The Greenleaf heat was worse the next morning. Ravencall came to Silverstar's den as the sun rose, eager to further discuss the water shortage. With Blackheart's help, the kits managed to scramble down the jutting rocks to the clearing. Sparkkit, Larkkit, Stormkit and Lilykit had scampered off to play with Flowerfern's kits Dawnkit and Mistkit as well as Hazelbreeze's kit Icekit. Aspenkit sat quietly in the shade beside her father, watching her siblings rolling in the dust with the other kits. Blackheart sat down beside his youngest kit and looked down at her, his normally guarded eyes full of concern.

"Still don't want to play?" he murmured. Aspenkit looked up at him, her eyes wide. Blackheart looked at her for a few moments more before nodding a little. "Ok, I got it." He lowered himself onto his belly and gestured for his daughter to come closer to him. She shifted herself until she was beside his shoulder. Blackheart looked at her for a long moment, his eyes softening. "You know Aspenkit, we don't understand you, you're the most unusual kit your age I've ever encountered. You've never spoken but you at least used to play. You seem more at home among the elders these days, when you have your whole life ahead of you."

Aspenkit lowered her gaze, embarrassed by her father's gentle scolding. She knew she wasn't normal, with her lack of confidence to the point that she shied away from any interaction outside of her family.

"However," Blackheart continued. "I also realise that we understand you more than other cats do. While you don't talk, we know you well enough to know what you want without you asking for it." He hesitated before continuing. "But one day, you'll be a warrior and then you'll have to speak. How can you take part in patrols, and take a mate, and raise kits and fight if you can't communicate with your clan mates? Communication is a vital part of clan life Aspenkit."

"Hey Blackheart." They looked up to see Blackheart's apprentice Robinpaw looking expectantly at his mentor. "Are you still going to show me that move today? That twisty slashy one."

"It's called the in-air twist Robinpaw." Muttered Blackheart.

Robinpaw flicked his ginger ear. "Same thing." He meowed cockily. "Are we going to or not."

Blackheart gave a little sigh. "Robinpaw, you are a fine apprentice but you need to learn patience before you can become a warrior."

"Patience catches no prey." Argued Robinpaw. He then seemed to notice Aspenkit for the first time. "Is this the quiet one?" he asked dropping to his belly so he was at eye level with Aspenkit. "Hi, I'm Robinpaw, what's your name?"

Aspenkit hesitated at being spoken to directly and looked up at her father. Blackheart returned her gaze steadily, his eyes warm as he silently encouraged her to speak. She looked back at Robinpaw, opening her mouth and trying to summon the words. But try as she might, words just would not come.

"I see I've left you speechless." Mewed Robinpaw, winking at her. "Don't worry, I have that effect on all the she-cats."

Aspenkit gave a small purr of amusement. Despite his brash and almost aggressive friendliness, she decided she liked this tom. He didn't seem so serious about life as some of the other cats were.

Blackheart had been looking down at his daughter and seemed to be satisfied by her relaxing around another cat. "We'll go soon Robinpaw." He mewed looking back at his apprentice. "Go and grab yourself some fresh-kill and I'll meet you at the entrance. Go and ask Heatherfrost if she and Creekpaw would like to come too."

Robinpaw's eyes lit up at the thought of training with his sister. The prickly she-cat had trouble sometimes with the other apprentices but Robinpaw knew exactly how to handle her. He gave a respectful nod to his mentor and winked again at Aspenkit before dashing across the clearing to the fresh-kill pile.

Blackheart gave a brief huff of amusement. "You and Robinpaw should take a page out of each other's books." He murmured to Aspenkit. "He needs to learn to slow down and be quiet sometimes, while you need a boost in your confidence." He licked his daughter between her ears and got to his paws. "Don't worry. You've got time to learn that."

As she watched her father trotting over to his apprentice, Aspenkit couldn't help but feel as though her father were disappointed in her and the way that she behaved. Perhaps the fact that her siblings showed signs of being fine warriors one day, Sparkkit seemed to be a fantastic tracker while Stormkit could run faster than Dawnkit and Mistkit who were three moons older. Larkkit's mind was much quicker than even some of the warriors and Lilykit had the democratic demeanour that would make a fine leader or deputy. She got to her paws and began to trot towards the fresh-kill pile, her mind churning. Surely there was something she could do well...

Suddenly she stopped, her nose twitching. Somewhere, something was creating the most alluring scent Aspenkit had ever smelled. She tipped her head back, inhaling deeply, trying to figure out where it was coming from. She spun in a circle, trying to pinpoint it then realised it was coming from the medicine den. Without stopping to think she bounded forward, pushing her way through the bracken curtain that hung over the entrance and sniffing at the ground.

Finally, she found the source of the enticing scent. A small pile of plants with spiky but soft leaves. Aspenkit buried her nose into the heap snuffling happily, feeling suddenly calmer than she normally did.

"Well, hello there, Aspenkit." Said a gentle voice. She jumped away from the plants, her hackles rising slightly. A large elderly ginger tom with a white tail tip was sitting beside a pile of herbs, gazing down at her with kind eyes. She began to back away to leave the den. "No, no, you don't have to leave." Said the tom getting to his paws. "Poppydust is out collecting herbs at the moment, so I could use a bit of company."

Aspenkit paused, hesitating slightly. Although her natural instincts were telling her to run straight back to her mother, or to the elders' den, but there was something about this cat that made her feel... strangely at ease.

"You know, I was there at your kitting. Not that I expect you to remember that." He gave a little wheezy puff of laughter and sat down wrapping his tail over his paws. "I'm Alderheart, the medicine cat." He glanced down at the fragrant plant that had caught the kit's attention. "I see you like the catmint?" he said with a little purr. "Can't say I blame you. It's quite a lovely smell." He patted the ground beside him with his tail. "Come sit with me and you can help me."

Aspenkit dithered for a long moment. She felt safe here, and Alderheart seemed kind, but still she felt strange feeling so at ease with someone she'd not met before.

'He's my clan mate.' She thought to herself. 'Moreover, he's the medicine cat. Don't be afraid.'

She looked back out towards where her father and Heatherfrost sat with their apprentices, Robinpaw chatting away happily while Creekpaw seemed less than impressed at her brother's behaviour.

'I need to open up.' Aspenkit thought. 'I need to learn to communicate... I need Blackheart and Silverstar to be proud of me.'

She turned back to Alderheart and padded to his side. He gave a purr of welcome before pawing the catmint before the kit. "I need the leaves to be taken off the stem then spread out on this flat rock to dry. Can you do that for me?"

Aspenkit gave a brief dip of the head before clawing one of the fragrant plants towards her. She extended one of her tiny claws and carefully split the leaf from the stem.

"Excellent!" praised Alderheart. "That's exactly what you need to do. You haven't damaged the leaf at all. Keep doing that."

Encouraged, Aspenkit did the same thing again, carefully slicing through the stem and placing the leaf on the stone before looking to Alderheart again.

"You're a natural!" he purred. "I can see you don't need my supervision on this! I trust you to do the rest of them just as well."

Aspenkit felt a glow of pride swelling in her chest. It felt so good for someone to be seeing her for something good and useful rather than just the leader's strange daughter. As she continued to separate the plants, Alderheart prepared other herbs beside her, chatting the whole time about the clan, describing the plants to her, and often praising her neat work. She was so often overlooked and forgotten by others in the clan, and sometimes by her own siblings, it felt good to have someone talking to her as just another cat, not as something different and weird.

"Robinpaw is doing well I hear." Alderheart mewed after a while. "I'm glad of it. I hope some of his enthusiasm rubs off on Creekpaw. She's a very skilled apprentice, but she struggles to work with other cats." He paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate. "Did you know they're not clan born?"

Aspenkit glanced up, slightly shocked, before frowning slightly. Why were they allowed to be apprentices if they weren't clan born? Cats not born in the clan were usually rogues or loners.

"They were found wandering through the clan territory when they were very young. They were a few moons old which was how they had managed without a mother, but they weren't strong enough to survive much longer on their own. They lived in the medicine den with me and Poppydust for the next few moons while the clan got to know them before they were made apprentices. Honestly, there are some cats which I'm still not sure accept them. They've each dealt with it in their own way. Robinpaw tries to be friendly to everyone he meets. But Creekpaw..." he hesitated again. "... I get the impression she doesn't want anyone to get too close to her. Robinpaw is the only one who she seems to tolerate but that's understandable. She and Robinpaw... well I don't know what they went through before they found us, but all they had was each other.

I guess I know what it's like to have that sort of relationship. My sister, Sparkpelt, when we were kits, we stuck together a lot. My father was Bramblestar, the leader and my mother Squirrelflight was the deputy so they were often busy, but she and I kept each other entertained." His eyes clouded for a moment as he spoke of his sister. "I felt lost when she died. I just didn't know what to do without her... but she had two kits with no mother. I did what any cat would do for their kin. I raised her sons the best I could. Blackheart and Tigerfang are both fine warriors now so I hope I made her proud..."

He fell quiet for a long time, his paws sifting through the leaves in front of him. Aspenkit assumed the conversation was over and returned to separating the leaves.

"You know, my mentor, Jayfeather was a fantastic medicine cat." Said Alderheart as he carefully separated a small pile of leaves, selecting the ones no longer fit for use to throw away. "There was nothing he couldn't heal. I saw him bring cats we thought were dead back to life." He paused for a moment, his paws hovering over a shrivelled leaf. "Of course, he couldn't save everyone. Sometimes if it's a cat's time, not even the best medicine cat can do anything about it." His paws returned to work but now his eyes shone as he spoke of the cat who had taught him all he knew. "There was a cat called Briarlight who was crushed by a tree. Her spine was damaged badly so she couldn't use her hind legs." Aspenkit looked up, alarmed. "Yes, I heard it was awful." Continued Alderheart. "She was very sick for a long time. Everyone believed she would die soon after. But Jayfeather never ever stopped caring for her and kept finding ways to keep her well. She lived for many moons. Eventually, when she passed away peacefully in her sleep, she was as old as some of the elders."

Aspenkit tipped her head on one side, her eyes wide as she looked at Alderheart. Jayfeather must have been a wonderful cat to have been able to care for his clan mates so brilliantly and to have taught Alderheart as well as he had.

"But as wonderful a medicine cat as he was, he had a fierce temper." Alderheart continued, purring as he spoke. "His tongue was sharper than a weasel's claw. He knew what he wanted, and if you couldn't do that, he wasn't satisfied. Fussy too, the den had to be clean or he would be mad. But he made me the cat I am today, and I'll always be grateful." He glanced sideways at the kit. "Oh, and did I mention he was blind?"

Aspenkit jumped slightly, taken aback. How could he have been a medicine cat without seeing the plants, or the other cats?

"He had that natural disadvantage from the day he was born." Mewed Alderheart. "But he took his weaknesses and learned to use them to his advantage. Aspenkit, I know you have a lot of fears, and I know that's why you won't speak, but I want you also to realise this. You have weaknesses, all cats do. But your weaknesses can become your greatest assets." He bent his head so that his face was level with the kit's. "I know you have so much potential that you haven't realised yet. All cats are special, including you. You are special Aspenkit. Don't forget it."

Aspenkit sat staring at him, her eyes wide. Her heart swelled as Alderheart's words sunk in and for the first time in her life, she felt as though someone was seeing her for herself. He was probably only saying this to make her feel better about herself, but nonetheless, she felt warm from her nose to her tail tip. For the first time, ever, it felt like she had a friend.

She got to her paws and stepped forward to where Alderheart's face was still level with hers. After so long in silence, she felt ready to face the world and use her voice.

She gently touched her nose to his. "Thank you." She whispered.

DISCLAIMER: Creekpaw is an OC owned by Hannah Rowe