Jaykit let out a fake growl, and pounced lightly on Hazelkit.
"Hey!" Hazelkit whined. "You're squashing me!"
"Sorry." Jaykit mumbled. She glanced at her brother, Ravenkit, and her cousin, Alderkit. They were both fast asleep.
"You're the only one awake, Hazelkit. Can't we play?"
"No." Hazelkit replied, her mew muffled by pushing her muzzle into her fur. "Go to sleep, Jaykit."
Jaykit sighed. She wasn't sleepy. She crept out of the nursery, into the heart of the camp. She spotted Stormfeather sharing tounges with his mate, Dovepelt, and she saw Sunwatcher, the medicine cat, collecting some herbs at the edge of camp.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jaykit saw a hunting patrol come into camp, but she was more interested in Sunwatcher's herb gathering.
Jaykit padded over to Sunwatcher and asked "Hey, Sunwatcher, what are those herbs for?"
Sunwatcher turned his soft amber eyes on Jaykit. "These are daisy leaves. They're good for aches and pains. Want to help me pick some?" he asked Jaykit.
"Sure!" Jaykit said. "How should I pick them?"
"Like this." Sunwatcher bent down, tipped his head to one side, and plucked the leaf from the base. "Now you try."
Jaykit crouched down, nipped at the leaf. and set it on the pile. "Good job!" said Sunwatcher. "You'd be a great medicine cat."
"Really?" asked Jaykit. "I'd love to do that- I don't have much interest in hunting or fighting...healing the Clan sounds much more important."
Sunwatcher's eyes widened. "Really, Jaykit? You want to be a medicine cat?" he ficked his ear. "It's not all about herbs, you know."
"What else is there?" Jaykit asked.
"Every half-moon, medicine cats go to the SilverTree, a huge silver birch tree where we speak to StarClan to get advice for the future of the clans."
"Wow!" Jaykit was excited to start her apprenticeship. She would be apprenticed in a quarter moon!
"Sunwatcher?" she started. "Can I be a medicine cat?"
Sunwatcher looked faintly surprised, but also like he was expecting the question. "Why do you want to train as a medicine cat?"
"I think herbs and their healing properties are really cool!" She saw Sunwatcher's whiskers twitch in amusement. "And i'm not interested in hunting or fighting. This is a better way to help my Clan. And speaking to StarClan sounds amazing!" her blue eyes sparkled like the sky. "and I'd have a great mentor." she added.
Sunwatcher gazed at her curiously. "I'll speak to Twigstar."
Jaykit jumped up and down, and squealed "Thank you!"
"Maybe I'll have to call you Jaysqueak." Sunwatcher purred. Jaykit bounced over to the nursery to tell the other kits the good news! "Robinkit!" Jaykit called, seeing her outside of the nursery. "I'm going to be a medicine cat!"
A quarter moon later
"From this moment on, you will be known as Jaypaw until you get your full medicine cat name." Twigstar turned to Sunwatcher. "Mentor her well."
The ceremony went on, will Ravenpaw being apprenticed to Dawnlight. As he slipped out of camp to see the forest with his mentor, and Jaypaw felt a pang at the fact that she would never train with her brother.
But then she remembered that she was training as a medicine cat! Nothing could stop her from being the best medicine cat she could be!
Or so you think.
Jaypaw flinched. The voice- it was sort of in her head, but it wasn't hers.
She turned around to see a huge black and white tomcat illuminated in her vision.
She staggered back, accidentally stepping on Troutstripe's tail. "Sorry!" she yelped.
"It's fine." the old tom mumbled, rolling his amber eyes and smiling a bit. "My tail's been trodden on more times than i've caught mice."
"Are you sure? I could...fetch you something from the medicine den."
"Sure, medicine cat. If you insist." he said. she trotted away, smiling, and he called, "If I don't need anything, you can treat my next battle wound!"Jaypaw stifled a mrrow of laughter.
She crept in the medicine den. Her den. "Sunwatcher, is there anything that I need for a tail that's been stepped on?" Jaypaw stepped into the cave until she was under the hole that let sun in.
"A trodden tail?" Sunwatcher said, coming into the light. "No, I think that will be fine without treatment."
"Okay." Jaypaw meowed. "What do you want me to do, O great mentor?"
"You could check the elders, O tiny apprentice."
"Hey!" Jaypaw squeaked indignantly. "I'm not tiny!"
Jaypaw marched over to the elders den. She could hear Storktail snoozing peacefully, his chest rising and falling.
Storktail was the older elder, and Stonewish had joined the elders shortly before Jaypaw was born.
"Hello, Stonewish." Jaypaw whispered, careful not to wake Storktail.
Stonewish craned her head to look at her. "Hello, Jaypaw." she meowed.
"Do you need anything?" Jaypaw asked. "My old paws are a bit sore. If you could fetch me something, that would be great."
"Alright, Stonewish, I'll be back in a few heartbeats!"
As Jaypaw left the den, she thought she saw Stonewish's whiskers twitch with amusement. "Young cats." she meowed.
This is my destiny! Jaypaw thought happily. I'll be the best medicine cat!
What if you aren't? whispered the strange voice again.
Annoyed, Jaypaw thought fiercely back who are you?
I am Darkspirit, and I come from the Shadow Sea.