My Life, My Story

#5 Troubled Days

(Cat in picture is Starpelt)

“Juniperkit, from this moment on you will be known as Juniperpaw. Vinetail will be your mentor.” I stood before Shiningstar as she balanced atop the rock pile. She gracefully slipped down the rocks to stand before us. I felt Silverpaw give a little wiggle of excitement. Shiningstar leaned forward and touched her muzzle to my head, and I licked her shoulder obediently, just as my mother had instructed me. Shiningstar looked into my eyes, her dark blue eyes staring searchingly into my green. She turned and tapped her muzzle to Silverpaw’s head, and she licked her shoulder quickly. Yowls of approval rang through the clearing as our Clanmates called us by our new names.

Adderpaw came racing over to us, purring so hard his entire body shook. “Juniperpaw! Silverpaw!” he cheered. I winced, seeing the scar that marred his shoulder. He had retrieved the wound in yet another battle with NightClan. He pressed against my side and licked me over the head, purring. I returned his lick, purring affectionately. “Congratulations!” He meowed; giving Silverpaw’s a quick lick on the cheek.

Silverpaw purred. “Thanks, Adderpaw!”

“I’ll help you guys make your nests!” Adderpaw volunteered.

“Okay,” I purred. “Let’s go.”

“You should ask your mentors, first.” Adderpaw warned us. I saw sadness flicker in Adderpaw’s eyes. He had a new mentor now, Brackenfurl, since Mousepelt died in a battle with NightClan nearly two moons ago. Silverkit nodded and dashed off to find her mentor, Fuzzypelt, leaving me alone with Adderpaw. I leaned forward and touched my nose to the scar on his shoulder.

He looked affectionately at me.  “It doesn’t hurt anymore, Juniperpaw. Go find Vinetail. I saw him at the nursery.” Without saying a word I turned and padded off, absently noticing my paws blended in well with the stones that covered the clearing, and the grass that poked up through them.

I reached the nursery and saw Vinetail leaning over a tiny kit that uncannily resembled Robinwing. “Listen, Basilkit, you have to eat these herbs.” He said, sounding flustered. I saw that he had a few hawthorn berries in a pile near his paws. He shoved them closer to the young kit.

“No!” She said bravely. “They look icky.”

Sighing, I padded forward and curled my tail around my former denmate. “Basilkit!” I said, sounding cheerful. “It’s okay, they taste fine, I promise.” I told her reassuringly.

Basilkit hesitated before leaning forward and scooping up the berries in her mouth. She chewed slowly with a disgusted look on her face. I purred in amusement.  Robinwing called from the nursery, and Basilkit gave me a farewell lick, disappearing inside. I looked curiously at Vinetail. “Can I go with Adderpaw and Silverpaw to collect things for our nests?”

He nodded, looking tired. “Good idea. Tell Adderpaw to hunt while he’s out. With all the hurt warriors from the last battle, we need as much prey as we can get.”

I nodded, said ‘thank-you’, and dashed off to meet Adderpaw and Silverpaw at the rock tunnel.

“Ready?” Adderpaw asked me as I reached them.

“Sure am.” I replied cheerfully. “Vinetail said to tell you to hunt while we’re out.”

His ears perked. “Great, I can teach Silverpaw a few things.”

Silverpaw wiggled with excitement. “Come on, we’re wasting time. Let’s go!” Adderpaw let out a mrrow of amusement and dashed through the rock tunnel.

“Look! Come here.” Adderpaw called. I dashed forward, and Silverpaw followed. “Feathers.” Adderpaw said, motioning toward a pile of fluffy black eagle feathers. “They’re baby feathers. It looks like something got a baby eagle.” He glanced up at a scraggly thorn tree, and sure enough, there was a nest.

“It must have fallen out.” I concluded.

Silverpaw wrinkled her nose. “It smells icky here.”

Adderpaw sniffed at the air. “Mountain lion!” He exclaimed.

I glanced around quickly, and Silverpaw’s ears flickered nervously. “Is it close?” She asked.

“No, the scent is stale. Let’s collect these and get some moss from these rocks.”

 Silverpaw began pushing the feathers into a pile while Adderpaw disappeared around some rocks. I peered after him, but he was gone. Curiously I bounded around the rocks, following Adderpaw’s scent trail. I rounded a rock and saw Adderpaw leaping crouched down. I opened my mouth to call out, but cut short when I saw the eagle a few tail-lengths in front of him, pecking at some snails attached to a rock. He crept forward, his body pressed against the smooth stone mountain side. He lunged forward and buried his claws into the bird’s neck. It let out an alarmed cried that was cut short. Adderpaw turned around and came bounding over to me, stumbling over the eagle as it dragged between his forepaws. He dropped the eagle. “That should feed the elders!” He exclaimed cheerfully. I purred in agreement.

“Did you collect the moss?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Uh, no.”

“Oh. Okay, let’s go do that.”

“Where did you go?” Silverpaw asked us, a little bitterness in her voice. “You scared me.”

Adderpaw purred and rubbed his muzzle against hers. “Sorry. Look at this eagle I caught!”

All the bitterness faded. “Wow!” Silverpaw exclaimed. “I want to catch something.”

“Not right now.” Adderpaw replied regretfully. “The sun is setting, they’ll be wondering where we are.” I leapt over a few rocks, settling down and began clawing wads of moss off of the roots and rocks. Adderpaw scrambled down beside me but didn’t help.

“Only get as much as you can carry. You’ll carry the moss, Silverpaw the feathers, and I’ll carry my eagle.” He instructed me. I nodded and rolled the moss into a ball, squeezing the little moisture it had out of it before I picked it up.

“Welcome back.” Braveheart greeted us as we padded in through the rock tunnel. He looked approvingly at our loads. “Adderpaw, take that straight to the medicine cats’ den. The elders have already eaten.” Adderpaw nodded and dashed off to the medicine cats’ den, tripping over his catch multiple times on the way.

I dropped the moss and Silverpaw dropped the feathers next to them. “Let’s split these up.” I said, already beginning to divide the moss and feathers evenly.

“Can you believe we will be sleeping in different dens?” Silverpaw asked me nervously.

“No. Don’t worry; you’ll have Adderpaw and Mallowpaw. I’ll have Fernpaw, Cloudflower, and Vinetail to look out for me. And we’ll be sleeping anyways; we’ll see each other in the day.” I told her reassuringly.

She sighed. “I know, but it’s not the same.”

“I know.” I said, licking her ear. “Let’s go make our nests.” I picked up the pile of moss and feathers and padded off toward the medicine cats’ den without another word. I pushed my way through the fern tunnel and bound past Fernpaw and Adderpaw and into the sleeping cave. Vinetail was curled up in his nest, merely a heap of brown fur. I slipped to where I knew Fernpaw’s nest was and dropped my load into one of the empty scoops in the ground, spreading my bedding around until it was even.

Vinetail lifted his head groggily from his nest of moss and feathers. “Juniperpaw? Good. Go see Cloudflower, she wanted to show you some herbs. We’ll be needing your help more than ever, with all these battles, Juniperpaw.”

I swallowed and nodded. It was okay, I could do this. It wasn’t like I was the only medicine cat, I had Vinetail, Cloudflower, and Fernpaw to help me.

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