The next morning, Cragpaw woke with a strange feeling of emptiness in his chest. No fur brushed against his, the sweet smell of Strikefeather didn't greet him, and neither did the soft snores of his denmates. His amber eyes blinked aimlessly. Where was he?

Cragpaw glanced around. Stumpwhisker lay curled in his bed a few tail-lengths away, while Nightpaw was dozing in a pile of moss close to Cragpaw's. The emptiness that had clamped its icy claws around his chest slowly stretched open as he realized that no, he wasn't lost. He was still safely tucked away in ThunderClan camp as an apprentice. Stumpwhisker's apprentice.

Cragpaw rose to his paws and gently nudged his brother awake. Nightpaw stirred and blearily looked over at Cragpaw.

"What is it?" He grunted, golden eyes slightly unfocused with exhaustion.

"It's time to get up." Cragpaw twitched his whiskers. "I don't want to sleep in today!"

Nightpaw heaved a sigh and hefted himself to his paws. The black tom began grooming moss out of his fur, and Cragpaw replicated his movements until he was happy with how his pelt looked. Nice and clean, with no knots or mats. He licked his paws, which were still bitter from mousebile, and shuddered.

"Do you know how to get this stink out of your paws?" He muttered to Nightpaw.

Nightpaw glanced over and sniffed at Cragpaw's paws. His nose crinkled with distaste. "Honestly, I'm not sure. We should ask Stumpwhisker when he wakes up. For now, neither of us should lick our paws."

Cragpaw nodded and stretched. He glanced back to see that Nightpaw had returned to working a particularly knotted piece of moss out of his fur. Cragpaw's stomach rumbled loudly, so with a brisk shake of his pelt, the gray tom slipped out of the den and into the clearing.

The slightest sliver of light trickled into camp. A pinkish glow soared across the sky as the sun, out of sight behind the forest canopy, began to rise. Cragpaw's nose guided him to the freshkill pile where some prey leftover from the previous day lay, growing stale and cold.

Cragpaw selected a chaffinch, and padded over to the draping fern near the apprentice's den. He settled down and happily ate his meal, though he wished it were still fresh.

As he chewed on its stringy meat, cats began to slowly rise from their nests and enter the clearing. Those who were prearranged to dawn patrols quietly gathered near the camp entrance, before dispersing through the bramble tunnel.

Larkbite emerged from the warrior's den with his mouth stretched wide in a yawn. His amber eyes flitted about the clearing until he spotted Cragpaw. A small smile lit up the deputy's eyes, and he padded over to his son's side.

"Up early, I see?" He purred, settling down next to Cragpaw.

Cragpaw finished his mouthful of food and nodded happily. "Yup! I wanted to show Stumpwhisker that I can be responsible enough to wake up on time."

"Good for you." Larkbite gently shouldered the younger tom. "I'm sure you'll turn out to be an amazing medicine cat with your brother. You can't begin to imagine how proud I am."

Cragpaw's chest thrummed. "Thanks," he mewed heartily, taking another bite out of the chaffinch.

"Mind if I take a bite?" Larkbite inquired. "I forgot to eat last night."

Cragpaw nudged the chaffinch towards his father. "Go on ahead," he mewed. "It's a bit cold, but it still tastes alright."

Larkbite knelt down and happily tore off a chunk of flesh. "Soon, we won't be having leftovers like this any more. You'll be grateful for the stale prey once leaf-bare comes."

"Is leaf-bare really that bad?" Cragpaw asked.

Larkbite nodded as he ripped off one more piece of meat, whisking his tongue across his whiskers. "Leaf-bare is always a nasty season. I can't remember a time where there wasn't a shortage of prey once the snow came."

Cragpaw hummed in acknowledgement. He'd only heard tales of leaf-bare from the nursery queens and Rattail. He'd been born in the end of the bitter season, barely experiencing the cold weather until green-leaf had arrived and quickly swept it off its feet.

"Well, duty calls." Larkbite eyed up the Highrock, where Ripestar's den lay nestled within. The orange-furred leader was emerging from behind the screen of lichen with a yawn. "Thanks for sharing, and have a nice day. Tell Nightpaw I said hi." Larkbite gave Cragpaw an affectionate lick between the ears before quickly padding away.

A few heartbeats later, Nightpaw came running over with a small mouse dangling from his jaws.

"You just missed it!" Cragpaw teased as he finished his chaffinch, butting his brother on the shoulder. "Larkbite just shared some food with me."

"Mouse-dung, really?" Nightpaw's tail drooped, and he wistfully cast a glance to their father, who was speaking softly to Ripestar. "Maybe he'll eat with me tomorrow."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to," Cragpaw reassured.

Nightpaw shrugged and devoured his mouse. Once he was finished, the brothers chatted for a bit and returned to the medicine den. Stumpwhisker was awake now and was daintily grooming himself.

"Good morning," Cragpaw mewed to the older tom with a smile.

Stumpwhisker glanced up, licking a paw and drawing it over his face. "Good morning, you two. I see you made sure to wake up early."

Cragpaw nodded eagerly. "We did!"

Nightpaw smiled, then quickly added, "How do you wash mousebile off? It tastes horrible!"

Stumpwhisker chortled and stopped his grooming. He flicked his tail, beckoning the apprentices over to his side. "You see this stream?" He meowed, indicating to a little rivulet of water that snaked down from the wall and along a crack on the floor.

The two toms bobbed their heads.

"Dip your paws in it and rinse well. That should wash away the bile."

Cragpaw padded forward and did as Stumpwhisker instructed. He slipped his forepaws into the cold stream of water, and he shivered at the biting cold. He rubbed his paws together until he felt as though they were thoroughly rinsed. He pulled them away and gave his forepaw a brisk lick.

Though it wasn't gone completely, the tang of bile was very faint. "Thanks, Stumpwhisker!" He purred in relief.

Stumpwhisker inclined his head in response as the two apprentices finished cleaning up.

"Now, we'll be going to explore the territory today," the mottled tom explained. "You two have eaten, I hope?"

Nightpaw and Cragpaw nodded.

"Good, then let's go."

Stumpwhisker exited the medicine den with ease, and the two young toms scampered eagerly after him. The sun was now drifting brightly through the sky, and its powerful light dappled the forest floor as it sifted through the leaves. Cragpaw shot a glance towards the nursery. Hollykit was watching the two with a tilt of her head, but her attention was swiftly claimed as Cardinalkit tackled her.

Behind the two tussling kits, Fleckkit was playing carefully with Sedgeflight's litter, darting his ginger tail across the ground as the tiny army of she-kits pursued it with delighted squeals. Cragpaw smiled, then diverted his attention. He hurried to keep up with his mentor and brother.

The trio of cats reached the bramble tunnel. Stumpwhisker expertly squeezed through, and Cragpaw followed eagerly behind Nightpaw. His gray fur got caught in the brambles in a few spots, and he growled out of frustration when he had to yank it out. He scrabbled up ledges, stones catching in the pads of his paw as he sent them tumbling back down into the camp ravine.

He reached the top, moments after Nightpaw, and his breath slipped from his lungs.

"Woah," Cragpaw gasped.

The forest swelled around them. Plants were scattered everywhere on the forest floor. Trees expanded high into the sky, their incredible trunks dividing into millions of branches and leaves. Through the leaves, Cragpaw could catch the barest glimpse of blue skies, golden sunlight passing through them and igniting the forest floor in bright greens and yellows.

Nightpaw's expression mirrored Cragpaw's awe. Stumpwhisker's amused purr caught the gray tom's attention.

"That's enough gawking," the medicine cat rumbled, flicking his tail over the littermates' ears. "If we want to finish exploring the territory by nightfall, we'd best get moving."

"Yes, Stumpwhisker!" Nightpaw chirped.

Cragpaw blinked slowly, still entranced by the new sights and smells before him. He spun around with a soft mrrow as a brisk wind sent a leaf skittering down from above. He lashed his tail and leaped, hooking the slightly yellowed leaf with a claw and landing softly on the leaflitter.

He turned around to see that Stumpwhisker and Nightpaw had already hurried away. His heart panged, and with a light surge of panic, he quickly traced their smells. He caught up with them moments later. It didn't seem as though either had missed his presence.

"Over here," Stumpwhisker called back, darting forward to a cluster of golden-petaled flowers blooming at the edges of a bubbling stream.

Cragpaw trotted over with curiosity swelling in his paws.

"What is it?" Nightpaw queried.

"This is marigold." Stumpwhisker tenderly hooked a claw around a petal. "Can you guess what it's used for?"

"Scratches?" Cragpaw suggested eagerly, leaning forward to sniff at the little flower. It was surprisingly pungent for such a small, delicate plant. His nose crinkled and he pulled away.

"Roughly, yes." Stumpwhisker nodded his head in approval with a glance at Cragpaw. "How exactly do you think it's used?"

"Um..."

"You chew it up!" Nightpaw offered.

"Yes! Though, you don't swallow it. You chew either the leaves or petals into a poultice, which you spit on your pad and rub it into a wound. Like this," Stumpwhisker gently nipped off a tiny petal and chewed on it. He tilted his forepaw and spat the now sticky juices onto his pad. He showed it to the two apprentices. "Cragpaw, show me your paw."

Blinking in confusion, Cragpaw lifted his right paw.

"No, the other one."

Cragpaw replaced it with his left paw. He blinked. A small, bloody furrow snaked along his paw pads.

"You scratched yourself on the rocks when leaving camp. I could smell the blood for a decent bit now. No matter what, you must never waste herbs. They're a precious resource that could save the lives of your Clanmates. Had you not injured yourself, I would have taught you to use this some other time."

Stumpwhisker gave Cragpaw's paw a few quick licks to clean the wound. Then, he gently kneaded the poultice into the scratch. Cragpaw winced at the sting, and resisted the urge to pull away.

"I know that we apply marigold to scratches," Nightpaw mewed cautiously, "but what exactly does it do?"

"Excellent question!" Stumpwhisker purred. "First, go fetch a small wad of cobwebs for your brother. We don't want him getting any dirt in his wound. You should be able to find some between the roots of an oak or beneath some brush."

Nightpaw scampered away and returned a few heartbeats later with cobwebs strapped around his paw. "Here!" He chirped.

Stumpwhisker thanked the young apprentice and scooped the webs into his paw. He then gently applied them to Cragpaw's paw.

"There we go."

Cragpaw twisted his paw around, curiosity shining in his eyes as he studied the cobwebs. He looked up as Stumpwhisker proceeded, "Marigold is an excellent herb to use when trying to prevent infection. It's also effective at quickening the process of healing." He paused. "You'll need to change the cobwebs later and apply a cleaner poultice."

Cragpaw nodded slowly, tenderly placing his paw on the ground. It didn't hurt, but it felt strange to have his paw strapped beneath a layer of protection.

"Now that that's settled," Stumpwhisker swished his tail, "let's continue on."

Cragpaw and Nightpaw followed after the medicine cat as he pushed through the forest. A pair of butterflies fluttered past, and the mouth-watering scent of a mouse touched Cragpaw's scent glands. "Will we ever go hunting?" He inquired, intently watching as the little rodent scurried past.

"Hunting isn't one of our duties. We leave that to the warriors." Stumpwhisker leaped gracefully over a fallen tree. The apprentices scrambled after him.

On the other side of the trunk, Stumpwhisker burrowed through the loose earth beneath a small gap under the trunk. Cragpaw pricked his ears as the mottled tom pulled back with little stems clenched between his teeth.

"What are those?" Nightpaw asked, leaning a whisker-length away from Stumpwhisker's muzzle to give the herbs a tentative sniff.

"Thyme," Stumpwhisker mewed. "We use it to ease a cat when they're in shock."

Cragpaw tilted his head. "How do you know when a cat is in shock?"

"The greatest sign is when a cat cannot think clearly after a traumatic injury or event. If they're acting fine, when clearly they aren't fine, they may be going into shock. Physically, you need to search for uncontrollable shaking or breathlessness. If you look at their pupils, you will find them to be dilated in a majority of cases."

Cragpaw nodded slowly. Stumpwhisker plucked an oak leaf from a young tree, curling it around the cluster of stems to create a small bundle. As they continued through the trees, the ground trembled beneath his paws, and he dropped to a nervous crouch.

"What's that?" He whispered, his eyes darting around.

"It's the thunderpath. We'll be there soon."

Swallowing his anxiety, Cragpaw followed tentatively. He ducked beneath a low branch, and a fern flapped into his face, blocking his path. He shoved it aside with his nose and hurried to catch up. His eyes widened and his pace slowed at the sight of the black, stony sheet stretching as far as the forest on the other side.

The ground trembled, and a slow roar lifted through the air as little stones rattled against the earth. Nervously, Cragpaw stretched a paw towards the smooth stone surface, his ears pricked as he glanced both ways. A red figure was rapidly growing closer.

"Back up!" Stumpwhisker lurched forward, sinking his teeth fiercely into Cragpaw's scruff. Cragpaw yelped as the tom yanked him back—mere moments before the red figure thundered past on rolling black paws.

Cragpaw gaped in surprise. "What was that?"

Stumpwhisker flung him to the ground in a patch of nettles, and the gray tom scrambled back to his paws against the sting as his mentor's fury rose. "That was a monster," Stumpwhisker hissed, "and you nearly became crowfood!"

Cragpaw blinked, glancing past the tom's shoulders and to the thunderpath beyond. "Crowfood?" He squeaked.

"Crowfood," the tom snarled.

Nightpaw brushed up next to Cragpaw, giving his brother a gentle nudge. "You need to be more careful. That monster almost caught you," he mumbled.

Cragpaw blinked uncomfortably, glancing back and forth to the dark path. Did he really just make a close call with death? He shook out his fur to settle his nerves. "What's on the other side?" He asked instead, his voice still a pitch higher than usual.

Stumpwhisker's twisted whiskers trembled and he heaved a rattly sigh. "That's ShadowClan territory. We don't go there if we want to keep the fur on our pelts."

"Aren't we medicine cats, though?" Nightpaw mewed. "I thought the warrior code was different for us."

"That's true, but it doesn't mean the other Clans would like us on their hunting grounds. We are still expected to respect their boundaries."

Nightpaw twitched his ears and offered no further comment.

"Let's keep moving, I suppose. And no more stepping onto thunderpaths," Stumpwhisker's eyes narrowed to slits as he turned to look at Cragpaw, who recoiled slightly beneath the tom's smoldering golden glare.

The three pushed on until the sun was nearly setting. Orange glows sifted through the leaves, leaving beautiful rays of sunlight to dapple their fur. The sound of bubbling water merrily greeted Cragpaw's ears. Excitement tingled in his paws as the cats emerged onto a riverbank. Clear water swept past, weaving betweens stones and boulders. Ahead was a stack of rocks, smooth at the top with just enough space in the canopy above for the sun to touch it at all times of day. A slight heat haze hovered above the rocks, blurring the trees beyond.

"Is that Sunningrocks?" Cragpaw gasped, eagerly shifting his weight. Larkbite had always told him and Nightpaw tales of the ferocious battles for that particular scrap of land—it's on our side of the river, so I don't see why RiverClan throws such a fuss!

Stumpwhisker slipped forward, testing the air carefully. "Yes, that's Sunningrocks."

"It's ours, right?" Nightpaw mewed.

"For now it is." Stumpwhisker narrowed his eyes and peered across the river. "Greetings, Minnowsong."

Cragpaw blinked as a sleek white she-cat slipped out from the reeds on the other side of the riverbank. Orange spots dappled across her fur, freckling her muzzle and stretching to wrap around her eyes. She blinked fondly across the water.

"Good evening, Stumpwhisker. Taking some apprentices to collect herbs, I see?"

Stumpwhisker let out an uncharacteristic purr. Cragpaw glanced at him in astonishment.

"Not just any apprentices. Cragpaw, Nightpaw, meet Minnowsong. She's RiverClan's medicine cat. Minnowsong, you'll be seeing these two at the half-moon Gathering."

The brothers exchanged glances, and Cragpaw awkwardly hung back as Nightpaw politely dipped his head. "Hi, I'm Nightpaw. The mouse-looking furball next to me is Cragpaw."

Cragpaw bristled. "I don't look like a mouse," he hissed quietly.

Nightpaw shrugged and kept his eyes trained across the river.

"It's lovely to meet you all. Perhaps we'll get to know each other better at the next half-moon Gathering." She paused, turning her attention to Stumpwhisker. "The watermint is growing especially well now, down near the gorge. I hope you don't mind if I grab some from your side of the border."

Stumpwhisker shook his head. "As long as you keep your paws in the water, I could care less."

Minnowsong purred. "Great." She tilted her head upstream and called out, "Nettlepaw! We're heading downriver."

A white she-cat with a ginger tail and spots came running over, her fur fluffed out with excitement. Cragpaw blinked, noticing that the two she-cats looked awfully similar as they padded, side-by-side, down the riverbank.

"Is that her daughter?" Cragpaw asked brightly.

Stumpwhisker shook his head. "No, Nettlepaw is the daughter of Minnowsong's sister. Medicine cats can't have kits." Nightpaw whirled his head around, blinking rapidly. Stumpwhisker regarded the dark apprentice for a moment. "I'll have to teach you about the medicine cat code tomorrow."

Cragpaw nodded in agreement. The more he knew about being a medicine cat, the better.

Stumpwhisker breathed a sigh. "Well, it'll be dark soon, so let's head back to camp. You two have had enough excitement for today."

Together, the three cats began the long trek back to camp. Cragpaw cast his eyes back to the river, excitement fizzing in his paws as he wondered about the coming half-moon Gathering. Perhaps the other medicine cats could teach him some tricks that Stumpwhisker could not.