Rising Wild

CHAPTER 6

"LAKEPAW. LAKEPAW!" THE tortoiseshell felt a paw prod her side intensely.

She opened her eyes. It was sunhigh. Cold wind entered through the opening of the medicine den, making her shiver. Every breath came out of her in steam, and her pelt was moist, as if snow had fallen directly on her and melted on her fur.

Shimmerpaw, next to her, was in the same conditions, or maybe worse. There was snow sticking to her paws, and her whiskers carried frost. She shook herself, sending the snow everywhere, so some of it landed on Lakepaw. Lakepaw flicked her ears and tail, trying to, at least, get rid of the snow in those parts of her body.

"What is it?" Lakepaw asked, getting up from her nest. She stretched.

"You have to tell that to Fernwish." Shimmerpaw twitched her whiskers. "Do you remember?"

Lakepaw recalled their late night conversation.

"Now?" she murmured.

"Well, when do you want to?" Shimmerpaw let out a mrrowww.

Lakepaw sighed. "I suppose I do." She started grooming her pelt, washing out the snow that had fallen on her. Shimmerpaw watched her with anticipation.

"Well, are you going?" she demanded impatiently.

Lakepaw stopped her licking. "Do you want me in the apprentices' den?" she suspected.

"Kind of." Shimmerpaw shifted her paws. "Swiftpaw is being arrogant. It's not fun to be with him. He says he's more important because he'll be a warrior soon." She lashed her tail.

"What about Rainpaw and Stormpaw?" Lakepaw asked between licks. "And my littermates?"

"They're all fun, I just want to know you better." Shimerpaw explained.

Lakepaw finished washing herself. She felt her freezing tongue sticking out inside her mouth. She moved it, trying to warm it up. "Okay, I'm ready. Where's Fernwish?"

"She's in the store."

Lakepaw padded towards the cleft in the rock hesitantly.

"Luck!" Shimmerpaw muttered from behind.

Fernwish was sniffing the herbs one by one. She had made two piles; one for the fresh herbs, the other one for the stale ones.

"Hi." Lakepaw meowed.

"Hello." Fernwish responded, pushing a coltsfoot leaf into the stale herbs heap.

Lakepaw flicked her tail with uncomfort.

"I have to tell you what ShineClan informed me yesterday."

Fernwish suddenly turned her head to glare at her tensely.

"Don't." she interrupted. "You can't. It's a rule."

"But ShineClan told me to tell the Clan!" Lakepaw countered, ignoring her mentor's lashing tail. Fernwish twitched her ears in surprise.

"They have?"

"Yes." Lakepaw muttered, feeling reluctant to let the medicine cat know. She inhaled and mewed all at once. "They said I shouldn't be a medicine cat apprentice."

Fernwish widened her eyes.

"That's minnow-brained!" she exclaimed. Lakepaw pricked her ears as her mentor insulted ShineClan. "You're perfect at it!"

Lakepaw felt warmness spread inside her. Fernwish thought she was perfect at it! But she couldn't change her mind, ShineClan already knew of the decision Lakepaw had made.