The Life of An Herb Cat, Haley Radebaugh [epub read online books .TXT] 📗

that from my nest. Oh hello Pinestar how are you today? Wait Pinestar your back and Songpaw you are here to why have you come back? It doesn’t matter I have missed you so much my baby has come home!”
Songpaw had to think for her reply for a second “Yes I have come home and Pinefur has told me many things about you. And you are my mother even though this is the first memory of you I love you. And I wish to become a part of BrookClan if Rosestar will have me and the reason is because of a dream I have been having. Pinefur has told me that I should only discuss it with the Herbcat and the leader. So I do believe that is true so I will only do so.”
“That is the right thing to do but another group of cats you can ask for knowledge is the elders because they are Herbcats, Warriors, and sometimes apprentices that have been injured. So I am an elder if you ever need information about training. And just remember I love you and always will not just because you are my kit because you are a part of this clan.” Moonfoot meowed.
“Come I will take you three to Rosestar’s den and we will see what she will say about you to rejoining the clan and Moonfoot she will not be happy with us for lying about Songpaw being stolen by foxes. But she will be happy to see her old mentor again.” Whiteflower explained.

Chapter 4
“Come in Whiteflower how may I help you?” Rosestar asked.
“Well I’m here with Moonfoot, Pinefur, and Songpaw. Moonfoot would like her daughter and mate to rejoin the clan. And we are very sorry about lying to you about Songkit being stolen by foxes. And we will take our punishment. And for Pinefur he would like to rejoin the clan to become an elder” Whiteflower explained.
“Hello Rosestar I know I should never have left the clan because I was afraid of death and I apologize for only allowing you to receive 8 lives when you took on the name of star but if you will have me I will become an elder and I will not challenge you for leadership.” Pinefur begged.
“Rosestar my name is now Songkit not Songpaw and I would be lucky to be welcomed back into your clan and if you will let me I will be even luckier to be made an apprentice with a mentor and the name of Songpaw and for the acts of my father I will hold off of my real warrior training and take care of the elders for as long as you wish.” Songkit meowed.
“That is a very polite thing to say and you do know much about the clan for being a house cat, but you do not have to take responsibility for your fathers actions because there will not be any. Pinefur you may come home and become an elder because you have dedicated 8 lives to this clan. And for you Songkit you will become an apprentice in BrookClan and be assigned a mentor. And we will welcome you with open paws and sheathed claws. So wait here until I send my deputy to fetch you and groom yourselves because the whole clan will be watching you. And Songkit you will be given a mentor she will teach you how to fight and how to respect the warrior code.” Rosestar meowed.
“Okay, we will be here until farther notice and thank you Rosestar we are so grateful for this opportunity. What I mean by that is to be welcomed into your clan after my father left and I was basically stolen from the nursery and raised in a life that did not suit me, and had to come back and more than likely will cause much trouble for you in the future and must have in the past. So what I am trying to say is thank you Rosestar and I do not lack in my ability because of my large size. And I will not take more food than I deserve.” meowed Songkit.
“Yes well I will send in Jayfeather when I have explained to the clan the strange circumstances. So they will understand that Songkit is alive and Pinefur has come home and wishes to become an elder after living as a kittypet for 6 moons. But they must learn to trust whatever I tell them no matter how strange.” As Rosestar finished she walked out of the reeds and Songkit heard her call all of the cats around her and told them the information.
As she finished giving the clan the update a dark gray cat with crystal blue eyes walked into the den and meowed “Rosestar would like you three to come into the clearing now.”
When they entered the clearing Rosestar was on the top of a fairly large rock and there were tons of cats in the clearing and all of their eyes were on Songkit and her parents. She was jerked away from her thoughts when Rosestar meowed “now that Pinestar has returned he wishes to become an elder and give up the name of ‘star’ and become Pinefur once again.” She turned her eyes to him when she started to speak once more “Pinestar is it your wish to give up the name of ‘star’ and position of leader to become an elder?”
“It is” Pinefur meowed smoothly.
“Then by the powers of Starclan I give you the name of Pinefur. Your clan thanks you for all the service you have given us. I call upon Starclan to give you many seasons of rest.” Rosestar meowed. “And now once again I call upon our warrior ancestors to give the clans long lost kit her apprentice name and mentor. Songkit the clan welcomes you back fully as if you had never left. So from this day forward until you have earned your warrior name your will be known as Songpaw. Ivytail you had a wonderful mentor only 2 moons ago and I hope you will pass on all of the skills they have taught you to this apprentice. And finally Cenderpaw you have trained for many moons despite your injury you have now earned your warrior name. From the day forward you will be known as Cenderheart. Tonight you will sit silently guarding the camp.” Rosestar finished.
Now I am Songpaw and I must train hard if I wish to earn my warrior name as Cenderheart has.


Chapter 5
The faint predawn light filtered through the tangled reeds that made up the den of the apprentices. “Ashpaw, Featherpaw wake up if we want to become warriors like our sister we need to be on time for training. I mean you need to get up now if you want to get some fresh kill.” Songpaw meowed.
“Songpaw, I know that you were just made an apprentice two sunrises ago. But you have to keep quiet when I’m trying to sleep. We can’t train if were too tired. Maybe you should see if the elders want some of the fresh kill that’s left from last night. And they might share some stories with you from the old days of the clans while you eat.” Featherpaw replied.
“Okay, see you later Featherpaw.” Songpaw meowed as she walked into the clearing and headed for the pile of fresh kill. There was: a pigeon, a squirrel, and two silvery fish. What should I take them? She thought to herself. How about the fish? So she picked up the scaly bodies and carried them to the elders den.
“Is that you Songpaw?” Moonfoot asked.
“Yes it is, and I have some fish if you want it, if not I can put it back.” Songpaw replied.
“Do I smell fresh kill?” Honeyclaw added.
“Yes you do Honeyclaw. Songpaw would you like to share with us? We could tell you about how Rosestar was once one of the funniest, most misbehaving kits in the nursery.” Moonfoot commented.
“Well okay, that is if you want me to. And I didn’t know Rosestar ever misbehaved. I mean she is always so serious. And thank you for the offer.” Songpaw meowed.
“Well take a seat and we will start the story. Now Rosekit, at the time, was in the herb den and was eating all of Otterstream’s poppy seeds. Then there was the time when she hid all of the squirrels from the fresh kill pile. And um there was the time when she um…” Moonfoot explained.
“She also hid in the warriors den and scared all of the cats returning from the gathering that night. Oh yes and the worst thing she ever did was when she ran out of the camp and stayed in the reeds for 2 sunrises. That is the reason she is so good at catching fish, because she had to live on them when she was missing” Honeyclaw finished.
“Well thank you Honeyclaw, Moonfoot I will remember the story and thank you for sharing the fish with me. Now I have to get to my training, today we are learning the best way to catch mice and voles.” Songpaw added.
“Okay we will see you later dear. And say hi to your brother and sister for us.” Moonfoot meowed.
“I will, good bye for now.” Songpaw meowed as she left the den. She thought what silly things she would do herself during her apprenticeship? Maybe she would be so tired because of a gathering she would attack her mentor thinking that she was prey during an assessment; or she would eat before her hunting duties to feed the clan first! Oh there are so many things that can go wrong what if she does so many things wrong that she never becomes a warrior?
“Songpaw we are leaving soon. Last night I told you to be ready by sun high and when you are ready to leave I will be waiting by the entrance to the camp.” Ivytail’s soft smooth voice broke through her thoughts. But she was right it is almost sun high and she did say to be ready for training by sun high. Had I been blabbing with the elders all morning?
“I can go now if you are ready I have just been listening to the elders tell me about when Rosestar was a kit. And I guess I just lost track of time. But do you know that Rosestar ate all of the poppy seeds in the medicine den once or that she scared all of the returning warriors one night of a gathering. Oh I can’t wait for my first gathering!” Songpaw explained.
“Well there will be a gathering in about a quarter moon or so, and I was planning to ask Rosestar if I could take you but you would have to learn a bit more first and I don’t know if you can be ready in time. But if you work hard and are a quick learner then I think we can pull it off you would just have to demonstrate so of the hunting techniques I have taught you and some fighting moves that we will learn within the next 2 or 3 sunsets.” Ivytail answered “But we will have to work from sunrise to sunset, including patrols, battle training, and hunting techniques. Are you sure you can handle it? I mean you just rejoined the clan to sunrises ago.”
“I am sure I am up to it, I mean the leaders have to handle many more things than that in a single day, so of course I can try and do my best to make you proud Ivytail!” Songpaw replied.


Chapter 6
“Since we finished training early why don’t we go join a hunting patrol or maybe we