Pooling Puddles

Water was dripping all around her. The branches overhead were spotted with pale green blossoms, the wood looking more lively than it had in moons. The sound of a bird's call echoed through the forest as Mossbloom padded through the gradually returning undergrowth, a warm breeze accompanying her. A small patch of daisies bloomed nearby, and as the medicine cat made her way over to them, she reveled in the warmth of the sun on her back. Newleaf was finally here, after so many cold moons. With it came comfort in the warm seasons to come, although there was a fear that Mossbloom couldn't quite place until she turned back in the direction she had come and placed a paw on the ground, only for water to splash up around it. She gasped, the daisies falling from her jaws as she quickly looked down, only to be greeted by her own calico reflection staring back up at her from the shallow depths of a puddle.

Pulling her paw back, Mossbloom shook off the muddy water, eyes still locked on the puddle, white daisies swirling gently around the edges.

---

Waking with a jolt as a stiff, cold breeze cut through her den just right, Mossbloom stiffly uncurled from her nest. Stretching with a wide yawn, she shuddered and disappeared into the crack in the stone that led to the herbs she stored so carefully. The daisies she had were growing old, the petals withering. Hopefully newleaf would come soon.... But with the way the wind was blowing right now it felt as though leaf-bare would never come to an end. She huffed, her breath coming out as a pale white cloud as she backed out of the herb stores and stepped outside, contemplating what her dream had meant. StarClan had been silent, but.... While it hadn't felt like StarClan, she couldn't help but feel as though there was a message in the dream, something she should keep in mind. The answer came as she padded out of her den towards the fresh-kill pile, bobbing her head in a warm greeting as she passed Ferretnose and her apprentice, Puddlepaw. Digging under a plump mouse (she had never been able to get past her sorrow to eat mouse again) she pulled a scrawny vole from the pile before turning back towards her den.

Her eyes landed once more on Ferretnose and Puddlepaw, and as she stepped she felt a chilling sensation run up her leg. Surprised, she looked down to find... Nothing. No puddle, nothing wet. Her paw was completely dry. Green eyes traveled back to mentor and apprentice as the cold, damp sensation in her paw persisted, and a spark of realization appeared in her eyes. Puddlepaw, there was something about Puddlepaw she needed to consider. The apprentice had always been one of the quietest of her siblings, a good, strong cat just quiet. Tilting her head slightly, Mossbloom regarded the pair quietly before returning the vole to the pile and padding over to join them. "Good morning, Ferretnose, Puddlepaw. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" She mewed, curling her tail around her paws, all too aware of the scent of herbs that came off of her pelt for some sudden reason.

Puddlepaw glanced away from her mentor to the medicine cat and then momentarily to her mentor again before her gaze returned to Mossbloom as she approached them both. The day was cold, even though the sky was clear the sun did little to combat the wind- it took away what little comfort the warm from the sun brought. This cold was all Puddlepaw really knew and she was looking forward to being rid of the constant discomfort that it caused despite her having long fur. There was weirdly a feeling of hopefulness in the camp, even though constant events tried to decimate any hope Thunderclan may have for a positive future, it was almost like the feeling she experienced just before she got apprenticed. Maybe the end of leaf-bare just had that effect on the clan, seems like something to be hopeful for. she thought, nodding slightly to acknowledge the presence of the medicine cat.

"Good morning Mossbloom," she chirped cheerfully. "you aren't interrupting anything." she reassured the medicine cat, looking at Ferretnose as she said this.

The end of Leafbare brought a quiet lull to the struggle for comfort that wrought its ugly claws on ThunderClan's camp. For once, Ferretnose had a morning to herself and Puddlepaw, where she could relax without being pulled along on a hunting patrol at the crack of dawn. The queen was content with configuring training sessions for the next quarter moon over breakfast, but a visit from Mossbloom was never an unwelcome one. She chirped a wordless good morning as she picked a little meat off of a pitiful looking mouse.

"You're looking well-rested!" Ferretnose purred. "I'm glad to be getting enough winks, myself. It's so much easier to sleep when you're not surrounded by paw-sized furballs all the time! How are you, Mossbloom?"

Word of kits reminded her of her own kit-hood, it seemed like a second ago. She knew that wasn't true, but the nostalgia felt nice. Puddlepaw briefly saw Mossbloom glance down at her paws and then back to her, the next question she asked was one she was not expecting.

"I've always thought herbs were pretty cool. They can do so much to help others it's amazing." Puddlepaw smiled, almost fan-girling over the herbs. "I would like to, yes.". Puddlepaw was oddly excited for what was yet to come, something about it just felt right.

Ferretnose giggled at Mossbloom's returned quipping, her tail sweeping in delight. It felt like it had been a long time since she had a moment without her kits in tow to talk to one of her dearest friends. Mossbloom seemed somewhat focused on Puddlepaw. For what, Ferretnose couldn't figure out. Mossbloom invited Puddlepaw on an herb patrol before sending a sideways glance at the warrior. In a moment, it was clear as day.

"Oh!" Ferretnose gasped in a near-whisper, not wanting to spoil Mossbloom's surprise. "That... would be a great idea, Puddlepaw! Medicine cats serve a very important role in the clan, you know. It's the duty of a warrior to support them." Ferretnose winked at her old friend, giving her a silent blessing. Puddlepaw was a bright student, but if her apprentice's path was taking her elsewhere, who was she to refuse?

Puddlepaw's reaction was one that Mossbloom had not expected, but the excitement rolling off of the apprentice's pelt was contagious. Feeling weirdly lighter suddenly, Mossbloom smiled, eyes brighter than they had been in recent moons. "How wonderful!" As Ferretnose joined in, their eyes met and Ferretnose winked, a gesture Mossbloom took as understanding, and acceptance. Purring, she stepped to her friends side and pressed her nose to her shoulder with a whisper. "Thank you, my friend." Turning back towards Puddlepaw, she gestured with her tail towards the entrance. "Let's get going, shall we? It's a beautiful day, after all!"

As she led the way into the forest, she wondered how she was supposed to ask, or even if she was supposed to. Pricklebush had interrupted her own ceremony, and she had never seen another choosing of a medicine cat. Regretting the fact that she hadn't thought to ask one of the other medicine cats how they went about it, she soon found that she was in a familiar clearing, sunlight filtering through the trees above. In the center of the clearing was a small puddle, most likely left behind by the snow from the earlier moons. An idea came to her mind as she walked towards it, and she called Puddlepaw over as she moved to the opposite side of the puddle.

Raising her head to look at Ferretnose one last time, she then looked to Puddlepaw, her eyes bright but firm. "Puddlepaw, I want you to look into this puddle. Tell me, what do you see?" She looked to the reflection of the two of them, and smiled softly.