Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 42

It was a bright sunny newleaf morning as two small cats slowly patted through the dense undergrowth, their eyes peaked and jaws scenting the air for herbs.

"Hey, Spottedsong? What herbs did Blueclaw say we needed again?" Starlingpaw asked as she sniffed around a bramble bush, which had some juniper barries growing on it.

The tortoiseshell medicine cat apprentice paused in her task of uprooting some stalks of goldenrod from the forest floor.

"She said we needed some more marigold leaves, goldenrod, juniper barries, yarrow, and cobwebs." The medicine cat answered with a friendly smile. "And it would seem that you've already found some juniper barries. Good eye, you're a very sharp apprentice."

Starlingpaw stayed silent, only shifted her paws awkwardly. "Oh! I uh... thanks, Spottedsong."

Spottedsong purred back. "It is good that you know your herbs. Knowing how to heal yourself or another cat is vital information in a tough situation."

Starlingpaw was in the forest helping Spottedsong gather herbs. The sable-furred she-cat would normally be training with her mentor, Darkfeather, but she was instructed to take it easy after a bad accident during a sparring match with her brother, Larkpaw.

"How is your leg doing? Is it still giving you trouble?" the medicine cat asked her, her amber eyes filled with concern as she stared down at the young she-cat.

Starlingpaw shook her head. "It still hurts a little, but not as bad as it did before." She meowed, twitching her whiskers and purring softly.

Spottedsong nodded and purred back. "Well that is a good sign, it will be fully healed in a few more days or so."

"So I can go back to my normal training in a few days?" she asked the older cat with a hopeful look on her face.

"Yes," Spottedsong replied with a soft smile. "That is if everything heals properly." The medicine cat told her with a flick of her dark-brown-and-gold striped tabby tail.

As the two cats continued there trek through the forest, a flash of green and purple caught Starlingpaw's eye. She turned to Spottedsong and mewed, "Hey, Spottedsong! I think I found some comfrey!" the sable-furred she-cat gestured with her tail to a leafy green plant with purple flowers.

Spottedsong raced over and her eyes gleamed with pride as she looked up at Starlingpaw. "Wow! You've got a good eye for finding herbs!" Spottedsong praised, still staring at Starlingpaw with wide eyes.

Starlingpaw blushed and licked her chest fur, self-conscious. "Oh! I uh... t-thank you, Spottedsong." She stammered out a response.

"Ok, I'm gonna quiz you." The tortoiseshell medicine cat meowed suddenly, making the sable apprentice stop in her tracks.

"Oh, um, ok I guess." She meowed cheerfully but a little nervously. "But why?" she asked her a few seconds later. "I'm no medicine cat."

Spottedsong purred and twitched her whiskers in amusement. "There's no particular reason, I'm just curious to see how much knowledge you have on herbs." She replied simply.

"So, Starlingpaw, tell me! What herbs do you know?" Spottedsong meowed in a friendly tone.

The sable she-cat purred softly and replied with a kind smile. "Comfrey is good for broken bones, yarrow is used to make cats vomit if they have stomach troubles, marigold leaves help cure infection, blackberry leaves are used for bee stings, cobwebs stop bleeding, watermint helps nursing queens produce more milk, poppy seeds help with pain, honey is good for soar throats, raspberry leaves ease the pain of queens who've kitted, thyme is used to calm a cat in shock, catmint cures greencough, and borage is used to treat fevers."