Lilykit was sitting patiently in the nursery.  She had focused her senses on what was happening outside the entrance to the den.  She could hear the sound of many of her Clanmates gathering in the camp, but for what she was not sure.  "I wonder what's going on," she mewed as she turned around to look at her mother.

"You don't remember what today is?" her mother teased softly.  Her smudged brown and orange tortoiseshell pelt made her almost seem like a smattering of leaf-fall leaves in the depths of her nest.  Lilykit wrinkled her nose, trying to remember anything significant about this day.  Nothing was coming to mind.

"How are you suppossed to be a medicine cat when you need me to remind you about everything," the queen huffed good naturedly.  Lilykit scampered over to her mother's side, purring in amusement.  She knew that as soon as she started to train with Shadeleaf, her whole life would change.  But she also knew that she wanted nothing more in life than to be a medicine cat.

"One day I'll be the one treating your scratches," Lilykit mewed as she turned to look back out the den entrance.  The camp clearing had fallen silent and there was someone approaching the nursery.  Lilykit jumped back as her father poked his broad orange head inside the lichen draped entrance.

"Ravenwing, Flamestar is preparing to start the apprentice ceremony," he meowed, glancing down at Lilykit as he spoke to his mate.  Ravenwing got to her paws and wrapped her tail affectionately around their daughter.  She looked down at her, deciding that Lilykit's ginger and black pelt was still perfect from her earlier grooming. 

"I think she wanted to have you walk her out, Spruceheart," Ravenwing meowed.  Lilykit bounced up excitedly, trying to catch the soft fur around Spruceheart's neck with her paws.  He placed his paw on her tail, "You need to calm down if youre going to be walking out there in front of your clanmates," he chided her.

Lilykit sat obediantly and looked up at Spruceheart.  "Is everyone out there?" she asked with a shiver of her delicate whiskers.  She hadn't thought about how she would even feel.  She didn't really know any other cats other than her parents.  How would she even remember all of their names?  Suddenly, she hunched forward and groaned.

"Ugh! I feel sick," she grunted. 

Spruceheart quickly licked the top of her head, trying to calm her.  "It'll be alright.  All you have to think about is that you're about to become Shadeleaf's apprentice! That's such an honor, to train as the next medicine cat," he purred.

Ravenwing nodded in agreement.  "I know how you feel about your training, and I know you will do amazingly!  You should be excited, not nervous," she chimed encouragingly.  Lilykit thought she could feel the cramps in her stomach receeding as she thought about what her mother said.

After a few more deep breaths, Lilykit turned to look back at Spruceheart once more.  "I think I'm ready now," she squeaked, unable to hide the emotion in her voice.  Ravenwing purred happily as she padded over to the nursery entrance.  Spruceheart also padded towards the entrance, ready to step out into the camp.

This is it, Lilykit thought as excitement wormed in her belly.  She didn't think she was going to be ill anymore, only the fluttering butterflies of anticipation were what distracted her.  She stepped forward to stand beside her father, her black and orange spotted pelt still clean and shining.  Ravenwing's purr was still louder than ever as Spruceheart and Lilykit took their first few steps out of the nursery.  She quickly slid out into the camp behind them. The shock of snow on her paw pads surprised her, something she would need to get used to now that she would no longer sleep in the nursery.

Lilykit was almost startled at the numerous unknown faces looking down on her.  They ringed the clearing, some large and rugged from warrior training while some were still small and sleek furred like she was.  She briefly glanced at the groups of cats, hoping she could spot Shadeleaf.

She had only met the black and white medicine cat once before, she wasn't sure she could remember what she looked like.  As the assembled Clan cats parted to allow Spruceheart to step forward, Lilykit remained at his side through the sea of unknown pelts.  As she shuffled along at his flank, she felt some of the warriors touch their noses to her pelt as she passed.  She hoped that some day soon she would be able to remember their names and scents.

Lilykit narrowed her eyes as she peered forward, noticing that they were approaching an empty section of the camp.  Spruceheart stepped into the open infront of Lilykit, his light orange tabby pelt shining in the light of the strengthening sun.  She had hesitated at the edge of her Clanmate's pelts, watching her father confidently step into the gazes of their peers.  Her eyes sparkled with fear for a brief moment as she looked at Spruceheart.

"Please step forward, Lilykit," a new, strange voice called across the camp clearing.  With a startled jump, Lilykit scampered over to Spruceheart's flank.  As the sunlight caught her pelt, the orange splotches seemed to flash against their black background.  She could hear some of her Clanmates gasping around her.

"Lilykit, please do not feel frightened," the strange, feminine voice called. "Today, we are welcoming you into BreezeClan as our new healer."  Lilykit looked up, towards where the voice was coming from.  There was a very large, rotted stump on the opposite side of the empty space where they were standing.  On top of that stump, was a fluffy, fiery orange cat.  Lilykit's eyes widened in astonishment as she looked at the powerful she-cat.

She noticed that next to the stump, sat a cat she could recognize.  Shadeleaf was perched to the left of the stump, her whiskers twitching as she watched Lilykit.  On the right side of the stump was another cat, a sand colored tabby she did not recognize.  Spruceheart inched back as the orange she-cat continued to address Lilykit.

"Please, come stand before me," she commanded Lilykit.  She obediantly stepped forward, feeling her pelt burn with the gazes of so many other cats.  She was relieved to find the sting of the snow had faded, now that she was focused on the events going on before her. Shadeleaf watched her come to stand infront of the stump, noting her movements with interest.

"You werent nearly this nervous when Ravenwing came to speak with me about your apprenticeship," Shadeleaf commented, glancing up at the bright orange she-cat ontop of the stump. 

The sandy colored tom chuckled, "Flamestar's just intimidating in the face of our new apprentices."

Lilykit felt something click in her mind at the name. Yes Flamestar is my leader.  She knew that Flamestar had visited the nursery when she was a tiny kit, too young to remember what she looked like.  She realized maybe she was just a little intimidated, but also from the vast scents and voices of so many other cats that ringed the clearing.

"Well, let's get this started," Flamestar meowed sternly, instantly silencing any chatter among the assembled clan cats.  Quickly standing, she leapt down from her stump so she could stand infront of Lilykit.  "Lilykit, you have chosen a very noble and respected path in our clan.  I know that Ravenwing visited Shadeleaf when you were still quite young.  I just want to make sure you are still aware of what will be expected of you as the next medicine cat."

Lilykit stared past Flamestar, looking into Shadeleaf's emerald eyes.  She slightly bowed her head, encouraging Lilykit to answer.  "Yes, I know what it takes to be a medicine cat," she choked.  Her fur ruffled with embarrasment as her voice cracked nervously. 

Flamestar stepped even closer to the tiny orange and black she-cat, resting her tail gently over her shoulders.  "You will have much to learn, and I am confident that Shadeleaf will shape you into an outstanding medicine cat."  Lilykit couldn't help squirming under her leader's touch as she continued.  "From this day forward, your name will be Lilypaw!  Shadeleaf will be your mentor," she meowed as she turned her head to look back the black and white medicine cat. 

"Thank you Flamestar, I will teach her everything that I know," Shadeleaf meowed.  Flamestar nodded, satisfied with her answer.  Suddenly, the assembled cats all erupted into cheerful yowling.  "Lilypaw!  Lilypaw!"  It was so loud, she could have almost covered her ears with her paws.

Some of the cats came forward to congratulate her, but with all the noise it was hard to focus.  "Hey, don't you remember me?" a familiar voice grunted from next to her.  She glanced over to see a light brown tabby with green eyes.  He was not that much bigger than her, but his muscles had yet to fully form from his warrior training.

"Oakpaw, right?" Lilypaw asked hesitantly as even more cats approached to brush pelts with her. 

The tom rolled his eyes exasperatedly, "Yes, Oakpaw! I only left the nursery a few moons ago," he meowed.  Lilypaw knew it had been more than only a few months, but she didn't feel the need to correct him.

"Too bad I won't be seeing you in the apprentice den.  It gets lonely in there sometimes," Oakpaw mewed. 

Suddenly, a solid dirt brown tom stepped beside Oakpaw.  "You've had enough time to congratulate Lilypaw.  It's time we left to practice your battle training," the brown tom meowed sternly.

Oakpaw flattened his ears, "Yes, Rockclaw," he muttered.  Lilypaw glanced up at the brown tom, noticing how unfriendly he looked. 

Oakpaw was standing to follow after Rockclaw, but Lilypaw stopped him with an outstretched paw.  "Maybe I'll see you some other time," she offered kindly.

He shrugged his shoulders and continued to follow Rockclaw back across the camp.  The crowd of cats had thinned out while she was distracted; only Ravenwing, Spruceheart, and Shadeleaf were still standing nearby.  "I suppose we should go and make you a nest in the medicine den," Shadeleaf meowed slowly as she stood and came to stand next to Lilypaw. 

Spruceheart and Ravenwing were sitting on her other side, beaming down at their daughter with obvious pride.  "Yes, she won't be returning to the nursery now," Ravenwing mewed, a hint of sadness in her voice. 

Spruceheart wrapped his tail around her, "she wasn't going to stay in the nursery forever, you know."

Shadeleaf stood back up and started to pad away towards the medicine cat den.  Lilypaw wanted to stay with her parents but she knew she had to go with Shadeleaf now. With a wave of her tail she trotted after the medicine cat towards a large berry bush.  There was a small slitted opening on the right side, just big enough for a cat to squeeze through.

Lilypaw watched in amazement as Shadeleaf dissapeared into the bush, but pushed in without hesitation behind her.  As she entered the den, musty smells of dried herbs and crushed berries greeted her.  She noticed that many hard, gnarled branches held leaf wraps of roots, seeds, herbs, and many other plants she could have no way of knowing or even trying to name.

"You'll be sharing this den with me now," Shadeleaf mewed as she padded across the den towards the far corner.  The bush was much larger on the inside than it looked from outside in the camp.  The far corner was shrouded in long grasses and other vegitation, making the berry bush look puny against the camp wall.  There was plenty of space for the two cats to comfortably live, even with the few nests for their sick clanmates, and a small space for storing clean moss.

"Should I grab some of this moss to make myself a nest?" Lilypaw asked as she wandered over to the pile of leafy stalks. 

"No, come over to me for just a moment so I can show you some basic herbs," Shadeleaf meowed.

Lilypaw padded over quickly, careful not to knock over the pile of moss as she went by.  Shadeleaf nodded her head towards the knotted bark of the branch next to her.  Lilypaw could see a large, lumpy leaf wrap overflowing with tiny berries.  The branch of the bush had a shallow scoop, an easy storing spot for the round berries.

"These are Nightpetal berries," Shadeleaf mewed slowly as she gently tugged a single berry from the leaf wrap.  "Nightpetal berries and root are good in soothing mental conditions, such as depression or anxiety," she meowed.  Lilypaw looked hard at the small berry, noticing its unique dark crimson hue.

Shadeleaf made sure to let her look at it for a few more moments before tucking it safely back in its wrap.  "It's important to be able to notice the signs of depression or anxiety in the warriors.  With their constant hunting and fighting its easy for their minds to get overloaded," she mewed.  Lilypaw nodded quickly, understanding the importance to keep the warriors not only physically fit but mentally fit as well.

Lilypaw watched Shadeleaf turn to another wrap, but she found herself speaking up to stop her.  "Shadeleaf, I had a question," she mewed slowly. 

The black and white medicine cat turned to look at her apprentice seriously.  "Yes, what is it?"

"I'm just not sure if I should start trying to memorize the herbs so soon.  I can't even remember the names of my clanmates!" Lilypaw meowed, feeling a little frightened at all the information she would one day learn. 

Shadeleaf purred, nodding her head, "Oh, yes.  We can definitely slow down to your own pace.  This is my first time training an apprentice, after all," Shadeleaf meowed kindly.

Lilypaw relaxed, feeling very at ease with her new mentor.  "Thank you," Lilypaw purred. 

Shadeleaf waited a couple more moments before standing up and padding over to the piles of clean moss.  "You can make your nest now," she meowed, "just make it right there, next to mine."

She pointed her tail towards a somewhat large, soft nest near the shaded corner of the den.  Lilypaw eagerly scooped up some moss and bounded over to Shadeleaf's nest.  Nosing around the grass of the den floor, she found a shallow scoop in the ground to make her nest.  As she finished spreading the moss flat, she squinted her eyes so she could peer through the branches of the den.  It looked like the sun was setting.  The camp had started to be swallowed in shadows by the large hills that surrounded it. The snow glittered in the few remaining rays of light.

"You can rest now if you'd like.  We can get up with the dawn patrol so I can help you recognize some more of our clanmates," Shadeleaf meowed over her shoulder as she went to work tidying some herbs resting by the roots of the large bush.  Lilypaw did not object.  Carefully, she stepped into her freshly made nest and curled into a tight ball. 

It felt sort of strange not being nestled next to Ravenwing, but she knew she would get used to it eventually.  She was only just starting her new life as a medicine cat apprentice.  I don't think I'll ever regret this decision, Lilypaw thought happily as she snuggled tighter into her nest and drifted into sleep.