forgotten Drypaw, Rapidpaw turned back to her quest and slipped into the elders' den.

"Rapidpaw," Redstorm murmured in greeting, standing up.

"Hey, Rapidpaw," Windheart chirped cheerfully.

"About time!" Shiningpelt snarled, unsheathing her claws into her moss.

"Ignore her," Windheart mewed, still cheerful as ever.

Rapidpaw groaned. "I have to clean your nests."

Windheart gasped. "Ugh! I hated having to do that when my mentor made me, you know? Well, I'll get out of your way."
As Rapidpaw clawed moss together, Redstorm spoke. "Rapidpaw, what do you think of the fight with BoulderClan?"

"She shouldn't know anything," Shiningpelt muttered. "She's an apprentice."

"Didn't a BoulderClan patrol attack one of ours?" Rapidpaw mewed. She remembered the incident well; it wasn't a bad fight, only Fallenfeather - DappleClan's newest warrior - was hurt, but it's all the Clan had talked about for days after. It was clear enough for a blind cat to see; tensions were rising between the two Clans. A battle was on the horizon.

"Yeah," Redstorm said, and looked like he was about to say something more than that when Windheart interrupted.

"That poor Fallenfeather!" he gasped. "Imagine getting hurt on your first patrol as a warrior."

"Well, I heard that Chasmstar is going to lead an attack. I would. We can't just let them get away with that."

"Ooh, exciting!" Windheart squeaked. Rapidpaw thought he always acted too young to be an elder. "I wonder who'll they'll take."

"Probably Stormblaze," Redstorm answered. "He didn't get hurt in the last battle. And he's a brilliant warrior." He shot a quick glance at Rapidpaw, then mewed good-naturedly, "and I'm sure some of that skill is hereditary." Rapidpaw perked up in pride.

"Don't be silly," Shiningpelt muttered. "Rapidpaw doesn't have a warrior's skill. She has a medicine cat's skill."

"I meant intelligence, Shiningpelt, not that you'd know anything about that," Redstorm stated emotionlessly, before continuing. "You know who else would probably fight if there was a battle? Those two apprentices."

"Drypaw and Buzzardpaw," Shiningpelt said. "They -"

Redstorm shook his head. "No, Tornpaw and Rustpaw. They're much older. All though I guess Chasmstar would bring any apprentice into battle - it'd be a good way to learn."
"Those two should be warriors by now," Windheart said.

"Chasmstar still has to find out if they can do it," Shiningpelt muttered. "Not exactly warrior material, those two."

"We'll see," Redstorm said neutrally.

Rapidpaw, struggling to keep her fur from bristling - she hated talking about cats behind their backs - finally cleared the last of the moss and stood up. "I have to get going. Dustwhisker will want something." She liked having Dustwhisker as a mentor; he was always thinking of things to keep Rapidpaw busy. For other apprentices, she thought, that would be annoying, but for Rapidpaw, who always had to be doing something or she got dreadfully bored, it was great.

She said goodbye to the elders and padded out of the den. As she returned to the medicine den, she spotted the two apprentices Redstorm had mentioned, leaving Briarheart with a pigeon. As a kit, Rapidpaw had imagined being a warrior. But now, though, she could imagine nothing other than life as a medicine cat. She felt no envy toward the warrior apprentices. The future of a medicine cat was the perfect one for her. She would ask for nothing more.