Spirits: Spirit Rising #1

Ten❀Herbs

'So, Leafpaw? Do you think you'd prefer to train as a medicine cat, like Ripplepaw suggested?' Sparrowsong pressed.

Leafpaw jumped. He hadn't even noticed that Sparrowsong had finished talking. She'd been talking to him about the ins and outs of being a medicine cat, and Leafpaw had heard none of it. But he knew everything about the Medicine Cat Code anyway, right?

He didn't hesitate. 'Yes.' He said firmly. He didn't want to become a medicine cat, per se, but he felt some sort of duty to try and help Breezepaw in whatever way possible. His sister was still passed out. Leafpaw thought she was in StarClan, hovering between life and death. He had to believe she was still alive. He couldn't be responsible for killing his own sister!

Another part of him was curious about the path of a Medicine Cat. It seemed nice, almost, to not have to fight. To not have to worry about how many battle moves your opponent knows. And despite what he said to Ripplepaw, he did like plants.

Plants were nice.

'Leafpaw, are you listening to me?'

'Yes?' He wasn't... he was listening to his own thoughts.

'What did I just say?'

'"Are you listening to me?"' Leafpaw tried. Sparrowsong let out a small growl.

'I'll announce your decision to the Clan later.' Sparrowsong repeated, sounding agitated. She pulled aside a large cover made of leaves woven together to reveal a large storage unit made with twigs and bound together with wood, with lots of small sections that each housed a different herb. She grabbed a strong-smelling herb from one of the higher shelves.

'That's mint?' Leafpaw guessed. The herb smelt so fresh it was hard to not recognise it.

'Yes!' Sparrowsong sounded pleased. 'It doesn't have much use. We rub the herb on dead cats before vigils to mask the smell and sometimes use it to freshen up the den after a bout of sickness. In this case, I'm using it to try and wake Breezepaw up; to help her regain consciousness.'

She held the mint in front of Breezepaw's nose. The apprentice's nose twitched but Breezepaw didn't stir. If Sparrowsong was disappointed, she didn't show it. She left the herb next to Breezepaw, though.

'It smells nice.' Leafpaw commented. 'Could you give some to kits when they have to take otherwise bitter herbs, to make it better for them?' Leafpaw remembered how much he'd despised eating the bitter herbs he'd had to take as a kit!

'Unfortunately, no.' Sparrowsong said. 'Mint is poisonous to cats. But, perhaps the scent would be enough to convince them? Good idea, Leafpaw.' Leafpaw smiled slightly. As a warrior apprentice, he'd never been told that he had good ideas- he never even thought of original ideas!

Leafpaw began to arrange some herbs that Sparrowsong had collected earlier as she applied poultrices and herbs to Breezepaw's injuries. She'd specified the importance of keeping them to the right compartment; they were arranged so that dangerous herbs like yarrow and poppy were at the top of the shelf, where kits couldn't reach them, and safer herbs like burnet were on the lower shelves. He quickly came to realise that Sparrowsong was an easy cat to be around; she was quiet like him, but it didn't feel awkward. The two cats worked on their own tasks and simply knew the other cat was too.

Leafpaw quite enjoyed the relaxing task of matching the herbs by scent; it was a nice opportunity for him to just get lost in his thoughts, his favourite pastime.

He hoped that becoming a medicine cat would at least somewhat help repent for what he did to Breezepaw. He didn't think she'd ever become a warrior, the way her leg looked. It seemed to be completely destroyed, and Leafpaw wanted to destroy his own leg, because that would be fair. An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg. At least this way Leafpaw wouldn't get to become a warrior alongside Breezepaw.

Was that a punishment?

He didn't even know.

He remembered the way his powers slipped out of control. He felt them slipping out of his grasp, alongside his anger. He fought to hold onto it but it was too much, he was just too weak. His anger was released from his own body and sent deep into the earth, causing it to shake and roar in protest.

He added some catmint to the stores and noticed something strange in the poppy seed compartment below it. A smaller, darker seed was nestled in with the poppies and Leafpaw pulled it out. It was a foxglove seed; Leafpaw remembered being warned about them when he was a kit.

The herb was deadly; poisonous to all cats and Leafpaw felt sure it was a sign from StarClan.