An Appearance Doesn't Define Me

Chapter 9: a trip down memory lane

"Was that Silverpaw and Nutpaw?" Ivypaw asked, she had been out with Cinnamonpaw and a hunting patrol since the ceremony

"Yeah," responded a silver tabby "Silverpaw didn't look too good – Tallshade might want you. Cinnamonpaw, Icewing, seeing as your already carrying herbs go with her." He ordered.

"Great, Thanks Hollowtail!" the brown she-cat shouted before speeding off into camp.

She reached the den to find a dripping wet pair of apprentices and a panicking Tallshade. "Tallshade? What can I do?" She asked as the two others Hollowtail had ordered appeared behind her.

"Right, quiz time." Tallshade responded as relief fell on his face.

"How in Starclan-" Nutpaw started to protest at the medicine cat's statement only to be cut off.

"What is the first thing to do when a cat enters the den?" he asked slowly directing the cats with herbs to a corner in the den. Ivypaw dropped her bundle of supplies; "Ask what happened." She paused and turned to Nutpaw "Nutpaw, what happened?"

"We were swimming, and something caught her collar dragging her down – I managed to pull her out as it snapped before she consumed too much water." He responded looking at Silverpaw with a sort of worry. Ivypaw's eyes flickered in terror for a split second before returning to normal and she turned toward the star-struck apprentice.

"Almost saw Starclan then, eh? Blu- Silverpaw, do you feel pain anywhere?" she asked. Slowly turning her head Silverpaw looked up at the short cat before responding,

"I...My neck and throat feel sore." She let out a raspy cough before lying her head on her paws and sighing.

"What next?" Tallshade asked from behind

"She needs juniper berries, for her throat, and lavender leaves, for the neck, if we have any – other than that water and... something else, but I don't know what." Ivypaw replied as she turned around to get the herbs hanging her head in embarrassment.

"Right herbs, but swap the usages," Ivypelt let out a small sigh of disappointment. "And the other thing she needs is rest." Tallshade told her, Cinnamonpaw, who was just walking out the den shouted, "That explains why she forgot it!" before running out.

***

"Finnish sorting those herbs then you can head to your nest, you'll need sleep for tomorrow, it's the half-moon meeting." Tallshade called to Ivypaw who was sitting in a corner with a few leaves Infront of her, she nodded, and it wasn't long before she did as instructed. She tried to sleep properly, but Silverpaw's scare today had dug up a deep memory that Ivypaw had fought hard to forget.

"Come on Ivykit!" a small brown with pale ginger stripes kit called out, a light ginger and spotted she-kit shouted beside the tabby: "Yeah it'll be fun!" A brown kit looked at the two with eyes big and round. "I don't think..." she was cut off by her tabby marked litter mate diving behind her pushing her forward.

They walked for a couple of minutes before stopping at a river; "So... Bluekit – so do you even know how to swim?" Ivypaw asked the bigger kit.

"Well, Eelstripe said it was like walking in water!" Bluekit said before turning to her spotted companion "Cinnamonkit, do you have any advice for our poor confused sister?"