Slipping under the branches of the nursery, Blossompaw shifted the wads of leaves in her mouth. As she entered, a sudden hiss sounded, only to break off.

"Oh, it's only you Blossompaw. Never mind, Silverwhisker, you can relax now." Blossompaw heard Morningheart's voice meow and saw the she-cat's silhouette brightening.

"Ok, good, go on kits, go out to play, you're all taking up too much space and Greyshard needs her privacy." Silverwhisker said from behind Morningheart.

Four greyish shapes rushed past her, followed by three gingery ones. Blossompaw looked around the den, trying to force her eyes to get used to the dim light. She loved how the twisting branches of the bramble stuck down and, skinned of thorns, made bases for the nest in the nursery. it all looked so safe and comfortable, the pale golden light speckling the leaf-covered floor.

"Greyshard? Where did you go?" Blossompaw called softly into the grey shadows, laying the herbs down for a moment.

"She's in the corner, sweetie." Morningheart meowed, and her dark, pine-green eyes gleamed.

"Ok, thanks," the apprentice answered, picking up the leaves and padding carefully towards the back of the den.

At the back of the den, in a spare pile of moss, Greyshard had laid down, back towards Blossompaw. Blossompaw put the bundles of leaves down beside the thick, main stalk of the bramble.

"C... can I see the kits, please?" she asked quietly, peering over Greyshard's blue-grey shoulders.

"Mhm." Greyshard murmured back, and stood up, revealing two kits crouching next to the bramble wall. The tortoiseshell nudged them with a paw and muttered, "Go on, Blossompaw needs to check you up."

"Oh... o-ok..." the gingery-brown one meowed, cautiously stepping out of the moss.

The weirdly-patterned brown tabby followed, staying behind his sister, but edging out slowly. When they passed from under her, Greyshard settled back into the nest, watching the kits intensely. Blossompaw gestured them over and sat down near the trunk of the bush.

"What are your names?" she asked, feeling her voice rattling gently in her throat.

The she-kit glanced back at Greyshard before answering, "I'm Coco."

"I'm Taffy." The tabby meowed, then added, tilting his head, "Why are you speaking so quietly? It's not as if there are any kits to wake up."

What peculiar names. I wonder- Blossompaw thought, only to break off as 'Taffy' asked his question. She was dumbstruck for a second, but she regained her composure, "I'm partially mute. It means that I usually can only talk in a whisper, or my throat really hurts."

"Woah, cool!" Taffy exclaimed, flicking his tail.

Greyshard's ears perked up and she scalded, "It's not cool! How would you like it if your throat bled every time you tried to raise your voice?"

Blossompaw felt an unusual rush of anger. She hated it when cats saw her like that - a helpless, little, weak apprentice, who crippled every time she tried to talk. It was just so unfair that being mute made everyone feel sorry for her. I swear, the only cat in this Clan who doesn't swoon over me is Treepaw, and she's my sister! She should be overprotective of me, but... she isn't. Good. I'll show them one day, I can be as strong as any of them.

"Uh, Blossom...? What's wrong?"
She jumped slightly and looked down at Coco, blinking. "O-oh, nothing! I was just thinking. Here, eat this," she opened one of the dock leaves to reveal a pile of powdery, slightly damp, dull green stuff. "...while I check your heartbeats."

Coco stared at the leaf, then imitated retching. "Ewwwww! That looks like the green stuff in ponds!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Taffy, "I'm never eating that!"

Blossompaw sighed and explained, "It is that 'green stuff in ponds'. Chlorella, that's what it's called. And I would be very grateful if you eat it, because it'll help keep your bodies strong and healthy."

"We already are strong and healthy!" Coco countered, leaning back from Blossompaw and making a disgusted face.

"Well- to be completely honest, you're not." Blossompaw replied apologetically. She coughed and felt her ears start to flatten to her head. She forced them up and breathed in deeply. She added, "Just eat it please. You need it."

Hesitantly, Taffy approached the chlorella pile and sniffed at it. He winced away, but, grimacing, stretched his neck towards it and lapped up a tiny mouthful.

As soon as it entered his mouth, he lolled his tongue out, hinging his mouth wide open. He 'vomited' it onto the ground and backed away, scraping his tongue against his teeth.

"Nope! Never! You can't make me! It's horrible!" he raged, shaking his head wildly.

Coco stared at him with wide green eyes, then at the chlorella and Blossompaw.

The medicine cat apprentice let her shoulders droop. She wished she could exert as much authority as Crystalwing or Owlstar, or even Treepaw. It would be so much easier than everyone ignoring her because she was mute.

"Just. Eat. It." She ordered, trying to sound authoritative.

"No." Taffy turned his head and tensed his haunches.

"You have to eat it and let me check you. Now." Blossompaw meowed.
Suddenly, she felt her eyes burning, as if they were being covered in water. Coco stared up at her with wider eyes than ever. Then, the she-kit reached her head forwards and licked up a small pawfull of the chlorella. She winced and swallowed it with narrowed eyes. Taffy, surprise clearly etched on his face, followed suit.

"G-good." Blossompaw muttered, feeling her stomach twist. She gulped and breathed in.

She opened the second dock leaf and pulled out a couple of aloe vera stems. "These will taste much better. I promise. Chew them slowly and long, alright?"

"Ok..." Coco shook out her fur and took one of the bright green stems in her tiny white teeth. She started to bite it thoroughly, as did Taffy.

While they did so, Blossompaw nudged their legs apart and pressed her ear to their chests, listening to their heartbeats. It was slightly faster than it should be, but that was understandable. She watched them swallow the aloe vera and nosed the dock leaves together.

"I'll be back in a moment." She meowed, waving her tail, "I just need to get you all some water." Turning to the other queens, she asked, "Is there anything you need?"

"No thanks," Morningheart answered, smiling.

"It's ok," added Silverwhisker.

"Ok. See you in a moment." Blossompaw turned around and trotted out of the den, blinking furiously in the sunlight that followed.

When her eyes grew accustomed to the light, she looked around at the clearing, breathing out calmly. A flicker of movement caught her eyes, and she saw her two siblings by the fresh-kill-pile. They scooped up a rabbit each and padded off to the elder den. Blossompaw's feet itched for her to join them. They would probably be listening to stories and myths in a few moments, while she had to look after rogue kits and carry bunches of stinking leaves across camp.

She sighed and shook her head, trying to focus on something positive. Blossompaw padded towards the dirtplace and, depositing the bundles of dock leaves, returned into the camp. She headed towards the medicine den.

Pushing through the yew branches, she saw Owlstar and Crystalwing straightening up sharply. Silence filled the den and Blossompaw looked blanky at her mentor and mother.

After a few more heartbeats of quiet, Blossompaw meowed awkwardly, "Can I have some of the spare moss, please?"

Owlstar just stared at her, making Blossompaw feel like she was being glared at by a hawk. Finally, Crystalwing replied hurriedly, "Yes, yes. Here, I'll get you some." The calico turned around and rummaged in a pile of moss near the wall of the den.

She returned to Blossompaw and handed it to her.

Blossompaw mumbled thanks and backed out of the den, allowing the fur on her spine to bristle as soon as they were separated by a wall of yew.

What was that? They- they must have been talking about me, or else they wouldn't have fallen silent when I came in. But then, it was a private conversation either way, maybe they would've done that if anyone came in. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, like Skunkpaw. Oh, well... Blossompaw's mind buzzed with thoughts as she dipped the piece of moss in the stream.

"Hey, Blossompaw!"

She turned around.

A group of kits, half of them ginger, the other grey, rushed up to her, Stormkit - the oldest of all the kits - in the lead.

"Who were those two weird kits that came in with Greyshard?" the blue-grey she-cat asked excitedly.

Blossompaw didn't say anything as she looked down at the kits. She shook her head and stepped over Risingkit, who was blocking her path.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, bushing her ginger fur out.

Blossompaw ignored the kits, who were still firing questions at her. she kept dodging them, slipping past them or simply jumping over them. She hadn't realised how much she had grown. I guess being half-way through an apprentice- warrior- ship- warrior apprenticeship pays off. she thought.

Finally, she reached the entrance to the nursery and turned to the crowd of jumping furballs. "Sorry, I have to go here, and we need peace and quiet." She told the kits.

"We can be quiet!" Stormkit meowed, which followed in a burst of agreeing mutters from the other kits.

"Sorry, you can't go in, and that's final. Go play in the stream or ask the elders for a story." Blossompaw said smoothly, not giving in to the kits' pleas.

Groaning, they dispersed and shuffled over to the stream. Blossompaw nodded with sudden satisfaction and, smiling, ducked through the bramble curtain, into the den.

Word Count: 1644
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