This random warrior cat story

CHAPTER 2

Pearpaw jumped. She was scared out of her wits.

It's just my clanmate, She thought. Yet, she bounced silently over to the other side of the maybe-catmint tree.

She smelt something strong - not gross. But odd, like something sharp and tangy.

"OOOH, It's a catmint tree!" The voice meowed again.

At least Pearpaw knew it was catmint in her mouth.

"Yes, Raypaw," said another, scratchier, older voice. "But, we must go to Limelight first."

"That bossy cat?" Pearpaw blurted before she could stop herself. She cursed. Woops.

Now this Raypaw cat and the older cat knew where she was! 

Pearpaw padded out of her hiding spot, back rigid, claws unsheathed.

She hissed, "What are you doing here, mange-pelts?" but it came out strangely because of the catmint berries in her mouth.

She hoped they wouldn't catch her bluff and take her for a warrior apprentice.

"We're here for Limelight," The older one told her.

"Obviously." Raypaw added.

And we will be granted that." The other cat continued.

Pearpaw spat out the catmint leaves. "And,"-She coughed the last remains of Catmint out of her lungs-"why shall you be granted that?"

"Because we are medicine cats." The old cat said this as if it were obvious.

"Speaking of which, why are you out here?" Raypaw jumped in, an unimpressed look on her face. "You look too young."

Pearpaw bristled. "I am not young," She snapped. "I'm an apprentice!"

The older one looked at her like she was seeing Pearpaw for the first time. "Are you Limelight's new apprentice?"

"Wha - no! I'm - why would you think that?" Pearpaw spluttered, then muttered quietly, "Yeah."

Raypaw patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Pearpaw shrugged away and shook her head. "I - If you're here to talk to Limelight, then I'll bring you to her," Pearpaw said, picking up the catmint, the older one and Raypaw helping her by grabbing more from the tree.

The cats padded towards the entryway - Raypaw chatting to Pearpaw the entire way.

When they arrived at camp, they went straight to the medicine den, ignoring the squeals of surprise of Icekit.

"Ah, Pearpaw. I smell fresh catmint on you!" Limelight sang. "Oh, Duckeye, Raypaw, what are you doing here?"

"Umm, where do I-?" Pearpaw asked.

"Just put them on the shelf," Limelight replied absently. "And, Pearpaw, could you go outside for a while? And maybe take some deathberries to sneak into Poppypaw's squirrel. She skipped elder duty - what?" She added at Pearpaw's face. "Did you think I only use it on you?"

Pearpaw did as she was asked (not the deathberries bit, take a poppy seed, gee) and padded outside the den, words following her such as, "Yes," and "Course," and another "Yes,"

Pearpaw barely took notice of them when she stumbled into Icekit.

"Pearpaw," Icekit squealed. "Pearpaw, Pearpaw, Pearpaw!"

She looked at the kit in surprise. "What is it?"

"Are you the new medicine cat apprentice?"

"Yes, you were at the ceremony," She reminded the kit. "So duh. I am."

Icekit just blinked at her. "Who were those smelly cats?" She asked, changing the subject.

Pearpaw shrugged. "They just were the WindClan medicine cats."

"WindClan?" Icekit screeched. "WHERES THE JUST ABOUT THAT? AND REALLY? I wonder why they're here? And what their clans are like? Ooh, I wonder if Gingerstar's mean? I'll go ask." Icekit sped off to the medicine den.

"Uh, Icekit, I don't think that's a good idea," Pearpaw called after the over-excited kit.

Then she heard Icekit scream, "IS GINGERSTAR MEAN?" and a loud shout from Limelight, "ICEKIT!"

There was a grunt and a, "She's awful," from Raypaw - then a shuffle, smack and an, "I'M SORRY, DUCKEYE, GEE!"

There was a, "GET OUT OF THIS DEN, RAYPAW - AND YOU TOO, ICEKIT!" and Raypaw stumbled out, followed by the kit, who quickly sped away to the nursery.

Pearpaw bounced up to Raypaw. "That was hilarious."

Raypaw licked her chest. "I'm glad my sorrow is to your amusement."

Pearpaw shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm not sorry."

Raypaw grinned. "Wow, you are not as gullible as my clanmates. By the way, Did you see Duckeye's face? Priceless."

Pearpaw frowned. "I wasn't there, Raypaw, so no, I did not see her face. And should you be talking that way about your mentor?"

"Mentor?" Raypaw repeated. "All she does is complain about the elders and why they're constantly getting ticks. Well, and sickness."

"SICKNESS?" Pearpaw squeaked, then realized that that made sense, medicine cats job was to worry about sickness.

"Yeah. A clanmate is close to death - Duckeye's sibling, actually. She's in a stage of grumpiness now, which, I guess, is understandable. But, I'm pretty sure he'll survive. I mean, he only has greencough!"

"Greencough?" Pearpaw breathed, ignoring the near-death thingy - which she probably shouldn't have. "In Leaf-fall? That's too soon, surely?"

Raypaw shrugged. "Well, we came to ask for catmint - and since we saw you guys we know you have plenty. And we helped you carry some, too."

"Yeah," Pearpaw mewed. "I guess."

Duckeye's voice cut in Raypaw's reply. Something about "time".

Then Duckeye bounced out of the medicine den. "Raypaw! We're leaving! We got it!"

Raypaw said a quick bye to Pearpaw and disappeared.

After Limelight showed Pearpaw the forest and the best places for herb gathering, Pearpaw wandered into the nursery.

Icekit giggled and said, "Wrong den!" and Pearpaw blushed, going into the apprentice den where Thriftpaw ushered her out and into the medicine den.

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going." Pearpaw said to her littermate.