Snowflight's POV

"I think it's about time you went back to your own Clan," Jayfeather commented, observing Rainstorm as the mottled gray tom stood up from his nest. "Are you fit enough to travel now?"

"Of course!" Rainstorm snapped. "I didn't want to come here in the first place, you mouse-brain!"

I tried not to purr with laughter as Rainstorm then let out an irritated breath before leaving the medicine den, not thanking us or anything at all. I stared back at the medicine den entrance where he had disappeared. Well... I guess I wouldn't have been in the best mood either if I was practically being held hostage by another Clan, I suppose!

Rainstorm had spent the past half-moon in ThunderClan in order to recover. Jayfeather and I had overseen his wounds and let him get plenty of rest. Unfortunately though, the half-moon had felt like a lot more than just a half-moon.
With Rainstorm's impatience and short temper, he didn't make Jayfeather and I treating him much fun.

"It'll be nice to have that mouse-brained furball out of here," Jayfeather muttered, almost having repeated my thoughts. "He was a real pain in the tail!"

I snorted, gathering up Rainstorm's old nest to dispose of the next time that I left the medicine den. "I have to agree with you, even thought I hate to think badly of any cat," I purred, lashing my tail.

"Of course you don't," Jayfeather muttered. "That's something we certainly don't have in common."

I let out a mrrow of laughter and then padded over to Jayfeather to help him organize herbs. "You know, Jayfeather, life would maybe be a little more fun if you could just try to tolerate cats a little more?" I suggested to my former mentor, but not really thinking he would actually take any sort of suggestion I gave him. Like he'd take advice from his former apprentice, but I might as well trim even if I'm teasing!

Jayfeather just snorted. "I suppose I could do that, Snowflight," he replied. "But it's quite difficult when everyone in the Clan is a complete mouse-brain all of the time."

I rolled my eyes and purred in amusement. "Great StarClan!" I exclaimed. I shook my head and turned back to the herbs from where I had been looking at Jayfeather. "Well, I suppose training an apprentice is a bit of an improvement. Hopefully I wasn't a huge pain in the tail?" Almost any cat wouldn't be able to surpass Rainstorm, I have to say.

To my surprise, after a few heartbeats, Jayfeather meowed in a more gentle voice than usual, "Nope, not even a little bit." I then noticed him shake his head quickly, and continue on with his herbs. He then meowed in his more normal tone of voice, "I got lucky with you."

I then let out one last purr of amusement, proceeding to pick up a stack of herbs and begin to put them in their piles. Just within a quarter moon of me training as a medicine cat, Jayfeather had actually taught me a really interesting way to organize the herbs. I quite liked it, so I stuck to it.

It was what I was still doing when just a few heartbeats later, Goldenshine padded into the den.

"Uh, could I have some moss dipped in mouse-bile, please?" she asked as soon as she had come in.

I turned around from my work to face my sister, my eyes wide. "Again?" I exclaimed. "Why do you need moss and mouse-bile so much?" This was now the fourth or fifth time that Goldenshine had come to the medicine den for mouse-bile.

"To get ticks off of the elders. Duh."

I tilted my head to the side. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm being punished!" Goldenshine meowed, growing impatient all of the sudden. "I ate prey before I gave some to the Clan on a hunting patrol about a half-moon ago."

What's her problem? I wondered. For one, Goldenshine doesn't break the warrior code, and two, why does she have even more of a spunky attitude than usual?

I tilted my head. Goldenshine had hesitated greatly when she'd spoken, along with it not sounding like something she would do in the first place. So, I decided to question her further, as reluctant as I was to face the confrontation. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Goldenshine growled, causing me to cower back slightly. "Why would you think I'm hiding something? Why do you not believe me?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The last time that Goldenshine had given me this much attitude was when I had told her I wanted to be a medicine cat, and that was moons and moons ago!

"I do believe you!" I insisted, shocked at how defensive Goldenshine was all of the sudden. "You just didn't seem sure about what you were saying."

"Whatever," Goldenshine murmured, breaking her gaze away from me and beginning to scan her head around the den. "So, where's my mouse-bile moss?"

I heard Jayfeather sigh next to me, seemingly annoyed, before picking up some moss. He reluctantly dipped it in mouse-bile and then gave it to Goldenshine.

"Thanks," Goldenshine meowed through a full mouth. After that, she simply let out a small groan and left the den.

I sat down and watched her go, lashing my tail anxiously. To say the least, I was shocked with every piece of the encounter I had just had with my sister. She was very rude, and she apparently broke the warrior code a half-moon ago. What's gotten into her?

I tried to push down my nervous feelings, replacing them with rational explanations. Well, every warrior isn't perfect, as much as I know that Goldenshine wants to be. Maybe she was so hungry that she couldn't help herself...

"Wow, your sister is so friendly isn't she?" Jayfeather said sarcastically, interrupting my thoughts.

I let out a sigh, letting myself be amused by Jayfeather's comment rather than sitting around and worrying. "And you're one to talk!" I teased, gently nudging Jayfeather with my tail. "She's just in a bad mood, I'm sure. It's probably not fun being punished." I'm almost trying to tell myself that more than him...

"I have to admit, I know how she feels," Jayfeather commented, rolling his blind eyes.

I let out a quiet gasp, staring wide-eyed at my formal mentor. Jayfeather showing some vulnerability? What a nice surprise today! "Really?" I asked, looking at him, suddenly very intrigued.

"I always got in trouble with Lionblaze and Hollyleaf when we were kits," he explained, shaking his head slowly as if he hated what he was saying. "Lionblaze's and Hollyleaf's warrior ceremony was actually delayed because they got in trouble so much, those mouse-brains..."

I let out a little mrrow of laughter, very amused by the quick anecdote. I murmured, "Wow," and then continued to organize my herbs.

After me and Jayfeather had worked on the herbs for quite a long time, Jayfeather stopped with his herbs and turned to face me as if he could see.

"So, the gathering's coming before we know it," he began.

Oh! "Yeah!" I meowed, suddenly mesmerized by the thought of the Gathering. "What about it?"

"Would you like to come with me?"

"Yes!" I yowled with excitement, hopping up in the air. As of now, I had only been to two gatherings - one as a warrior apprentice and one as a newly-made medicine cat apprentice. I had had to stay in the medicine den for many of the Gatherings after that while Jayfeather went by himself. At my first one as a warrior apprentice, I had stayed by Brackenfur most of the time and I didn't speak to anyone else, and at my second one, I mainly just got to know the other medicine cats, not having much of a chance to meet anyone else.

"Great," he meowed as I had answered.

I nodded to him and then absentmindedly but happily continued to fix my herbs. "Oh, I can't wait, Jayfeather!" I commented, my mind suddenly drowning in thoughts of the Gathering. Would anything interesting happen? Who would I meet? What would the other Clan leaders have to say?

"You know what I can't wait for? These herb stocks to be finished and organized. Get on it," Jayfeather muttered, pulling me from my thoughts once again and nudging me softly.

I purred and rolled my eyes. At this point, none of Jayfeather's harsh words got to me anymore. I knew that he was never truly sincere, and especially now, all I could think about at this point was how ecstatic I was for the full moon!

This Gathering is going to be really fun! I thought. My first gathering as a real medicine cat!