ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Promise

Chapter 3

Mintpaw trotted after Echoleaf eagerly, her paws tingling with excitement as she padded out of the camp for the first time. Adderpaw was right on his tail, his blue eyes sparkling as well, his fur fluffed. As the two padded through the barrier, Mintpaw felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the sight of the forest. Tall trees sprouted from the ground, reaching high up. Its large branches spread out, green leaves sprouting from them, like a canopy. Breezes whistled through the trees, brushing the cats' pelts, making the forest feel light and airy.

"Wow," Adderpaw breathed as Ivyfoot slipped out of the camp.

"It's magnificent, isn't it?" the black she-cat meowed, stepping forward. "That's how I felt when I first saw our territory, too."

"It's definitely the best one out of all the Clans!" Mintpaw chirped.

Echoleaf's purr rumbled gently. "I sure think so, but I believe the other Clans would disagree." She flicked her tail. "Come along. It's best to teach you the borders as well." 

"I'll bring Adderpaw to the Training Hollow first," Ivyfoot meowed, waving her tail to the black-and-white tom. 

"Okay!" Echoleaf replied. "I'll take Mintpaw to visit WaterClan's border, then EarthClan's." 

"Have fun!" Mintpaw chirped to Adderpaw as he followed his mentor into the woods.

"You too," her brother called over his shoulder as disappeared into the forest.

Echoleaf touched her tail-tip to Mintpaw's shoulder, bringing the tabby's attention back onto her. "Come on; let's go. I want to get back to camp by sunset. Then we still have time to go over a couple herbs."

Mintpaw bowed her head, cheerful, as she trotted after Echoleaf. Her dream of becoming a medicine cat was finally happening. 

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The gray tabby pushed her way through the bushes after Echoleaf. Her paws were sore after travelling across the entire territory, but the excitement pulsing in her refused to let her stop and rest. The medicine cat had shown her WaterClan's border, along with the scent line, and now stopped at EarthClan's. 

Mintpaw opened her jaws, giving the air a gentle sniff. EarthClan's scent drifted inside. It smelled like a damp forest. 

"This is EarthClan's border," Echoleaf meowed. "As medicine cats, we're allowed to go across. But, EarthClan doesn't know you're a medicine cat yet, so it would be best for you to wait until the Gathering before trying to cross any borders."

Mintpaw nodded, taking in what her mentor was telling her. "Okay!"

The AirClan medicine cat nodded. "There are some herbs right here. I can pick them out for you and show you some." Eagerness spiked Mintpaw's pelt, and she nodded. As Echoleaf turned around, about to make her way down the border, the bushes on the other side of the border rustled, making both cats stop in their tracks and turn around. From EarthClan's territory, five cats slipped out. 

Echoleaf lowered her voice, whispering to Mintpaw. "It's a border patrol," she mewed softly. EarthClan's patrol was staring at them now, their pelts fluffed, as though wondering what a medicine cat and an apprentice was doing at their borders.

Mintpaw blinked at them, taking in their looks. At the front of the patrol was a tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes, blinking at the medicine cats suspiciously. Behind her was a white tom with black stripes, an orange tom with green eyes, and two cats around Mintpaw's age. One was a dark gray tom with hints of cream and yellow-green eyes and the other one was a she-cat who had plain dark gray fur amber eyes.