Erin Hunter - The Sight

Then her face grew serious. “You haven’t, have you?”

Hollypaw shook her head. “No. But I have something very important to tell you.” She forced herself to look her mentor in the eyes. “I can’t be a medicine cat apprentice anymore,” she mewed.

Leafpool blinked. “Why not?”

“I have to choose my destiny based on my strengths,” Hollypaw meowed. “I’m just no good at being a medicine cat.

You must know that.”

“You are clever and hardworking. You can learn.”

“But it doesn’t feel right,” Hollypaw tried to explain. She tipped her head to one side. “Can you understand?”

“You feel like a fish swimming upstream?” Leafpool suggested.

“Exactly.” Hollypaw nodded, her heart aching. “If I change direction and swim with the current, I will swim so much faster.”

“So you want to train as a warrior instead.”

“I think it will be better for the Clan if I do.”

Leafpool’s eyes clouded with sorrow. “I feel as though I’ve let you down.”

“No!” Hollypaw felt a stab of guilt. “You’ve been patient and kind. It’s just not right for me.”

“You would have been a good medicine cat.” Leafpool flicked her tail. “But I see that you want to be the best at whatever you do.”

“I have to be, for the sake of my Clan.”

Leafpool stepped forward and brushed Hollypaw’s cheek with her muzzle. “You will make a wonderful warrior, Hollypaw,” she purred. “You have a warrior’s spirit—I have seen you being noble and loyal and brave, and now I see you sacrificing your ambition for the good of the Clan.” Her eyes shone. “I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

Leafpool’s words soothed the grief that pricked like a hedgehog at Hollypaw’s heart. “I must go and tell Firestar so he can find me a new mentor.”

“There’s no rush,” Leafpool cautioned. “You might want to think about it some more.”

“I’ve thought about it lots,” Hollypaw insisted. “I want to sort it out as soon as I can.”

“I’ll come with you,” Leafpool offered.

“Thank you.” The thought of facing Firestar made her paws itch. What if he thought she was being fickle?

Together they padded across the frosty clearing. Leafpool let Hollypaw climb the rockfall first and followed her up.

Hollypaw announced her arrival at the den entrance with a nervous mew.

“Come in.”

Hollypaw stepped into the cave. The dawn light seeped in behind her, lighting the gloom. Sandstorm was grooming Firestar’s ears. She looked up as Hollypaw and Leafpool entered.

Firestar drew himself into a sitting position. “How is Longtail’s throat?” he asked.

“It’s not whitecough,” Leafpool reported. “Mousefur insists it’s just sore from his snoring.”

Firestar turned to Hollypaw. “What is it?” His green eyes were round with concern. “You look worried.”

Hollypaw shifted her weight from paw to paw. What if she was breaking the warrior code in some way? Surely Leafpool would have said something? She took a short, sharp breath.

She had to follow her instinct. The Clan needed a medicine cat they could rely on, and she knew that wasn’t her.

“I want to become a warrior apprentice,” she blurted. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a medicine cat.”

“And you think you’d make a better warrior,” Firestar guessed, narrowing his eyes.

“I know I would!”

Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Do you think she’s right?”

“I believe that this is what she really wants.” Leafpool stroked Hollypaw’s flank with her tail. “She’s worked hard at her duties, and I’ve loved training her, but she feels her strengths lie elsewhere. And if this is what she believes, then she will make a better warrior.”

“I’ll remember everything Leafpool has taught me,” Hollypaw promised. “It might be useful one day.”

Firestar nodded. “Very well. Since Leafpool agrees, you can train as a warrior. I’ll find you a mentor as soon as I can.”

Hollypaw looked up at Firestar, wondering if he would say more, but he was gazing wordlessly at her. He must be trying to think of a suitable mentor. She turned and began to head past Leafpool out of the entrance.

“It must have taken a lot of courage to do this,” Firestar called after her. “I’m very proud of you.”

She glanced back at the ThunderClan leader. “Thank you,” she mewed.

She leaped down into the clearing, her paws light with relief. Suddenly she remembered that she had intended to go hunting this morning. Perhaps Lionpaw would come with her. She glanced toward the apprentice den, wondering if he was awake yet, and then she saw Jaypaw slipping in through the thorn barrier. Brook followed him in, looking relieved.

From the way he stumbled wearily into the clearing, Hollypaw guessed her brother had been out all night. She hurried over to him as Brook padded toward the warrior den to get some well-earned sleep.

“You look exhausted!” she mewed. “Where have you been?”

Jaypaw’s eyes were bleary and his fur unkempt. “I’ll explain later,” he mewed. “I have to see Firestar.”

“You should get some sleep first,” Hollypaw advised.

“Besides, Firestar is busy talking to Leafpool.”

“I have to see her too.”

What was he talking about? Had something happened?

Alarm shot through Hollypaw’s tail, making it twitch.

Jaypaw tripped as he tried to climb the tumble of rocks up to Firestar’s cave.

“Let me help,” Hollypaw offered. “You’re too tired to manage alone.”

For once Jaypaw didn’t object. Hollypaw’s anxiety grew stronger, but she bit her tongue. He was obviously determined to speak to Firestar, and she wasn’t going to waste time arguing. Instead she laid her tail over his shoulders and guided him up the rockfall.

At the ledge outside Firestar’s den, Hollypaw announced her arrival once more.

“Back already?” Firestar called her inside.

He looked surprised to see Jaypaw with her, but before he could speak Jaypaw stumbled into the center of the den. He fixed his sightless gaze on Firestar, his stare so intense it seemed as though he could see the ThunderClan leader as clearly as the rest of them could.

“I need to train to be a medicine cat,” he mewed.

Hollypaw stared at her brother in astonishment. Jaypaw had always been so sure that he wanted to be a warrior, ever since he had been old enough to pounce on a scrap of moss.

Firestar looked at Hollypaw. “Did you know anything about this?”

“No!” Hollypaw gasped. Firestar sounded as if he suspected they had planned it together.

Jaypaw looked over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes round with anxiety. “Hollypaw, I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Leafpool padded over to Jaypaw and brushed his ear with her muzzle. “Hollypaw has already told Firestar that she wants to train as a warrior apprentice instead.”

Jaypaw blinked. “Really?”

Hollypaw nodded. A tingle of hope pricked her paws.

Perhaps this was the perfect solution! After all, Jaypaw had always known the herbs better than she did. But would Firestar agree?

Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Are you ready to take on another apprentice so soon?”

Leafpool sat down and wrapped her tail over her paws. “I would be honored to be Jaypaw’s mentor.” She dipped her head. “I think the Clan would be lucky to have him as its medicine cat.”

Hollypaw stared at Leafpool. Why does she look like she’s hiding something?