Mintkit blinked his sleepy eyes open, languidly stretching inside the nursery. He felt tired from yesterday; it wouldn’t have surprised him if he had slept a few more hours than he should have. He began to lick down the kit fur on his chest, soft and downy, recalling his talk with Sharpleaf the night before.
I still can’t believe Sharpleaf offered me the chance to become her apprentice. Flightpaw guessed it right, I think. She knew I wanted to become one. But why was she so worried?
He was distracted from his train of thought as he heard the moss move behind him. When he turned, he saw Splashkit, licking her whiskers with a glazed look across her face.
“Hi, Mintkit,” she yawned, smiling at him.
“Hello,” he replied groggily.
Splashkit glanced around. “Where are the others?” Mintkit looked around himself. Rustlekit, Thumpkit and Echokit were no longer in their nest. Narrowstep was gone too.
They must have gone out and played a bit, he guessed.
His belly growled. Splashkit noticed, and her whiskers twitched. “Want to grab something to eat?” she asked casually.
Mintkit shrugged, tail flicking nonchalantly. “Not like we have a whole lot of anything to do. Let’s see what we can get.” She led the way outside; Mintkit followed closely.
Splashkit padded to the freshkill pile, picking a mouse for them to share. They moved to one corner of camp and settled down, laying down on their bellies. Mintkit watched as the deputy, Cinderwind, gave orders to some gathered cats near the camp border. One of them was Flightpaw, he noticed, and Onepaw was there too, sitting beside his mentor with his ears pricked attentively.
Flightpaw turned to him, and for a moment, he was scared that maybe she might be angry. But her gaze held no negativity whatsoever; she only appeared curious.
Mousebrain, he chided himself. Why do you feel like she’s going to snap at you?
“Are you okay?” Splashkit looked worried, and Mintkit tried to quell her fear with a purr.
“I’m fine. I’m feeling great, actually.”
Splashkit frowned. “Did you have one of those dreams again last night?”
Mintkit paused. “No, not last night,” he meowed, eyes sharp with wonder; nights where he didn’t get any strange conversations in his head were quite rare. Then he shook his head. “But I think I’ll get another one pretty soon. I realized that it can happen even when I’m awake. It makes me unresponsive for a moment.”
“That was what happened yesterday.” Splashkit’s look was thoughtful as she looked down at the prey at her paws. “Do you have any idea what they are yet?”
“They make about as much sense as muddy water.”
“Maybe they really mean something, but we just don’t know what it is,” Splashkit wondered aloud. “Could they be messages from StarClan?”
“Maybe they really are just wild bits of dialogue my head thinks of when I’m bored.” Mintkit shrugged.
“Hmm, maybe. But for now, here you go.” Splashkit passed him the mouse, and Mintkit was more than happy to have the first bite. The taste was amazing, filling his mouth. He took his time chewing, passing the squirrel to Splashkit, who took her own large bite of it.
“Say, while you were helping Sharpleaf out yesterday, what happened?” Splashkit spoke after swallowing down her chunk of mouse. Her eyes were wide and curious.
Looking down at his paws, Mintkit felt his mouth curl upward slowly. “You won’t believe this.” He then proceeded to explain what he had been up to since sunset yesterday, leaving out the part about Flightpaw. Splashkit didn’t need to know about that; it might just confuse her like it confused him.
“You’re a lucky cat,” she purred when he finished.
Mintkit felt proud, but he opted to fidget instead of raising his head, soft-spoken as he was. “I’m glad she saw something in me.”
“Of course there’s something in you!” Splashkit pawed his nose playfully.
“Really?” he mewed.
“Yeah!”
“What?”
She smirked. “A whole lot of fluff, that’s what.”
Mintkit boxed her ears, snorting in amusement. “As if. I’m going to be the best medicine cat there ever was. Mark my words, you’ll come running to me when you get a bellyache one day.”
Splashkit huffed. “At least I get to fight,” she countered.
“And hunt,” a voice behind Mintkit added. A silver fish dropped on the ground in front of them, followed by two orange paws. Ripplefur sat down beside the kits, licking her jaws as she yawned. “Mind if I stay here?”
“Of course,” Splashkit said, flashing a smile.
Ripplefur dropped to a crouch. The dark orange warrior was large in comparison to his own small frame. His tail curled tightly around himself, slightly intimidated.
Ripplefur drew the fish closer. Mintkit watched as she expertly removed the silver scales with a flick of her claw, then made another cut in the fish to separate a slice of the pink flesh from it.
“Here.” She passed the piece of fish to Splashkit. “This is for both of you.”
“Thank you!” the white kit meowed, quickly slicing the piece in half. She passed the other part to Mintkit.
Mintkit couldn’t refuse, biting into the soft fish gratefully. Carp, he noted. The lean taste was hard to miss. He quickly gulped it down, feeling fuller than the lake.
“I’m beat,” Ripplefur sighed, falling on her side dramatically. “I was on the dawn patrol.”
“What happened?” Splashkit leaned forward.
Ripplefur unsheathed a long claw, seemingly examining it. “I managed to catch a trout or two. Then we scared off a ShadowClan apprentice. It was hanging around a little too close for our liking. There were other scents too. Fresh.”
“Wow.” Splashkit was amazed, fur rippling.
Mintkit’s eyes grew round along with his sister’s, finding his own pelt stuck up in a thick ridge. Is ShadowClan invading, then?
“Breezejump’s reporting it already.” She gestured towards a tom, who was talking with another cat, gray with dark spots, under a tall willow. “Nightstar’s going to have to announce this at the next Gathering, and hopefully that will warn them off.” She scowled. “But knowing ShadowClan, they might not listen.”
Her words sent a prickle of fear down Mintkit’s spine. He didn’t want a battle. However, Splashkit was already up and digging her claws into the loamy earth. “They better watch out!”
Ripplefur’s whiskers quivered as she watched Mintkit’s energetic sister continue to swipe around at the air. “You’ll make a great warrior,” she meowed approvingly.
Mintkit’s paws felt like stones at that moment, knowing that she was talking to his sister, and not him. He had a different path to follow. His whiskers drooped, imagining Splashkit as an apprentice: wandering the forest, hunting, and fighting without him.
Without warning, light brown flashed past his vision, along with the gleam of hooked claws, making him flinch. Troutpaw had stolen Ripplefur’s carp.
“H-Hey!” Ripplefur stood up, glaring after the cinnamon apprentice. In reply, Troutpaw grinned with mischief over her shoulder. She trudged off proudly, fish in her jaws. Ripplefur’s tail flicked in annoyance.
“I can get it back for you, if you’d like,” Splashkit offered.
Ripplefur shook her head. “Don’t even count on it. I’ll just get another one.” She glanced to the place where Troutpaw had been earlier, but the apprentice was no longer there.
“Stealing fish from under a warrior’s nose,” she huffed. “What a daring little cat.”
Just then, a light scent of raspberry leaves and mallow reached Mintkit’s throat, and his ears perked.
Sharpleaf paced into view, looking at the group curiously. Ripplefur greeted the medicine cat with a dip of her head. “We were sharing prey.”
“Yes, I noticed,” came her curt reply. Her gaze fell on Mintkit, and she gestured with her tail before walking away. He understood.
“I’m done eating. Thanks, Ripplefur.”
“Bye!” Splashkit called after him.
“Now, for the reason I called you,” the medicine cat mewed when he caught up. “I’d just like to inform you that I’ll be telling Nightstar of your decision to be my apprentice.”
He gazed up at her, feeling a prickle of uneasiness. “Now?”
“No. I still have to harvest a bit of comfrey root. We’re low on that, and if what Ripplefur says is true, we’re going to need it. I’ll tell you once I’m done.” She smiled, tweaking his ears a little with her tail. “Get ready.”
She walked ahead, steps nimble as she passed the stepping stones out of camp. Mintkit watched as she disappeared among the foliage on the other side of the stream.
He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, lost in his own thoughts. Was he right in choosing this path? Is this what he wanted to do for the rest of his life? Would Splashkit get lonely without him? Would Honeytail disapprove?
When he came back to his senses, he noticed that the sun was already hanging low in the sky, and Splashkit was staring at him with a weird expression. Embarrassed, he slinked closer to her.
“Has Sharpleaf returned?” he mewed awkwardly.
“Not yet.” She beamed at him. “But I’ve got some great news to tell you!”
“What?” He leaned in closer.
“I’ll be made an apprentice tonight, too!”
Mintkit’s eyes grew round with elation. “Really? That’s great!” Things were going well.
They entered the nursery together and found that Honeytail was already waiting for them. “Come closer,” she purred, “and let me fix you up.”
Mintkit drew closer, pressing his snout into her neck fur to take in her comforting scent. Slowly, she began to stroke his fur gently with her tongue.
Splashkit fluffed out her fur. “How come he gets to go first? I’m going to be an apprentice too!” she protested.
“It won’t take long.” Honeytail winked at her, continuing her work on her son’s pelt. “I’m proud of you, little ones. You two are turning out great, and I know you’ll do well in serving our Clan, in your own special way.”
“They say the ceremony’s tonight!” Splashkit chirped.
“You aren’t disappointed, are you?” Mintkit ventured. “That I chose to be a medicine cat and all that?”
“Not at all,” she reassured him, giving him a quick nuzzle between his ears. “Being a medicine cat isn’t something to be ashamed of. Once you’re done training, you’ll join Sharpleaf in communicating with StarClan and healing our injured Clanmates.”
“And I’ll do just fine,” his sister added. “We’ll still see each other a lot, I promise.”
Mintkit breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
He wondered what the future would hold in store for him. The dreams and strange messages seemed to be gone now, since yesterday when he accepted Sharpleaf’s offer. Picking the life of a healer must have put his restless mind at ease. For now, he was just enjoying his last moments as a kit, with soft fur and gentle licks always close by.
“There you go.” Honeytail was admiring her work. “You look dashing.”
When Mintkit observed himself, that was he realized how different he looked now. He had changed quite a bit from the fluffy shy kit he had been when he was younger. Most of his downy kit fur was now gone, replaced by a thick silver tabby coat. It was sleek and shiny, with no tangles in sight thanks to Honeytail’s meticulous tongue.
“Just in time, too.”
Sharpleaf had poked her head inside the den. “Come on outside,” she called him.
“Coming!” He turned around for a heartbeat. “Thanks, Honeytail. Splashkit! I’ll be waiting outside for you.”
“I’ll count on that, okay?”
He purred, exiting the den with a swish. Outside, dusk seemed to be battling with the night, with pale stars dotting the clear dark blue sky. What struck Mintkit the most was the half-moon in the sky, bright and large, like it wanted to be seen.
He noticed a few eyes turn on him, and it took all his willpower not to duck his head. Thankfully, Splashkit was by his side before long.
“Is it beginning?” She glanced around, eyes glinting.
“Not sure,” he replied, watching his Clanmates mill about in the clearing, sharing fish. Impatience prickled his paws after a while and he had to wrap his tail tightly around them to keep them from churning up the ground.
Splashkit nudged him. “Hey! It’s Nightstar!”
Mintkit turned to see the dark brown tabby tom come out of his den, with Sharpleaf following right behind. The medicine cat’s expression was pleased, so Mintkit felt assured that everything was going okay.
The leader stepped out into the clearing, standing briefly on his hind legs. “Let all cats old enough to catch a fish draw near!”
Slowly, the Clan began to gather, forming a large circle in the middle of the clearing. Mintkit scented Honeytail among them, and he tried his best to keep a brave face despite his building anxiety. He wanted her to see just how proud he was. He puffed out his chest and raised his tail.
When all the cats were gathered, Nightstar flicked an ear. His fur glowed lightly in the moonlight. “Breezejump had just announced a ShadowClan intrusion,” he began, and cats immediately yowled in reply. He waited for silence again before continuing. “It doesn’t seem like they’ve done any hunting, however, and maybe it was just a ShadowClan apprentice who wandered into our territory.”
“Wandered.” Mintkit heard someone whisper behind him. “Like I’d believe that.”
“It’s newleaf! I bet ShadowClan have enough to eat in their territory.”
Nightstar’s eyes steeled. “We have to keep our guard up. There will be more frequent patrols along the ShadowClan border, and I will announce this at the next Gathering. For now, our priority is to make RiverClan stronger, and what better way to do it than with two new apprentices?”
“Splashkit, step forward.” He turned his eyes to her white pelt. “You have reached six moons, and it is time you learned the ways of a true RiverClan warrior. From this day until you receive your warrior name, your name shall be Splashpaw.” He gestured towards a thick-pelted calico she-cat, whose ears perked. “Fireleaf will be your mentor. I hope she passes down all she has learned down to you.”
“Fireleaf, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Lightheart, and have shown yourself to be enthusiastic and clever. Splashpaw shall be your new apprentice, and I hope you pass on everything you have learned to her.”
Fireleaf stepped forward and pressed her nose against Splashpaw’s as the Clan cheered. “Splashpaw! Splashpaw! Splashpaw!” Mintkit joined in as well, voice rising among the others.
“You can step forward now, Mintkit,” Nightstar urged him. Mintkit walked ahead and sat beside Splashpaw. He could feel his heart thudding in his ears.
“Congratulations,” he whispered in Splashpaw’s ear.
She beamed at him. “Thanks.”
Sharpleaf padded beside Nightstar, to where she could be seen. “Cats of RiverClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So I’ve decided it was time I took on an apprentice. The cat I have chosen has shown a passion to learn, perseverance and a heart for his Clanmates.”
She turned to face Mintkit with a look of pride. “Mintpaw. He will be my apprentice.”
Mintpaw felt a rush of emotion run through him at those words, and it felt like he was choking on his own happiness. Could anything be any better?
Nightstar blinked. “Mintpaw. Do you accept the post of apprentice to Sharpleaf?”
“I do.” He managed to force the words out.
Sharpleaf smiled fondly at him. “It’s the half-moon,” she meowed. “You must go to the Moonpool tonight to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats. I’ll accompany you there.”
“And the Clan’s good wishes go with you both,” Nightstar said, dipping his head.
“Mintpaw! Mintpaw!” A chant began for him, filling the clearing.
Mintpaw’s head felt light, almost dizzy. He had never been under the eyes of so many cats at once, and now, here he was, standing before them and their cheers.
This is the right choice. I knew it. StarClan, I gladly accept my apprenticeship, and I will try my best.