The Life of An Herb Cat by Haley Radebaugh (ereader iphone txt) 📖

Chapter 1

Sandy smelled something more delicious than tuna and cream, so she decided to investigate. She crept in the direction of the sweet scent and found a little brown mouse! Sandy dropped her wait onto her haunches and started to creep forward; As if she had caught a mouse before, even though this was her first time in the woods.
She realizes that this was only a dream because she has no idea how she got into the woods. Another sign was that she heard more than the woods, the other sound was the rattle of her hard crunchy food.
She was jerked from her thoughts as the dreamy mouse started to run, and she chased it well into the forest until she seen another cat racing onto an island.
Sandy thought that it was kind of Strange that a cat was running into a river and not trying to find a way around; so she followed the strange snow colored cat.
As she reached the edge of the water she saw what looked to be a living space in the woods for CATS. I thought that the cats that live in the woods were just a story that Pine told.
Just as she caught the strange cat and said “Please will you tell me what this place is”. She was woken up by her person petting her on the head.
Sandy decided to eat her tuna and go into her yard and see if Pine was outside.
Pine was there but he looked sleepy so Sandy decided to try to wake him up nicely, but when she was about to speak he meowed “Hello Sandy, how are you today?’’
“Fine and you?” Sandy replied.
“Well I’m fine as well but I can tell that something is troubling you” asked Pine smoothly.
Sandy hoped he would notice and not think she was crazy like Princess would “It’s just this dream I have been having, first I’m chasing a mouse and then this white cat goes onto an island and then I follow him and right when I get the chance to ask him where I am he just yells intruder or I get woken by my people. And I just keep having this dream and I thought if anybody would know what it meant it would be you because I do believe that you once lived in the woods unlike all the other house cats.” She meowed.
“Well you must go and find BrookClan’s Camp, if you follow the stream until you find a bed of reeds in the middle of the river then sneak in because many smart strong cats live there. Where was I oh yes sneak in and find the whitest cat you can I believe her name is Whiteflower but I’m not sure. She will tell you what to do from there she is the clan’s personal vet called a herbcat. So if any cat will speak to you it will” He stopped talking and just stopped altogether. Sandy started to panic he might be dead.
But before she ran to get his people she rubbed her muzzle in his now still fur and whispered “thank you Pine I will never forget you for helping me realize what I must do with your last breath.” Then Pine suddenly somehow woke up and Sandy meowed “your alive how are you alive?”
“Well when I got to MoonClan, or where warriors go when they are dead, I told them that it wasn’t my time and they agreed so they sent me back but I could hear what you said from the clouds and if it had been my last breath I would have died happy so when the time comes I will remember what you told me that very moment. And thank you”
“Pine there is one thing I didn’t say in my speech” Sandy added.
“What is that dear kitten?”
“Well it’s just that I know you might think this is kind of silly because you know your parents but I think of you as being kind of like a father to me.” She replied. And when she said that Pine got a strange look on his face kind of a mixture of fear and happiness.
“Well I always thought that I had an effect on your life but not that big.”Pine continued “but back to BrookClan you must go to their camp and find Whiteflower and if she refuses to help you, tell her these exact words: I know Pinestar and he still loves you and if she still doesn’t help come home and get me then I will return to the camp with you and live out the rest of my days as an elder with BrookClan if it helps you reach your destiny”.
“Okay but Pine before I go can you tell me why you left when you were going to become an elder” Sandy persisted.
“No, but I will tell you on our way because I don’t think Rosestar will let a housecat become a cat of BrookClan without proof that you know me.” Pine explained. “I can come with you correct?”
“Pine why wouldn’t I have you come with me you are the only cat in the world that could help me follow my destiny. Of course you can come” Sandy exclaimed.
“Thank you we will leave at sundown meet me at the edge of my garden” Pine meowed smoothly.


Chapter 2
As Sandy waited impatiently Pine strolled up and meowed “So shall we go for a hunt then set off for BrookClan’s camp oh my mistake. You don’t have territory to hunt on because you don’t have a clan, and if we were caught on StormClan’s territory we would be shredded. BreezeClan are even touchier oh yes and then there is SkyClan they are not as bad but we still don’t want to be caught on any clan’s land that’s why we must be sneaky.”
“That is very interesting Pine but now will you tell me why you left BrookClan when you were about to become an elder?” Sandy asked questioningly.
“Well I did say I would didn’t I? Okay I will tell you. The reason I left was that I could not become an elder because I was BrookClan’s leader and leaders cannot become elders.” Pine meowed sadly. “I had to leave the cats I loved and protected because I feared death. You see leaders when they are on their last life they, must lose it before the deputy may become the new leader; there is only one record of a leader becoming an elder in clan history. His name was OakStar of BreezeClan. But you will learn more about him later. So back to the reason I left you see if I had requested to become an elder then my deputy Rosetail would have only received 8 lives and hated me for it but now he has received those 8 lives in honor without hate. Now that he has forgotten me and what I had done by leaving the clan and dishonoring the name of star he will and is a great leader. Don’t ask how I know this because I sneak here once a moon and watch the gathering at the great oaks of the forest.” Pine confessed.
Sandy thought to herself but he would have forgiven you after a short amount of time or he would not be a great leader. “But you should have trusted him to forgive you because doesn’t he respect you I mean if you respect someone you would respect their decisions. Right?”
“Well yes that is why I have decided to go back to my clan and live out my days as an elder as I always dreamed. When I left I lost all of my friends and I also left my mate who was in the nursery with our kits: Ashkit, Songkit, Cenderkit, and Featherkit. They were all grey like me, well with the exception of Songkit she was special, the same color of you and she had the palest green eyes like yours. I took her with me when I left the clan so I would always have a reminder of my mate, her name was Moonfoot she was sweet like Songkit. But about a week after I got to my house folk Songkit found a mouse in the yard and ran off, I found her and I am sure you have met her.” He explained.
“How can you be so sure that I have met her, because I have never met a cat with orange fur and pale green eyes like mine.” Sandy told Pine.
“Because you are her you are my daughter your rightful name should be Songpaw and I am sorry I didn’t tell you before but I didn’t think you would understand.” Pine replied.
“Then call me Songpaw I like that name better than the one my people gave me. Pine I always thought of you as my father but now I know you are my father. So I am honored to be called the name my mother gave me so Pine if you wish, you may call me Songpaw.” Sandy meowed.
“Thank you. So as you wish I will now call you by the name of Songpaw. We now must be quite because we are near the camp. Now follow me and remember hush we are going to go directly into Whiteflower’s den but be prepared there might be an injured warrior or two there. But remember hush.” Pine meowed.


CHAPTER 3
“Okay Ashpaw I think that leg has healed enough for you to return to training with your sisters.” Songpaw heard a strange she-cat meow. That must be Whiteflower Songpaw thought.
“That is Whiteflower now we must go through that small hole.” Pine explained. As he finished they crept through the hole Pine had found. When they entered Whiteflower didn’t yell intruder or attack she just turned and ran to Pine as if she was a mother and he was her lost kit.
“Pinestar where have you been and is that you Songkit? Yes it is Songkit I was one of the only cats your father told he was going to take you with him the other one is Moonfoot. Should I fetch her, she will be so excited to see her kitten again after six months she will be blown away oh yes she is an elder now.” Whiteflower meowed.
“Calm down Whiteflower you’re still as talkative as you ever were. But yes it would be a good idea to fetch her and yes this is Songpaw, remember she is the same age as Ashpaw, Cenderpaw, and Featherpaw.” Pine meowed. “Oh and please call me by my warrior name not my leader name.”
“As you wish Pinefur I will go and get Moonfoot and I will tell her I just need to ask her some questions about the rain we have been having lately and if it effecting her paw because her claw was ripped out just a week ago in her final battle before she became an elder.” Whiteflower explained. “Wait here.” As she left Songpaw started to feel scared but yet exited she was about to meet her mother for the first time that she could remember.
Then an elderly Orange she-cat with pale green eyes and Songpaw found she had the most soothing voice she had ever heard when she meowed “So what did you need me to come in here for my paw is a little bit bothered from this weather but why could I not tell you