The beginning

Chapter three

Mistkit opened her eyes, as they adjusted to the light. Her hind leg ached dully, as she shifted slightly. Yawning, she stretched to loosen up her lithe figure.
"Mother. Can we learn some herbs today?" She mewed, in between her grooming.
Her mother, rosepelt replied, a purr entering her voice as she got up.
"Of course we can". She flicked her tail at a freshly killed mouse. "First you must eat though" she ordered gently, licking mistkit around the ears.
Sadness welling in her eyes, mistkit slowly crunched up the mouse, feeling a warm flow of energy tingle through her.
"Did the mouse... Suffer?" She asked, backing away from her meal, indicating that her belly was full.
"I don't know. I didn't catch it" replied her mother, flicking her soft tail understandingly. "One quick bite and it was dead. I suppose" she purred soothingly. "Now. How about those herbs?"
Mistkit leapt to her paws, wincing slightly as her lame leg twisted. "Great!" She mewed enthusiastically, her eyes glowing with bright happiness.
Her mother sat down, curling her tail around her dainty paws. Her eyes adopted a mock stern approach. Mistkit's whiskers shook with mirth, as her mother lashed her tail.
"Right then! Tell me the herbs that are used to stop infection" rosepelt ordered, raising her voice an octave higher.
Mistkit tried to pull herself together, her body shaking with laughter.
"Sorry" she mewed, dipping her head to her mother in play respect. "Marigold, horsetail and dock and sweet sedge and burdock root help with infections" she replied without hesitation.
"Very good" her mother mewed warmly, snapping out of her play-stern style. Mistkit's eyes glowed with happiness at the praise.
"Now. This is more difficult" warned her mother. "So take your time".
Mistkit acknowledged the advice with a nod, desperate to get the question right.
"What do you do if a kit has swallowed death berries?" Mewed rosepelt, her voice once again resuming the stern tone of a mock mentor.
Far from giggling this time though, mistkit closed her eyes, recalling the lessons about poison and what to do when faced with it. Gathering all her knowledge about death berries and the treatment she bagan to answer slowly
"Be sure to remove as much death berry from the patients mouth as possible" as her mother nodded, she gained more confidence and continued "then get the cat to take yarrow leaves, even force the cat to eat them.  It will save their lives. The patient will start to vomit out the poison thus getting rid of it. If the cat is weak after all that you can give them juniper berries for strength and let them sleep to recover naturally" mistkit finished her answer, with a slightly apprehensive lash of her tail. Please star clan. Did I get it right?
Her mother, her eyes slightly unfocused as she assessed her daughters answer, rose and placing her tail around mistkit's shoulders, mewed with a cheery voice.
"You will be a great healer some day!"
Mistkit, knowing this to be the highest praise, bounced around in spiritedly joy, her heart light.
Her youthful rejoicing only ceased when her lame foot began to ache for the dancing had taken its toll.
"Right young medic. Before you have to heal yourself, you must stop bouncing in that most ridiculous way and get some rest before that leg starts to play up" rosepelt mewed firmly, grabbing mistkit by the scruff and placing her into the mossy nest.
Mistkit neaded the moss with her tiny white paws, before settling down into a comfortable position.
"Fine" she looked up at rosepelt.
"But can we still do some training? Practice makes perfect" She asked, staring up at her mother with wide blue eyes.
Rosepelt, wanting to go hunting, made a compromise. "Maybe you could play outside with owlkit?" She sighed, stretching to ease up her muscles for chasing prey. "He was asking about you, ever since your leg was broken. As long as he is not too boisterous, I think it will be good if you play with him" she licked her kit affectionately.
Mistkit let out a small sigh, licking her mother back. "I'l play with him" she promised. "But you said I should rest"
Rosepelt flicked her tail, slightly irritated but more with amusement. "Yes I know I did" she mewed wearily. "But you can play with owlkit when you feel rested and your leg does not hurt"
"Ok" purred mistkit, settling down into her nest. She yawned, closing her eyes as sleep overcame her.