Once my mother had weaned us off the milk, I was always hungry. She took us around camp, showing us the various dens. – The leader den, and the medical cat den the most important in my book. She showed us the warrior training ground and told us that is where we would be trained initially before going out on patrols. I was disappointed as the grounds were empty, not even Cloudpaw was there.
“Aww,” my sister sighed dreamily, "I was hoping to see Cloudpaw in action. Isn’t he just the dreamiest?”
“Ah no,” I responded, "I don’t understand your fixation on him. Now Freckledpaw…there’s a paw if ever I saw one.”
Earning me a chuckle from my mother, my brother however, sided with my sister.
“I agree with Mistkit,” he meowed, "Cloudpaw is awesome!”
“How can you say that?” I said, "Clearly Freckledpaw is more awesome, as you put it, she is a history maker being accepted into being a medical kit.”
“Whatever,” my brother rolled his eyes, "Perhaps they both are awesome as I have never heard of a paw go so young onto the trails as early as Cloudpaw did, by rights he should still be here training, but noooo, he is out earning his keep.”
I fell silent then, my brother did have a point. In my heart of hearts though, Freckledpaw was the best. She was even helping the medical cat as a kit! Could Cloudpaw claim something as awesome as that? No! No, he could not.
We were then shown where the food pile was, "This is the community food storage area. We can only eat here in order. Our time is after all the warriors.”
And then she ushered us away not explaining anything more. So, I, in my stupidity thought we could eat at any time after the warriors, so basically, we could eat all day! Well, that fantasy was short lived.
I would often go to the food pile and help myself. Elder cats would swat my head and say, "Stop that!” and walk off.
I did not understand what I was doing wrong.
“But I am eating after the warriors!” I would object, earning myself a glare and a further beating.
I did not know what I was doing wrong until my hero told me. She arrived looking disheveled and glum and saw me sitting about to eat at the food pile.
Her look turned to horror as she saw me, "What are you doing awake?”
“I was thinking of getting some food..." I replied, as I saw no need to lie, I did not think I was doing anything wrong.
"Well, it would be better to wait for mealtimes, because if everyone has a piece of prey when they felt like it especially when it's scarce, like it is now, we won't have food," she scolded me.
It was then I understood I had been doing the wrong thing. Not only that, I had shamed myself in front of the very paw I did not want to disappoint – ever. But, I had shamed myself.
The next day she came and apologised to me.
I nudged her, "It’s ok Freckledpaw, you actually helped me out last night. I did not understand the camp rules and I had been often swatted for eating out of turn. I did not know we were only to eat just after the warriors, I thought it was at any time after the warriors.”
Freckledpaw smiled a tired grin, "I am glad I helped then. I am just sorry I was so cranky in how I said it.”
“You were fine Freckledpaw,” I ended up comforting her, "Can we play like we use to?”
She thought for a while and nodded, "Just this once, I shouldn’t though with my responsibilities.” And she played with me for a time before excusing herself to attend to her duties.
“I want to be as generous as her when I am a paw,” I thought to myself and headed off to find my brother and sister again.
Whenever I could, I would visit Freckledpaw at the medical den. I would deliberately get myself thorns, just so I could see her.
It did not always work though, as I would end up with Maplestripe, "You are the clumsiest kit I have ever seen!”
Maplestripe would exclaim at me, "Are you sure your ears are alright? You shouldn’t be falling into prickle patches as often as you are at your age now! Maybe I will have to talk with the leader about putting you down.”
I yowled in fear, “No! Please don’t do that! Truth be told I am deliberately falling into them so I can see Freckledpaw.” Realising what I had just blurted out, I added blushing furiously, “Please do not tell her that! She is my hero!”
Maplestripe smirked at me, “I see, young’un, you might want to cut back on the hero worship you know. Medicine cats are not allowed to mate nor have kits.”
I looked at her blankly, “What? Why? Why are you telling me this?”
Maplestripe looked at me pityingly, "There is a fine line between obsession and love, or even hate and love. You currently have an obsession with my pupil, and it will lead to disaster if you pursue this course. So, for your own sake, please learn to control your obsession with Freckledpaw.”
“What do you mean it will lead to disaster?” I had to know as I did not wish to suffer said disaster.
“You will either die from the fellow clan members for being involved with a medicine cat or if you are lucky, and get away with it, your children will die. Once a cat becomes a medical cat, the spirits are too strong within us for ordinary cats to survive. If by chance you have a kit that survives the medical cat curse, they will be haunted by the spirit realm all their life, suffering from visions past, present and future. They need to go to the mothermouth as soon as possible and stay the rest of their lives as an oracle or disaster will befall the camp in their madness. But in saying that, there are the very rare instances where nothing happens, but you have to be extremely blessed in that case. Birthing on the full moon helps the madness of these cats.”
I did not know it then, but this was one of the last conversations I had with Maplestripe before she was murdered.
