Alderpaw was thoroughly relieved to have the attention taken away from him.
Jayfeather and Leafpool exchanged a glance; then Jayfeather shrugged and turned back to the stored herbs. “Come over here,” he meowed to Alderpaw. “It’s time you started to learn about herbs.”
Alderpaw joined him and peered at the herbs piled up in little heaps. They looked like so many dead leaves to him, but he had the good sense not to say so.
“This is goldenrod,” Jayfeather began, sniffing at a plant with bright yellow flowers.
“We use it for cleaning wounds. And this is tansy, which is good for coughs—not as good as catmint, which is this plant here.”
“But useful all the same,” Leafpool put in.
She had finished giving Briarlight her massage and was helping her exercise by tossing a ball of moss for Briarlight to catch. “And it helps with back pain, too.”
“This is watermint,” Jayfeather went on, angling his ears toward a plant with hairy stems and spikes of purple flowers. “We give that for bellyache.”
“Let him have a sniff,” Leafpool suggested.
“So much of what we do depends on scent,” she added to Alderpaw.
Jayfeather edged backward so that Alderpaw could reach the cleft and sniff at the various herbs. They all smell alike to me, Alderpaw thought. Sort of… herby.
“And this one is yarrow,” Jayfeather continued. “It makes a cat vomit if they’ve swallowed poison, and we also make an ointment of it to heal cracked pads. Got that?” he asked, turning swiftly back to Alderpaw.
“Uh… I think so,” Alderpaw mewed. In fact his brain was whirling, and he thought he would never manage to remember all the different herbs and their uses. And this is only a small part of them!
Jayfeather continued to point out different herbs and let Alderpaw sniff them, until
Alderpaw felt he had been concentrating for moons. His shoulders ached and his eyes stung in the scent-laden air.
The sun was well up when the bramble screen was pushed aside again and Sparkpaw padded into the den.
“What do you want?” Jayfeather asked.
“We’re busy here, so it had better be good.”
“Cherryfall sent me,” Sparkpaw replied, sounding not at all bothered by Jayfeather’s unfriendly tone. “Purdy has a bellyache, and I’ve come to get herbs for it.”
“Oh, poor Purdy!” Leafpool exclaimed. “I’ll come to the elders’ den and check on him.”
Jayfeather swung around on Alderpaw.
“Well? What herb should Leafpool take with her? What’s good for bellyache?”
“Uh… that would be…” Alderpaw knew that Jayfeather had told him. But his head was stuffed with quickly recited herb names, and he couldn’t pull out the one he wanted. Panicking, he glanced wildly around and spotted Briarlight mouthing watermint at him.
“Watermint,” Alderpaw meowed, with a grateful look at Briarlight.
He felt warmed to notice that Sparkpaw looked impressed. It’s nice to show her what I can do, for a change.
“Okay,” Jayfeather mewed briskly. “Now find it in the stores.”
Alderpaw stared at the piles of herbs. He had no idea which one was watermint. Aware of Jayfeather twitching impatiently beside him, he pulled out a stem with bright yellow flowers.
Jayfeather sighed. “No, that’s goldenrod.
Purdy had better not eat that; we put it on wounds. This is watermint.”
He snagged the purple-flowered plant in his claws and gave it to Leafpool, who headed out of the den with Sparkpaw following.
“You need to pay close attention,” Jayfeather told Alderpaw sharply. “Cats’ lives depend on us getting things right.”
“I know… ,” Alderpaw sighed.
How will I ever learn all this?
Chapter 5
Alderpaw paused in front of the herb store for a moment, then confidently drew out a few leaves of tansy. “Here you are, Dovewing,” he mewed. “These should help your sore throat.”
The pale gray she-cat dipped her head.
“Thanks, Alderpaw.” She licked up the leaves and began chewing them as she left. “It feels better already,” she mumbled around the mouthful.
“Good job,” Jayfeather mewed briskly to Alderpaw.
Alderpaw felt a small burst of warmth in his chest. That’s the first time Jayfeather has sounded approving! He had been a medicine-cat apprentice for several sunrises now, and his new life didn’t feel quite as impossible as it had in the beginning. Even so, he still found it hard to think of himself ever becoming a full medicine cat.
As he began to tidy up the remaining tansy leaves, Squirrelflight pushed past the bramble screen and entered the den. “Is Leafpool back yet?” she asked Jayfeather.
“No, she isn’t,” Jayfeather grumbled. “And why she has to trek across to ShadowClan because Littlecloud isn’t feeling well, I do not know.”
“She only wants to help him,” Squirrelflight meowed.
Jayfeather snorted. “Now there’s a cat who could use an apprentice. ShadowClan is overflowing with them; you would think they could find one for Littlecloud. But no, they have to borrow a ThunderClan medicine cat.”
“You know as well as I do,” Squirrelflight responded mildly, “that a
medicine-cat apprentice has to be just the right cat.”
She shot an affectionate glance at Alderpaw, who warmed at her words.
“Bramblestar and I want to talk to you in his den,” Squirrelflight told Jayfeather. “Are you busy right now?”
“Nothing that won’t wait,” Jayfeather replied. “Alderpaw, you can help Briarlight with her exercises. I’ll be back soon.”
When he was gone, Alderpaw rolled up a ball of moss and began tossing it to Briarlight to help her stretch her forelegs and chest. He was amazed by how agile she was, catching the ball when he was sure he had thrown it out of her reach.
“You’re good at this!” he exclaimed.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Briarlight mewed. “It really helps with my breathing.
How’s your training going?” she asked after a moment.
Alderpaw shook his head. “I feel like I’m doing a little bit better now, but I’m not sure I can ever be a full medicine cat.”
“You’ll be fine,” Briarlight reassured him.
“Think how much you’ve learned, and you’ve been apprenticed for less than a half-moon.”
Alderpaw hoped that she was right. He felt guilty about being anxious, when Briarlight had so many obstacles and was often in pain. She never gives up, and she hardly ever seems to feel sorry for herself.
“Jayfeather! Jayfeather!”
Alderpaw stiffened as he heard his sister’s frantic yowling in the camp outside. A heartbeat later she came tearing into the den, wild-eyed and panting. “Where’s Jayfeather?” she demanded. “I was out in the woods with Cherryfall and Sorrelstripe, and Cherryfall is hurt—she cut her leg. She needs help right away!”
Alderpaw froze for a moment, on the edge of panic. This is the first time I’ve had an emergency, and I’m here on my own! What do I do?
“Jayfeather is in Bramblestar’s den,” Briarlight meowed steadily. “Sparkpaw, go and get him.”
Sparkpaw dashed out immediately. While he waited, Alderpaw wondered what he should do.
Should I get some herbs out of the stores?
What’s the right herb for a cut leg?
He was relieved a few moments later when he heard Sparkpaw calling to him from outside.