Cloudpelt's Purpose
It's cold, like frost on wet paws. I breathe in again, raspy and weakly, my energy is fading. The many mewls and wheezes from the tiny, squeaking voices around me are fading, too. It hurts, like brambles in my lungs.
"...you have to help them." My mother's voice trembles. I try to cry out for her, but I am too weak. The light outside is blinding, but soon it's going dark, like night all too quickly. "The sickness struck like a viper, quickly and potent."
Sick. We are sick. I am young, and I can feel this word hit me softly. No, We are not sick. We are dying.
"Then, let us swiftly..." a new voice to my young ears, strong like a heartbeat. Rustling in the den. A scent fills my drifting senses. The scent is flowery and sweet; It's nice. Something bitter fills my mouth, and as much as I wish to spit it out, a pressure on my throat causes me to swallow. "That's it...good boy," the voice calls to me, and quickly I fade out, heavy and warm.
It has been 3 moons since then, and my life is all owed to her.
Her name is Thistlefur, and her coat bears many scars. She is not a warrior, no, she is a medicine cat.
The queens in the nursery are sleeping, and although I and the other kits should be napping as well, we all can't help but observe the other warriors in camp, listening to their chatter and watching their sparring matches. Well, everyone but me. I can't help but watch Thistlefur, the one who saved me. I watch her secretly every day. I'd rather miss watching sparring matches and watch her work. She is aloof and talented, working tediously to devote her craft to the Clan.
"Cloudkit!" A familiar voice squeaks at me, and I turn to see Maplekit, one of my denmates, batting at my fluffy, grey tail. "You never play with me anymore! Or any of us, for that matter. All you do is sit and spy on the medicine cat den! Why do you like seeing cats spit out hairballs so much?"
I can't help but flinch, even though I've been reminded time and time again the other kits just don't see the medicine cat den like I do. "I... I just think it's really neat... Thistlefur is so talented and smart. I want to go over and talk to her, but I know she'd just ignore a kit like me." I prepare for a stinging retort from Maplekit, but I'm surprised to see her eyes widen, a flash of sympathy in them.
"Cloudkit? You know, Thistlefur's really nice. She helped me with my ear when the clan found me." She pauses to run her paw over her torn ear, long healed from Thistlefur's gentle care.
"She's super weird, but so are you, and I think you should go explore, before your mother wakes up." She stops batting at my tail, and gently pushes me towards the den. "I don't think you're very happy watching the warriors anyway... Maybe you'll have more fun there." She gives a reassuring smile.
I swallow nervously, and slowly pace towards the den, finding a better place to see Thistleclaw take out several different plants I've never seen before. I can't help but feel pulled towards the den, and I slowly do my best stalk closer.
"How many moons shall you waste, Cloudkit?" My fur stands on end, my presence has not gone unnoticed. "Waiting like that instead of becoming a warrior's future pupil does no good for the clan."
I step into the mouth of her cave, the scent of sage and herbs fills m senses, but not as strong as her scent of thistle. "What if I want to become a medicine cat instead?" I speak casually, trying to justify myself.
She shoots a side-eyed glance, "It is not a job simpler than that of a warrior. It requires just as much intelligence, devotion, and twice as much study." I can tell by her bemused tone that she does not take my quip lightly.
"I doubt that. You're not risking your life like them, and all you do is study plants, right?" My young tongue is unbridled and idiotic.
"You do risk your life, standing face to face with disease and hazards... and herb study is more work than you'd think. It is no easy task to discern poison from remedy." She nods to the pile of dried leaves and berries in the corner of the cavern. "If you want to stay and skip watching the training, make yourself useful and organize those herbs." Little did I know she was secretly challenging me.
"Alright," I mew, going over. Observing the leaves, I can pick out a few differences, immediately placing them where they belong. I can hear her purr a song as she kneads some berries into a pulp from her spot. More than sight, I can smell the differences. No, no, this one is different, my thoughts race as my pace quickens.
"That didn't take you long, but let's see how you've done," She says from behind me. She looks over my shoulder and I can see her eyes widen. "Impressive, you do show promise, if you truly did want to become a medicine cat, but..."
"But?" my voice perks.
"Your moons would not be wasted watching me. Instead you would be put hard into practice. You'd be devoting your craft- your life- to working to the bone in the light of day and eventually reading messages from StarClan by night." Taking a deep breath, she turns, "And that's only if your skill is true. Let's hope your skill is better than your passion for the warrior profession."
More moons pass and I become a medicine cat apprentice. We work together, though we are far from equals. Her knowledge is unparalleled, and her talent would make some believe she was blessed with luck. Though, there is no such thing as luck here. What she has requires more dedication than I've ever seen in a cat. She lives for her craft, she lives for the clan.
"Cloudpaw! He's bleeding!" She calls to me, and I am under her command, our knowledge intertwines. I bring the cobwebs as she applies the styptic herbs I helped chew into a pulp. I assess the situation and act, but she is always three steps ahead of me. I still do my best, and despite the initial nervous feeling of helping a patient, I find myself falling into a routine I've come accustomed to.
When we finish, she usually tells me I've done good, congratulates me, but this time it was different. She called me aside and sat in silence.
"You wanted to speak to me?" I twiddle my paws nervously, afraid I've messed something up.
"Cloudpaw...you did good out there. I know you have greatness within you. What separates good and great could be a life. I'll be granting your full medicine cat name at the next meeting at StarClan's Paw." Her tone was somehow somber, and she lets out a deep breath. "When my time passes, you will become SunClan's true medicine cat." She smiled, I'll never forget it. "You will be great."
"Heh, better than you?" I joke, trying to lighten her eyes.
"Perhaps, only time will tell," She looks to the sky, to the stars that told her something the night before. What was she thinking? How could anyone in the world know.
She saw earth moving as water, lightning flashing as a sunburst. She saw greatness, calamity, a voice cry as sound fades from existence, many lives lost...even hers.
She gave it to save us. I remember that horrible, stormy day.
My heart froze, my eyes blurred with rain and tears as I saw the aftermath. A scarred, thistle-scented paw still as it grasped for the sky...the rest of the body was buried under the sediment. Her bones are dust now, her smile is gone. My smile is concealing the day I'd never share tongues with her one final time. My true happiness lies with her, under the hazardous rubble, too dangerous for any cat to attempt salvaging.
She guards it all with her, including the three we couldn't save. One day I shall be reunited with all of it, but until then, I will take in her pawsteps; I will walk her path and I will be the difference between a life... and death.