Warriors: Starfaith's Fate (SOB short story) (COMPLETE)

Chapter 3

"Very good! Now which one is borage?"

Starpaw sat in the medicine den, her fluffy tail twitching slowly as she studied the leaves in front of her. Silverberry had set out three, and each looked different. I know this... She lowered her head and sniffed at one of the leaves, picking up a strong, sweet scent. "This one is chervil," She meowed confidently.

Her mentor nodded approvingly. "And what about the other two?"

Borage... Borage... Starpaw looked down thoughtfully. I know this, I just can't quite... Her ears pricked forward as she remembered something and pointed to the larger leaf with her paw. "That's dock, isn't it?" She asked. "I remember you gave some to Wetbelly for his sore pads after the gathering. And the last leaf is borage then."

"That's right," Silverberry meowed. "Dock leaves can also be chewed up and used for scratches." She looked down at the leaf Starpaw had identified as borage. "You can recognize borage by it's hairy leaves, and the strong scent it has."

That's right. Starpaw nodded, feeling dumb. I should have remembered that!

"And what is borage used for?" The silver she-cat prompted next.

She was able to answer immediately. "It helps queens produce milk," She meowed. "But I think it has other uses too."

Silverberry began gathering the leaves and returned them to their piles at the side of the den. "Yes, it can be used to sooth bellyaches and bring down fevers."

She stood up and followed her mentor, her tail twitching uneasily. "Am I doing well?" She asked nervously. "Should I have known that?" 

She'd been a medicine cat apprentice for two moons now. The training was more than she'd been expecting. She'd had no idea just how many herbs and remedies there were. It was truly amazing that the forest offered so many plants that could cure just about anything. It's a gift from StarClan. The thought warmed her. They've given us a wonderful home filled with prey and herbs. Everything we could ever need.

The silver she-cat turned to her and purred. "Starpaw, you're a very fast learner, faster than I ever was. You're doing excellent."

I am? Starpaw's tail curled with happiness. "Thank you! I-"

"Silverberry?"

They turned to see Driftrunner standing by the entrance of the den, his front right paw raised. "What happened?" Silverberry prompted.

"I was chasing a rabbit, and I didn't see the rabbit hole in front of me..." He looked embarrassed as he limped into the den, and Silverberry stepped forward to meet him. "I tripped and sprained my paw."

The medicine cat shook her head in mild amusement. "How many times have you been told to watch where you're going?" She asked. "I know you're one of the fastest cats in WindClan, but sometimes you need to slow down!"

"I know." Driftrunner sat down and licked his golden chest fur awkwardly. "I'm sorry, I was just so focused on the hunt."

Silverberry sniffed his paw and studied it. "It's nothing to worry about. Starpaw, will you fetch me some elder leaves?"

Elder leaves are for sprains. She nodded and turned to the herb stash, studying the different piles. Borage, chervil, comfrey... elder! She carefully grasped a few of the leaves in her teeth and hurried back to her mentor, who took them from her and carefully began chewing the leaves into a poultice. 

As she began applying the leaves to Driftrunner's paw, he winced, and Starpaw started in alarm. "He's hurt! Should I get poppy seeds?"

"No, the elder leaves will take care of that," Silverberry assured her as she plastered the leaves around his paw. "You're not in a lot of pain, are you, Driftrunner?"