Eventually Ravenkit grew over her mother's death. But every night she thinks about her. Every night she curls up next to Rabbitfoot and her kits. She didn't like the queen but she was the only cat to take care of her. Until she was made an apprentice medicine cat.
"You will be known as Ravenpaw until you recieve your full medicine cat name. Your mentor will be Daisyear." Fernstar was saying. Rabbitear stepped forward, not surprised to have her as her apprentice. She bent down to touch noses with the black she-cat. Ravenpaw looked down at her Clanmates from the rock. They looked much smaller than they really were.
Daisyear jumped down and so did Flamepaw, Ravenpaw, and Blacknight. Fernstar had made Flamepaw Blacknight's apprentices because he thinks it will make Flamepaw a better warrior. Ravenkit was glad she didn't get him as a mentor. Ravenpaw turned to her new mentor.
"Can we explore now?" Ravenpaw begged. "You said so!"
"Actually, I said when you're an apprentice. But I guess we can go now along with Blacknight and Flamepaw." Daisyear trotted over to them. "Mind if we tag along with you two?"
"I don't care." Blacknight growled.
Daisyear flattened her large ears. "You don't have to be rude! Come on, Ravenpaw." Daisyear walked out of the camp. WInd blew hard in Ravenpaw's ears. It was windier out in the open more than in cozy camp.
"There is the Riverclan border." Blacknight told them. "Riverclan are heavy and big cats, so beware of that in battle, Flamepaw. Windclan cats rely on their agility and swiftness, so it will be better if you are faster than them." They walked up the hill and peered down. Ravenpaw's eyes widened. A huge expase of water sat at the bottom a little ways down the hill. Waves gleamed in the midafternoon sunlight. Ravenpaw was tempted to run down there and splash in the water, but she knew she'd get in trouble.
"And there's the lake." Daisyear mewed. "It's marvelous everytime you look at it. Part of our border is a river that flows into the lake."
"Let's go look at it. It's Thunderclan's border." Blacknight led the cats down the hill in the oposite direction of the lake.
Ravenpaw heard a loud rumbling noise. She looked to see a river flowing down the hiilside into the lake. Small rocks crossed over it, making it a good bridge. And it never stopped all the way down.
"Thunderclan is stong but arrogant. While they boast about their victory, you attack. But they are known to climb trees and attack from above." Blacknight growled.
"Above?" Flamepaw gasped.
"From the tree tops." Blacknight started telling Flamepaw of the stories of Thunderclan first attacking Shadowclan from the treetops. Diasyear interrupted them.
"Me and Ravenpaw are going to search for herbs. We will make it back to camp by ourselves." Daisyear told him. Flamepaw cast his sister a longing glance before she turned and followed her mentor up the hill again.
"No need to learn about fighting yet." Daisyear commented.
"Yet?" she repeated.
"All medicine cats have to learn defense moves some. But only to defend, not to attack." Daisyear looked sideways at Ravenpaw.
"No way!" she mewed.
"Good. I will show you where the catmint grows. Only us out of the other two Clans have it. Besides Thunderclan." She stopped at a fallen log. Ravenpaw could smell the wonderful scent of catmint nearby. Daisyear walked around the stump and looked at a large clump of the stuff. It was lush and green, fresh in the green-leaf ground. Daisyear bent down to sniff it, and Ravenpaw copied her.
"We won't pick any yet, because we're saving for the leaf-bare weather." Daisyear told her. Ravenpaw looked up, confused. Daisyear continued. "Leaf-bare brings greencough. Usually they only affect kits and elders, but sometimes warriors. And you will have a fever, running nose, coughing, and all those sorts of signs. Catmint is the best remidy for that."
Ravenpaw nodded and stared at the fuzzy leaves. "Is it rare?"
"Very." Daisyear looked at the setting sky. "We might need to head somewhere else. We want to be back to camp before sundown." She started walking, and the black she-cat followed her mentor. She gazed curiously at the large hills and the rabbit holes all over the moors. Sometimes she could see a rabbit pop his head up, only to disappear again. The wind grew softer, pulling her gently onwards. Daisyear only twitched her ears to show she was watching out for anything. Her eyes were clouded, like she was gazing at something no cat else could see. Ravenpaw looked at the sun. It was still bright and hot. Ravenpaw started to grow warm under her black fur.
"Can we go back now?" Ravenpaw asked after a while.
Daisyear snapped out of her daze. "Yes, yes of course. Are you getting a little hot out here?" Ravenpaw nodded. Daisyear turned directions and walked up the hill again. When they reached the top, Ravenpaw could see the camp. It looked like a huge scoop in the ground from far away.
"Let's go, Ravenpaw." Daisyear meowed. The two she-cats padded down the hill and into the camp entrance. It was empty, almost. Ravenpaw looked up at Daisyear as she walked into her den.
"When are we going to learn the other stuff?" Ravenpaw asked her. But Daisyear was distracted again. She looked at a herb. Then up at Ravenpaw, like she just noticed the apprentice was there.
"Huh? Oh, ya. We'll learn. Just not today. Um, have I ever told you about the Moonpool?"
Ravenpaw nodded.
"I have to go there. Right now, to be exact." Daisyear started to walk out. "Tell anyone who wonders where I am, okay?"
"But why? It's not half moon." Ravenpaw meowed. Daisyear was out the den when she called over her shoulder.
"Starclan needs me there!" Then she raced out of the camp. Ravenpaw curiously walked out of the den. She wondered why she had to go. She looked at the three kits playing in the corner. Then they walked up to her.
"Where's your mentor?" asked one.
"Remember, Birdkit? She's a medicine cat." meowed a she-kit. Birdkit rolled his eyes.
A tabby and white kit crinkled up his nose. "I bet that's stinky, taking care of the elders ticks." Birdkit shoved his brother.
"Don't be mean to her, Cloudkit!" he hissed. "She'll make us clean their ticks!"
Ravenpaw purred, amused. "You got that right. You'd better be nice to me, or else you'll have tick duty for the rest of your life!" Birdkit and the she-kit gasped. But Cloudkit only glared at her.
"You're not the leader!" he meowed. "You can't tell me what to do!"
Snakepaw walked up to them. "What's going on? A kit fight?" He mocked. Ravenpaw glared at the gray tom.
"I'm an apprentice, stupid! Besides, you can't talk that way to a medicine cat!" Ravenpaw stuck her nose in the air. Snakepaw only snorted. The kits became interested in a floating feather, and raced away to catch it and play with it.
"You're jealous you can't be a warrior!" Snakepaw growled.
"Am not! You're not that tough, Snakepaw." Ravenpaw narrowed her eyes. Snakepaw was bigger than her, and she had to take a step back to look up at his eyes. "You're just a big ol' rabbit-heart!" Snakepaw had enough. He pounced onto Ravenpaw. She squealed. Snakepaw and her wrestled until he pinned her down. Ravenpaw felt his claws sink into her shoulders.
"Ow!" she squeaked. Echoheart stomped over to him and shoved him off Ravenpaw. She got up and shook her fur. Blood trickled down her shoulders.
"What in Starclan's name do you think you're doing, Snakepaw?" demanded Echoheart. He glared at his apprentice.
"I- um..." Snakepaw couldn't defend himself. Echoheart turned to Ravenpaw.
"Are you okay, Ravenpaw?" he asked. She nodded slowly. He turned back to Snakepaw. "Attacking a smaller cat than you! Do you have any shame, Snakepaw? And your own Clanmate. Snakepaw, you have to do the elder's ticks for a moon."
"But-" he began.
"No. Do it now, Snakepaw." Echoheart growled. Snakepaw flattened his ears and stalked away to the elders den. "Are you hurt badly, Ravenpaw?"
"N-no." she stammered. "He didn't hurt me that much. I can take care of this. Daisyear taught me." Ravenpaw walked into the medicine cat den before the tom could saw anything. She started to put marigold onto her shoulder wounds. They stung like fire. Now she knew she never wanted to go in battle. Everything hurt too much.
After she cleaned up, she circled her nest and layed down with a sigh. She fell asleep before she could even think.