Turtleheart's Path

Chapter 10

Turtlepaw lifted her head the next morning and stretched, it was just after dawn and the camp was just waking. She heard a yowl from the leader's den and Bramblestar's hiss which silenced it. The clan was definitely concerned but no cat dared ask questions. Turtlepaw padded to Lionpaw and smelled his wound, her eyes widened as no sour smell was detected. "Sparrowfeather!" She called and watched as the brown tom bounded into the den. "What happened?" He asked. Turtlepaw flicked her tail, beckoning him over. "I can't smell infection!" She reported. Sparrowfeather smelled the wound and lifted his head. "You're right! This is wonderful, Turtlepaw! You mixed the herbs last night, what did you use?" Turtlepaw thought for a moment. "Chervil and horsetail." Sparrowfeather purred. "When your parents are finished talking i'll be sure to report to them. When he wakes, assess how he feels." The medicine cat turned to collect herbs again. Just then Bramblestar emerged from the den and leapt onto Tallrock. "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath Tallrock to hear my words." She yowled into the quiet clearing. Clouds covered the sky making the moor dark.
"Turtlepaw, do you wish to become the next medicine cat of Windclan?" She nodded and smiled yet she couldn't help but see from the corner of her eye Hawkgrowl scowling to himself. She;d disappointed her father but got praise from her mother. She hadn't even told Briarpaw but she knew her sister could have guessed. "Then you and Sparrowfeather shall travel to the moonstone tonight to speak to Starclan!" Bramblestar purred. The clan began to break up and Briarpaw bounded up to her and brushed her fur against her sister. "My sister is a medicine cat! I'm so proud!" She mewed. "Not yet." Turtlepaw shrugged. "Starclan has to accept you!" Briarpaw purred. "Want to come hunting with me? Sparrowfeather said you could, I already asked." Turtlepaw smiled. "You're sneaky. Fine, let's hunt. Towards Fourtrees?" Briarpaw nodded and bounded from camp. "Be careful around the riverclan border!" She called to her sister who flicked her tail in acknowledgement of her words. Turtlepaw turned and bounded down into fourtrees and padded slowly up the slope which looked towards the river and into Riverclan territory.
Turtlepaw watched as Brackenpaw dove down at a fish, pulling it from the flowing water. The tom set it down and looked up to see Turtlepaw across the river. "Sunstar there's a mouse across the river, can I catch it?" The leader must have answered because Brackenpaw leapt into the water and swam across swiftly. Brackenpaw purred as he reached the shore. "Turtlepaw! How are you? How is Lionpaw? I'm so sorry about him, I tried to stop Branchpaw from grabbing him and you." She shrugged. "He is healing, we finally got the infection gone. Sparrowfeather said my mixture of herb- '' She paused as Brackenpaw tilted his head. "I'm sorry, Brackenpaw. I… I'm becoming a medicine cat. But I still want to see you!" Brackenpaw stayed silent before sighing. "I'll still see you, Turtlepaw. How could I not? Be safe on your journey to the moonstone, monsters are ruthless. I went with Sunstar for his ceremony, we almost died." Turtlepaw frowned. "I'm sorry about Carpstar. He was a noble leader." Brackenpaw nodded. "He was older, we tried to tell him he couldnt lead a battle patrol but he didnt listen. There were no real signs of what wound killed him and Hawkgrowl was terrified when Carpsatr died in his paws. Sunstar said he'd never seen a more afraid cat." Turtlepaw looked up as Sunstar's call sounded. "I have to go. Bye, Turtlepaw." Brackenpaw purred and bounded back down into the river. Turtlepaw watched him go before leaving to find her own prey.
Lucky for her a thrush landed in the grass, eating the worms. She caught it and headed back to Briarpaw. "Just this." Turtlepaw said, "I see you had good hunting." She added. Briarpaw smiled, holding a rabbit and vole. "I can carry the vole, that rabbit is huge." She grabbed the vole by the tail and headed back beside her sister. They put their prey in the freshkill pile before parting ways. Turtlepaw bounded into the medicine den, seeing Lionpaw sitting up and talking to Hawkgrowl. Turtlepaw puffed her chest out and walked towards them, looking more confident than before. "Excuse me, I need to check on him." She demanded. Hawkgrowl hissed, his eyes flashing. "Don't play pretend, you did nothing to heal him." Sparrowfeather entered the den. "Hawkgrowl. Don't dare speak to your future medicine cat like that. In fact, Turtlepaw mixed the poultice that saved Lionpaw." Hawkgrowl sneered and left the den, leaving Turtlepaw looking at her paws.