Chapter 2 Medicine Work

"What are you doing?" Smokekit asked. The two kits had left the nursery and were in the medicine den, watching Briarlight carefully sort a pile of leaves into two stacks. "I'm getting ready to prepare these herbs," the crippled warrior mewed, her eyes blinking warmly at the two kits. "Can we help?" Batkit piped up and had jumped up, her little paws thumping the ground eagerly. Jayfeather appeared from within the den. "This work requires old cats," he told his kits and must had felt their disappointment before he touched his nose to their ears. "I might have something you can do..." he meowed thoughtfully then called out across the clearing. "Brightheart, can you come here?" The ginger and white cat padded over to join them, leaving Snowkit, Dewkit, and Amberkit play-fighting. She dipped her head. "What can I do for you?" she asked. Jayfeather nodded to the two kits. "We need to sort the medical supplies, but also make sure this dock is prepared to be needed. Do you think you can take care of that with these two helping?" Batkit and Smokekit let out squeals of delight. They were being allowed to help! This was their mission all along, they had tried helping with the big warriors, which ended up less than what they wanted. Their first mission had been to go on patrol with Dustpelt who was leading Dovewing and Toadstep, but the dark tabby gave them a stern lecture about kits not being allowed out of camp and Dovewing herded them back into camp. "Don't worry," she meowed to the downcast pair, "You'll be big enough soon." But it seemed that soon was never going to come. They were only three moons now and still the youngest kits in the nursery. Lilykit and Seedkit had received their apprentice names, and now Lilypaw and Seedpaw were able to go out of camp, hunt, and fight. It was not fair. The next attempt had been to help Molepaw clean out bedding, though they thought it was fun to make a mess of the newly brought moss while the brown and cream tom was in the den sorting. Batkit thought RiverClan might had heard his yowls of fury at finding his moss too dirty to be of much use and had to go get more, though Purdy and Mousefur seemed amused by it. It would be nice if they could be helpful now, even if it was simple tasks. Brightheart nodded and lead the two kits further into the den where Jayfeather store his herbs. She sat down and waited for the two to do the same. The she-cat reached her paw into the cache and pulled out a pile of leaves. She carefully hooked one with her leaf and held it up. Batkit breathed in the scent. Unlike some of the other herbs, this scent was sweet, but rather strong and from beside her Smokekit coughed as he usually did around strong smells. "This is tansy," Brightheart explained. "It's a good remedy for coughs and also can be used on wounds or pains." The two kits stared at the leaf in awe, it always fascinated them at how a little plant could be so important. "Now this is a good leaf, it can still be used." Brightheart carefully sat the leaf down then picked up another one that looked dry and withered and the smell wasn't the same. "This one is one that should be thrown away, it will not be much help if it were needed because its stale." She sat it beside the good leaf. "What you are to do is separate this pile," her tail pointed to the large clump of tansy, into one of these two, she pointed to where the good and bad leaf were sitting. "Of course, sometimes a bad looking leaf may still have some use, but usually this is not the case." Smokekit went up and began separating the tansy like Brightheart had shown them. Batkit went to help, but Brightheart gently nosed her to the side. "I have another job for you," the ginger and white queen meowed. Batkit peered down at the pile of berries. "This is juniper," Brightheart told her, "very good for bellyaches. This should be fairly easy, just look for berries that feel soft or look dark, those are the ones to throw out. Batkit nodded and began sorting the berries, rolling the icky ones to the far side of the den while leaving the good ones close to the original stack. Brightheart was crouched close by, sorting more herbs with ease and the kit envy how quick she was able to do it. She still had a ton of berries to go and Smokekit was slowly separating the tansy. A wail made Batkit freeze and she heard a squeal as Smokekit darted to hide under Brightheart's belly, surprisingly the stacks of tansy were spared being knocked over an/or treaded on. Brightheart turned her good eye to the opening and soon Briarlight poked her head inside, looking apologetic. "Sorry about that, Cherrpaw has a bellyache, too much fresh-kill." Brightheart nodded and turned to Batkit. "Which herb is good for bellyache?" she asked. Batkit looked down at the pile of berries at her paws. "Juniper!" she yelped and carefully picked up one then carried it to where Briarlight was waiting. The dark brown she-cat purred fondly, "you know yours herbs," she meowed. "We need more cats who know that, it makes our job easier." Just beyond the crippled young cat, Batkit sat Cherrypaw, crouched over by the small pool and obviously in pain. As Briarlight dragged herself over to where the apprentice was crouched, Batkit followed and watched as Cherrypaw ate the berry. The ginger cat was still in pain, but she seemed to get better almost instantly. "Thanks," Cherrypaw mewed. Briarlight nodded then nosed Batkit. "It was Batkit who you should thank, she knows her herbs." Cherrypaw looked at the kit then nodded but before she could speak she heard Snowkit's voice. "What are you doing in there?" the little white tom-kit stood at the entrance, frowning. "We're helping," Smokekit mewed as he came out of the cache with Brightheart following him. Snowkit didn't look convinced. Batkit glanced at her 'mother', Jayfeather was carefully gathering the herbs but gave her a nod. "You did well, go on now." With squeals of delight the two kits ran off after Snowkit.