mintpaw
~~~
MINTPAW'S NOSE WRINKLED with disgust at the taste of Clearfrost's traveling herbs, swallowing them forcefully and swiping her tongue across her jaw a few times to try and get rid of the bitter taste.
It didn't work, but the gray tabby didn't dare complain in front of Clearfrost's icy eyes.
The medicine cat gave a curt nod. "We'll be setting out soon. Go organize the marigold from the feverfew we collected earlier until then." She swept her tail and then disappeared.
Mintpaw felt her ears drooping as she dragged herself to the herb storage. So Clearfrost was still mad about this afternoon, then. It wasn't her fault she'd leapt further than Snakepaw; she didn't know how it happened. All she wanted to do was give it a try, and she'd somehow beat her brother.
The gray tabby felt infinitely bored as she picked the yellow flowers apart from each other. Thankfully, despite having no interest in the subject, her mind was sharp enough to perform the duties properly.
After a while, the sounds of stomping grew louder and Snakepaw's presence was announced. Her brother ducked into the den, clearly annoyed, and brushed past the two medicine cats without even glancing at them, putting the mouse bile away, washing his paws, and exiting.
He was soon replaced by Ivorystar, much to Mintpaw's surprise. However, what shocked her even more was the fact that Clearfrost didn't even bother to acknowledge the leader's presence; clearly, there was some tension between the two sisters.
"Clearfrost," Ivorystar snapped after longer ignorance from the medicine cat. "We need to talk."
"If it's about what we discussed earlier in your den, Ivorystar, then no, we don't," Clearfrost meowed firmly. "We have reached a clear disagreement, there's no point in trying to hash it out."
"Clearfrost." Ivorystar's eyes were deadly. "I order you."
Clearfrost let out a low growl as she stood up, turning to her apprentice. "Mintpaw, please go into the herb storage and continue sorting in there."
Mintpaw nodded, picking up the herbs and trotting into the separate cave obediently. However, curiosity overcame her, and she found herself pressed at the entrance of the herb storage, ears pricked as she listened to the leader and medicine cat's conversation.
I'm not technically breaking any rules, she assured herself. I'm still in the herb storage, and I'm done with all the sorting.
However, as Ivorystar and Clearfrost's conversation proceeded, Mintpaw's eyes widened. She felt her stomach dropping with dread. Her blood veins ran cold, as if they were made of ice, and she suddenly felt frozen and overheated at the same time. She could feel herself trembling slightly.
She was beginning to wish she didn't eavesdrop on their conversation after all.
Mintpaw backed away from the entrance, her breathing coming out rapidly as she shook, wanting to curl up in a ball and wish that this was all a bad dream. There's absolutely no way what she just heard could be true. No way.
Fear spiked inside the gray tabby as she pressed herself to the stone wall, trying to calm herself down. It wasn't working.
Please, StarClan, please, Mintpaw found herself praying. Please let Ivorystar's words be a lie. It can't be real. Please.
"Mintpaw!" Clearfrost's voice, calling for the gray tabby, rang loudly through the medicine den. "Come on, it's time to go."
The gray tabby took a few deep breaths, attempting to at least stop shaking. Her pelt twitched when she saw that Viperpaw had also entered the den, glancing at him briefly as she trotted out with Clearfrost.
Neither cat spoke as they exited the camp, beginning their long journey to the Highstones.
Mintpaw's head felt dizzy. She had a yearn to talk to someone about this - anyone. But who? She certainly couldn't tell Clearfrost, and something as big and important as this could only be shared with her brothers. But, they weren't on speaking terms at the moment.
"You look shaken." Clearfrost's monotone voice came from Mintpaw's left as the two entered WindClan's territory.
"I- I'm sorry, I think I'm just not used to the traveling herbs," Mintpaw explained lamely. Even she knew her excuse was stupid.
Clearfrost simply hummed. She clearly didn't believe the gray tabby's words. "Ivorystar and I were only talking about the half-moon meeting," she meowed. "She wanted us to stop attending because Poolmist did, said we needed to stay in the territory at all times in case of danger."
You and I both know that's not true, Mintpaw thought as she stared at the medicine cat. But she couldn't let Clearfrost know that she knew.
"Oh, I see," the gray tabby replied, not sure what else to say. "Um- are we going to stop attending half-moon meetings?"
"Obviously not," Clearfrost mewed, looking around them. When her gaze finally returned to Mintpaw, she twitched her ears. "Cheer up. You'll make many new friends, and this meeting is an honor."
"I know," Mintpaw answered, ducking her head. "I'm excited, I really am."
"Good." The ShadowClan medicine cat ruffled her pelt and the two fell into silence as they headed for the tall mountains.
~~~
"CLEARFROST." A white tom greeted the two ShadowClan cats as they neared a cave, which Clearfrost explained held the Moonstone inside. That was where medicine cats went to share tongues with StarClan.
"Whiteberry," Clearfrost answered, giving the tom a curt nod. "Everything is well in WindClan, I hope."
"Everything's fine, thank you for asking," Whiteberry meowed, turning his gaze to Mintpaw. "And this is...?"
"My new apprentice, Mintpaw." Clearfrost touched her tail-tip to the gray tabby's head. "She shows great promise."
Despite her polite words, there was still some hidden message behind them; a warning for WindClan not to side with RiverClan.
Mintpaw remembered whispered conversations between adults that WindClan might soon become allies with RiverClan in the war. She glanced over at Whiteberry to see his reaction; however, the tom didn't seem very fazed.
"That, I'm sure," Whiteberry answered easily, shaking off Clearfrost's threat. He turned to the cave, sweeping his tail. "After you."
Clearfrost led the way into the dark cave. Mintpaw felt her pelt prickling uncomfortably as they got deeper and deeper, the moonlight behind them fading away. However, she soon saw a faint glow in the distance of the darkness. As they neared, the glow got brighter, and turning a corner, the gray tabby felt her pelt fluff up in astonishment at the sight of a great crystal.
"Welcome to the Moonstone," Clearfrost whispered softly next to Mintpaw's ears. "The most sacred place of all the lands."
By the Moonstone sat an orange she-cat, and her apprentice, a tortoiseshell. They both rose to their paws as Clearfrost and Whiteberry neared.
"Rosepool," Clearfrost mewed in greeting. "This is my apprentice, Mintpaw."
Rosepool dipped her head. "It's great to see you here, Clearfrost. I thought for sure you'd stop coming like Poolmist."
Clearfrost dismissed this statement with a flick of her ears. "Ivorystar tried, but I would have to be dead before she can ban me from the half-moon meetings."
Rosepool let out a light purr, though it was blatantly obvious to Mintpaw that Clearfrost wasn't joking. "Mintpaw," the ThunderClan medicine cat meowed, turning her attention to the gray tabby, "this is my apprentice, Cloverpaw. Maybe the two of you could become friends."
Mintpaw eyed Cloverpaw. She had very little want to talk to the tortoiseshell, but she couldn't be rude, especially with Clearfrost's pointed stare in the background. "Sure."
Whiteberry cleared his throat, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the clear political alliances between the ThunderClan and ShadowClan medicine cat. "Shall we get started?"
Clearfrost gave a curt nod, stepping forward. "Mintpaw," she called, "is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"
The gray tabby sucked in a breath. No turning back now.
"It is."
"Then come forward." As Mintpaw neared the Moonstone, Clearfrost faced the crystal as well, her voice bouncing off the cave walls. "Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will."
After Clearfrost finished speaking, Mintpaw leaned forward, tapping her nose against the crystal. As she did so, she felt her body and legs collapse from beneath her, whisked away into a dream.