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Description
“May I join you?”
I pushed the thrush towards Redpaw as he settled down opposite me.
“How’s the training going?” He said as he dipped his head to bite the thrush.
“Fine,” I said, without looking at him.
Redpaw swallowed his mouthful. “Bluefur said you were doing great the other sun.”
I contemplated whether to talk to him or not. I was still annoyed with him, but he was still my best friend, and I couldn’t go on being bitter towards him forever.
I sighed deeply. “I haven’t been doing so well recently. It’s like all the moves Bluefur taught me have just been erased from my memory.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, as long as you concentrate on your training and stop thinking about other things.” he said, taking another bite.
“What other things?” I said with an edge.
“Anything that will distract you,” he said with perfectly feigned innocence.
“Well Bluefur has given me the day off today, so maybe I can rest and get my mind off of these ‘other things’.”
I got up preparing to leave him, but suddenly Spottedpaw trotted over to join us. Like every time I saw her, my heart skipped a beat.
“You have the day off, you say?” She mewed. “Tawnyspots is suffering from belly-ache, and Featherwhisker said I could take an apprentice with me to help find some chervil root.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love to come!”
“Great, let’s go.” She smiled at Redpaw and turned away.
I couldn’t look at my friend as we padded away, but I could feel his eyes on me until we had passed out of the camp.

*
As we emerged from the gorse tunnel, I spun round to face Spottedpaw, my eyes shining.
“Race you to the top of the ravine!”
She paused, and then grinned. “You’re on!”
“One, two, three, GO!”
I sprang forwards with my powerful back legs and raced headlong up the steep slope. I could feel Spottedpaw running right behind me and put on an extra burst of speed, not stopping until we had crested the top of the ravine. Spottedpaw arrived just behind me, and I grinned as I butted her playfully with my head.
“I win!”
She giggled and pounced on me, her two front legs pinning my chest to the ground. “I’ll get you for that!”
“What are you two doing?”
I scrambled awkwardly to my paws when I noticed Bluefur standing at the bottom of the ravine, her eyes flaming.
“Tigerpaw’s helping me find chervil,” Spottedpaw stumbled.
“What don’t you go and do it then?” Bluefur said coldly.
“Yes Bluefur, sorry.”
“Sorry Bluefur.”
Spottedpaw trotted away quickly. I started after her but stopped and looked back at my mentor. Bluefur was still regarding the young tortoise-shell apprentice with evident dislike.
What’s she got against Spottedpaw? I wondered as I followed after her.

*
“Do you think Bluefur will tell Featherwhisker?” Spottedpaw mewed nervously.
“No, I doubt it. What’s there to tell anyway?”
“That we weren’t getting on with the task?”
“I’m sure medicine cats need a time to play as well,” I told her as I ducked under a branch.
“I suppose,” she sighed. “I wish we could have played when we were kits, you and I. It would have been so much fun.”
“I would have played with you if I could,” I said sadly.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I wasn’t allowed,” I said hesitantly.
She stopped walking and stared at me. “Why ever not?”
“My mother didn’t want me…with you.”
“But why?”
I gazed into her clear amber eyes for a long time, longer than I should have done. I so desperately wanted to tell her. I started walking again. “I’ll tell you some day.”
She gazed after me. “Tigerpaw…”
I froze and looked back at her.
“There’s some chervil over here,” she said.

Description
“May I join you?”
I pushed the thrush towards Redpaw as he settled down opposite me.
“How’s the training going?” He said as he dipped his head to bite the thrush.
“Fine,” I said, without looking at him.
Redpaw swallowed his mouthful. “Bluefur said you were doing great the other sun.”
I contemplated whether to talk to him or not. I was still annoyed with him, but he was still my best friend, and I couldn’t go on being bitter towards him forever.
I sighed deeply. “I haven’t been doing so well recently. It’s like all the moves Bluefur taught me have just been erased from my memory.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, as long as you concentrate on your training and stop thinking about other things.” he said, taking another bite.
“What other things?” I said with an edge.
“Anything that will distract you,” he said with perfectly feigned innocence.
“Well Bluefur has given me the day off today, so maybe I can rest and get my mind off of these ‘other things’.”
I got up preparing to leave him, but suddenly Spottedpaw trotted over to join us. Like every time I saw her, my heart skipped a beat.
“You have the day off, you say?” She mewed. “Tawnyspots is suffering from belly-ache, and Featherwhisker said I could take an apprentice with me to help find some chervil root.”
I nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love to come!”
“Great, let’s go.” She smiled at Redpaw and turned away.
I couldn’t look at my friend as we padded away, but I could feel his eyes on me until we had passed out of the camp.

*
As we emerged from the gorse tunnel, I spun round to face Spottedpaw, my eyes shining.
“Race you to the top of the ravine!”
She paused, and then grinned. “You’re on!”
“One, two, three, GO!”
I sprang forwards with my powerful back legs and raced headlong up the steep slope. I could feel Spottedpaw running right behind me and put on an extra burst of speed, not stopping until we had crested the top of the ravine. Spottedpaw arrived just behind me, and I grinned as I butted her playfully with my head.
“I win!”
She giggled and pounced on me, her two front legs pinning my chest to the ground. “I’ll get you for that!”
“What are you two doing?”
I scrambled awkwardly to my paws when I noticed Bluefur standing at the bottom of the ravine, her eyes flaming.
“Tigerpaw’s helping me find chervil,” Spottedpaw stumbled.
“What don’t you go and do it then?” Bluefur said coldly.
“Yes Bluefur, sorry.”
“Sorry Bluefur.”
Spottedpaw trotted away quickly. I started after her but stopped and looked back at my mentor. Bluefur was still regarding the young tortoise-shell apprentice with evident dislike.
What’s she got against Spottedpaw? I wondered as I followed after her.

*
“Do you think Bluefur will tell Featherwhisker?” Spottedpaw mewed nervously.
“No, I doubt it. What’s there to tell anyway?”
“That we weren’t getting on with the task?”
“I’m sure medicine cats need a time to play as well,” I told her as I ducked under a branch.
“I suppose,” she sighed. “I wish we could have played when we were kits, you and I. It would have been so much fun.”
“I would have played with you if I could,” I said sadly.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I wasn’t allowed,” I said hesitantly.
She stopped walking and stared at me. “Why ever not?”
“My mother didn’t want me…with you.”
“But why?”
I gazed into her clear amber eyes for a long time, longer than I should have done. I so desperately wanted to tell her. I started walking again. “I’ll tell you some day.”
She gazed after me. “Tigerpaw…”
I froze and looked back at her.
“There’s some chervil over here,” she said.