Midnightpaw woke up with a start at the Moonstone. She had almost forgotten that she was there.
She went over and nudged Mintleaf, who was waking up. "Were you there? Tell me, were you there?"
Mintleaf looked up at her. "Yes, I was. I'm proud of Wolftooth."
"Me too." Midnightpaw noticed that the other medicine cats were stirring.
"Remember, you can't speak of your dreams to anyone," Mintleaf reminded her. "But, I guess we can make an exception for this one if Wheatwing or someone mentions it to you."
"Okay," Midnightpaw replied.
"Let's go back," Mintleaf continued. "There's no rush, but we should get back to camp." He started exiting through the tunnel.
"Bye!" Midnightpaw told Lilacpaw, who waved her tail. Then the Thunderclan she-cat followed Mintleaf down the tunnel. It wasn't as scary the second time.
They travelled down in silence, past the abandoned Twoleg barn. Midnightpaw stopped abruptly when a scent filled her nostrils.
"What's the problem?" Mintleaf asked.
"I scent rogues," Midnightpaw whispered. "The scent is fresh." She turned to peer at the Twoleg barn.
And she saw the silhouette of a cat.
"Look!" she gasped. "There's someone there..."
Mintleaf's gaze flicked to the barn. "Really? I don't see anything."
Midnightpaw turned back and saw that the silhouette had gone.
"I guess you're right," she meowed.
It was probably my imagination, she thought as they continued the journey back.
But what if it wasn't? What if...
What if the barn isn't abandoned at all?
***
Silkpaw was one of the first to greet Midnightpaw when they entered the camp.
"How was it?" the grey tabby demanded. "Was it great?"
Midnightpaw nodded enthusiastically. "It was awesome."
"Mintleaf!" Flamestar came out of the medicine den. "We need you. Wavepelt's in there... She says she has a stomachache."
"I'll check on her right away— that is, we'll check on her." Mintleaf winked at Midnightpaw. "It would be a good time to start teaching you."
Midnightpaw followed her mentor into the medicine den. Wavepelt was in one of the nests, breathing hard.
Mintleaf placed a paw on Wavepelt's flank. "Do you know you're expecting kits?"
"What?" Wavepelt sputtered. "I-I mean... that's great! But I didn't..."
"Don't worry," Mintleaf assured the deputy. "They're due soon, by the looks of it."
"What about the... stomachache?" Wavepelt gasped.
Mintleaf felt around the she-cat's flank. "I'll give you some watermint. I don't thank the kits are coming yet. You just have trapped wind. Midnightpaw, you know where the watermint is, right?"
Midnightpaw nodded and trotted over to the herb storages. The watermint was easy to find. It was one of the first herbs she had learned about.
She took a bunch and brought it to Mintleaf.
"Good job." Mintleaf gave it to Wavepelt. "Eat this. I wouldn't go on any more patrols, just in case. You don't want to have the same problem Wheatwing had."
"What happened?" Midnightpaw asked, curious.
"We were out walking," Wavepelt explained, "and your mother started kitting while we were there. Ashheart had to go get Mintleaf. Luckily, Wheatwing kitted successfully.. almost." She looked away.
"Almost?" Midnightpaw repeated.
"Besides you and Silkkit, Wheatwing also kitted a tom-kit. He was stillborn," Wavepelt said sadly.
Midnightpaw tried to imagine not having Silkpaw. She couldn't.
"Come on, Wavepelt," Flamestar urged. "Let's get you into the nursery." He beckoned for Wavepelt to follow him, who had just licked up the watermint. The grey she-cat stood up and followed the ThunderClan leader out of the den.
"Okay." Mintleaf glanced at Midnightpaw. "Let's test you." He padded over to the herb storage, and Midnightpaw joined him. "What's this?" He snagged a plant with a woody stalk.
Midnightpaw knew that one very well. "Yarrow."
"This?" Mintleaf held up a plant with white and pink flowers.
"Comfrey."
"This?"
"Goldenrod."
"This?" Now it was a dark green leaf.
"Um..." Midnightpaw examined it closely. She thought she knew the name of this one, but she couldn't remember. "I don't know."
"Dock." Mintleaf set down the dock. "It's fine that you don't know. It's only your first full day."
Midnightpaw smiled. She was thinking about what Wavepelt had said. I wonder what it would be like to have a brother...
But I won't know.
***
"We're out of chervil," Midnightpaw murmured as she sorted through the herbs.
She had been training for just under half a moon now. Mintleaf said that she knew most of the herbs already, and he was quite impressed with her.
"You'll have to go get some at Snakerocks," her mentor commented. "You should bring someone with you, though."
"Could I bring Silkpaw?" Midnightpaw asked eagerly.
"Sure." Mintleaf shrugged.
Midnightpaw grinned and shot out of the medicine den. "Silkpaw?"
The grey tabby had just come out of the elders den.
"What?" Silkpaw asked.
"Do you want to come herb collecting with me?"
"Sure!" Silkpaw ran over. "Where are we going?"
"Snakerocks," Midnightpaw replied. "We're getting chervil."
"What's that?" Silkpaw asked as they crossed the gorse tunnel.
"It's a dark green leaf, about medium size," Midnightpaw mewed.
Silkpaw nodded silently. But her silence didn't last long.
"Not too long ago, I caught a huge mouse at Snakerocks," she piped up.
Midnightpaw nuzzled her sister. I never caught a single piece of prey...
"It's fine." Silkpaw seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry that you haven't caught anything. You don't need to."
Midnightpaw smiled.
Suddenly she heard a rustling in the bushes and froze. A rogue? I don't know anything about fighting! What if—
Then she tasted the air and realized that it was a mouse. Embarrassed, she let her fur lie flat.
Maybe I can catch this one. Shakily, she dropped into the hunter's crouch and crept forward. She was against the wind, which was good.
She tensed when her tail accidentally brushed against a fern. Her breath in her throat, she watched the mouse. It hadn't moved.
Midnightpaw sighed inwardly. Her heart was pounding in her chest. I can do this.
She bunched her muscles, and leapt.
She landed on the mouse. I got it! I got it! Then she remembered what Featherheart had told her to do and nipped the mouse's spine.
"You caught it!" Silkpaw exclaimed when Midnightpaw came out holding the mouse. "Now you can say you've caught something."
"I can." Midnightpaw was grinning as she buried the mouse. She turned toward Silkpaw. "Now let's go catch some chervil, shall we?"
Laughing, they pressed closer to each other.
"Let's race," Silkpaw suggested. "Go!" She dashed off.
"Hey!" Midnightpaw accelerated, picking up speed. Silkpaw was still in front of her, but now closer.
Midnightpaw's sister had a determined look on her face. She's faster, Midnightpaw thought, but maybe I could distract her...
"Silkpaw!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Silkpaw slowed to look back at Midnightpaw. Quick like the wind, Midnightpaw shot past her. Snakerocks was in view, and now she was in the lead! She took a quick glance beside her and saw Silkpaw catching up. Come on...
She pressed faster, continuing to shoot through the territory, but Silkpaw was also accelerating. She gained on Midnightpaw...
And they both reached Snakerocks neck-and-neck.
"Tie," Silkpaw declared breathlessly. "You've gotten faster since we were kits."
Midnightpaw was too exhausted to reply.
"Now where's that chervil?" Silkpaw mused, looking around Snakerocks.
Midnightpaw tasted the air with her jaws, searching for chervil. As she did so, she spotted a patch down to the left. She padded over to it and started gathering the dark green leaf.
When she had finished she trotted over to Silkpaw, who had a huge bundle of chervil in her jaws.
"I found a whole bunch!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by the chervil.
"Let's go back to camp." Midnightpaw managed to speak clearly.
They walked side by side through the forest back to the ThunderClan camp. Midnightpaw would have probably forgotten to unbury her mouse if Silkpaw hadn't reminded her.
"Good thing I'm here," Midnightpaw's sister had said teasingly.
Somehow Midnightpaw managed to tuck the mouse under her chin and hold the chervil with her jaws.
I probably look ridiculous, she thought when she saw Silkpaw grin, but whatever.
Suddenly she felt something cold and wet fall on her nose. Surprised, she stopped.
Silkpaw was looking around, excited. White flakes were starting to fall from the sky.
"Whaph's hafening?" Silkpaw asked, her voice still muffled. "Are the sfars fawing?"
Maybe. Midnightpaw felt a surge of panic. Mintleaf never told me about this! But maybe he doesn't know...
Her black pelt was now speckled with white. Midnightpaw started to panic. Completely losing control of herself, she dashed to the camp. Rushed pawsteps behind her told Midnightpaw that Silkpaw was following.
Smokestorm was on guard. When he saw Midnightpaw's panicked expression, he laughed.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," he meowed. "It's just snow. It comes every leaf-bare."
Embarrassed, Midnightpaw relaxed.
Suddenly, the gorse tunnel exploded and Vinepaw came running out.
"Midnightpaw!" he yowled. "You need to come quick. It's an emergency!"