Finally, I'm off hiatus! This chapter took longer than I expected, I'm so sorry for making you all wait! It's not a very exciting chapter, but it's still needed in the story. Plus, sorry its written even more poorly than my other chapters. I'm quite rusty after not writing for the entire summer. Next chapter will be a little more exciting, with couple of new minor characters. I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you guys soon!

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The sun touched the tips of the trees for the fifth time since Ash had first awoken. Five long, treacherous days had passed, and living amongst the clan cats wasn't becoming easier. The sun was setting now, and most of the warriors (which he had learnt meant the cats who hunted and fought for the clan) were returning from their daily patrols.

He watched them as groups would come and go from the entrance of the camp. They would come with prey hanging from their teeth, proudly placing them in a pile in the middle of the camp. They would glance towards the medicine den for only a second, then turn away again.

There had been no news of his mother.

Ash swallowed, his stomach felt hollow with worry. Surely by now someone would have caught a glimpse of her, or she would have come looking for him. He thought back to the last time he had seen her, that heartbeat they had made eye contact in the forest. What if he had distracted her, and the clan cats had caught up to her?

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it.

He decided he needed a distraction. Standing up, he turned and walked back to where Badgerheart was audibly complaining to himself. Ash sat behind him and watched as the herbs piled around his big hefty paws. "What's wrong?" he asked curiously. He had grown closer to the medicine cat, and he didn't feel fear around him anymore.

Badgerheart sighed, "We're out of marigold." He sat back defeatedly, "I thought we had some more but..." He gestured to the mess of leaves on the ground. "I'm going to have to make another trip upstream to get some before the sun's gone."

Ash stood back in surprise as he stood, starting to make his way to the entrance. He's going now? "W-wait a second, what's so important about Marigold in the first place? Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

Badgerheart stopped, and let out a deep sigh. "Marigold has many uses, such as healing infections and easing joint pain in elders." He said, as if he had rehearsed in saying this. "I have a condition, in which my bones ache like an elder's would, only I've had it since I was very young. The marigold helps ease the pain slightly, and it's the reason I'm always so slow and unsteady."

Ash glanced at the thick-furred tom's legs. He had thought that was because he was old, not because of a serious condition. 

"It's also the reason I'm here, serving as the medicine cat. I could never become a warrior like this." He sighed, sounding sad. Is that why he never told me? Ash wondered.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't become a warrior, you would probably hate me if you did." Ash said. He realised afterwards that could easily have been taken the wrong way, but thankfully Badgerheart just smiled genuinely.  

"Thank you, but I still need to get that marigold tonight or else I'll be nest-ridden tomorrow morning."

Ash looked up again as he saw him continuing to leave. He seemed to walk heavier now that Ash was aware of his condition. Then thoughts started processing in his head, and he came to a decision. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out, "I...I could come with you, if you wanted..."

The black cat's ear twitched, and he turned to face him with a look. It was both concern, and confusion, as if he were wondering what could have possibly made the shy cat decide to come with him.

He just gulped, and continued on, "I..just thought that you could use some help, and I don't want to be left alone anyway..."

Badgerheart just kept staring, but finally nodded. "Alright, you can come." Ash smiled and came up beside him, brushing his pelt against his. "It's not too far, just to our border. We should be back before dark."

The two began padding out the den, side by side. When the copper sunlight struck their faces, the few cats who were left in the camp turned to face them; mainly Ash. He gulped, there wasn't any going back now.

He followed closely as they made their way to the camp exit. Badgerheart stepped with purpose, and walked in stride. Ash felt like he was shrinking with each uneasy pawstep. The gazes of nearby warriors bore into him like fire. Thankfully, none of them moved from their spots.

Finally, they reached the camp wall. The sandstone walls were split, and a gateway of brambles formed a leafy tunnel leading upwards. Peering curiously up the slope, Ash could see it was narrow, and a tinge of orange sky was visible at the other end.

Ash was about to walk forward when suddenly dark shadow fell over him. He turned around, seeing the tall figure of Cardinalstar blocking out the sun. His face was hardly visible against the light, yet Ash could tell he wasn't happy.

"H-here Ash," he felt a paw nudge his backside. "You start making your way up, I have to talk to Cardinalstar for a moment." There was a little bit of fear in his voice.

Ash hesitated, but quickly started climbing the path. Brambles tugged on his gray fur as he walked through. He paused for a moment when he heard them speaking quietly from behind him.

Badgerheart murmured, "We're just going to retrieve some herbs, by the river-"

"And you didn't ask me first if that was okay? He wasn't suppose to leave camp." Cardinalstar's voice was grim, and it sent shivers up his spine.

"It'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on him at all times."

"Just like you're doing now?"

A pause between both of them. Ash's heart jolted and he kept climbing, in case one of them checked to see if he was eavesdropping. Coming to the top of the ravine, he shook himself of the leaves and thorns that had snagged his fur, but froze in awe when he saw the scenery stretched before him.

Tall oak trees reached as far up as he could see, and thin streaks of sunlight shone through their branches. The wind had died, and everything felt still. The last time he had seen the forest, it had been night time. Things had looked so different then, shrouded in moonlight. Even when a bird called out loudly, it did not shake Ash from his wonder.

"Hey, you alright?" The voice of Badgerheart made him jump. He turned to see the large tom pull out of the brambles with ease, and came to stand next to Ash. "First time leaving camp is always an achievement for kits. I remember my first time..."

Ash wasn't really listening, his ears were pricked towards the trees. He thought about the possibility of finding his mother out there. Don't worry. I'll find you soon. I know I will. He thought, hoping his mother could somehow hear his inner voice. A thick tail brushed in front of his nose.

"Come on, we need to leave before the sun sets completely." Badgerheart said, as he trotted into the overgrowth. Ash hurriedly followed behind him.

Thin rays of sun warmed his pelt, and the fresh air filled him with a new energy. Being trapped in that musty den was exhausting, and he finally felt as if he were free from the clan cats. Badgerheart ducked under as they passed by a fallen log. Ash climbed over it instead, making him realize how much he had grown.

He walked up beside Badgerheart, who smiled warmly at him. He smiled back, but he was focusing more on their height. Badgerheart was a large cat, so comparing their height together wasn't' completely fair. But his eyes were level just above the tom's belly, meaning he was just a little over half his height.

When he thought about it, his memories of sharing prey with his mother seemed so distant now. Before all the mysterious kits, before he had left the den, he remembered resting against her side, practically no larger than a squirrel. Ash took a breath, and silently confirmed with himself, that he was indeed growing up.

They both came to a stop as they reached a break in the trees. Ash heard a sound, like hissing cats. Was there a fight happening? Ash slowly crept forward, and peered from behind Badgerheart. Before them was a wide stretch of water, rushing vigorously onward. Ash had never seen so much water in his life.

"This is our border, the marigold shouldn't be far." Together they walked cautiously beside the rushing water, Ash looked down at it as white foam bubbled at the edge and around smooth stones. Badgerheart talked over the rumble of water. "Riverclan is on the other side of the stream. They can swim in this river easily, and catch fish in it."

Something about that caught in Ash's throat like thorns. "The river? This is the river?" he choked.

"That's right. Why?" He asked. Ash couldn't respond. He kept thinking back to his mother's promise, she had said she would take him to the river eventually. Grief rained down on him as he never got the chance to go with her. But another feeling was there too. A small hope, that maybe this meant she was close by. He now felt comforted watching the glimmering ripples as they ebbed by his paws.

Badgerheart didn't ask anymore, and eventually they both stopped. A tall formation of rocks was silhouetted against the sky as the path opened up to a clearing.

"This is Sunning Rocks. It's often being invaded by Riverclan, but it seems quiet today. We can gather marigold here." He started sniffing around it's edge, placing his paws carefully in the marsh. Ash watched him, and copied his movement. He sniffed more by the trees where it was less wet.

He sneezed when he got a whiff of a strong fragrance. A bundle of yellow flowers was hidden by the reeds, and it's scent reminded Ash of the den they shared. "Is this it?" He called out. Badgerheart padded over to him and put his nose to where Ash stood.

"Yes, that's marigold! Well done, you're quite good at scenting." A tail rested on his back as Badgerheart praised him. Ash smiled, and watched as Badgerheart cleanly bit a stalk off with his teeth.

--

The sun had finally gone down for the night, and the sky was a deep blue now. They had decided to rest before heading back to camp, and sat together on the smooth rocks by the shoreline, listening to the peaceful sound of the river.

Badgerheart stood closer to the edge, his silhouette was all that could be seen now. Ash stretched out on the cooling rocks, glad to finally be away from that prison of a camp. Despite having thought of it earlier, he hadn't once looked for his mother. He felt bad, but at the same time he enjoyed being able to relax for once.

"I've been thinking," Badgerheart's low voice cut above the sound of water. "I'm getting older by every sunrise. I'm not going to be around for much longer." Ash didn't understand what he meant, but just listened on in silence.

"I need an apprentice, someone who can learn everything I know, and replace me when my time comes. If you were my apprentice, the clan cats would respect you more, and you would be allowed out of camp when you wanted. You wouldn't have to fight or hunt, what we did today was just a taste of what being a medicine cat is."

Ash pricked his ears but still said nothing. The idea of being respected sounded nice, and he liked Badgerheart, so he wouldn't mind spending more time with him. But at the same time...

"If..." He paused, "If you wanted to find your mother, there might be a way to make sure she's still alive too."

Ash blinked and stared wide eyed at him. Why hadn't he told him this sooner? "Really?" he whispered, not because he was trying to stay quiet, but because his excitement felt as if it had knocked all the air from his lungs.

"But only if you're my apprentice." He concluded, turning to Ash, his dark eyes flickering. Ash thought hard about it, and decided he would rather have a slimmer of hope that she was alive then rather worry everyday about her. He nodded slowly, sealing his fate in the paws of Badgerheart.