The blades of the sun

Chapter 2

Honeykit bounded out of the den as she heard Littlekits wail, warmth pressed against her golden fur and she spotted her brother in an instant.

" What happened?!" Honeykit meowed as she neared him. He looked up at her and held up one of his paws. Honeykit could see a thorn trapped in his pad and a tiny bit of blood. " Come on, I'll take you to the medicine cat den." She told her brother. She made sure he was following her and she led the way to the den. " Sit down, I'll go get Webfoot." She instructed.

She looked around the den for the medicine cat, but she couldn't see him. How do you treat thorns in paws?  Honeykit tried to remember as she searched her memories. Then she had an idea. She raced out of the den to the elder's den, Webfoot might be out right now but Honeykit knew that Sticktail used to be a medicine cat. She searched the den for the brown tom and quickly spotted him.

" Hi, Sticktail, what do you do if a cat has a thorn stuck in there paw?" She asked the brown elder. He flicked his tail and gazed into the light.

" You have to lick the pad until you find the edges of the thorn then once you find it grip the thorn firmly between your teeth, then tug it out carefully but quickly. Get a small piece of clean moss and soak it in fresh water, then soak up all the excess blood and pus and dirt from the wound to clean it. Chew into separate pulps about two or three chervil and marigold leaves, then mix the two pulps together, and dab the mixed pulp into the hole the thorn made and around it, then fetch some clean cobwebs and cover the wound." The elder told her. Honeykit nodded and quickly repeated what he said in her mind. She knew what herbs were what as she had asked Sticktail about herbs often.

" Show me the paw." She instructed Littlekit. Obediently he held up his injured paw and Honeykit licked his pad. She found the edges of the thorn and quickly yanked it out, she found some moss and soaked it in a nearby puddle and soaked up the blood. She found some marigold and chervil leaves and chewed them up and then mixed the two pulps together. She then carefully dabbed the pulp into his paw and covered the wound with cobwebs. Satisfied she had done it right, she let out a sigh of relief.

" Whats going on here?" Webfoot asked as he came into his den. His eyes shun with curiosity and Honeykit hoped he didn't think they were playing a game.

" Littlekit got a thorn stuck in his paw so I asked Sticktail what to do because I couldn't find you. I've treated the wound as he said." Honeykit told the tom. Webfoot blinked in surprise and Honeykit shuffled her paws awkwardly.

" You've done everything perfectly, Littlekit you should go back to your nest and rest. Try not to put a lot of weight on that paw." Webfoot instructed, Littlekit nodded and spun around. " How did you know what all of the herbs looked like?" Webfoot asked her.

" I often visit Sticktail and ask him about herbs, the others don't really care. I guess I just get interested in them."Honeykit explained to the medicine cat. He nodded and his gaze lit up.

" I know its a bit long away for you, but when you become an apprentice do you want to be a medicine cat apprentice?" He asked her. Honeykit gasped in surprise and thought about it. She had never really cared about fighting or hunting, perhaps it would be best for her.

" I would like that." She nodded and smiled. Webfoots gaze burned with happiness and Honeykit raced back to the nursery to tell her den mates about what had happened. As usual Oakkit and Spiderkit were taking on each other, Moonkit and Beekit were sharing a mouse while Littlekit and Cloudkit washed.

" I have an announcement!" Honeykit called to her den mates. They all stopped what they were doing and eyed her curiously. " I'm going to become a medicine cat apprentice!"