Cherrypaw's Training
The trees rustled in the wind as birds sing their morning songs. Tigerlily ran through the open meadow, going to fetch her older apprentice that she sent to collect herbs in the base of the mountains; her younger apprentice was running behind, struggling to keep up. “Keep up,” she snarls at her apprentice impatiently.
The young medicine cat ran up, sweat dripping down her face. “I thought I was meant to be a medicine cat, not a warrior,” she chirps up, irritated by the long periods of running that she continuously has to do.
“You are, but another part of being a medicine cat is getting to cats that need our help quickly, and that could be anywhere. We need to have great stamina,” Tigerlily shouts so that Cherrypaw can hear, “you’ll learn this soon.”
Tigerlily slowed down suddenly, crouching in the long grass that they had entered. As her mentor slowed, so did Cherrypaw, crouching to match her mentor, unsure of what they were hiding from. “Smell that?” Her mentor asks in a quiet voice.
“Yeah…what is …it?” Cherrypaw whispers, finding her voice shaking in fear.
The cat lets out a hiss. “It’s a bear. You need to head back to camp. Take no detours and let Thistlestar know what we scented. We don’t get them in these parts often. I need to go and get Bluepaw. Stay low to the ground and run, do not look back.”
Cherrypaw nodded while gulping. She watched as her mentor left, leaving her alone to hide in the grass. The apprentice took a gulp and turned around, blasting back into the forest. Her paws hit the ground at a lightning speed as she threw herself through the forest. Sweat dripped down her fur, running down her face as she breathed heavily.
The scent was growing weaker as Cherrypaw ran closer to the camp and by the time she entered the camp, the scent was gone. “Duskstar! Thistlestrike!” She yelled as she entered the camp, her heart beating rapidly.
The leader and deputy came running out of the leader’s den at the call, as a crowd of warriors began to gather around them. “What is it?” Thistlestrike asks her, “Where’s Tigerlily?”
“There was a bear in the meadows. Tigerlily went to get Bluepaw. She’s in the mountains gathering herbs,” Cherrypaw says quickly.
“Thistlestrike, go and gather a patrol, go and track the bear, make sure it’s not near the camp, and send another patrol to check that Tigerlily and Bluepaw make it back safely,” Duskstar commands, turning to her clan to address them.
Thistlestrike walks up to the apprentice. “Hey, how about you go to your den, take a rest. I’m sure you’re very tired. The meadow is a long way to run, especially for an apprentice,” he says calmly as Cherrypaw just nods, walking herself to her den.
She curls up into a ball once she is inside. “Tomorrow will be better,” she promises herself.
The young medicine cat ran up, sweat dripping down her face. “I thought I was meant to be a medicine cat, not a warrior,” she chirps up, irritated by the long periods of running that she continuously has to do.
“You are, but another part of being a medicine cat is getting to cats that need our help quickly, and that could be anywhere. We need to have great stamina,” Tigerlily shouts so that Cherrypaw can hear, “you’ll learn this soon.”
Tigerlily slowed down suddenly, crouching in the long grass that they had entered. As her mentor slowed, so did Cherrypaw, crouching to match her mentor, unsure of what they were hiding from. “Smell that?” Her mentor asks in a quiet voice.
“Yeah…what is …it?” Cherrypaw whispers, finding her voice shaking in fear.
The cat lets out a hiss. “It’s a bear. You need to head back to camp. Take no detours and let Thistlestar know what we scented. We don’t get them in these parts often. I need to go and get Bluepaw. Stay low to the ground and run, do not look back.”
Cherrypaw nodded while gulping. She watched as her mentor left, leaving her alone to hide in the grass. The apprentice took a gulp and turned around, blasting back into the forest. Her paws hit the ground at a lightning speed as she threw herself through the forest. Sweat dripped down her fur, running down her face as she breathed heavily.
The scent was growing weaker as Cherrypaw ran closer to the camp and by the time she entered the camp, the scent was gone. “Duskstar! Thistlestrike!” She yelled as she entered the camp, her heart beating rapidly.
The leader and deputy came running out of the leader’s den at the call, as a crowd of warriors began to gather around them. “What is it?” Thistlestrike asks her, “Where’s Tigerlily?”
“There was a bear in the meadows. Tigerlily went to get Bluepaw. She’s in the mountains gathering herbs,” Cherrypaw says quickly.
“Thistlestrike, go and gather a patrol, go and track the bear, make sure it’s not near the camp, and send another patrol to check that Tigerlily and Bluepaw make it back safely,” Duskstar commands, turning to her clan to address them.
Thistlestrike walks up to the apprentice. “Hey, how about you go to your den, take a rest. I’m sure you’re very tired. The meadow is a long way to run, especially for an apprentice,” he says calmly as Cherrypaw just nods, walking herself to her den.
She curls up into a ball once she is inside. “Tomorrow will be better,” she promises herself.