Warriors Super Edition: Austerpaw's Journey

Chapter 2: Spottedpaw Can Read Minds?

"Comfrey is good for broken bones," Spottedpaw mewed, pointing to a leafy green plant with purple flowers. Willowlight nodded approvingly. The two cats were going over what Spottedpaw had learned that day.

"And this?" She asked, jabbing a small white flower with an overwhelmingly strong scent. Spottedpaw frowned and tried to remember.

"Yarrow, good for... sore throats?" She asked tentatively. Willowlight shook her head.

"You're right that it's yarrow, but it's used to make cats vomit if they have stomach troubles. But what is good for sore throats?" She asked, sitting down and tucking her white paws under her fluffy white tail. Spottedpaw searched the herb stores and frowned.

"Honey is good, but I don't see any here," she mewed sadly. Willowlight sighed.

"We're going to have to ask one of the warriors to get it," she meowed tiredly. Spottedpaw cocked her head to the side. She felt frustrated at her now.

"Why can't you go get the honey?" She asked, fluffing up her dark fur, her amber eyes slitting. Willowlight rolled her neon yellow eyes.

"Cause then I'd get stung!" She meowed slowly, as if it were obvious, which it wasn't.

Stupid kit! Spottedpaw heard her mutter under her breath, and the fluffy white she-cat turned around to sort herbs. Spottedpaw whirled around.

"Excuse me?!" She growled, unsheathing her sharp claws. She was prepared for a fight, but instead Willowlight turned around, her blue eyes wide.

"Hm?" She asked, looking a little dazed at Spottedpaw's battle-ready expression. She hissed at her.

"Why did you call me a stupid kit?! I'm an apprentice! Besides why can't you risk your own sorry fur to get some stupid honey?!"

Willowlight's yellow eyes opened wide. She almost looked scared, which was silly, as Spottedpaw was a six-moon-old apprentice with no battle training whatsoever.

How did she hear what I was thinking? She asked herself, but her mouth didn't move. Spottedpaw was shocked.

"H-How did you do that?" She asked stuttering. She didn't know if Willowlight had a few tricks up her fur, or if she was just going crazy, but Willowlight looked genuinely bewildered.

"I didn't say anything..." she mewed quietly. "Did I?" She then asked quickly, her fur fluffing out.

A breeze blew through the den at that moment, rustling the carefully stacked herbs, carrying them and making them dance in the wind. Spottedpaw hurriedly sprung up out of reflexe and snatched the leaves out of the air. She then realized that Willowlight was still waiting for her response, and she mewed a quick and quiet response.

"Um, nothing. You didn't say anything, it must've been the wind."

She could tell that Willowlight didn't quite believe her, but that was okay. She didn't quite believe herself either.

"I-I'm going to get some air," she meowed, mostly to herself, as Willowlight was busy sorting herbs into the many holes and crevices in the den wall. Willowlight waved a paw.

"It's okay, you've been working hard. It's sundown, go share tongues with your clanmates." She meowed. Spottedpaw dipped her head politely and dashed out of the den.

She stepped outside, and she saw Almondpelt and Redberry chatting near the entrance of the warriors den, both cats flopped down in the pinkish sundown light.

It was evening, and by now most of LeafClan was settled down, sharing freshly caught prey, grooming each other and sharing the latest gossip. Firekit and Willowkit were parked directly in front of the elders den, listening to Shadowfeather, Willowfang, and Swiftwing talk about the days when they were warriors, young and strong.

"Yes, I do love what Lightwatcher's done with her fur!" Spottedpaw heard Almondpelt exclaim to Redberry. Spottedpaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile to choose a fat red robin. She was padding over to sit with her friends, who had just gotten back from their first day of training. But as she was walking towards them, she head Redberry meow in a low voice,

If you like looking like a living snowball!

Spottedpaw spun around. Redberry was grooming her soft red-brown fur absent-mindedly, and Almondpelt was mewing away about some IceClan cat called Snowcloud and her relationship with Ravenfeather. Why would Redberry say that? She wondered. Redberry barely spoke, so why now? And why so rude? She saw Swiftpaw roll over lazily, exposing her fluffy white belly, and she watched her friend, amused.

Why is Spottedpaw staring at me? Swiftpaw mewed, annoyed. Starlingpaw was shocked.

Swiftpaw's mouth didn't move.

All of a sudden, voices started twirling around her, flying into her ears, toying with her mind. And Spottedpaw tried to recognize those voices. But they were spinning too fast for her to tell.

Willowsong barely catches any prey. It must be her kittypet instincts.

Firekit and Willowkit are so cute!

I wonder if I can sneak another one of those delicious rabbits?

The sunset looks so totally pretty behind those pine trees!

Fernpaw is a great fighter, but she needs to listen.

Dearpelt is getting old. I wonder why she's not in the elders den?

She spun around and around, but no cat was speaking.

No cat at all.

Am I going crazy? She wondered, then stopped. She took a hold on herself, and the thoughts spinning in her head, and calmly strolled over towards Swiftpaw, who was lying beside her friends and enjoying a chubby gray mouse.

"Swiftpaw, think of a cat, any cat." She meowed, her heart pounding in her chest. Swiftpaw looked at her quizzically, but mewed a random cats name.

"Okay... got it!" Spottedpaw pricked her ears up and listened.

Kestrelpaw.

Spottedpaw's heart stopped. Every nerve was on end. Can I read minds? She wondered. She stopped herself. It wasn't proven yet. She might be wrong.

"Kestrelpaw?" She asked Swiftpaw, scared of her answer. Swiftpaw's amber eyes grew wide.

"Yes, how did you know?"