Warriors: The Lurking Darkness (Book Two)

Chapter Five: I Belong

CHAPTER 5

The ginger-and-black she-cat gazed down at me, worry in her gaze. She flicked her tail impatiently and I could feel my pelt heat up in embarrassment.

"What seems to be the problem, Mothflower?" Dawnpool asked. I could hear her pawsteps getting closer to us.

Mothflower looked up at Dawnpool. "Jaypaw can remember the herbs no problem, but when it comes to treating them he doesn't even remember how to make a poultice," Mothflower explained to her. She sounded worried. I wish I could tell what she was thinking.

Dawnpool laughed softly, she seemed much less serious and it made me calm down more. "That's okay, Mothflower! He's a newly made apprentice, he should struggle a little. Even I struggled! Let's not even get started about you," she joked and I heard her pad over to Mothflower's side. "Is it the battle you're worried about?"

There was a pause. "Yes. It's tonight after the Gathering, under a full moon truce. There is no way StarClan will be okay with that," Mothflower mewed in disbelief. "I don't think Jaypaw is ready to handle the stress of a battle yet."

I snickered, no longer feeling embarrassed. "Because I'm blind?"

Silence greeted me for a heartbeat. Then Dawnpool spoke, "No, Jaypaw, not because you're blind, because you're a newly made medicine cat apprentice. Mothflower, how about you just tell Jaypaw the herbs you need and if he needs to make a poultice, be calm with him. Tell him each herb that needs to be in it and then tell him what to do with those herbs, okay?"

Dawnpool must've been a very calm and patient mentor. Or, at least, that's the feeling he got from her. Didn't she have a warrior apprentice at one point? I racked my brain trying to remember who Mothflower said it was.

"Thank you for your help, Dawnpool. Sorry to pull you away from your duties," Mothflower mewed in a less confident voice.

Who was it?

There was a silence and I felt Dawnpool move, but I wasn't sure what she was doing. "Anytime, Mothflower." Then she rose to her paws and slipped out of the den.

"Jaypaw."

Did Dawnpool mentor one of Russetstar's kits? I didn't think so. Mudpelt mentored Grayclaw. Who mentored Morningtail?

"Jaypaw?"

"Firelily!" I exclaimed in excitement, jumping to my paws. Dawnpool mentored Firelily who mentored Morningtail! I knew I'd remember.

"What's wrong, Jaypaw? What does Firelily need?"

Mothflower's voice sprung me back into the medicine den and I shook my head, swinging it towards her. "Oh, nothing..." I mewed, feeling embarrassed once again. "Dawnpool mentored Firelily."

My mentor shook her head. "How about you just go check on Gorsekit, okay? She'll be apprenticed soon and I want to make sure she won't have an complications that'll push back her ceremony."

I nodded and exited the den. By this point I had the layout of our den stored into memory. The store and Mothflower's nest was in the back, there were three nests lined up against the far wall and the other wall had my nest and the rest of the herbs in it. There was a small dripping sound constantly of water. Nearby that we kept the moss so it was easy access to drinking.

I padded across the clearing, hearing our deputy talking to someone. I wasn't sure who exactly, there were a lot of scents in the clearing.

The nursery, which was just the den next to ours, was filled with noise as I slipped inside.