Light rain seemed to fall down from the evening sky. With the dark contrasts of dark purples and reds as well as grey; everything seemed peaceful. Ash and Ace quietly walked along, mud slowing them down though they seemed to pay little mind of it.

The two had been traveling for nearly a whole week and a half, stopping every dawn to rest and then continuing at dusk. It helped with traveling and it seemed a lot less humans and monsters were around.
Prey had been slightly harder to find, but nothing the two couldn't solve together.

Silver tabby fur and black fur mingled together as the two stopped on a bridge. It was quiet, other then the gentle sound of rain and the sound of a stream below them. "We could travel threw the woods in there and see where we come up." Ash mewed, pointing towards the trees below them.

After some what seemed to be thought, the dark colored tom nodded. Together the two padded downwards and into the woods.

The gentle murmuring of rain seemed not to bother the two above them. It was warm and peaceful, hardly a hint of rain had been detected. Tiredly Ash plopped down, licking the water off of her fur. Ace was silent for a long moment before turning his head and looking around. "You should rest. I'll go see if I can find some prey." With that he stalked off, the bushes easily hiding him.

Ash shifted her weight slightly, the sand and dirt mingled together suddenly felt uncomfortable for a moment. She wanted to close her eyes but she hated to be so far from the other. She could tell she had grown attached to him.

"In soon time you'll have kits! Think about em' little critters running around and begging for milk!" It was something her mother would of joked to her. The thought of having kits discomforted her at the moment. "No, I can't think like that. I need to help Ace find his home." She shook her head, sitting up and letting out a sigh.

"So you're lost?" A deep voice made Ash jump. Quickly she turned around, her fur pricked in fear. A grey and white tom padded out of the shadows, blue eyes calmly looking at Ash. "W-Who are you?" She asked, fear making her voice quiver. He looked tough; muscles rippled underneath sleek long fur. Ash was not a cat for fighting and she stood no chance against him. "I should be asking you the same truthfully."  The grey and white tom commented back, raising a bobbed tail slightly.

"A-Ash." Her voice quivered once again and she lowered herself. "Shasta." The tom commented back. Suddenly bushes quivered and two toms pounced out of the shadows, carrying Ace with them. "Look at the prey we caught!" The dark red tabby chirped excitedly, pushing Ace beside Ash with a white paw. "We'd almost didn't even see him, but he thought he could snatch our prey and run."  The last tom; a very light grey tom with darker back, along with a white muzzle all the way to his stomach, white paws and a white tail tip. Ash could see a scar above his right green eye, set with another blue eye; had sneered.

Ace let out an angry hiss but Ash knew they were no match against the battle ready toms. Instead she got up, ushering with her tail for Ace to stay still. "P-Please, we mean no harm. We were only staying until the rain stopped." Shasta stepped forward, clearly the ringleader of the three cats. "If what you say was true, then why do my bothers say your other has tried stealing food." His clear cold voice made Ash tremble, but she stood her ground. "We try to m-make sure both of us are fully fed and fit for traveling. I'm very sorry for Ace's actions, we did not know this place was owned by other cats."

For a long moment the grey and white tom stared at Ash. It made her want to tremble and hide, but firmly she stood her ground. Suddenly Shasta turned and flicked his bobbed tail. "Leave em alone. They'll be gone as soon as the storm ends." As the ringleader padded away the other two let out growling mutters but said nothing against him. They vanished as well, leaving Ace and Ash alone.

"If they had borders we would of known." Ace growled, relaxing where he was pushed to. Ash turned her head in question. "Borders?" "Yeah, borders are used by clan cats to mark where their territory is. It helps keeps others out. Cats have to renew them a lot though, just about every day. This cat named Falconstar told me that awhile ago." Ash's belly growled but she ignored it and settled down beside Ace.

"I remember you said about you finding your medicine cat back then. What is that?" Ash asked with a soft voice. "Medicine cats heal the clan of sickness and injuries. They don't fight but instead just heal others. They get a den all to themselves even!" Ace purred softly, rolling over onto his back. "I want to be a medicine cat then." Ash mewed with a stern voice. Ace's green eyes looked up but he said nothing. Then he rolled back over. "It's up to you. You'll be my medicine cat and I'll be clan leader. It'd be amazing." He mewed in awe. Ash nodded, curling up next to Ace, feeling soft warm fur touch her own. Her eyes felt heavy and sleep started to wrap around her. Suddenly she closed her eyes, letting herself fall into the depths.

Eyes blinking open, Ash found herself in a forest. In front of her was a familiar she-cat, one who had a black and white pelt set with perfect green eyes. "Berrypool!" Ash gasped in awe at the gentle looking starlit she. Berrypool gave her a soft smile, one almost like a mother would give to her kit. "Hello Ash, it's a pleasure to see you finally. It's been so long since i've seen one of my own kin." Ash gasped gently in awe. "I'm your kin?" She asked in shock and the she-cat nodded.

Flicking a smooth tail Berrypool turned for a moment before placing three herbs in front of her. "What do these looks like to you?" She asked. "Um...b-berries and some leaves?" Ash didn't know how to answer correctly. Berrypool pointed towards a smaller leaf, one that had a blueish star shaped flower on it. "These are Borage leaves. They help she-cats or nursing mothers produce milk. It also helps with fever, although isn't recommended for she-cats in that case." Ash examined the leaf in awe. Berrypool slid it over to the silver tabby, letting the she touch it and look at it closely. "It's to be chewed and eaten by your sick cat or needing queen. Always chew the herb if the other can not but never drink it's juices."

The black and white she-cat turned to another herb, pushing it forward and to Ash. This one was different then the Borage Leaves, for it was very large and it had a tangy smell. "This is Dock. It can be used for scratches; where you chew them up and then apply them on the wound." Suddenly Berrypool chuckled. "You'd best not do it slowly though, for it stings badly at first, but a good jump in a pond or a stream would help them out to."  Ash nodded, examining the second leaf with careful eyes. "You can also put it on sore paws or you can put it in nests to sooth wounds while sleeping."

After some time the Starlit Medicine Cat turned to the final herb, which was a tiny black seed. "These are Poppy seeds. They help those sleep, which is to be used mainly for stress, shock or sickness. Don't give them to nursing queens though, for it could stop their milk or worse...and never give more then two to three, unless it's a major accident." As Ash looked up, she noticed the she-cat was fading. "Wait!" She mewed, but already her vision was growing hazy.

"Stay safe Ash! Soon you will be a true Medicine cat!"

And with that, Ash awoke.