Horsemoon's Silence

Chapter 14

The next day, Horsepaw awoke at sunrise. She walked sluggishly towards the fresh-kill pile, and sat next to Whirlpaw. His scent tasted wonderful, Horsepaw realized. Even though she smelled it every night, because their nests were right next to each other's, today he smelled perfect. I'm so weird. She scoffed. I don't like him like that, do I? She shuddered. She wasn't ready for this. She was still an apprentice!
  
"Wanna go hunt?" He asked her unexpectedly. She turned to him, startled.
   
"Ugh, sure," She mouthed. They got up, and padded towards the camp entrance.
   
"Hey, Horsepaw!"
   
Horsepaw turned. Creamleaf was smiling at her. "It's time for medicine cat training! My den's free, so we have plenty of time for work. Hurry up!"
   
Horsepaw looked apologetically towards Whirlpaw, and raced over to the medicine cat's den.
   
"Okay, so this is Windhushers, as you know, because I gave them to you when, ugh... yeah. These are cobwebs, used for stopping bleeding. Also, that's juniper berries, which help with bellyache, calming a cat, and coughs, Hey and these are water mint, which also helps with bellyache and hides the scent of death. That's a burdock root, which helps heal rat bites. This is catmint, and it helps cure greencough and whitecough. This is chervil, which helps with kitting and bellyache and infected wounds. Coltsfoot, which is this stuff, helps with cracked pads and breathing. Comfrey roofs help with a lot, which includes broken bones, soothing wounds, retched claws, itching, and inflammation of stiff joints. Dock soothes scratches. This stuff is feverfew and it helps with headaches and fever. Marigold stops infection. Parsley, which is this, helps with bellyache and stops a Queen from producing milk. Sorrel keeps a cat from getting hungry. Tansy helps with sore throat and coughs. Thyme cures shock. Wild garlic helps with rat bites. Yarrow makes you throw up poisons. Deathberries kill a cat, and Foxglove Seeds paralyze or kill a cat. And I think that's about it." Creamleaf explained. Horsepaw's mind was reeling from all the information she just learned. "Now, go get more cobwebs. Our stock is running low. You can find them underneath logs in the forest. Off you go!" Creamleaf ushered her away from the den, and out the camp. Horsepaw hurried away from the medicine cat's sheathed paw.

"I'm going, I'm going!" She laughed silently. Creamleaf didn't see her mouth move, so she didn't catch the she-cat's hushed laugh. Horsepaw smiled sadly. She longed for the days when the other cats would actually hear her voice. She padded out the camp, and into the forest.

"Wait up, Silentpaw!"

Horsepaw flinched and rolled her eyes. That was Cavepaw's new nickname for Horsepaw. He became an apprentice a few days ago, so he got to spread the torture with all the other apprentices.

She smiled at him unpleasantly. He stalked over to her menacingly. "I heard your training be a warrior and a medicine cat. You should train as an Elder, you'll be great at that!" He laughed, and his yellow fangs gleamed in the sun. Horsepaw winced at his words. She stared into his blue eyes, which were filled with distaste. She curled her lip because of hatred.
   
She noticed that he began to stare back into her eyes. They stood there a moment, eyes locked, everything silent surrounding them. Then Horsepaw snapped back into reality.
   
"I– I gotta go... um, bye?" Horsepaw mouthed, padding off quickly without turning back. She felt Cavepaw's eyes burning into her pelt as she left.
<•>
Horsepaw lifted up another log and she gathered the cobwebs. She grumbled as they got stuck in her pelt. She forced them into her paw, which was covered in the icky cobwebs. She trudged to the next log.

"Hello, sister!" Grindpaw's cheery voice meowed, making her turn. She smiled a genuine smile as his orange pelt came into view. She waved her tail in greeting.
   
Grindpaw dropped the vole he was carrying. "I was sent on my first hunting mission! I caught only a vole, but as Hawktalon says, 'One piece of prey is better than nothing!'" He tried to imitate the big warrior's deep voice. Horsepaw laughed quietly. "I hope he's pleased with what I caught. Well, I gotta go. Bye, Horsepaw!" He picked up his vole, waved goodbye with his tail, and walked into camp, head and tail held up high. Horsepaw smiled at him.

She picked up the cobwebs that were under the last log, and walked into camp with the pile of cobwebs. Her heart didn't feel heavy anymore after she witnessed how great her brother was doing as a warrior apprentice.