Sandstorm reassured her apprentice with an old nursery saying: “It’s better to scare off a mouse than welcome a badger.”
Hollykit’s heart leaped like a fish at the sight of Willowpaw. She had met the medicine cat apprentice once before, when Mothwing had brought precious supplies of catmint from the clump that grew in a sheltered part of RiverClan territory. Leafpool had welcomed the gift, since the patch that grew near the abandoned Twoleg nest in ThunderClan territory had been killed by frost. Hollykit had spoken to Willowpaw then because she wanted to find out
what it was like to belong to a different Clan. But this time she wanted to find out something else: how to become a medicine cat’s apprentice.
While Sandstorm went to find Leafpool, Hollykit scampered across the clearing toward Willowpaw. “Hello!” she mewed shyly.
Willowpaw, who had been looking troubled, brightened up. “Hello, Hollykit!” she purred. “Or is it Hollypaw now?”
“Not yet,” Hollykit told her. “Why are you here?” The RiverClan cats weren’t carrying anything. Perhaps they had come to ask for supplies in return for the catmint.
Willowpaw’s whiskers twitched. “I had a dream,” she mewed. “I want Leafpool to help me interpret it.”
“Can’t Mothwing do that?” Hollykit asked, confused.
Willowpaw glanced at her paws. “Mothwing suggested we get Leafpool’s opinion.”
“What was it about?”
Willowpaw looked solemn. “I can’t tell you until I’ve shared it with Leafpool.”
“Mothwing, Willowpaw!” Leafpool stood at the entrance to the medicine den. “Welcome! Come in!” She waited, holding back the trailing brambles, while Mothwing and Willowpaw weaved past her into the shadows beyond.
Hollykit stared wistfully after them as the leaves swished back into place. She felt a nudge in her flank and turned to see Lionkit butting her gently with his head.
“Why are you staring at them like a dumb rabbit?” he
mewed. “Mothwing and Willowpaw have visited the camp before.”
Hollykit was unable to keep her wish to herself a moment longer. “I want to be a medicine cat!” she blurted out.
Chapter 7
“There are other ways to serve your Clan apart from being a warrior,” Hollykit snapped.
“But you’ll be stuck in the camp with all the sick and injured cats instead of out in the forest hunting or fighting.”
There was no criticism in Lionkit’s tone, only disbelief.
Hollykit did not want to hear about what she would be missing. “But think how much I’ll
“What could be more exciting than that?”
“Fighting ShadowClan?”
“But I want to have dreams just like Leafpool and Willowpaw!” Hollykit insisted.
“You already do,” Lionkit purred, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Dreams about hedgehogs!”
“You cheeky kit!” Hollykit squeaked in mock anger. With a small leap, she pushed Lionkit to the ground and began to tussle with him.
“What are you two doing?” Squirrelflight’s stern meow made Hollykit freeze. Lionkit struggled from her grasp, and the two kits sat up and faced their mother. “If you’ve got nothing better to do than make the fresh-kill pile dusty with your fighting, you may as well go back to the nursery.”
“But I haven’t eaten yet!” Hollykit protested.
“Then take something with you,” Squirrelflight answered.
“And take something for Ferncloud, too.”
Hollykit hated eating in the nursery. Prey always tasted better eaten in the fresh air. But she didn’t protest. She saw that Squirrelflight had already turned to look at Thornclaw, who was resting beneath Highledge.
“I hope Thornclaw’s remembered that he’s leading the sunhigh patrol,” the flame-colored she-cat meowed, half to herself.
“You’d better go and remind him, seeing as you seem to be keeping an eye on everyone around here,” Hollykit muttered.
“What was that?” Squirrelflight’s thoughtful gaze remained on Thornclaw.
“Nothing,” Hollykit mewed guiltily.
“Don’t forget Ferncloud,” Squirrelflight reminded her, padding away.
Hollykit stared after her mother, feeling a surge of rebellious anger. “It wouldn’t be so bad if she even noticed she was spoiling our fun!”
“She’s just busy,” Lionkit mewed. “You know what she’s like.”
“I suppose.” Hollykit sighed. She knew she wasn’t being fair. How could she criticize her mother when, in truth, she wanted to be just like her, brave and loyal and respected by her Clanmates? “Let’s go back to the nursery.”
Hollykit dragged one of Brook’s mice from the fresh-kill pile. Lionkit pulled off a thrush more than half his size and began hauling it toward the nursery. Hollykit guessed that Ferncloud wouldn’t be able to eat such a large piece of prey, but her brother never changed his mind once it was made up.
Back in the nursery she ate the mouse, giving thanks to StarClan for the food before she tucked in. When she had finished she gave her paws and muzzle a quick lick and then lay flat on her belly to peep out under the brambles at the clearing. Lionkit had fallen asleep beside her, and Ferncloud was trying to persuade Foxkit and Icekit to try a piece of the thrush that she’d softened with her teeth. Hollykit narrowed her eyes and stared at the entrance to the medicine den, watching for any movement. She wanted to speak to Willowpaw again.
At last the brambles twitched and Leafpool led Mothwing and Willowpaw out into the clearing. Hollykit glanced back at Lionkit, still sleeping, and Ferncloud, busy with her kits. As quietly as possible she slithered out under the bramble wall of the den, dislodging a wad of leaves that Squirrelflight had pressed into place the day before.
“Hello!” she mewed to Willowpaw.
Willowpaw’s ears twitched. She blinked at Hollykit, and the faraway look cleared from her gaze. “Hi,” she mewed.
“Did Leafpool help you?”
Willowpaw nodded. “I can tell you about the dream now, if you still want to know.”
Hollykit flicked her tail excitedly. “Yes, please.”
“Well,” Willowpaw began, “I dreamed that clouds were streaming across the sky, flowing and tumbling across the blue. And then they stopped and the sun scorched down onto the RiverClan camp, shriveling the plants and drying up the nests until there was no shelter from the burning heat.”
Hollykit shuddered. “What did it mean?”
“Leafpool thought it could be a warning of trouble with our water supply. But there’s been plenty of rain this leaf-bare, so it probably doesn’t mean a drought. She advised me to tell Leopardstar to check all the streams near the camp and make sure they are safe.”
Hollykit leaned forward. “How did you become
Mothwing’s apprentice?” she asked.
“I helped her with some of her patients when there was an outbreak of illness,” Willowpaw told her. “I
