Warriors: What Is There To Do?

Chapter 10- The Taste Of Mint

Three sunrises later, all of the apprentices were sick of each other. They had all taken turns doing simple moves with a partner, and they had all stepped on tails, paws, ears, and once Bravepaw even sat on Bonepaw accidently.

"Why must we do everything in pairs? It is really getting to be too much!"

"Now Bravepaw, you aren't doing everything together," Coalfoot - who seemed to take care of all the apprentices, since Splitpaw didn't even know who the other apprentice's mentors were - scorned.

"Yes we are! You had Driftpaw trail me into the Dirtplace yesterday!"

"If Driftpaw hadn't been so busy bossing Bonepaw around, she would've heard me say how you didn't have to follow your Partner into dens and the Dirtplace."

Driftpaw flinched. "Well it wasn't very fun for me either, I'll have you know..."

"Yes, yes, enough of that. Now, Sharpstar said that you will be going to the Moonstone tonight, as the usual trip that apprentices take to speak to Starclan."

"Awesome! Who will be taking us? Sharpstar herself?" Moonpaw was bouncing with excitement, and he looked about ready to scamper out and begin the journey right now, which, considering the position of the just-beginning-to-set sun would be just what they would do.

"No cat is taking you. Another tradition that only Shadowclan does, since there are no other territories besides kittypet places, is send the apprentices alone. It gathers trust and experience, and you are partnered with the cat that you work the worst with."

Great Starclan, help her. She would be paired with Moonpaw?! They were worse than any other paring, not in personality but in just pure size. Moonpaw was by far the largest of the apprentices, and of course Splitpaw was the smallest. It instantly turned into a situation to where her head was resting just above his lower back when they were back to back on their hind legs.

"Will there be any fighting?" Bonepaw sounded nervous, and it made her smile inside to hear his voice sound so unsure and silly, but she was sure if she were to speak her voice would wobble just as much she would fall over!

"Possibly, if your luck is bad enough to where you run across a defiant kittypet, but those chances are low. Now, go stand next to your partner and go to the Medicine Cat den, where Mintbreeze will supply you with the needed herbs. Return to me when you have done that."

Splitpaw sighed and met with Moonpaw, walking in step with him, although his walk was a steady trot for her. The clearing was full of cats, and on closer inspection what she had thought before was just friendship and affection, turned out to be partnership: two toms taking turns eating from a frog, (which she had yet to try), and while the other was eating they would watch and scan the area, a tom and a she-cat grooming each other and scanning for ticks.

Moonpaw looked unsure but determined; his paw steps showing how he was ready, but the shake in them before they landed were louder than his calls to the warriors.

The Medicine Cat den was in the shade of a willow tree; long, fuzzy tendrils snaked around each leaf of a fern to create a solid wall which Splitpaw was sure to be resistant to rain and the harsh winds that were beginning to barrage the clearing. Pushing past the wall of foliage, Splitpaw was greeted with the smell of medicine the most obvious smell being mint.

"Why in Starclan does it smell so much like mint in here?" Bravepaw muttered, earning a glare from the tom that was known as Mintbreeze.

"It keeps the herbs from tasting too bad, and it is good for your breath."

Moonpaw and Splitpaw were the last to arrive, so they watched as the greenish tortoiseshell tom passed the other group (Driftpaw was working with a newly made warrior) small piles of leaves, including both foul and sweet smelling mushes and a couple of small, sharp smelling mint leaves of whom he was named after.

"Thank you, Mintbreeze. The mint really does work," Bonepaw nodded his head in thanks unlike Bravepaw, who scowled, and the two turned to leave.

Walking fully into the den to receive their share of traveling herbs, Splitpaw studied the silver tom beside her with a mild interest. At least they weren't at odds as far as personalities went, as Moonpaw was more of the follower than the leader, always trying to keep fights to break out. Splitpaw was just slightly different:

She will never follow.

The pile of leaves before her paws was small, with about five different types of herbs that she couldn't name, not counting the mint. She lapped them up, wincing at the taste they left even with the mint to clear it out.

"Thank you, Mintbreeze," they chorused, and padded out into the clearing once more, taking deep breaths and giggling inside on how the mint made their mouths so sensitive.

Meeting back with Bravepaw, Bonepaw, Driftpaw, and a golden brown she-cat warrior who Driftpaw would be partnered with, Coalfoot nodded and went to speak to the warrior and the bossy she-cat.

Splitpaw's mentor then moved to Bravepaw and Bonepaw as Driftpaw and her Partner padded out of the camp and towards the mountain that could just barely be seen above the tree tops.

Although she spoke too quietly to hear, Splitpaw guessed that they were all taking different routes or directions, and she was right; as the ginger and white toms left the camp, Coalfoot came over and pointed to the direction that they would be taking to the mountain with her tail.

"There will be two kittypet places, a Thunderpath, and a place that Twolegs have flimsy green dens. Since this is the longest path, I expect you two to be back in about three sunrises. Hunting is easy up until you hit the mountain, but I think getting to the Moonstone will not take that much time. Remember that this is a partnered activity and there will be a warrior watching you until you arrive at the kittypet place. There is a possibility of rats, but do not attack them. Anything else?"

Both apprentices shook their heads, but Splitpaw was panicking. Sure she knew how to hunt, one of the only things that she was really good at, but the Thunderpath? There was a certain way to get across, right? Shadowclan and Coalfoot had taught them nothing of the sort.

"Ready, Splitpaw?" she heard the quake in Moonpaw's voice, but the way his fur brushed against her flank comforted her. The herbs made her forget the hunger that had been beginning to gnaw at her stomach, and she had a feeling that it would all be okay with the silver peacemaker with her.

"Only if you are; race you to that tree?"