Heart Of A Fighter (Book 1): The Story Begins

Chapter 8: Whispers From The Past

When day came, Goslingpaw was swamped with so many questions and thoughts. She could barely pay attention to what Aldertrail was saying until she received a sharp smack to her head.

"Earth to Goslingpaw! Are you awake?" Her brown furred mentor demanded. "Ouch!" The Littlepaw yelped, rubbing the sore spot with a paw.

"Good, you're awake. Please pay attention, got it? You're not going to learn anything new should you keep zoning out," reprimanded Aldertrail sternly, earning a meek nod from Goslingpaw.

Her ears burned with humiliation when she saw Swanpaw and another Starpaw that went by the name of Hazelpaw snickering at her outside.

"I'm going to quiz you on herbs and test how much you remember from our first lesson. I hope you were listening properly." Goslingpaw quickly nodded and sat up straight.

"What herb is used to help a kit's indigestion when digested?"

"Thinned heather down."

"Which herb brings down swelling?"

"Nettle leaves."

"Which herb prevents tooth decay when chewed?"

"Uhhhh...alfalfa."

"What does chewed gumweed do?"

"Seals wounds from infections."

"Excellent. What herb treats kittencough?"

"Celandine...no, no, coltsfoot!"

"And what is celandine used for?"

"Used to treat ailments of the eyes."

A small sigh of relief. "Herb that calm spasms and cramps?"

"Belladonna."

"Okay, last one. Which herbs treat bellyache?"

"Juniper berries and... uh... oh, chervil, but yarrow is also used to make them sick up the poison first."

Aldertrail nodded in approval. "Good memory you have, Goslingpaw. You will make an excellent Nettle in no time." The Littlepaw felt pride surge through her body.

Aldertrail had praised her for her excellent memory and quick learning many times, and Goslingpaw resolved to work hard to get her name quick.

But something was still on her mind. Something that had been bothering her for very long.

"Um... Aldertrail?" Her mentor gazed at her, and replied, "What's up?" "Who's my father?" Goslingpaw asked. Aldertrail seemed stunned, as she never expected her apprentice to ask her that question.

"Your father was a white and brown mackerel tabby with gold eyes under the alias of Blazeclaw here in the clan, but he was originally a DenFolk cat that escaped from the RoadWalker den."

Aldertrail paused for a moment before continuing, "Our old Leader then, his name was Squirrelstar, saw potential in him and accepted him in, and he mated with your mother shortly after. Sadly, he passed away during the snowy season due to severe blackcough about half a moon after you were born."

Goslingpaw felt like she'd been splashed in the face with ice cold river water. So she had been the reason why her father was dead.

She hung her head down miserably when she remembered her mother screaming at her that she'd killed her own father after she'd been born, saying she was a curse.

She blinked back the oncoming onslaught of tears; she didn't cry. She wouldn't cry. Her mentor seemed to read her thoughts, as she leaned down until she was at eye-level with her trainee.

"Goslingpaw, you must stop blaming yourself for your father's death. Dovetail is delusional if she thinks a newborn kit could've caused it." 

Goslingpaw flattened her ears and her mentor gently curled her tail around her and rested it on the Littlepaw's back, licking her ear as an effort to reassure her that it was alright.

Just then, Azuregale treaded in, holding a shrew in his jaws. He dropped it and meowed, "My gosling, I brought prey for y- what's wrong?"

Aldertrail turned to gaze at him and mewed softly, "Commander Azuregale. Greetings. Aren't you supposed to be busy?"

Goslingpaw turned to look at her foster father as he shyly scuffled his paws and mewed, "Well, yes, but I supposed I should bring you some food so you don't forget to eat."

"Commander Azuregale." Goslingpaw bowed respectfully to the deputy, refusing to meet him eye to eye. Azuregale stepped forward and sat beside her and Aldertrail, his eyes full of concern.

"Commander, you shouldn't be here. Cougarstar will have our pelts if he sees you here," Aldertrail said quietly.

Azuregale looked like he was about to protest, but decided against it. Leaning down, he murmured, "If something happened to you, please tell me, okay, my dear gosling?"

The cream and brown she-cat nodded and headbutted her foster father's chest softly as her form of saying 'see you later'.

When the silvery tom was leaving the den however, he paused slightly, giving Goslingpaw enough time to catch the lingering look of desperation he directed at Aldertrail, who didn't seem to notice.

He seemed to have so many things he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't. There was another emotion in his eyes, it seemed almost as if it was...love?

Before Goslingpaw even thought of asking, he left the Nettlecave, his pawsteps fading with each step.

Gently, the rich brown she-cat nudged the shrew towards her apprentice and murmured, "Eat, Goslingpaw. You need strength for later. I'm going to teach you how to swim."

This caught her by surprise. "Swim?"

Aldertrail chuckled as her Littlepaw gawked at her in amazement. "Of course. You need to know how to swim in order to get to places with herbs growing near water like watermint, feverfew, dock, marigold and sweet-sedge."

Goslingpaw felt excitement course through her veins at the thought of knowing how to do something her sister wouldn't know how to do aside from learning about healing.

Ravenously, she tore off chunks from the shrew and began to eat, before she realised her mentor had nothing to eat as well.

Aldertrail must've sensed that her trainee wanted to offer her something to eat, because she meowed, "Don't worry about me. I can just eat the berries from the bush that Willowflutter and Elmriver planted here."

Then, Goslingpaw watched in amazement as her mentor treaded over to a bush beside the Nettlecave that had ripe, juicy-looking berries growing on them.

With the gentleness of a monarch butterfly, she plucked off the berries delicately and chewed them, before turning to her apprentice.

"We planted these berries here because we tend to overwork ourselves gathering herbs and tending to the toms and their injuries from doing stupid things sometimes, thus giving us little time to eat."

Goslingpaw nodded in understanding and both mentor and apprentice resumed their separate meals. She smiled softly.

Her mentor was the most amazing cat in the world.