A True Medicine Cat [Warriors Cats]

Chapter 2

Spottedkit was awake before the sun was even up.

She sat excitedly in her nest, rehearsing what she would say when she became an apprentice in her head.

Okay, so Rainstar will ask if I want to be an apprentice. Then I'll say "I do". Then he'll call upon Starclan, and then I'll be an apprentice!

You gotta stand tall, but you can't puff your fur out too much. Should I move my tail? I don't know. I guess I'll keep it still. Hopefully I won't trip.

She flicked her ear again and put her chin on her paws. I can't wait!

"Darling, are you awake?" Featherleaf groggily blinked her eyes open. "Get a little bit of sleep. You'll be too tired for your ceremony." She opened her mouth wide and let out a huge yawn. "What time is it?"

"It's about moon-fall, actually. I become an apprentice at sunhigh, right?"

"You won't if you're too tired to carry yourself." Featherleaf chided before yawning again. "Try to at least close your eyes for two minutes."

"I did that already. I can't sleep."

"Try again. Nobody's awake." Featherleaf rolled over and curled her tail tighter around Spottedkit. "Just close your eyes and think about who your mentor will be."

"I already did."

Featherleaf didn't answer this time. She was either asleep, which was impossible, or she was ignoring her.

Spottedkit humphed and closed her eyes, listening to her heartbeat in her ears.

***

"Spottedkit, wake up! It's climbing-sun!" A voice rang in her ears. Two paws forcibly shook her sleeping form.

Spottedkit bolted awake and stared straight into Redpaw's eyes with her own. "What?"

"You'll be an apprentice soon!" Redpaw chirped. "Then we can train and hunt and hang out way more!"

Spottedkit scrambled to her paws after noticing her mother's absence. She must've not wanted to wake me up.

"Aren't you excited?" Redpaw beamed. Spottedkit returned her smile happily.

"Definitely! What did you do first when you became an apprentice?"

"Oh, Lilystream showed me how to collect moss and feathers for the nests." Redpaw wrinkled her nose. "I hope you get to do something more fun."

"Huh. Is Lilystream nice?" Spottedkit shoved her nest together and padded out of the nursery

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. She's really strict, but she's kind of funny when you get to know her." Redpaw glanced at the sun after climbing out of the nursery. "I wonder who you'll get."

"I have no idea. Reedblaze won't even tell me, and he's been talking to me a lot lately." Spottedkit scanned the camp clearing for the golden deputy, but he wasn't to be seen. "I guess he's on patrol or something."

"Yeah, they're trying to get the border patrols done before your ceremony. That's why Ripplepaw's not here, if you're wondering." Redpaw plopped down and curled her tail around her paws.

Spottedkit felt a twinge of surprise. "All of the clan will be there?"

"Well, yeah, duh. You're the only kit in the nursery. You're kind of a big deal today. Just don't expect the biggest fish, okay?" She winked. "I asked Lilystream my first day. She told me to get over myself."

"I see you're awake." Featherleaf appeared from the warrior's den. "Are you excited? Oh, my only kit, growing up." She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed against her. "I can't believe you're already an apprentice!"