It had been almost five sunrises since Applekit had a little stomachache.
      Russetstorm clung to him like a flea to an elder, worrying about him every chance she got. Spikekit seemed to never come visit, Russetstorm had told him that his brother was just busy, and Reedkit visited every chance she got, along with her older sister, Darkpaw.

Applekit stretched and looked around the empty, the tangy and sweet smell of herbs clung to his pelt as he stumbled out of medicine cats den.
A nice breeze greeted him.
Icewhisker had said that he wanted to keep and eye on him.
Leaf-bare was starting and the old medicine cat was worried Applekit might get whitecough.
...Which ended up worrying Russetstorm worse.

Applekit looked around, watching as a small patrol exited camp.
Sloefur had got better after awhile and was finally able to lead a patrol! Dawnpaw, Mintface, and Eeltail followed after Sloefur as they disappeared.

"Hey, Applekit!"

      Applekit turned his furry, tan head to meet Reedkits dark orange one.
"How are you feeling?" Reedkit smiled.
      "Well, I guess okay. My bellyache is gone but Icewhisker still won't let me leave." He huffed, his small tail twitching.
      "Well that's good!" Reedkit giggled, "do you think we can play today, maybe explore a little? Beekit said he found a cool spot just outside camp, and I wanna go see it!"
      Applekit looked over Reedkit, to see Beekit and Spikekit wrestling in the background.

Beekit seemed to be winning, his dark brown pelt merging nicely with his brothers dark grey one. They seemed to be busy playing.

"So? What is it?"

Applekit blinked, shrugging. "I guess. It sounds fun."
Reedkit smiled wider and bounded over towards a patch of tall reeds need the entrance.
"Hurry up slow-poke!"
Applekit looked around, before he started to walk over. Halfway there, a voice called behind him.

"Applekit, what are you doing, love?"

It was Russetstorm.

Applekit looked over at his mother, "Reedkit and I we're going to go explore!" He pointed to where Reedkit hid behind the reeds.

"She said Beekit found a cool place just outside camp! I can go, can't I?"

Russetstorm looked fearful and her neck fur bristled as she protectively wrapped her tail around the kit.
"No! What if you get a thorn in your delicate, little paw pad or, or what if you run into a ThunderClan patrol!? Or worse, what if you run into the river and drown?! You still can't swim yet!"

Applekit gulped, fear scent racked his entire body and he looked up at his mother. Who was looking down at him.

"But—"
"Hush now Applekit, your going back the medicine den."
Applekit looked back at Reedkit who peered her head out from behind the reeds, her blue eyes wide with sadness.

He rested his ears flat against his head as he mouthed the words, 'sorry Reedkit' as he was nudged back into the medicine den.

•••

      Applekit sighed as he looked over at the entrance to the medicine cat den. It was boring in here. He wondered what Spikekit was doing right now.

Icewhisker had returned ages ago from looking for herbs. He was now shuffling around and sorting the herbs.
Putting the gross ones in a pile, and then placing the good ones in a neat, separate piles.

Applekit turned away from the entrance that looked out into the clearing.
There wasn't anything interesting going on out there anyways.

Only a couple warriors eating prey together and talking about patrols, none of the apprentices we're in camp so it was quiet, and Kestrelsplash and Sunstorm were basking in the sun together.

Applekit had nothing better to do so he wandered towards Icewhisker, the old tom was muttering underneath his breath the names of leafs and berries and roots as he sorted them.
He had a rather bit pile of a delicious-smelling plant. The den was suddenly dark because of the clouds covering the sun, so Applekit couldn't tell what color it was.

"What's that?" Applekit curious mew surprised the tall silver tom.
"Oh! What was that, Applekit?"
Applekit let out an annoyed 'huff' as he scrambled to his tiny paws.

"What's that?" he said, pointing with his tiny pink nose at a leafy plant, "this. it smells gross and sour."
Icewhisker blinked, his lips turning into a kind smile.
"That's fever-few. I use to... Well, cure fevers. It helps reduce a cats body temperature."
Applekit let out a small, "oh."

Applekit pawed at another plant, the yummy smelling one, which he now saw had grayish-green leaves and little, pale purple flowers.
"What about this?"
Icewhisker looked at the plant, twitching his whiskers as she moved it to the pile.
"This is whole pile is catmint! It's the best herb to use against greencough. We usually don't have this much right at the start of Leaf-bare, but I'm not complaining."
Applekit flicked his tiny bobbed tail, "do you have a lot because of me?" his tiny mew dropped into a whisper.

Icewhisker sighed and pushed the pile of catmint away, looking down at the little kit. "Yes." He answered honestly.
"Everytime your mother sees your father, she begs him to find catmint for you. You don't need any, of course, but your mother's just worried. And If anything, your father might as well become a medicine cat with all the herbs he's bringing!" He chuckled, attempting to joke.

"You only have a little stomach ache, Applekit. And I'm sure it's already passed by now."
Icewhisker's eyes sparkled, "My former mentor, Kinktail, would've probably just given you grass and sent you on your way!"

Applekit pulled a face, "grass! That's weird!" He squeaked.
Icewhisker purred, his tail swishing behind him. "yes, grass! It's actually a rather good remedy for an upset stomach once eaten."
"Does it taste gross?"
"Grass? Not really. It's kinda weird. Most of the time grass doesn't really have a taste, it's just chewy. And it tastes a lot better with honey."

Applekit nodded.

"So, why didn't you give me grass, Icewhisker?"
"I was going to," the silver-gray tom chuckled, watching Applekit blink surprised,
"but then I realized it might be a bit more than a simple tummy ache with Leaf-bare right around the corner. So I gave you some chervil."

Applekit, without thinking, asked, "what's it like being a medicine cat? Is it boring?"

Icewhisker twitched his long, clear whiskers with amusement.

"I don't know, why don't you become one and find out?"

Applekit looked at Icewhisker as he stared in the older medicine cats icy blue orbs, his own emerald green eyes wide with shock.

"Become one..?"

Icewhisker smiled and gave a small nod.
"Yes! Your only four moons, I know, but your energetic and learn things quickly. I'm getting on in age and I'm in need of an apprentice."

Applekit almost flinched, a voice inside of him telling him to not scream but he shoved it down and bristled.
Icewhisker didn't seem to notice the bristling kit as he continued on with the horrid question.

"Our little conversation today has shown me that your curious. And you seem to enjoy learning about herbs, and if you become a medicine cat, Applekit, you'd learn more herbs, and speak with your StarClan ancestors! You'd get to heal your clanmates, and meet with the other medicine cats."

Icewhisker opened his maw to speak more fish-brained nonsense but Applekit's cut the much older tom off.

"Never!"

Icewhisker looked down shocked. "Applekit it was—"

     "No! I don't want to be a stupid medicine cat! I don't want to learn stupid healing herbs! I want to be a warrior and fight!" Applekit stumbled to his tiny pale paws and raced out of the Medicine Cat den.
He pushed past a shocked Darkpaw who stumbled back, and watched Applekit run away with wide amber eyes.

Applekit ignored the sound of Darkpaw calling after him, asking "what happened?"

He hissed quietly as the tangy smell of herbs that clung heavily to his pelt engulfed his sense of smell.
'Stupid herbs!!' he thought as he pelted past the tall dark reeds.

Applekit ran till he reached the edge of the river bank, the pebbles felt cool underneath his paw-pads as he sighed.
'I was just bored!' Applekit looked across the river, 'What gave him the idea that I wanted to be his apprentice?!'

As the sandy-brown tom-kit stared across the river, towards ThunderClan territory, he saw as two tiny pelts burst from the greenery and scurried across the land towards Sunning Rocks.
One of the kits was pale ginger with a few dark markings, the other was a fluffy calico.
He watched as the two fellow kits yowled in fear, trying to get to the top of the Sunning Rocks, but they could barely get themselves up to the first rock.

Confused, Applekit watched as a fox cub chased after the two other kits.

It's small eyes wide with hunger as it's mouth watered, long, stringy drool flew out of its mouth.

Fear soon hit Applekit hard, and RiverClan kit scrambled to his paws, watching as the pale ginger kit pushed their friend up to the first boulder.'They're in trouble!'

Applekit knew he had to act fast despite being small himself and whipped his head around looking for other cats.
He noticed Darkpaw run out the camp entrance with Creeknose, the deputy; Sloefur, and Mudbelly.

Creeknose ran over towards him, checking him for any scratches. "What where you thinking? Running off like that!"

Applekit shook his head and quickly looked across the river, "Theres a fox cub and two kits! T-they need help!!"

Creeknose looked over, his eyes growing wide. "I'll go get more warriors!" Darkpaw mewed frantically, pelting back through the camp entrance.

"Daisykit!" A high pitched wail sounded from across the river.

Applekit snapped his head to see one of the fox cubs dragging a pale ginger bundle of fur and throw it across and onto the base of Sunning Rocks.
It yelped excitedly, looking over at its other fellow fox cub before and chased after the unmoving bundle of pale fur, grabbing it again in its strong jaws and swung it back and forth, before letting go of it and flinging it across the clearing. Barking happily as it hit a tree with a sickening thud.

Creeknose dug his long, hooked claws into the ground, and looked over at Sloefur, Sloefur looked back the tall tom and leaped into the river and swam across, 'faster than a minnow!' Applekit thought, Darkpaw had arrived again with other warriors as they swam across the river and jumped into the fight.

Applekit gulped and ran over towards the stepping stones, the river was low so if he fell in it wouldn't cause any isues.
He leapt forth and wobbled on a stone one, he dug his claws around the rock and shook his haunches, ready to leap. He braced himself and leaped onto the next stone, and then the next until the grass that started ThunderClan territory came into veiw.

Applekit landed on the grass and looked around for the other kit.
Scrunching up his nose at the terrible ThunderClan smell, he finally saw her, the bristling, but tiny shivering calico pelt of a kit pressed down low on Sunning Rocks.She looked around his age.

Bounding over he sat down next to the ThunderClan kit, "Hi!" He greeted kindly, "I'm Applekit, you are?"

The calico she-kit looked over, her startled blazing amber eyes locking onto his own emerald green eyes, "Maplekit..." A
pplekit gave a calming smile, "that's a nice name, Maplekit"
"I'm such a terrible sister..." Maplekit mewed, catching Applekit off-guard.
"Huh?"

Maplekit slumped over, tear streaming down her face,
"I decided that we should go exploring! And she dead because of me!" Maplekit sobbed, leaning into his shoulder.
Applekit gave her a lick between her ears and just sat there while Maplekit sobbed into his pelt, while his clanmates fought the fox cubs.

Little did he know, that this meeting, would change his life to the worst, or maybe the better. . . .

•••

2027 words