Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 5

"Comfrey is good for broken bones," Kestrelpaw mewed, pointing to a leafy green plant with purple flowers. Leafcrackle nodded approvingly. The two cats were going over what Kestrelpaw had learned that day.

"And this?" he asked, jabbing a small white flower with an overwhelmingly strong scent. Kestrelpaw frowned and tried to remember.

"Yarrow, good for... sore throats?" she asked tentatively. Leafcrackle shook his head.

"You're right that it's yarrow, but it's used to make cats vomit if they have stomach troubles. But what is good for sore throats?" he asked, sitting down and tucking his gray paws under his red-and-gray tail. Kestrelpaw searched the herb stores and frowned.

"Honey is good, but I don't see any here," she mewed sadly. Leafcrackle sighed.

"We're going to have to ask one of the warriors to get it," he meowed tiredly. Kestrelpaw cocked her head to the side. She felt frustrated at him now.

"Why can't you go get the honey?" She asked, fluffing up her ginger-and-white fur, her yellow eyes slitting. Leafcrackle rolled his amber eyes.

"Cause then I'd get stung!" He meowed slowly, as if it were obvious, which it wasn't.

Stupid kit! Kestrelpaw heard him mutter under his breath, and the fluffy red tom turned around to sort herbs. Kestrelpaw whirled around.

"Excuse me?!" she growled, unsheathing her sharp claws. She was prepared for a fight, but instead Leafcrackle turned around, his amber eyes wide.

"Hm?" He asked, looking a little dazed at Kestrelpaw's battle-ready expression. She hissed at him.

"Why did you call me a stupid kit?! I'm an apprentice! Besides why can't you risk your own sorry fur to get some stupid honey?!"

Leafcrackle's orange eyes opened wide. He almost looked scared, which was silly, as Kestrelpaw was a six-moon-old apprentice with no battle training whatsoever.

How did she hear what I was thinking? He asked himself, but his mouth didn't move. Kestrelpaw was shocked.

"H-How did you do that?" She asked stuttering. She didn't know if Leafcrackle had a few tricks up his fur, or if she was just going crazy, but Leafcrackle looked genuinely bewildered.

"I didn't say anything..." he mewed quietly. "Did I?" He then asked quickly, his fur fluffing out.

A breeze blew through the den at that moment, rustling the carefully stacked herbs, carrying them and making them dance in the wind. Kestrelpaw hurriedly sprung up out of reflexes and snatched the leaves out of the air. She then realized that Leafcrackle was still waiting for her response, and she mewed a quick, quiet,

"Um, nothing. You didn't say anything, it must've been the wind."

She could tell that Leafcrackle didn't quite believe her, but that was okay. She didn't quite believe herself either.

"I-I'm going to get some air," she meowed, mostly to herself, as Leafcrackle was busy sorting herbs into the many holes and crevices in the den wall. Leafcrackle waved a paw.

"It's okay, you've been working hard. It's sundown, go share tongues with your clanmates." He meowed. Kestrelpaw dipped her head politely and dashed out of the den.

She stepped outside, and she saw Cherrycloud and Frostwind chatting by the Sun-Tree, both cats flopped down in the pinkish sundown light.

It was evening, and by now most of BreezeClan was settled down, sharing freshly caught prey, grooming each other and sharing the latest gossip. Thrushkit and Wolfkit were parked directly in front of the elders den, listening to Burrbounce, Blizzardsnow, and Shimmerstone talk about the days when they were warriors, young and strong.

"Yes, I do love what Tulipcloud's done with her fur!" Kestrelpaw heard Cherrycloud exclaim to Frostwind. Kestrelpaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile to choose a fat red robin. She was padding over to sit with her littermates, who had just gotten back from their first day of training. But as she was walking towards them, she heard Frostwind meow in a low voice,

If you like looking like a living snowball!

Kestrelpaw spun around. Frostwind was grooming his soft white fur absent-mindedly, and Cherrycloud was mewing away about some MistClan cat called Brightmist and her relationship with Thornleap. Why would Frostwind say that? She wondered. Frostwind barely spoke, so why now? And why so rude? She saw Winterpaw roll over lazily, exposing her fluffy white belly, and she watched her sister, amused.

Why is Kestrelpaw staring at me? Winterpaw mewed, annoyed. Kestrelpaw was shocked.

Winterpaw's mouth didn't move.

All of a sudden, voices started twirling around her, flying into her ears, toying with her mind. And Kestrelpaw tried to recognize those voices. But they were spinning too fast for her to tell.

Springlight barely catches any prey. It must be her kittypets instincts.

Wolfkit and Thrushkit are so cute!

I wonder if I can sneak another one of those delicious rabbits?

The sunset looks so totally pretty behind those pine trees!

Larkpaw is a great fighter, but he needs to listen.

Briardawn is getting old. I wonder why she's not in the elders den?

She spun around and around, but no cat was speaking.

No cat at all.

Am I going crazy? She wondered, then stopped. She took a hold on herself, and the thoughts spinning in her head, and calmly strolled over towards Rookpaw, who was lying beside her littermates and enjoying a chubby gray mouse.

"Rookpaw, think of a cat, any cat." She meowed, her heart pounding in her chest. Rookpaw looked at her quizzically, but mewed an,

"Okay... got it!" Kestrelpaw pricked her ears up and listened.

Wolfkit.

Kestrelpaw's heart stopped. Every nerve was on end. Can I read minds? She wondered. She stopped herself. It wasn't proven yet. She might be wrong.

"Wolfkit?" She asked Rookpaw, scared of her answer. Rookpaw's blue eyes grew wide.

"Yes, how did you know?"