“You again?”
“What? Surprised to see me?”
“How many times do I have to—“
“Catch!”
Splashkit flung the mossball at Mintkit. The object sailed through the air, arcing before it bounced off the silver tabby’s head. “Ow!” he exclaimed, recoiling.
“Oops.” Splashkit neared him. “Are you okay? I thought you’d catch it.”
Mintkit rubbed his muzzle with a paw. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
Splashkit stared with wide orange eyes at her littermate. “You were thinking again, weren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Mintkit sighed. He couldn’t believe it sometimes. The words in his head were beginning to distract him, and it was getting annoying. What were they saying anyway? Did they really mean anything? Right now, they just feel like a tick in my pelt.
He looked up at the blue sky overhead. It was newleaf, and the trees that surrounded them were lush and vibrant. He could feel the cool air, and he drew in a deep breath, exhaling it with a huff. It was good.
Brambles rustled, and two kits barrelled into the clearing. They were a rolling ball of kit fur as they tussled on the ground.
“Rustlekit! Echokit! Come on over here!” Splashkit meowed.
They didn’t seem to notice her.
Rustlekit had her paw on Echokit’s chest, play-pinning him. “I’m going to win this time!”
“No you won’t!” The tabby kit shoved her off, and soon they were chasing, Rustlekit on Echokit’s tail.
Splashkit exhaled forcefully. “Looks like they’re just fine without us. Well, we’re fine as well without them. Let’s go to the river.” She spotted Thumpkit tottering out of the nursery. She flicked an ear at him. “Hey, Thumpkit! Wanna swim?”
Mintkit nudged her nervously. “Thumpkit’s coming along?”
“Of course! Nothing wrong with that, right?” Splashkit smiled. “They say that fish are happier in schools, after all. Thumpkit!” she greeted their new companion.
Thumpkit waved his tail. “You called?”
“Mintkit and I are planning to go swimming. Coming?”
Thumpkit leaped. “Sure!”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Splashkit bounced off, the two other kits trailing behind.
Mintkit’s head was dipped the whole time he followed her. Five moons have passed since he first opened his eyes, but he still couldn’t manage to be himself around any cat who wasn’t Splashkit, Wavepelt, or Honeytail. For some reason, whenever he tried talking, his words seemed to come out of his mouth like stones falling into water, clumsy and awkward. I can’t believe this.
The stream on one end of camp was a frequent spot for many cats who wanted to take a swim. It was slower flowing than the larger stream on the other side, so there wasn’t any danger of anyone getting swept off.
Splashkit stopped at the riverbank. “We’re here! And we’re lucky! The stream’s slower!”
Mintkit turned to the glistening water, reflected in his eyes. He could almost see the fish swimming. “Wow.”
“I’m in first!” Thumpkit rushed into the water with a splash. He was a good swimmer, as seen with how well he kept his head above water as he paddled. After swimming a few circles, he swam back to the shore. Water dripped easily off his slick pelt. “Well? Aren’t you jumping in?” he challenged.
The one thing Mintkit couldn’t resist was a challenge. “I’m in!” he yowled. He jumped into the stream, front paws first.
Suddenly, the world disappeared as his senses dulled under the water. He watched the bubbles swirling around him, and the pebbles shining under the stream, lit by dappled sunlight. The cold water and the feeling of weightlessness exhilarated him. Mintkit purred; the other Clans didn’t know what they were missing out on.
He held his breath long enough to see Splashkit leap in. They shared a smile, then together they broke the surface, taking in air. Thumpkit’s ears twitched pleasantly.
“That was amazing, wasn’t it?” His eyes glittered, only to close them tight shut as Splashkit splashed water at his face. He coughed loudly. “Hey!”
Splashkit shrugged in mock innocence. “It’s your fault for keeping your guard down.” She stuck her tongue out.
Thumpkit huffed. “We’ll see about that,” he meowed, eyes determined as he launched himself off the riverbank towards her. Splashkit’s eyes widened just before Thumpkit’s patched pelt crashed down on her. They played in the water, laughing as they tried splashing water at each other.
Mintkit watched with interest for a while, not sure whether to join in or not. It looks like they’re having fun though, he thought, watching as Splashkit pawed at Thumpkit’s muzzle.
He smirked, feeling the water dull his hearing again as he dipped his head under the surface. He swam, kicking out with his hind legs. Then he broke the surface again just in front of them, giving a loud squeak. They both reeled back in surprise.
“Mintkit!” Splashkit gave a breathless mrrow.
“Nice job! You really scared me there for a moment!” Thumpkit was purring.
“Now what would you be scared of?” Mintkit asked, slightly surprised. Despite Thumpkit being younger than him, his frame was actually slightly bigger than his own, and it was painfully obvious to him whenever they sat next to each other in the nursery.
“Troutpaw told me that a large eel lives under the pebbles here. It comes out from time to time and bites little kits’ paws off.”
The thought of an eel snaking around his paws was enough to make Mintkit shiver; if he wasn’t under water, his fur would have spiked. Splashkit just snorted. “Troutpaw… isn’t she the one who tried to jump the river once? That Troutpaw?”
“She put a thistle in my nest two days ago,” Mintkit mewed. “It hurt, and I thought I was sick or something, because I couldn’t sleep.” He visualized the young apprentice with the tilted ear.
“She’s always up to tricks like that. And you seem to be her personal favourite.” Splashkit twitched her whiskers.
“Never mind her,” Thumpkit shook his paw dismissively. “Let’s play some more!” He tackled Splashkit, and they rolled around in the water; his sister didn’t seem to mind. Thumpkit was one of her closest friends, alongside himself.
“I’m joining!” Mintkit swam in their direction, and launched himself at Thumpkit. He didn’t expect his head to suddenly jerk towards him.
The little silver tabby kit’s head snapped back as the force caught him on the side of his muzzle. “Mintkit!” The worried yowl was dull as all too soon, he found himself sinking. He gasped, and water rushed into his nose. He felt like his insides were on fire, but he was unable to move. White ate at the edges of his vision. He could hear frantic calls for help and a few loud splashing sounds, but they were fading.
He closed his eyes, just as he saw a dark shape swimming towards him. Eel?
He woke up coughing, with a roaring pain in his head. A paw shook him, and one or two cats spoke in hushed tones.
“It’s fine now,” the voice called clearly, “Mintkit’s awake.” The cat nudged his flank. “Sit up, you’ll breathe easier that way. You’re fine.”
Mintkit rose to his paws unsteadily, still feeling the sting at the back of his throat. He retched, more water coming out through his mouth. He closed his eyes shut, breathing through grit fangs.
“Are you sure he’s fine?” A voice he recognized as Honeytail’s rang from somewhere nearby.
The cat didn’t bother to answer the question, yellow eyes intense as she attended to Mintkit. “Keep still,” she meowed. She lifted a white paw to his chest, rubbing it in circles. She must have added something, Mintkit reflected, feeling a cool feeling rise up his throat, soothing the irritation. “That’s just mint. It’ll help your nose get unclogged in a while.”
She turned to Honeytail, who had her claws dug into the ground, nervous for her kit. When the cat nodded in consent, she quickly rushed to her son’s side, showering his head with licks. “What’s happened?” she asked, looking up.
“Kits.” The cat rolled her eyes, apricot fur rippling. “They went ahead and horsed around in the stream. Thumpkit bumped heads with Mintkit by accident. Mintkit fell unconscious.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Mintkit’s pelt sparked in surprise. Splashkit was beside him all this time, it turned out. “Thumpkit and I called for help. Sleetfall pulled you out of the water. I think he’s outside now.”
Honeytail shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say about this. I’m just glad you’re safe, my precious kit.”
Mintkit felt his mother’s deep purr shake his body, and he purred back. Honeytail withdrew, and got to her paws. “Thanks, Sharpleaf. I’m really grateful.”
Sharpleaf dipped her head. “It’s my duty as a medicine cat, so no need to thank me. Don’t blame Thumpkit on this one; he’s just about as stunned as everyone else is. Go back to the nursery, and allow me to take care of Mintkit for now.”
Honeytail nodded, giving Mintkit a rough lick between the ears before leaving the thorn bush den.
“Get well.” Splashkit mewed, before padding after her mother.
Mintkit watched silently as Sharpleaf set to work, arranging her herbs into stacks, wrapping them, then storing them into a hole in the ground. She seemed to be intently focused. He saw a leaf, right next to his nest. His head throbbed with pain again, and he reached for it, wondering if it might stop the pain somehow.
“That’s yarrow,” Sharpleaf meowed. Mintkit stopped halfway. She wasn’t looking at him, still diligently stacking herbs. “It’ll make you feel really sick. If you want, you can take it; you might want that burning feeling back in your throat.”
Mintkit drew back his paw. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Don’t pick up random plants and stuff them in your mouth. If your head hurts, you can take a poppy seed, or drink some water over there.” She flicked an ear towards a pool of water at the roots of the thorn bush. “Oh, and just in case your throat still burns, you can ask me for tansy.”
Mintkit blinked at the leaf. “Why do you keep yarrow around then, if its only purpose is to make cats sick?”
“It’s good for poison.” Sharpleaf answered. “And when cats’ paws feel sore.” She pulled together a few herbs and wrapped them in a leaf, then she trotted over to Mintkit.
“Here.” She dropped it in front of the kit. “These’ll help you feel better.”
Mintkit unwrapped the leaf wrap. There was a little black seed inside, along with a sweet smelling yellow leaf. He peered at them curiously, turning them over with his little paw. Sharpleaf narrowed her eyes at him.
“Well? Aren’t you going to eat? Do I have to place them in a little mouse for you?” Her sarcastic tone didn’t bother Mintkit much. Instead, he just turned to her.
“Thanks.” He chewed the tansy first, feeling the herb coat the inside of his mouth. It was slightly weird tasting, but he managed to swallow. He licked up the poppy seed next.
“You’ll feel sleepy soon,” Sharpleaf said, “so it’s best you drink some water.” She grabbed some wet moss, and Mintkit licked up the cool water. He tried to close his eyes, feeling his head feel lighter. Slowly, he drifted off into darkness.
The last thing he saw was a smile on Sharpleaf’s face.
Mintkit was playing mossball with Rustlekit and Thumpkit inside the nursery. The two younger kits’ eyes were hungry, each one hoping they wouldn’t be the one to make the first mistake, and miss the ball. A half-moon had passed since the stream incident, and it was pretty much all but forgotten by most cats, including all the kits. Mintkit had talked with Thumpkit after he recovered, and the patched kit apologized. They never looked back since, on good terms as they always were.
Two things changed since then, though.
“On your right, Rustlekit!” Mintkit tricked his denmate, batting it to the left of her instead. Rustlekit took the bait, and lunged to the right as the ball whizzed past her on the other side.
Rustlekit looked indignant; her long tail lashed. “You tricked me,” she mewed flatly.
Mintkit shrugged, smiling. “Well, it’s not really in the rules.”
He was now slightly more confident with speaking his mind. At least with his fellow kits. He found himself talking with Rustlekit and Echokit, cats he never had spoken to before. He realized that they were just a little shy with talking to other cats besides themselves, a little like Splashkit and himself. He made friends with them. Now, all the kits knew each other.
“New game?” Thumpkit asked; he had the mossball firmly clutched in his jaws, and he had to mumble. Mintkit glanced around at the light filtering into the bramble den, which now had an orangey tint.
“Er… sorry.” Mintkit excused himself. “I think I have to leave. It’s almost sunset and I… have to be somewhere.”
Rustlekit’s whiskers drooped. “I was hoping to beat you after that one,” she sighed.
Thumpkit flicked his tail against his sister’s ear. “Never mind us. We’re just going to continue on our own. But if I may ask, what’re you doing today?”
“Sharpleaf wants me to replace the nests in the medicine den.”
Rustlekit’s eyes widened. “That’s apprentice work!” she exclaimed.
Thumpkit seemed to wince at his explanation. His eyes narrowed, and his head tilted. “No means to offend you… or Sharpleaf, but… who’s getting sick nowadays, really? It’s newleaf, and no cat’s getting anything in this warm weather. I just think she’s working you for no reason.”
“I think you’re crazy. I really can’t see why stacking up leaves and berries and stuff is any fun. Why can’t you just play one more game with us? Please?”
Mintkit stared down at his paws. “I’d love to, but Sharpleaf’s expecting me. Actually, I decided to do it because she promised to show me a little around the medicine den afterwards. Besides, I’m five moons and a half old now, and it isn’t much of a problem.”
“Remind me again why you love stacking herbs so much?” Rustlekit snarked, but Mintkit was already gone. She shared a bemused look with Thumpkit.
Mintkit took a deep breath. The sun was blazing on the horizon far away, and it cast the camp in a bright fire-like light. He watched as a group of cats, the dusk patrol, waded the stream out of camp. Meanwhile, others were sharing tongues, or having a meal.
He trotted to the stream, then turned a little. “Sharpleaf?” he called into the thorn den.
“Mintkit? Good.” Sharpleaf came out of the den, eyes sharp as she blinked down at him. “Come in.”
Mintkit followed her in, and he was greeted by the pleasant scent of herbs and flowers. The inside of the den was by now a very familiar sight to him, with the pool at the thorn roots and everything.
It actually started off when he snuck into this den every so often. He would watch and observe Sharpleaf as she arranged the herbs, and cleaned out the store. He wasn’t sure why, but all the different herbs and their scents and Sharpleaf’s quiet concentration made him feel like he could watch forever. Sharpleaf picked up on him pretty quickly. She allowed him to help around a little, usually with little favors, like placing leaf wraps to the side whenever she needed to. Although sometimes it seemed boring or straining, it gave him a sense of purpose in a way that playing with the other kits never gave him, for some reason, and that drove him forward.
Sharpleaf didn’t even need to tell him anything before the silver tabby kit grabbed as much bedding as he could carry and brought it outside.
Some moss fell out of his mouth. He groaned, placing down his moss and arranging it to a point where he could carry it again. He picked up the large mossball, then dropped it outside. He opened and closed his jaw, already feeling fatigued.
He huffed. He padded back inside, and stuffed moss into his mouth again, this time grabbing only what he could comfortably carry. It tried his patience, but after a while, he managed to wrap up, and a pile of dusty moss was piled up outside. He blinked at Sharpleaf once he finished.
The apricot medicine cat flicked her ears at him. “Go tell Onepaw that he has to go get some moss. Tell him to bring it inside here.”
“Okay.” Mintkit nodded, quickly running outside. He found him sharing tongues with Flightpaw beside the apprentices’ den. He walked over to them.
“It’s a little hard, but once you get the technique right, it’ll help you catch a carp.” Flightpaw was saying, making a swift motion with her paw.
Onepaw buried his face into his paws, looking embarrassed. He was the younger of the two apprentices, and Flightpaw was giving him tips. “I’m useless at that stuff,” he moaned. “What you just did; that’s almost a snap! How do you even do that?”
“Training.” Flightpaw meowed. “Oh! Hi, Mintkit! Anything you want to ask?”
Mintkit turned to Onepaw. “Sharpleaf wants you to go get some moss.”
“All right.” He rose to his paws, and gave a large yawn as he stretched, pink tongue curling. “I’ll be back soon with some. Will you show me an example tomorrow, Flighty?”
Flightpaw snorted. “Not if you call me that.”
Onepaw stuck out his tongue teasingly. “Sure thing… Flighty.” He threw back his head with a little laugh before walking away, his tall figure a silhouette in the half-light.
“Not funny!” Flightpaw called after his disappearing figure. Mintkit just watched with wide eyes.
Flightpaw shifted her paws with a sigh, then turned to look at Mintkit curiously. “Sharpleaf put you up to this, I see,” she mewed, smiling. “Not surprising. You seem like just the type of cat to want to become a medicine cat.”
“I’m not sure we’ve talked before.” Mintkit looked away. “What made you say that?”
“Wavepelt talks about you and Splashkit a lot on patrols. He’s really proud of you two.” Mintkit listened, feeling a rush of affection for his father. He was proud to have him too. “He told me about you, and how you seem so eager to help Sharpleaf out with things.”
Mintkit noticed Sharpleaf looking at him with narrowed eyes, gleaming in the dark. “I think Sharpleaf wants me back,” he mewed, excusing himself from the apprentice. “I have to go.” He turned, but Flightpaw tapped his flank with her tail.
“Let’s talk later,” she whispered before ushering him away.
“What were you two talking about?” Sharpleaf asked once he got close enough. Mintkit swivelled his ears towards Flightpaw. He couldn’t see her anymore; he guessed she retreated into her den.
“She said that I was just the type of cat to get interested in herbs and those kinds of things.” When he saw that Sharpleaf had gotten a pensive look in her eyes, he got scared that he had offended her somehow. “But I think she was joking. We haven’t talked much, and…”
“Follow me.” Sharpleaf guided him inside, her tail gently hooking him. Mintkit felt his heart unintentionally grow faster; he was being led towards the corner of the den.
Sharpleaf stopped, and let out a rolling sigh. Only now did Mintkit really begin to see her graying muzzle, and the trailing lines across her face. He wasn’t sure how long she had been serving the Clan as medicine cat, but he guessed that it could have been a while.
“First of all, I’d like to thank you for all the help you’ve given me for the last couple of days. I might have snapped at you a few times, but that’s just me.” Sharpleaf blinked. “Why do you like it in here so much?”
“I like watching you.” Mintkit answered as honestly as he could. “I like the smell of the herbs, and how intently you stack and order them. It’s just me, I suppose.”
“The herbs… you say you like their scent. You don’t think it’s overwhelming?”
“No.”
“You don’t find this den stuffy? Like it feels like it doesn’t give you enough air?”
“No. I never did.”
“Your friends… do you mind watching them grow up, knowing that they are on a separate path than yours, and that you can never take one of them as a mate?”
That question made Mintkit hesitate. He looked at Sharpleaf. Her gaze burned into his own eyes, like she was searching him for any sign of doubt or other emotions. He thought for a moment, when a passing idea his him like a bolt of lightning. “Wait a second.” Mintkit’s eyes widened, and his pelt sparked. “You’re really…” A rising feeling made his mouth open in a wide smile.
Sharpleaf returned the smile. “The healing of your Clanmates is only one part of the puzzle. If you choose the path of a medicine cat, StarClan will be walking beside you, and their path and yours will be twined as one. Do you accept them as your destiny?”
Mintkit let a rumbling purr shake his small frame. His ears perked, and his tail stood up straight. “There’s nothing I’d like better,” he mewed, slightly wobbly from emotion.
“I’m glad.” Sharpleaf touched noses with him. “I’ll inform Nightstar as soon as possible. For now, I think Onepaw’ll be here in a few more heartbeats. Help me arrange the nests.”
“Someone called?” Onepaw’s breezy purr sounded near the entrance; he had a pile of fresh moss beside him.
“Go on.” Sharpleaf nudged him forward to the moss, and together, they began arranging them into small circles. They fluffed them up and placed them around the den. Looking at the pleased look on Sharpleaf’s face, and the soaring feeling in his own chest, he knew he had made the right choice. Even StarClan was looking down at him now, and he was going to make sure he wouldn’t let anyone down. Nothing I’d like better.
They finished in less time than both of them had thought. Sharpleaf offered to escort Mintkit back to the nursery, but he refused. “I’m going on my own.”
“We’ll be seeing each other a lot more soon.” Sharpleaf purred.
“Thank you, Sharpleaf.” Mintkit meowed. Sharpleaf dipped her head at him, and disappeared behind the thorn bush. Mintkit looked up at the dark sky. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and he wanted a nice rest.
Flightpaw walked over to him, her pelt looking shiny in moonlight. “I heard everything.”
Mintkit cocked his head sideways. “You were eavesdropping on us?” he queried. When he saw Flightpaw nod, he sighed. “Yes. I said yes.”
“I’m happy for you. Sharpleaf’s a nice cat, and you seem to have mellowed her down a little at least.”
“So,” Mintkit started, sitting down on the ground. “you wanted to talk, right?”
“This won’t be long,” Flightpaw assured him. “I just want you to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.” Her gaze hardened. “Are you sure… I mean, really sure that you want to have a different path from all of your peers? You’re sure?”
“I am?” Mintkit let the mew slide a fraction. “You heard me, right?”
Flightpaw exhaled, and she turned to leave. “You never know what will come ahead, Mintkit. Many things can happen, and the going can get really tough. Cats have been known to quit halfway through their medicine apprenticeships, because of hardship, fatigue, or feelings of love for another cat. If you wanted to become a medicine cat apprentice because of prestige or just because you think that path is easier than that of a warrior’s, get that out of your head now. Medicine cats have it just as hard, if not harder.”
“I can take it.” Mintkit answered with conviction. “I can see nothing else in front of me, and I’m willing to follow my calling.”
Flightpaw blinked at him sadly. “You know, that’s what I said too.”