Herbs and Claws

Chapter One - Flame Rising

Rusty was padding into the forest for a second time, after saying goodbye to his friend Smudge. He felt a pang of sadness, mixed with fear and excitement, about entering the forest. He sniffed the air. He could smell Greypaw, Bluestar and Lionheart. He leapt up, his ears and eyes alert, as two gleaming yellow eyes appeared in the shadows of the trees. A large golden tom cat with a pelt so thick you could say he had a mane padded out of the bushes. Rusty knew immediately who this highly respected Warrior was, and bowed slightly. Lionheart looked down on him, smiling ever so slightly. "Can you smell anything else?" The warrior asked. Rusty sat up and sniffed the air. He shook his head at Lionheart, wondering how he could scent anything with the smell of the forest. A sleek white tom padded out from the bush, his long tail waving, and whiskers twitching in amusement. "I'm Whitestorm. You're Rusty, I presume?" He purred. The eager tom nodded, his tail tip twitching in excitement. Lionheart looked down at Rusty. "Whitestorm is a senior warrior of ThunderClan," he explained. Whitestorm nodded. "Follow us to the camp."

Rusty followed the two large toms into the bushes. On the way, he had to run, jump and crawl, so much that a rip appeared in his collar. He ignored it, focusing only on keeping up with the warriors. Soon, the sillouhette of a camp, most likely ThunderClan, began to appear in the distance, growing nearer and nearer. He slowed down as he arrived, his eyes wide. Whitestorm glanced at him. "What can you smell?" He queried. Rusty shrugged his shoulders. "Cats," he answered. Whitestorm and Lionheart exchanged glances, whiskers twitching in amusement. Lionheart looked down at him, and led him into camp, accompanied by Whitestorm, who was walking next to him. When Rusty entered camp, he felt like his belly had done a flip. He looked around the camp, and froze when a scent that drew him near, that made him feel at home drifted up to his mouth. He padded closer, but stopped when Whitestorm beckoned him. He glanced longingly at the den. Whitestorm's eyes widened, ever so slightly, but Rusty could notice it. He smiled. "Do you want to see the Medicine Den?" He asked, his eyes thoughtful. Rusty, intrigued, nodded. Whitestorm padded in the direction of the scent, and Rusty followed, a slight spring in his step. When he arrived in the den, he felt calm, and at home. A young looking tortoiseshell she-cat noticed him, and he ducked away in embarrassment. The she-cat padded closer. "Hello," she meowed, her voice as sweet as honey and her eyes kind and warm. "My name is Spottedleaf, and I am the Clan's Medicine Cat."

Rusty dipped his head. "I'm Rusty, and I may be joining the Clan. Is there a medicine cat helper?" He asked, his eyes giving nothing away. Spottedleaf gave a knowing grin, that made Rusty feel slightly uneasy. The glint in her eyes disappeared as she said, "No, there isn't."

After exploring the medicine den, Whitestorm took Rusty to the Leader's Den, where Lionheart and Bluestar were waiting. Bluestar dipped her head, mumbling something under her breath, while Lionheart twitched his tail. Bluestar looked up, her eyes reflecting the stars. "Are you ready to become a Warrior?" She asked.

Rusty shook his head, his eyes bold. "No."

The three cats looked surprised, exanging glances. Whitestorm looked the calmest, as if he knew what Rusty would say. Rusty felt determined, and he knew what he would do.

"I want to be a Medicine Cat."