Warriors Leaftail's Mission

by SavvyCat

"The trees will fall... The ground will shake... And the last leaf can save the forest..." Leaftail, is a young warrior with a big heart and love for an adventure. But when she receives a dream from StarClan warning her of somthing dreadful coming, playtime is over. With the help of Hopeclaw, Whiteface, and Pebblepad at her side;can she figure out what lay ahead for the Clans?

Warriors

Leaftail's Mission

Prologue

The night of Leaf-fall had made the sun fall faster than ever, and the StarClan cats spoke to one another about a danger so fierce, and so strong that no leader could ever accomplish. "There is one. There is a spark of hope in every clan." The blue she-cat meowed with wisdom. "Bluestar is right, and that fleck of hope is sitting in ThunderClan, I'm sure of it!" The tan tabby mewed quietly.

"She is the daughter of a cat who I least expected to live.." Bluestar hissed at the memory. "Lostface." She stared out at the nothingness as she spoke. "Actually, now it's Brightheart." The tan tabby corrected. "She isn't the chosen one, so I am not bothered of what her name is now. Her daughter is the heart of it all. We've all waited too long, we must send out a warning after her warrior ceremony. But in what form?" Bluestar thought long and hard after what she had said, trying her best to find the solution. "Perhaps…. a dream?" The tan tabby suggested. Yes! That is it! Oakheart, you're the best mate any cat could have." Bluestar licked him on the cheek. "She will learn, she will soon become a warrior and this very night will she then receive her dream." Bluestar meowed, then her and Oakheart faded into the clouds.

~ Chapter 1~

"Come Leafpaw!" Firestar yowled from the highledge. "You better hurry youngster, stories can wait, you have a ceremony to go to!" Longtail cackled. "Fine, but then will you tell another story?" Leafpaw asked with hope burning in her eyes for a positive answer. "Your getting too old for kit tales you hear?" Longtail hissed. "Alright, fine you win." Leafpaw then turned to bound up the highledge.

"Do you promise to hold your loyalty in ThunderClan and protect your clan even when it could cost your life?" Firestar asked looking serious. "I do." Leafpaw responded trying to hold back her excitement. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I'll give you your warrior name….. LEAFTAIL!" He yowled from the Highledge so that even the elders could hear. All of the cats yowled Leaftail's new name, "LEAFTAIL! LEAFTAIL! LEAFTAIL!" The cats repeated.

The night sky flurried with stars in the sky. Leaftail trotted over to the apprentice den. She curled up on the moss bed and began to fall asleep. Just as she closed her eyes, she felt an object fly into her flank knocking her off the bed. She scrambled up claws unsheathed. "Hey furball! Get out! Your no apprentice anymore!" It was Deathclaw, a mean warrior that had been a warrior longer than she had. "O-oh s-sorry I-I-I-…" Leaftail stammered. She never expected to make such a mouse-brained mistake. "Sorry." She just mewed, she kept her tail low and trotted quickly when she past him. But then, before she could squeeze out of the den, he stopped her with his tail. "Hey, we could share a mouse or two, would you like that?" His attitude changed from mean to nice. Why would he be doing this?

"Um, I'm fine… Really, ah you see, I really have to go…." She lied. "What are you doing?" Deathclaw's suspicion had grew, she could tell by the sound of his voice. "Ummmm…." She then spotted Longtail walking back to the elders den. "I have to speak with Longtail… I promised I would speak with him." She lied again. But this time, it fooled him, and he let her pass.

A sigh of relief waved over Leaftail. At last she could walk lightly without feeling pressured. Her bones ached miserably and she slowly made her way to the warriors den. She flopped down on the nest making sure that she wasn't sitting in a apprentice den.

"Wake up you big pile of fur!" The voice startled Leaftail. So much that she stumbled over herself trying to get up. It was Sootwhisker, her brother, playful almost all the time even when time was running out. "You have a dream or something? You were rolling around last night." Sootwhisker asked with a twitch of his ear.

"Speaking of which, no, no I didn't…" She responded. It was strange if she actually did have a dream, because in her case, dreams were like the day hedgehogs flew. "Well, you looked pretty upset." He flashed a look of amusement before turning away. "Hey, stop that!" Leaftail meowed playfully with a swish of her tail. She then got up, and took her hunting skills to the test! She ducked down, she kept her ears alert but close to her head. Then she kept all of her weight on her haunches just like Firestar had said when she was apprenticed.

Firestar, was Leaftail's mentor. He had just became leader when she was apprenticed. She was mad because she knew she would not be chosen as new deputy because she wasn't a warrior. But instead, Firestar chose her as his very own apprentice. "Well?" Leaftail gasped with exhaustion as she finally pinned down her brother.

"Well, mouse-brain. You were supposed to be up early this morning but you weren't so….." Her brother smiled with revenge plastered all over his face. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" She muttered. "Maybe….." Sootwhisker smirked as he slid out from underneath her and pinned her down. "HEY!" Leaftail hissed as she felt the heavy weight smash on top of her.

"Uggggggg….. Get off you big sack of bones!" She hissed again shoving him off her and giving herself a quick wash. "So I have to go speak with the leader?" She mewed between licks. "No." He replied simply. Leaftail stood with shock striking her like lightning. "Wha-?" She stuttered. "Are you telling me, t-that this was a….Joke?" She stammered, fur starting to bristle. Sootwhisker didn't reply.

Then, he chuckled, giving her the signal that it was fake. She went into a full sprint. Sootwhisker raced out of the den, and into the sun-lit clearing. "Your so in trouble!" Leaftail meowed between breaths. All the cats gathered around to watch the pursuit with amusement. Finally, Leaftail took the chance. "There's only one way to catch the rascal…" She thought to herself, she glanced at the Highledge. She had a plan. "I'll climb the Highledge and jump right on top of him! He won't see it coming." She thought again. She knew she would have to jump high, because almost the whole clan was underneath the cliff to stay in the shade.

She saw that they were nearing the highledge again. "Here's my chance!" She thought as she ran up the Highledge. Never had she felt the ledge so crisp in such a cool season, but there was no time to lose! "I'm running out of ground too fast!" She panicked to herself. The shine of amusement in the audience of cats had disappeared, and the only thing left was horror shining in the depths if their eyes. She even heard Cinderpelt, the medicine cat yowling from below to stop.

She then shook off all of her thoughts, she was going to do this, she just had to! Before she could think about anything she ran out of ground. Thankfully her warrior ancestors gave her the ability to jump. The crowd of cats watch as Leaftail's body flew above them. Now she was just behind Sootwhisker, closing in on him. She felt her body fall upon something hard, and then… nothing…

"Is she okay?" Sootwhisker asked with concern. "She'll live." Cinderpelt replied. Slowly and steadily she began to feel herself again. "What, happened?" Leaftail muttered. "You nearly took a tree down!" Cinderpelt wasn't happy. "What do you mean?" Leaftail asked. She had thought she had landed on her brother. Didn't she? "You went face first into a tree. What in the name of Starclan were you thinking?!" Cinderpelt hissed. "Well, my brother played a prank on me and… I got mad and so…." She stopped and looked at her brother. She had never seen him so worried in her whole life.

Then she felt guilt crawl up her fur. "I'm really mouse-brained aren't I?" She meowed hastily. "Well, yeah, sorta." Cinderpelt's anger had started to ease and she wasn't roughly licking her fur anymore, instead it was soothing in care.

"Sorry… Sootwhisker… It's all my f-" "No, its not." He cut Leaftail off. His voice was no longer cheerful. It felt as if he had lost a piece of his heart, that not even a medicine cat can fix.

~ Chapter 2~

Darkness stirred as the clouds drifted lightly above a tree. Leaftail stood frozen. "Hello?" She called out. No reply. She licked her lips nervously and kept her ground. Then, a glow, so bright, brighter than sun in the sky. Leaftail turned her head back, the light was so strong, that even with her eyes closed it still burnt fiercely.

The light started to dim, so Leaftail turned back to look. The light was dull, but something started to form. "What the-" Leaftail thought with curiosity. Two cats became visible through the light. As if they were a constellation. When their paws finally touched the ground, a burst of energy was lit up, revealing the distant figures.

The cat shape was, Bluestar! She stared at her with a gentle smile. Then, out from the light was the other cat. It was Oakheart, Bluestar's mate that was killed in a battle versus Riverclan. He to shared the same expression Bluestar did. "We have come," Bluestar's meow echoed.

"to share a message. We are sorry, but a mistake has been made." Bluestar's smile disappeared, and so did Oakheart's. "Your clan is in terrible danger!" Oakheart yowled with horror. "What do you mean?" Leaftail panicked. "The trees will fall, the ground will shake, and only the last leaf can save the forest." Bluestar's warning frightened Leaftail. "The trees will fall? The ground will shake? And only the last leaf can save the forest?" Leaftail repeated to herself. Then the wind blew, causing the leaves to spread everywhere! Then, Bluestar and Oakheart began to rise, and the dim light brightened.

The trees began to fall down, and the ground rumbled making Leaftail's paws bounce. She turned with fear as she faced a giant oak. She stared with awe as the trees bark darkened and shriveled. The bright green leaves were turning orange, as if New-leaf jumped to Leaf-fall in two seconds.

The leaves glided off the tree leaving one leaf at the top. Leaftail's fur bristled as she stared at the orange, crispy leaf. Then, it broke off…. The wind then carried it lightly as it reached the ground, the forest split filling with uncontrollable blood.

"Get up!" Sootwhisker stood above her with a slight smile on his face. Leaftail's fur still bristled at the dream. "You sure know how to act like a rabbit!" Sootwhisker meowed. "I-I h-had a dre-dream…" Leaftail muttered. Leaftail shook her head with disbelief. "What's wrong? I thought you were mad." Leaftail tried to change the subject. Sootwhisker then shook his head. "I was, but, no cat could survive without a little bit of fun, right?" Sootwhisker cocked his head. "I guess your right. Besides, I like your strange, mouse-brained self anyway." Leaftail giggled.

"Say what you want, at least I wasn't dumb enough to jump off the Highledge and land on a tree!" Sootwhisker spat back with laughter. "Oh yeah? At least-" Leaftail stopped. She had seen Longtail the night she became warrior, but she didn't see her any other time.

Sootwhisker, still waiting for a taunt back and got bored and left. Leaftail trotted quickly out of the warriors den, trying her best to look casual. She wondered, "I wonder where Longtail is….." She peeked in the elders den to see them sound asleep. Leaftail scanned the den for Longtail.

After running around camp, her stomach started to hurt. So she dragged herself to the medicine cat's den for some advice. As she entered, she notice Cinderpelt crouched over someone. "Ummm…. Cinderpelt?" Leaftail's fur prickled when the medicine cat didn't speak back.

"I'm busy, what?" Cinderpelt mumbled. "My stomach hurts, I was just wondering if you could give me any advice….." Leaftail sighed. "Here's some advice, eat some food and leave me! If it still hurts, come back and I'll stuff your face with herbs and poppy seeds alright?" She growled.

"Okay…. Who's sick?" Leaftail couldn't help asking. "Longtail is sick. His eyes are watering and slowly becoming infected ." Cinderpelt muttered with a mouthful of healing herbs. Leaftail slowly made her way out of the den. She paused at the exit to see if she could hear Longtail say anything. Then, a sound caught her ear. "Please, eat these. They will ease the pain for a while. It would be nice if you sleep so they could kick in faster." Cinderpelt urged. Leaftail stood shaking waiting for a respond. Then she heard a familiar old cackle. "Alright, but remember, I ain't helpless!" Longtail then didn't speak.

Then, Leaftail heard footsteps walk toward her. She opened her jaws quickly scenting Cinderpelt. She scampered out of the tunnel and ran into Muddfoot. Muddfoot, a brave, loyal warrior. Inside her heart something burnt. What was this? Lost in thoughts, Leaftail didn't realize he was talking to her. "Ummmm, hello? Excuse me. I didn't mean to bump into you. Are you alright?" His voice soothed her and she flicked her bangs out of the way trying her best not to blush.

"I'm fine, really." She finally mewed. "Well I do congratulate you for becoming a trained warrior." He complemented. Leaftail's heart began to pump fast, never had she felt such a strange warm feeling in her heart. "T-thank y-you…" She stammered.

"Your welcome. By the way, are you okay? I heard you fell off the highledge yesterday." He questioned. Then, she remembered how much she actually did hurt. Her muscles started to burn. But this wasn't the strange warm feeling, she couldn't stop her self from crunching up. She gritted her teeth, holding back a yowl filled with pain. "Are you alright?!" Muddfoot's kind voice turned into a fearful meow as he hurried to her. Her eyes started to water, and the painful burn was rising.

"I think so…" She said with her teeth gritted. "Maybe I should get you to Cinderpelt." He meowed. Someone must have overheard him because off in the distance a cat meowed, "She isn't here." Muddfoot quickly lay her down and ran to the cat. Leaftail stretched out as far as her pain would let her to see who the cat was. It was Longtail. "What is he doing out of the medicine cat's den?"Leaftail thought. She listened, urging her ear forward to hear the conversation. But they were too far.

Finally, Muddfoot bounded back to her. "Cinderpelt's traveled to Moonstone to speak with Starclan." He meowed. "I'm fine…." She meowed as she struggled to stand up. Slowly, she made her way to the warriors den, limping the entire way.

"Are you feeling okay?" Above her was Muddfoot, staring at her with his dark ruby eyes. "Yes…" Leaftail mewed. "Is Cinderpelt back?" "No, but she will be soon today." He meowed back. He fixed her nest with his nose, and she could feel the moss pushed comfortably against her.

The feeling had come back again, the soft, warm feeling. What was this feeling? Was it good? She snuggled up in her moss bed and breathed in the smell of fresh moss. The smell of the forest inside the moss blinded her from the scent of fresh-kill that was placed beside her. "Eat. This might make you feel some what better." Muddfoot mewed. He then left as soon as she began to nibble on the squirrel.

~ Chapter 3~

Leaftail awoke in the medicine cat den, and yawned with relief. At last she was in the paws of Cinderpelt. "Yeesh, every time I leave there's a problem." The cat hissed. "I think I know what happened…." Cinderpelt mumbled. "You must of took your mind off the pain and when Muddfoot reminded you about it, your nerves kicked in." "You mean, he told you, everything?" Leaftail questioned.

"Yes. He had to so I would know everything, just to be hundred percent sure what happened. Is there something wrong with that?" Suspicion leaked from Cinderpelt's voice, and Leaftail knew she would have to think fast. "No." She finally muttered. "Alright then, I did most of the procedures while you were asleep. Now, just one more day of rest, a good amount of food, and a positive attitude will lead to becoming a strong cat tomorrow. You may leave, grab a piece of fresh-kill too." Cinderpelt then turned away to organize her herbs.

Hopefully, she would be just as well as any other cat tomorrow. All of the sleeping was just too much. At last she made it to the warriors den, she flopped down on the moss to discover it was fresh. "They must've gotten more moss." Leaftail thought. Then slumber had swallowed her taking her deep inside.

The leaves rustled roughly as the season of Leaf-fall was coming to a end. Leaftail stared out into the darkness. Then a flake appeared, Leaftail stared hard at the piece of ice, completely focused on it. "Leaftail…." A voice whispered. "Who's there?" Leaftail called out. "Don't you remember?" The voice mewed. Memory struck her as she remembered the voice. It was Bluestar, the leader before Firestar. Suddenly, the ice formed into a figure. It was Bluestar. Her eyes glowed crispy blue, her blue pelt whipped with water.

Leaftail was only a tiny kit when she was alive. And she died before she was apprenticed. "What is wrong? She mewed. "I have told you, and you know what is wrong." Her voice roared like a fierce lion. "But I don't understand…." Leaftail meowed back. "It will become clear soon, but be ready. A mission awaits you, and only you can complete it." she meowed deeply.

"Watch young one, listen to tales, follow the prints that lead you to the dark." she yowled, beginning to return to the form of a flake. "But it doesn't make any sense!" She yowled as she raced after her on the endless ground. "No!" She gasped and awoke off the moss bed. She stared around realizing she just received another dream. "I shouldn't tell anyone… Besides, it was just a nightmare." She tried to reassure herself. She then stood up, feeling her strength fill back up.

She walked into the sun-lit clearing to see every cat was up. Firestar was watching the progress with the apprentices at the training hollow, The elders were out in the sun. The warriors were being sent out on patrols and every cat seemed to be doing something. She noticed Muddfoot was beside the nettle patch chewing on a mouse.

Leaftail walked by the fresh-kill pile and scooped up a mole and sat beside Muddfoot. "Are you better?" He questioned. "Yes, I should go and give a piece of fresh-kill to Cinderpelt." Leaftail mewed. Muddfoot finished before her and trotted off toward the group of warriors. Leaftail finished soon after he did, and got up to get a squirrel for Cinderpelt.

Leaftail was happy. For the first time in her life, she was at a Gathering. But the most exciting part was that she was with Muddfoot. Finally, she could feel the wind in her whiskers once more. She padded along, keeping her distance from Deathclaw. She didn't understand why he had tried to keep her from leaving. Why was he being so nice? And why would he do such a thing? Questions whirled around inside her mind. She shoved them away, trotting confidently toward the group of cats.

Finally, they arrived at the island, and the ThunderClan leader stopped, scenting the air for any coming clans. After a little bit, the bushes rustled and out came the leader of ShadowClan. Blackstar mewed a greeting, and stepped aside to let his clan pass. "Greetings ThunderClan, you came early." Blackstar meowed once the cats were out of earshot. "Greetings, anything troubled your clan?" Firestar asked politely. Blackstar started to chuckle, "That question will be answered as soon as the Gathering begins."

Leaftail had never seen so many cats in her entire life. As an apprentice, she never was chosen to go to a gathering, but it wasn't because of her leader, it was because of herself. She would always sit in the elders den to hear stories of the greatest battles and legends of omens and one of her favorites, "Fire alone will save our clan," prophecy. She loved to here the story. Longtail an elder, was the one who told the stories to her even as a young kit.

Paw steps broke her thoughts as she turned to find WindClan. Onestar had his tale raised high, as he walked lightly with his clan behind him. "Greetings." Both ShadowClan and ThunderClan meowed. Blackstar glared at Firestar, evil filling his eyes. "Greetings, has RiverClan arrived yet?" Onestar asked. "No, not yet." Brambleclaw trotted over to the group of leaders.

Not even a heartbeat later, Lepordstar hopped out of the bushes. "Now I am." She meowed cooly, flashing her tail and swiftly bounded toward the big tree. "Let's go!" Onestar meowed, and followed the RiverClan leader. "We should do the same." Firestar meowed, waiting for a sharp reply. But the ShadowClan leader said nothing, only a short nod before he bounded after them. Firestar followed.

Leaftail scanned the clearing for Muddfoot. Finally, a familiar brown tabby pelt emerged. "Muddfoot!" Leaftail thoughts carried her toward him. She found herself bounding forward. "Oh, hello Leaftail. I didn't realize you were here." Muddfoot turned, eyes as amber as flames. Hot all over, Leaftail struggled to regain stability. He was after all a handsome, adventurous tom. Then suddenly, a breaking yowl told the cats the time has come to begin the Gathering.

Firestar's pelt whipped like flames in the moonlight. Onestar's chest puffed out twice his size, and the leaders of ShadowClan and RiverClan stood staring down at their audience. Onestar leaped onto the lowest branch, beginning to speak. "WindClan is doing well for the season of leaf-fall. And prey is pouring out of their holes leaving Windclan plump and strong." Then a cat spoke from below, "Only because leaf-fall has just begun." Onestar scanned the audience of cats to see the cat that spoke was Cloudtail, a warrior from ThunderClan.

He hissed at the white tom, and swished his tail. "ThunderClan may speak." He finally growled. Firestar straightened up, pressing his chest out and slid his tail around his haunches. "ThunderClan is also doing well, we've hunted plenty of prey leaving nearly leftovers. There hasn't been any trouble and if any comes, I'm sure we will be ready for it!" Firestar finished, flicking his tail to Lepordstar. "RiverClan has done well. The rivers run fresh with fish and sparkling blue water, no signs of Twolegs in our territory and no invading cats." The RiverClan leader obviously had nothing to say as she flicked her tail toward the last clan leader, Blackstar.

"There is prey plentiful, as well as water and there has been no sign of invading cats, but….." He paused with a glance at the listening leaders. "A warrior has gone missing." He finally meowed. Gasps were heard all among the group of cats as curiosity tugged at their fur. What has happened?

~Chapter 4~

"Hopeclaw, a she-cat that was well enough to care for herself has disappeared from the depths of ShadowClan." Blackstar's voice was filled with hatred. The leaders sat speechless. Finally, Onestar spoke, " Hopeclaw hasn't entered WindClan territory, and I'm sure if she did our patrols would've seen her." "Nor RiverClan, we've patrolled and hunted near the lake, and there has been no sign of ShadowClan." Lepordstar spoke up. "ThunderClan either." Firestar meowed with curiosity.

All of the Leaders looked up to find that clouds were covering the moon slowly. "Wh-" Onestar voice cracked with shock. "I-I don't k-know, it doesn't make any sense." Firestar meowed with awe. With all leaders speechless, the audience below began to fright. Uneasy murmurs rose as the cats panic spread.

"What have we done? We haven't broke the truce, why is Starclan angry?" Making matters worse, Onestar yowled his complaint. The cats below started to yowl, and finally Firestar took his gaze away from the moon. "Cats of all clans," he yowled. "there is nothing to worry about, it must be a nearby storm, the Gathering is over, leave with your leaders and forget this at once." He flicked his tail at the leaders, grabbing their attention and gave them a stern look as he whispered, "The gathering is over." He hopped down, and raced away with his clan on his tail. "Wow, Firestar sure is running fast, I thought he said there was nothing to worry about." Leaftail thought.

Finally they arrived at ThunderClan camp with nothing in their stomachs. "Hey, wanna join me and Darkspot on a hunt?" The voice was Muddfoot. "Ummm, sure." Leaftail meowed. Was he starting to like her? Or was this just a kind offer? Taking yes for an answer, she trotted behind him, Darkspot holding up the rear.

They started to walk up the side barrier when all off a sudden, a shriek was heard from inside the nursurey. Muddfoot whipped around, a stern, but worried look shone in his eyes. "Stay here." He meowed as he bounded swiftly back. Darkspot's curiosity began to show when Leaftail saw him flick his ear and whip his tail around himself. Leaftail was becoming curious herself and finally said, "Darkspot, let's go, Muddfoot might be in trouble."

She was able to see that he was finally happy that he got to move. But then Leaftail stopped in her tracks. "Oh great StarClan!" She thought as she stood in horror, chaos was spreading. "Fox attack!" She began to race down to the nursery, Darkspot at her side. She quickly scanned the den for Muddfoot, but all she could see was red fur from the foxes scampering around. She turned to see Darkspot was fighting a female fox behind her. She then leaped, her paws flying through the air as she finally landed with a soft thud. She whipped around to see how much ground she covered when a heavy weight crashed at her side.

She slid on her side, her belly exposed. She blinked away the slow rising blood from her eyes and saw a slobbering fox pinning her down. She felt it's sharp infected claws sink into her left shoulder painfully. She tried to wriggle from underneath the fox, but it's claws were deep into her fur, unwilling to let go. She watched hopelessly as the fox was ready to make it's final blow when the weight had flew off her.

She opened her eyes to see Muddfoot standing above her. His eyes flashed with anger. "What in the name of Starclan are you doing?! I thought I told you to stay put!" He spat. "Hey watch your tongue! I'm not a kit!" She hissed back. Muddfoot eyes burned into her eyes, and then moved to her shoulder. Concern fluttered in his eyes now, but he tried to hide it by roughly licking her wound.

A desprate yowl echoed again, and Muddfoot stopped what he was doing and rushed toward the sound. Leaftail pulled herself up, and sprinted on three legs. She stopped, fear gripping her like an icy claw. There was a kit dangling helplessly in a savage fox's jaws. It cried and kicked, but leaving not even a scratch on the sleek fox.

Leaftail charged forward, and leaped onto the fox. It's shriek was deafening as it dropped the kit. Muddfoot slid just in time to scoop up the kit. The fox was bucking like a wild bull! She held on tight, unwilling to let go of the beast. But it finally slung her off sending her into the rocks. Her ears began to ring as she slowly was losing conciouss. Then sharp teeth sunk into her scruff, and quickly dragged her out of the nursery and out of camp. She urged her head up, expecting Muddfoot, but when she looked upward, she saw something least expected that it made her stomach twist. It was a fox!

She knew she shouldn't of tried to take on the pack. She couldn't move now, rocks were jutting into her flank painfully. She tried to pull herself away, but this fox wasn't normal. It was much stronger than any other foxes she's faced. Then, it dropped her scruff, leaving her head to hit the ground. She pulled herself up, unsure where she was.

"Cat…" A voice hissed. Leaftail felt a hard nudge on her rear as she was pushed into the darkness. Her paws were on a material that felt like stone, cool, crisp and rocky. Then, eyes began to appear all around her. She gulped nervously and flattened her ears down with fear. Then fur brushed up against her, really making her nervous.

"The trees will fall…" A voice murmured. "The ground will shake…" Another mewed louder. "And the last leaf can save the forest…." A bold voice screeched. Leaftail stood, trembling with feelings that were squished inside of her. Fear, curiosity, and anger. She began to inch forward, not knowing where she placed her paws.

Then a heavy weight slammed into her side knocking her off balance, she struggled to regain it but then was quickly pinned down by thorn sharp claws. Moonlight began to pour in and the light was strong enough to see. It was a cat! A black and white she-cat with crispy blue eyes. Her eyes gleamed with the same expression, the mixed feelings. Her claws loosened from her fur, and she started to back away, embarrasment flooding in her. Leaftail stared at the embarrassed cat.

Then, she saw a shape hunched over, it's sleek black fur glistening in the moonlight. She padded slowly forward, trying her best not to look as if a threat to the cat. Then, it turned around revealing it's soft white face. "It's a cat with a black body, and a white face?" Leaftail thought. He was a tom, with fur as black as night, and a face that gleamed like stars.

He looked up at her, noticing her curiosity, he spoke, " who are you?" Leaftail gulped in air. "I'm Leaftail…" Then, all of a sudden, his eyes stretched wide open. "Your apart of the clans?!" "Yes." Leaftail mewed back, uncomfortable with the cat's startling yowl. "I'm apart of the clans too!" He meowed with excitement. "I'm apart of WindClan! My name is Whiteface. "I'm part of Thunderclan, and what's going on? I was captured by a fox." Leaftail mewed back. "So was I." A voice hissed in the dark. The two cats gaze turned to the sound. Then the black and white she-cat stepped forward, "I'm Hopeclaw, from ShadowClan." "You're the missing cat the leaders were talking about at the Gathering!" Leaftail meowed.

"I had a dream, from StarClan, The trees will fall? And that was all he said." "He?" Leaftail mumbled. "Nightstar." Hopeclaw hissed. "I had a dream too, it read, The ground will shake… And I didn't recognize the cat that told me but his name was Heatherstar." Whiteface mewed back. Suddenly, the dreams started to come together as Leaftail's thoughts stirred. "And the last leaf can save the forest." She meowed. Then she stared with amazement. They were the chosen ones, to save the clans from disaster. But a question still whirled inside her, "If there is a cat from every clan, then where is the cat from RiverClan?"

~ Chapter 5~

Leaftail urged herself to find the answer. "Yes, I'm here." A voiced growled in the deep darkness. Leaftail shuddered. Who was this speaking? Whoever it was, it didn't sound very kind. In fact, it sounded like a tough ShadowClan warrior! Then the creature stepped forward, baring it's teeth as it growled, "Stay away," he then glared at Leaftail, "or your crow-food." Leaftail took a step back, trying her best not to look intimidating. She gulped down the mouse-bile that rose up her throat.

She saw Hopeclaw unsheathe her claws, with her

muscles tensed. "Don't you dare try…" Leaftail growled to herself. The cat had his teeth bared still, and then he walked forward. She stared at the way he shoved each shoulder in front of the other just like a cat she had heard about in kit tales. Tigerstar. The powerful cat had been in Thunderclan when Firestar entered the forest as a kittypet. His ambition was stronger than any cat Leaftail ever heard of! He killed the former deputy, Redtail, and claimed that it was Oakheart, from Riverclan.

Finally, the choice was obvious that Bluestar, the leader before Firestar, would appoint him deputy. But his ambition was stretched farther, and he tried to kill Bluestar with a trap leading to the Thunderpath, his plan failed when a young apprentice named Cinderpaw (Cinderpelt) was hit by a monster, injuring her back leg.

Firestar saved Bluestar from the next attempt Tigerstar had tried to kill her. When he was exhiled, he joined Shadowclan, as leader. They went to the battle against Bloodclan, a group of strong fierce kittypets, Tigerstar had made a mistake when he ordered Scourge to do as he said. Resulting with the nine lives ripped out of him in a single blow.

The cat walked toward Leaftail, and then sniffed loudly. "You smell of Thunderclan!" He hissed. Leaftail took a step back, her eyes burning with fury, she began to stand up to him, with her chest puffed out she hissed back, "And you think you smell better!" He lifted a forepaw ready to strike, then a flash of black and white appeared. The cats tumbled on the dusty stone floor yowling with fury.

Leaftail glanced at her shoulder, it stopped bleeding and it didn't hurt to bad. She thought for a second. "Would it be smart to help, or risk my shoulder from bleeding again?" She rose to her paws, and began to sprint around the corner to find the tough tom pinning Hopeclaw to the ground. The she-cat showed no fear as she fought underneath the tom's weight. Just as Leaftail gathered enough energy to spring on the fighting tom, she saw Whiteface run with the wind beating his whiskers. With a powerful leap, he hooked himself to the tom, and yanked him off.

Hopeclaw got up, with her hindquarters scratched, she licked rapidly on her behind and then made a curt nod to Leaftail. Finally, the toms split up, blood welling from their injuries. The tom looked defeated, as he lowered his head he growled, "I'm Pebblepad. And I'm from Riverclan." The cats stared and then nodded their greeting.

The cats sat together starring out at the opening in the wall of stone, the moon shining on each of their fur. The moon was full, and they imagined what their leaders would say at the gathering. They had no idea what they were going to face, they just hoped that in the end, they would save the clan.

The sunlight barely gleamed in, leaving the cats to sleep longer. Leaftail awoke, when she felt fur press against her. She opened her eyes, and yawned widely. She turned to see Hopeclaw to her left asleep, Whiteface to her right, asleep, and Pebblepad at the stone wall with the opening starring out in the sun just as she had seen him the night before.

She rose to her paws, swiftly leaping over Hopeclaw without making a sound. Pebblepad didn't hear her either, and she stretched out in the open, trying her best to draw his attention. He flicked his ear in annoyance. She knew he must've heard her so she padded to him and sat. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, slightly in a whisper. Leaftail nodded.

Although she had very little time to sleep, the rest was better than nothing. She heard a little rustle of fur, and turned to see Whiteface and Hopeclaw awake and padding over to her, and Pebblepad.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" Whiteface asked with a yawn. "I guess so, it was already dawn when we finally got to sleep. Its sunhigh now and we've got to get out of here if we want to do anything." Leaftail mewed. The dreams hooked, although they hadn't a clue what their mission would take place, Leaftail just knew it was their job to fulfill this mission.

Then Pebblepad raced to the lichen where they had been pushed in. and stopped at the front, flicking his tail to tell the others to follow silently. With a nod of his broad head, he poked his nose out and took in a big sniff.

Then he yowled with rage as he backed up quickly and shoved the others away. Leaftail looked to see his nose cut and bleeding, and he crunched it up with pain. Long ago, Leaftail herself had dreamed to become a medicine cat when she was just a kit, but then she realized, that her heart belonged to the warrior code. She backed away from her opportunity just as she was beginning her apprenticeship with Yellowfang, instead, Cinderpelt hopped in just in time and took her place.

Homesickness overwhelmed her. She had been away for only a day, and she felt as lost as a kit on their first steps. Leaftail tried to gather memory on herbs, but that was a long time ago, and when her mind was set on other things it made the task more difficult. She saw a clump of leaves growing in the crack of the stone wall, and so she raced over to it to examine the herb.

"It smells….. I don't know!" She hissed with fury as she strained her mind for the answer. Then she closed her eyes, and the world stopped. She was in a place that she couldn't recognize. It wasn't a forest, it was a purple- bluish sky. And she was standing! She looked down to see, not her paws, but a cloud like ground.

Then a cat began walking to her, and she realized with grief flooding inside of her who it was. It was Yellowfang. Leaftail stood with awe, she finally spoke, "Hello Leaftail. I watched your warrior ceremony from here." Her voiced rasped. "I spent moons training you from the tiniest kit and you back away from me!" Her voice chuckled, revealing her amusement immediately.

"So you don't remember what to use to stop bleeding, do you?" Her question some what made Leaftail pull her chest up. She then said, "Give me a hint." Yellowfang eyes glared with challenge as she twitched her whiskers and spoke, "It's made with process, and takes moons to be done, but when finished, it sparkled and shone."

Leaftail stared blankly. What took a long time to be made? And sparkled in the moonlight? Then, Yellowfang flicked her tail. And she was beginning to float higher into the endless sky. Leaftail gazed, horrified. Then, Yellowfang had stopped floating, now she was just gazing down at her.

Then Leaftail felt something wrap around her forepaw and she glanced down to find a spider crawling up her! She hissed and swatted it with sheathed claws. It flung off, hitting the ground with a thump. Gazing down at it, she saw it was dead. She began to pull her head up, to see what Yellowfang would say when she felt something rip.

She then stared at the semi floating string. Then, with a pang of relief, she realized the answer to Yellowfang's riddle. "Cobweb! I didn't think of that!" She thought and gazed up at Yellowfang, she nodded a thanks and woke up. "Hello?! Is Leaftail home?" She shook herself. She had been standing in the same spot when she had spoke to Yellowfang somehow.

Hopeclaw stood impatiently and flicked her tail. "Let's get on with it, you said you knew what your doing!" Leaftail shrank back, startled by Hopeclaw's comment. "Alright… Umm…." Leaftail mewed feeling Hopeclaw's icy stare burning into her fur. Then, she saw a glistening string of silk. "Cobweb!" She said to herself as she ran past Hopeclaw and wrapped her paw over and over around it, forming a ball of web on her paw.

She found Pebblepad licking his paw, and wipe his nose, trying his best to stop the bleeding. "Here," Leaftail mewed as she walked on three legs because she had to hold the cobweb; " hold still." She mewed as she gently placed the cobweb on his nose.

She expected a yowl of protest or pain, but the tom remained silent. She backed away and looked at his face from different angles to see what she had tried to accomplish. The cobweb hung from his nose, and every time he would exhale, it blew forward. There was a giggle behind Leaftail and she turned to find Whiteface and Hopeclaw laughing hysterically. Pebblepad growled, and Leaftail began laughing at him too. He did look funny with cobweb hanging off his nose!

She removed the cobweb from his nose lightly. And tried to rip a piece off, she sorta did it and she stuck it on his nose bridge. With a curt nod he turned away and approached the lichen more carefully this time. He was in a hunters crouch, as if a mouse were standing in front of him.

"Alright," he whispered, "there are two foxes guarding both sides of the lichen outside." He mewed. "I'll take the one on the right, Whiteface, you'll take the one on the left. You two," he pointed with his tail at Leaftail and Hopeclaw and mewed, "will make the swift escape."

Hopeclaw didn't look convinced, in fact she began to hiss, "who died and named you leader?" Pebblepad's eyes froze on Hopeclaw, full hatred filling his eyes. Leaftail gathered energy in her haunches, just in case they had any violent ideas.

Finally, after their long challenging stare at each other, they both turned away, Pebblepad stalked over to the lichen, while Hopeclaw padded roughly and plunked down in front of the stone wall, and stared angrily out into the sky. "Hopeclaw," Leaftail murmured as she approached her and sat down beside her, "c'mon Starclan sent us a dream." Hopeclaw did move her eyes still burned with fury. "They sent me a dream, Pebblepad," Hopeclaw winced when she said his name, and her teeth were bared, "Whiteface d…" Leaftail paused, staring into her. Hopeclaw turned to her and stared straight into Leaftails's forest green eyes. "You." She mewed to her aloud. Hopeclaw's eyes were beginning to loosen and her claws sheathed. She stared down at her paws, "I've been a warrior longer than you, and I've been here longer than you… But, I miss my father, my mother, my sister! I miss all of them! I haven't seen them in a whole moon!" She cried, Leaftail watched as a tear ran down her cheek.

~Chapter 6~

"Firestar!" Sootwhisker yowled. Firestar padded outside of his den, his shoulders sagging as if he were an elder. He pulled his head up, and stared at Sootwhisker. "I'm leaving." He announced to him. Firestar's eyes lit up, and he puffed his chest out, though his shoulders still sagged in a powerless position he meowed, "Why? We can't have you leaving, we need all the warriors we can get!" Sootwhisker pulled his chest up to Firestar's and said, "my sister is out there, I'm not going to bare a second of it! I need her!"

Firestar flicked his tail, and padded into his den. "He must want me to follow him." Sootwhisker thought. And padded into the dark leader's den.

"I know how you feel, Sootwhisker, we are sending out patrols like crazy! And there is no scent trail. Our medicine cats are full of injured warriors from the fox attack last night, queens that are scared about the foxes, and elders having bad dreams." Firestar mewed from the corner of his den. Sootwhisker couldn't just agree so easily, in fact, his heart ached and his mind was full with rage.

"You don't understand Firestar! It's not easy for me to say! It would be like you losing Sandstorm!" Sootwhisker yowled at him. Firestar flinched, when he heard him say Sandstorm. And Sootwhisker could smell the slight bit of fear scent coming off of his leader, and so he made one last daring comment, "or Graystripe?"

Sootwhisker knew Firestar loved Sandstorm, his mate, but Graystripe was the first friend Firestar ever made when he joined ThunderClan as a kittypet back in their old territory. The to were as thick as thieves, as apprentices themselves, returned WindClan back home, as warriors, they fed RiverClan fresh-kill until they were better. Firestar also helped Graystripe by not letting any cat see him while he snuck out of camp to meet up with a RiverClan she-cat he had fallen in love with, and now, he had appointed Graystripe deputy of ThunderClan.

Firestar stared at Sootwhisker hard, eyes burning like flames, he mewed, "no cat is leaving ThunderClan…." Firestar then growled, " not under my watch, and I will always be watching."

Dawn had arrived and Sootwhisker yawned lightly, not waking a single warrior. He padded out of the warrior's den to find Muddfoot and Brambleclaw standing together. "They look like brothers! They're so similar!" Sootwhisker thought.

The cats turned and looked at Sootwhisker just as he was a fox-length away. "Good morning Sootwhisker." Brambleclaw mewed. Muddfoot dipped his head, sadly whisphering something to Brambleclaw, before stalking away. Sootwhisker glanced at the brown tabby. "He must miss Leaftail as much as I do!" Sootwhisker thought, feeling sympathy for the young warrior.

Sootwhisker padded slowly, depression dragging at his paws. He walked toward the warrior Muddfoot, and brushed his pelt against his. The warrior glanced up at him, eyes dull. "I want to see Leaftail, I want to hunt with her like we always do! And its all my fault!" Sootwhisker had never heard the Thunderclan warrior wail like this before.

"Hey, it's alright," Sootwhisker tried to comfort the warrior and himself, " she will return soon." The tabby warrior nodded looking a little more confident. He rose to his paws, shaking off the memories him and his sister had shared, and tried to move on.

He was interrupted by a yowl at the Highledge. Firestar, stood on the rocky cliff; waiting patiently for the cats to come crawling out of their dens. Sootwhisker turned around, slowly padding back to the Highledge, Muddfoot at his tail. As all the cats got comfortable after their early awaken yowl, they flicked their tails with stubbornness. Firestar simply cleared his throat and began to speak; "Cats of Thunderclan, as you heard from the last gathering that Hopeclaw, a ShadowClan warrior, went missing…" He glanced at Sootwhisker before he continued, "and it seems that ThunderClan has a missing cat too, right?" Firestar asked, the cats below glanced at each other, nodding their heads. "Good. So, does this remind you of anything we've faced in the past?" Firestar seemed to be hinting something. Sootwhisker noticed that no cat offered to yell out an answer so he volunteered, standing up to show Firestar he was about to speak.

Sootwhisker tried to swallow the fear that was rising up, as he looked up at Firestar the leader nodded his head with respect, waiting for an answer. "This reminds me-" He cut himself off with embarrasment, and then he gathered enough courage to continue. " W-when Brambleclaw and the three other d-destined cats traveled here to find our new home." He mewed, and shrank back into the crowed.

Firestar had an unreadable expression on his face, giving nothing away. He then meowed, "exactly what I was thinking. Does this hint to you anything, I don't know….Unusal?" The cats below were beginning to realize what Firestar was trying to tell them. "So you think the same has happened again?" A cat spoke from the crowed. The cats turned to identify the young, blind elder that spoke.

"I am coming to belive the same Longtail, and I fear that danger is coming."Firestar agreed, although he was unfortunate about it. Cinderpelt stood up, and looked into the blazing eyes of her leader. "At half a moon, I will travel to Moonpool. We will share tongues with StarClan soon." Cinderpelt dipped her head in promise, "Okay, I have decided, that unless Cinderpelt receive a message, that we will lead a patrol as far as her scent trail can take us." Firestar mewed. Sootwhisker thought to himself, "he must mean Leaftail, as in her." And after Firestar had finished his pep-talk, he leaped off the ledge with a soft thud.

"Hey Sootwhisker!" Sootwhisker turned to see a young apprentice leaping with joy. "Well what do have here? A big juicy vole?" He asked Birchpaw. "Yeah! I caught it by myself!" Birchpaw boasted. "Well, what do you think your mother would say?" Sootwhisker tilted his head. Then, the apprentice's eyes gleamed with joy as he bounded toward the wall, where his mother lay with Sorreltail.

He dropped the prey at his mother's paws and looked up at her. Ferncloud smiled. "It looks like you have a well mentor, I see your catching prey like a warrior!" Birchpaw leaped with excitement for his mother's praise. She took bites out of the vole, nodding toward Ashfur, Birchpaw's mentor, her thanks.

Suddenlly, Sootwhisker's heart dropped. He had always dreamed of an apprentice of his own, but since he was not much older than Leaftail, he wasn't likely to receive one until he becomes more experienced. "Leaftail, I will find you, and you will find me, and we will be as happy as we were when we were kits." And he padded out of camp, in search of prey.

~Chapter 7~

Leaftail had awoke from the sound of rain. "Leaftail, we need to go now… We need to get out today." Pebblepad was awake too, disappointed at their delay. "You wake Hopeclaw, I'll wake Whiteface." Pebblepad mewed as he rose to his paws and cuffed Whiteface's ear with sheathed claws. "He must be to cowardly to wake Hopeclaw." Leaftail thought as she gently nudged Hopeclaw with her muzzle.

Whiteface had yawned, and stretched, he was padding behind Pebblepad, at the lichen. "Hopeclaw," Leaftail murmured trying her best not to anger the high fused she-cat; "Get up, we are going to get out of here, we need food anyway." Hopeclaw's eyes fluttered open, and she made a big yawn, showing her teeth. "Alright, I'm up." She finally mewed as she followed Leaftail to the others. Pebblepad and Whiteface stood on each side from inside the lichen door, while Leaftail and Hopeclaw were to run straight out.

"Ready…." Pebblepad prompted and he dashed out, Whiteface at his side, attacked the fox and the she-cats dashed out. "Hopeclaw, you see that opening, it's kind of hidden by those ferns, but…" Leaftail panted. "Yes, I see it, I'll dive in first, you follow." Hopeclaw mewed back as she leaped into the ferns swiftly.

It was as if the feather like leaves engulfed the black and white she cat! But Leaftail didn't hesitate, she just leaped into the bush, and crouched beside Hopeclaw. "I think they can finish them off.." Leaftail mumbled. "Of course they will!" Hopeclaw hissed, her neck fur rising. Leaftail took a step back, why did this she-cat have to be fierce all the time? Was it because she's a Shadowclan cat?

Suddenly the ferns parted quickly, as the two toms bursted in panting. "We need fresh-kill, we are weak, and tired too easily." Whiteface panted. "That's alright, we will have to do one simple task." Pebblepad hissed dryly. "We will go to Moonpool!" He added. Leaftail felt her jaw drop. How can they go to Moonpool, if they weren't medicine cats or leaders?

"Are you mouse-brained? We are warriors, not medicine cats!" Hopeclaw hissed with annoyance. "How do you know? Have you ever tried? Surely your not mouse-brained enough to fight with Starclan?" Pebblepad had proved a point, and the she-cat bared her teeth, but said nothing.

"I insist we should hunt first." Whiteface added nicely. " Yes, we need all the strenghth we can get!" Surprignly, Hopclaw agreed. "Let's make this quick, we need to get moving. The sooner the better!" Pebblepad meowed. And the cats padded forward into the unknown.

Leaftail crouched, opening her jaws to scent any nearby prey. She hadn't explored much of their new territory anyway, so it wouldn't matter if they walked up on Thunderclan territory. They wouldn't notice until they picked a scent. But where Leaftail crouched, she didn't recognize anything!

Then, a scent of prey flowed into her nostrils as she looked up at the beech tree. A fluttering thrush sat on the branch, fluffing it's chest and cleansing itself. Just as the bird put it's beak under it's wing to bite at the bugs on it's feathers, Leaftail scampered quietly to a bush at the base of the tree, and drew in another mouthful of prey-scent.

The bird was clueless like most, and so Leaftail crept up the slanted beech tree with slow steady paws. Leaftail was nearing the bird, about a tail-length away when the wind changed direction instantly blowing her scent to her prey. The bird pulled it's head out of it's feathers as it realized it was being hunted, it let out an alarm call before fluttering with fright, but Leaftail was already on it, with a swipe of her paw, and a swift bite to the bird's neck she killed it instantly.

"Nice kill." A voice sounded behind her as the bird fell dead to the ground. Leaftail leaped down from the tree and stared at the she-cat. "Hi, Hopeclaw." She sighed. She watched as the she-cat walked forward, emerging from the shadows and dropped down a mouse. "Not much big game here either." She hissed as she stared hopelessly at the piece of prey. "We better hurry," Leaftail mewed, looking up at the sky, "I smell rain coming again." Just as she spoke, Pebblepad and Whiteface padded together, their pelts brushing up against each others. The gray Riverclan warrior dropped his prey on the ground and meowed, " I caught a pretty good vole didn't I?" The cats looked down at the vole Pebblepad had dropped, and nodded their agreement.

Whiteface bent down, and placed a squirrel on top of their prey and mewed, "just a squirrel…" The Windclan cat sounded disappointed, but Leaftail wasn't sure. "I caught a mouse, you can have that if you want it." To Leaftail's surprise, the Shadowclan she-cat stepped forward, and nodded nicely to the Windclan tom.

Whiteface was thinking the same, he too was startled by the sudden niceness that the she-cat tended not to share. Dark clouds began to cover the sky, and a distant rumble warned Leaftail that rain was near. "Let's eat, we need to move farther before we can rest." Pebblepad mewed as he pulled his vole toward himself.

The others did the same, trying to consume every ounce of energy within the prey that was so small, it would leave a newborn kit hungry. Leaftail nibbled on her prey, but just like that, she had already finished. She swiped her tongue around her jaws. "If we are going to be traveling, we need more prey than this! This is pitiful!" Leaftail thought as her stomach growled angrily for more food.

"Let's go, we'll try to find shelter before the rain comes." Pebblepad mewed as he rose to his paws, and walked into the shadows, leaving the others to follow. Raindrops began to fall, splattering coldwater on their fur. "C'mon!" Pebblepad yowled as he sprinted ahead. "I'm coming!" Leaftail yowled back, she felt the rain grow harder, beating her pelt like rag doll!

There was a big tree, with a huge hole in it. Pebblepad leaped in, leaving the others confused on where they go. The hole was big enough for about the size of one warrior. Hopeclaw gave the Riverclan tom a hasty stare, then she growled, "fine then!" The other three pelted across the forest, finally staring upon a huge pine tree.

"This'll have to work, climb up!" Leaftail hissed as the wind picked up, ruffling her fur. A flash of white blinded the cats for a heartbeat, and a huge rumble shook the trembling cats. Leaftail leaped up to the base of the tree, kicking with her back legs for support.

She sunk her claws into the rough bark, with bubbling sap squeezing out of the tree. She saw a nearby branch, sheltered by an awkward looking branch behind it. The pine needles sheltered them from the wind and rain, so each cat climbed to the big branch and crouched.

Once all the cats had piled on the single branch, the wind began to blow in an opposite direction, knocking the cats off balance. "Woahh," Leaftail meowed as the wind toughened. It was almost as if the wind literally wanted to knock them off! Leaftail and the other two gripped the branch tightly.

Then the rain began to come to an end, causing the wind to die down also. The cats fur were ruffled and each of them tried to calm themselves by giving themselves a confident lick on the chest. The sky was beginning to clear up, and the clouds were no longer black. The clouds were thinning out to just a smudge across the sky.

"Let's go… We've got to find Pebblepad." Whiteface voice trembled. The she-cats nodded. There was no time for any smart aleck comments. They scrambled down the tree, with bark and pine needles stuck in their fur. The cats shook their pelts, and sprinted back toward the big tree with the hole in it. Whiteface was already past them, and he had came to a complete stop.

The only thing Leaftail could see was the tom's tail trembling. The cats finally caught up to the Windclan warrior to stare in disbelief. "Ummm….Guys….." Whiteface mewed, and turned his head, eyes bulging, "where's Pebblepad?"

~ Chapter 8~

The wind grew as a disgusting scent crawled up Sootwhisker's nose. He ignored it, and picked up his prey. He trotted back to camp, with it clamped in his jaws. "Here you go!" Sootwhisker dropped the prey at Longtail's feet. "Thank you Sootwhisker." The cat bent down and gulped the prey down. "Leaftail will return soon, I hope." The elder stared sightlessly at the ground.

Then a yowl startled Sootwhisker, he expected Firestar, but it was actually the leader's daughter, Squirrelflight. He couldn't make out what she yowled at first, until she yowled again. "Badger!" Sootwhisker shuddered. "Daisy! Get to the nursery!" Cloudtail yowled at the training queen. Daisy came from the horseplace, she came to Thunderclan because the twolegs wanted to steal her kits.

The elders scrambled together, staying out of sight from the savage badgers. Sorreltail was half running, half stumbling toward the nursery, Brackenfur at her tail. "Sootwhisker! Put yourself at use, and help me!" The yowl startled him, and he turned to find Cloudtail wriggling from beneath a huge badger! Sootwhisker leaped forward, claws unsheathed as he sunk them into the greasy black and white striped fur.

Blood splattered on him as the badger turned from Cloudtail, shaking it's head. It yowled angrily and threw Sootwhisker off. He went flying into the highledge!

"Sootwhisker!Get up" He heard a cat yowl, but his ears were still ringing. He finally pulled himself to his bloodstained paws, and ran forward. His eyes were in shock to find Whitepaw hissing at a snarling badger. He leaped at the badger, pushing the muscular predator over. It yowled as it tried to swipe it's big black paw at him.

Whitepaw looked terrified at how big the badger's paw was, so she went to the elders to hide with them. The badger's beady black eyes were fierce, and Sootwhisker drew in a breath, and swiped his claws over the badger's eye. It screeched, echoing throughout the forest! It got up, and lumbered away quickly. Sootwhisker saw that more badgers were fleeing, but they were still losing the battle!

Then there was a screech of full shock as Leafpool, the training medicine cat arrived with a Windclan cat, Crowfeather.

"Leafpool? He heard a cat meow. But the battle continued. They were still fighting, when he heard a cat yowl, "Sorreltail's kits are coming!" The warriors were shocked, but continued to battle. They were losing still, and more cats were falling back. Just as the cats believed their clan was finished, Onestar appeared, his clan of warriors behind him, and at his side was Midnight, the badger that had lived at the sun-drown place.

The Windclan cats poured in and clawed the badgers with bravery. To Sootwhisker's surprise, they were fighting side by side, and for a moment the badgers were confused. They fought until every badger was gone. Leafpool, the training medicine cat walked out of the nursery, and nodded to Firestar, "Sorreltail's kits have arrived…." She sniffled. And she padded back into the nursery, tail drooping.

Curiosity tugged at Sootwhisker's fur, and a voice screamed inside of him, "Go Sootwhisker! Find out for yourself!" He padded toward the nursery, and the scent of milk told him that Sorreltail had successfully given birth to her litter. But then, he could smell an acrid smell…. The smell of… blood?

He walked into the dark nursery to find Brambleclaw crouched with his nose in something. Sootwhisker walked closer to the tabby warrior to find complete shock dwelling in his eyes. It was a cat! Sootwhisker put his nose in the dark ashy colored fur. He realized, with grief welling up in him, that the cat was Cinderpelt. She lay lifeless in the bed of moss eyes glazed and staring at nothing. "She's, dead?" He mewed, he couldn't believe his eyes! He shoved his face into her bloodstained side, and he thought, "she must've been killed by those wicked badgers!" He felt his heart split with two feelings.

Sadness, and anger. He wanted to find the badger that killed the former medicine cat, and claw it's fur off. Yet, he wanted to sleep beside the she-cat and grieve for the rest of his life. He had lost his sister, now he can't speak to Cinderpelt about how he felt because she was gone too.

He sat for moments, until he was interrupted by a voice. Firestar stood, his pelt was bright, but his eyes were dull, glazed with grief. He shook his head, "Come Sootwhisker, to my den…" Sootwhisker pulled his head up and walked at Firestar's tail. The orange tom was obviously sad, but it didn't stop him from leading his clan. "I wish I could be like that, and at least still be able to hold my head up…" Sootwhisker thought with sorrow.

As they entered, the lichen brushed against Sootwhisker's head. He stopped to groom himself before entering. He countiued to walk into the dark den, scenting Firestar at the corner of the black den. Only his green eyes stood out from the darkness, and he mewed, "my…. Own apprentice… gone just like that!" He swatted a nearby moss ball. Sootwhisker wondered if he meant Leaftail, or Cinderpelt.

He stared at his leader before he said, "I know, but half-moon is coming, so no need to fret. The medicine cats will go to Moonpool and speak with Starclan." Sootwhisker mewed reassuring his leader. "You mean, medicine cat?" Firestar hissed.

"I know Thunderclan is becoming weak, any cat can admit that! But we need Leaftail to return, so I made up my mind, we are going to leave camp." He mewed. Sootwhisker went to speak, but his leader swiped his tail over his mouth. "Me and you, only." Sootwhisker began to protest, "Firestar, your shoulder isn't done healing! And who would keep control of camp while your gone?" Then Sootwhisker wished he didn't say that.

He knew if Firestar did choose a cat it would be Brambleclaw. But something inside told Sootwhisker it was a bad idea. Tigerstar and Brambleclaw, made Sootwhisker sick. They are very similar, but that doesn't mean anything, right? He shook his thoughts away. "My shoulder is fine, and I already know who will control Thunderclan while I'm gone." Firestar meowed cooly.

"Squirrelflight will, she shares my tounge and I know she will be well for a while." He nodded. "When are we leaving?" Sootwhisker mewed as he watched the leader rise to his paws. "Right now." He mewed. Just as he was going to call a dismiss, a voice mewed behind them. "No, your not, you can leave at dawn." The leader whipped around startled. Leafpool, the medicine cat, looked stern, but her voice was gentle.

"Yes," Firestar agreed, "we will leave at dawn"

~Chapter 9~

The cats looked puzzled as they swayed their heads with confusion. "Where is Pebblepad? I knew it! I just knew it!" Hopeclaw scratched a pawful of moss with unsheathed claws. Leaftail could feel her anger almost. Did Pebblepad really desert them? And if he did, why? Whiteface stood eyes staring blankly at the empty hole in the trembling oak.

"We can't move on without him, can we? I mean, isn't he a part of the prophecy too?" Leaftail pointed out cautions in case Hopeclaw came back with a sharp retort. The she-cat stared at her, disbelief glowing in her eyes. "Are there bees in your brain? You think all this time he was on our side?! I wish Starclan didn't choose me for this!" Hopeclaw spat. "Calm down," Whiteface shoved himself between the two quarreling cats.

The sun began to set, and the three cats looked in question. "We can't just leave him, whether we like it or not." Leaftail mewed. "Yeah, you can wait, I'll come back the day hedgehogs fly!" Hopeclaw hissed as she turned to head away. Leaftail didn't understand. What could of happened? Did someone hurt Pebblepad? Or is Hopeclaw right, that he deserted them during the storm?

Whiteface began to tread toward Hopeclaw, and he sat down beside her. "We need to move on… Hopeclaw's right, if we wait here much longer we might not be able to tell our clans about what's going on." Whiteface mewed. "Fine, but… I can't imagine what our clans will think if we come back without him…" Leaftail mumbled. She rose to her paws, and walked toward the cats.

They began their journey again, and treading into the deeper into the thicket. "I smell something…." Whiteface stopped, and then raced up a tree without warning. Hopeclaw leaped with fright at his sudden move, and Leaftail's pelt bristled with the same feeling. Then a pounding noise came out from behind them. The she-cats turned to find two furious red pelts dashing toward them.

The wind began to drift, dragging the acrid smell. "Foxes!" Hopeclaw yowled with fury as she charged head first toward the galloping red pelts. Leaftail dashed after her. Hopeclaw's personality seemed to show a pure sense of fierceness, and no mercy when it comes to beasts like these. She gained speed by leaping up on a slanted tree and pushing with her backlegs forward.

She felt the wind beat her face as she shot through the air. She landed swiftly and bounded faster toward the Shadowclan she-cat. Hopeclaw unsheathed her claws, springing forward to scratch the nearest fox, when Leaftail collided into her side. Leaftail unsheathed her claws and gripped the she-cat's fur knocking her away from the fox and down a hill. The she-cats tumbled ferociously down the steep hill. Leaftail let go of Hopeclaw, slinging her self forward. She hit a hard surface, rough, and black with a reeking smell of monsters.

Leaftail pulled her heavy head up to find herself laying on a Thunderpath! The rumbling sound came almost at once, and the eyes of a monster were coming toward her! She scrambled to her paws, glancing side to side. The rumbling grew harder and the scent of monster made her stomach churn.

She saw movement in the shadows, too dark to see any forms. She stared out at the dark nothingness, until a roar of a monster screeched. She took her gaze off the shadows to find the monster roaring forward. She stood, fear struck her unmoving limbs. The monster was closer, as if it were stalking her like prey.

She then shut her eyes waiting for the head of the monster to fling into her side. As she waited, she peeked them open only to be shoved a heartbeat later. She was knocked off the Thunderpath and tumbled with the unknown attacker. She couldn't fight back at something she can't even see!

She rolled until she hit her head on a hard materiel. She shook the scraps of dirt and hay from her pelt, then a scent flooded over her. "Hopeclaw!" She thought. She couldn't see anything except for her paws. She meowed the she-cat's name, but no movement responded.

"Leaftail, calm down. It's me, Hopeclaw." A voice mewed from the darkness. She finally found her friend padding closer to her and the she-cat's eyes glowed blue like starlight from Moonpool. "Thank you Hopeclaw, I nearly had it…" Leaftail mumbled, studying her paws with embarassment. "Don't mention it. Besides, you didn't look like you would save yourself." The feeling of gratitude faded quickly at those words, as Leaftail tried to shake off the rude remark. "Oh well," she thought feebly, "it was a mouse-brained mistake…"

Leafpool rose to her paws, and gave herself a quick wash before turning to Hopeclaw. "Well, thanks to you we've lost both Pebblepad and Whiteface." Hopeclaw hissed. Leaftail stood with disbelief tugging at her whiskers. "Hey! It wasn't my fault Pebblepad disappeared! He did that on his own!" Leaftail spat, her neck fur bristling with rage.

Hopeclaw took a step back, startled by the fierce reply that was shot back at her. "Maybe that'll teach her lesson! I hope she feels just as bad as I did at her 'swift' retorts!" Leaftail hissed to herself. She couldn't believe it when the she-cat had blamed her for their problem!

Hopeclaw's eyes were burning fiercely as she flicked her tail forward, telling Leaftail to follow. Without a single word, they padded across the unknown destanation. Hopeclaw had skidded to a halt in front of her, and her nose flared open, drawing in a massive amount of air.

Silently, she drew in a sniff, only to wrinkle her nose with disgust. "Kittypet!" She hissed. Her claws unsheathed, and she bounded past Hopeclaw, unaware of any threats or commands the she-cat would make. With Hopeclaw hard at her paws, they bounded together down the grassy hill. Leaftail halted at a strange looking pin. It was dark, and the only tool for her was the sense of smell. Hopeclaw's pelt brushed up beside her, and Leaftail could smell an anxious scent coming from her.

Then, a loud unfamiliar cry that pierced Leaftail's ears made her jump with fright. She turned at once to find long legs stomping at her side. And a flash of white and black told her that Hopeclaw was afraid too. Leaftail struggled to escape, but it was almost eight long stomping feet at every turn. She finally found her chance, and ran. She saw the outline of Hopeclaw up on a high wooden post, eyes filled with terror. Just as Leaftail leaped onto the base of the post, she felt a hard shove to her side, she slung helplessly into the air, landing in a bed of hay.

She felt blood coming from her new wound, she looked down at her lower side to find a huge bruise, with a slight bit of blood oozing out. She yowled for help, but she saw no cat coming to her aid. Then, Hopeclaw's yowl echoed, and she lifted her head to find the white and black she-cat. She sat on the wooden post, eyes wide with fear.

Leaftail felt the ground rumble, and the cry from the long legged creature screeched from the darkness. The drumming of feet were louder, drowning out the yowl of fear Hopeclaw was screeching. The rumbling had stopped for just a second for Leaftail to make out Hopeclaw's dreadful yowls. "Leaftail! Watch out!"

~Chapter 10~

The grass was sparkling with the morning dew. Sootwhisker awoke, yawning widely while scratching his claws into his bedding. Today was the day he would travel with the clan leader himself to find his sister and the other ShadowClan she-cat. He padded out of the warriors den and stopped by the fresh-kill pile to scoop up a mouse.

He devoured quickly, he rose to his paws and padded toward Firestar's den. He made it half way there, when he noticed a flame-colored walk into the medicine cat den. Sootwhisker followed behind Firestar, scenting the foul smell of mouse bile inside the hot den. "Eat these, they'll keep your shoulder good and strong while your away." Leafpool mewed, scooting three little seeds to Firestar's paws.

Sootwhisker had remembered when Leafpool was still an apprentice. Her and Leaftail used to play around about how they had the same apprentince name. Sootwhisker chuckled to himself at the memory. Once Firestar stepped away, Sootwhisker took his place. Leafpool nodded, and shoved three herbs at his paws. "They smell horrible!" Sootwhisker thought with disgust.

He bent down, and chewed the leaves carefully, before swallowing the rest. He shivered the foul taste that crawled inside his mouth. Leafpool giggled, and said, "sorry, but they will keep you strong during your journey. There traveling herbs, just incase you were curious."

Firestar nodded his thanks to his daughter before padding out of the den. Sootwhisker followed, looking over his shoulder and smiled a farewell. Firestar glanced to the side to find Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw flank to flank giving orders and setting patrols.

Sootwhisker watched his leader's expressions, was he unhappy about how close Brambleclaw is to Squirrelflight? He shook away the thought. He padded through the tunnel leading out of camp. "I never know, this might be the last time I see the camp." Sootwhisker thought nervously. He stared at how peaceful everything looked, but he couldn't turn down the quest to find his sister.

Firestar kept walking, unaware of any cat questioning him on where he was going. He seemed confident, walking with power in his paws, and his fur lapping with fire. Sootwhisker followed, trying his very best to share his leader's confidence.

It was about sunhigh when they approached WindClan's border. Firestar halted, sniffing in air. Sootwhisker sniffed too, and he smelt no WindClan patrols nearby. "Are we going into their territory?" Sootwhisker asked with a shudder. "We may have to, I think I've picked up your sister's scent, but it's very stale I'm unsure." Firestar hissed with frustration.

Then, just like that, Firestar placed one paw over the border. Sootwhisker's stomach churned. What if they get caught? Onestar hasn't exactly been the kindest. After the badger attack he had begun to grow farther and farther away from ThunderClan. Sootwhisker followed his leader over the border. They did not speak as they padded quickly and silently through the moorland.

They were nearing WindClan camp, and Firestar stopped behind a steep hill. "Among this hill is the entrance of WindClan camp. Tread carefully, I doubt there won't be any warriors crawling around. So just keep your ears prick, and stalk behind me." Firestar whispered, before creeping up the hill.

Firestar raced across the grass, the wind pushing him, giving speed. "He looks WindClan himself!" Sootwhisker thought to himself. Once his leader had took cover behind a hill, Sootwhisker raced across. He skidded behind Firestar, and heaved for air. They began walking forward, the wind blowing to them.

Sootwhisker smelt kittypet! Firestar's pelt bristled, and Sootwhisker began to wonder what was going on in his leader's mind. Firestar continued walking, and then they arrived at the Horseplace. This must be the place Daisy had lived! Sootwhisker paws trembled at the thought.

He drew in a scent, when a smell reached him. "Leaftail!" He darted forward, leaving Firestar speechless. Right now, nothing seemed to matter, only the warm fur of his sister! He darted toward a wooden post, and then stopped. He heard a hiss, and then a pelt darted past him.

He felt dark, pointy claws pierce into his side. He was flung to his side, and he felt the claws rake his belly. He fought back fiercely, although the excitement took him off guard, finally he kicked with his back legs. The attacker flung to the ground, blood spilling from her leg. Firestar had finally made it over, he looked startled.

Sootwhisker pulled himself up, shaking the drops of blood from his claw. The black and white she cat walked forward, then froze with astonishment. "Firestar!" The she-cat slung herself toward Firestar. She thrusted her head into Firestar's fur. "Thank StarClan! I've been here forever!" Firestar looked uncertain about what just happened.

He then mewed, "Hopeclaw, you have no idea how much ShadowClan has searched for you!" Sootwhisker took a pace back. This was the she-cat that had been missing for almost a moon? Guilt washed over him as he thought back on how hard he had fought her.

"Leaftail is with me, but she's injured. Did you bring your medicine cat?" Hopeclaw meowed all at once. Firestar glanced at Sootwhisker before replying. "Unfortunately, no. But we can make it, we just need some rest, and then we will leave first thing in the morning." Firestar reassured. "Well, don't take all the hay." A voice mewed in the shadows. Firstar stopped, and Sootwhisker drew in a breath.

"Kittypet!" He thought with a snarl. He bared his teeth, and stepped forward. Just as he was about to pounce on the creature, Firestar wrapped his tail around Sootwhisker's forepaw, warning him to stay. The leader simply walked out in front of him, facing the darkness. "Greetings, it's been awhile hasn't it Smokey?" Firestar mewed. The figure leaped from the darkness. "I guess it has Firestar! How's Daisy by the way?" The cat asked casually.

Sootwhisker couldn't believe what he was seeing! Firestar has been making friends with kittypets? Kittypets, are cats who live with twolegs, and stay inside a nest. How could a cat live like this? Sootwhisker stepped into their conversation, "Firestar, I-" He cut himself off, glancing at the cat before continuing. "I need to speak with you…alone."

Firestar seemed careless, and he just flicked his tail for a moment before padding farther away from the cat. Once they were out of earshot, Firestar's expression changed instantly. "What is it?! Can't you see we were talking?" Sootwhisker gulped, "how do you know this kittypet?"

Firestar's eye brow raised defiantly, "he isn't a kittypet, he is a horseplace cat! And what would you do about it?!" Anger was welling up inside Firestar's voice. Before Sootwhisker could reply, Firestar interrupted. "Because I want to remind you something, I was a kittypet." Sootwhisker dipped his head, defeated.

"I'm sorry, I'm just uncomfortable about how badly injured my sister is. All this time I've left her alone, now, I have found her, and I just want her safe." Emotion tackled his voice, and he strained his muscles for stability. Firestar leaned up against him for comfort, and then padded back toward the horseplace cat.

"I'm sorry, Sootwhisker here just was uncomfortable about his surroundings that's all." Firestar mewed truthfully. "Nice to meet you Sootwhisker, and my name's Smokey, don't worry about it." Smokey mewed. "This place is safe, just watch out for the horses. They get spooked sometimes."

Sootwhisker nodded to the horseplace cat before trotting over to Leaftail, who was lying in the hay. He looked down at her, she was asleep, and her side was badly bruised. Dried blood told him she must've had other wounds. He put his nose deep into her fur and mewed, "I'm here, just like a big brother should be."

It almost looked as if he were staring at a dead body, but the rise and falls of breath told him that she was still alive. To his surprise, her eyes fluttered open, and she gazed up at him with forest green eyes. "Is it… r-really you?" She murmured. He nodded, and shoved his face into her fur. "Where have you been?" He mewed, feeling no anger inside. "It's a long story, I will tell you soon. But first, I need to rest… You need to rest, we need energy. Hopeclaw will come too." She mewed, before placing her head back on the hay.

Sootwhisker laid down beside her, licking her bruise, and scratches. He began to drift to sleep, and a voice murmured inside of him: You did it. and you can keep on going."

~Chapter 11~

Leaftail awoke, with Sootwhisker at her side sleeping. She silently heaved herself up, she couldn't stay a moment longer without a medicine cat. She didn't want to get her wounds reopened, or infected. T he dawn was sluggish, the sun treading slowly up the sky.

She walked forward, to find Firestar sitting up staring at the sky. She limped over, and sat down awkwardly beside them. He didn't take his gaze off the sky, he didn't even move. "Good morning Firestar." She finally mewed.

"Good morning to you too. Are you ready?" He asked, letting go his gaze away from the horizon. "Yes. Shall I wake the others?" She asked. "Indeed, we must leave as soon as possible." He nodded before looking back out into the distance.

She padded back toward the clumps and stacks of hay. She approached Hopeclaw first, and prodded her side with her paw. The she cat stirred, and opened her eyes with sleepiness. "Wake up." Leaftail whispered. "Alright." Hopeclaw meowed, pulling herself up.

"Sootwhisker, you too." She meowed. Her brother's ear flicked, and he moaned a complaint before pulling his hay tighter around himself. "Wake up!" She hissed. Surely he couldn't ignore her after what she had been through!

He heaved a sigh before getting up. A wave of relief washed over her as her brother and Hopeclaw padded toward Firestar. He looked at them before speaking, "Go ask Smokey for permission to hunt. Once you finish, wash up. We cant have any delays." He nodded their dismissal.

Sootwhisker raced past Hopeclaw, reaching Smokey first. The gray cat stared at him before speaking, "yes you may hunt. I overheard your conversation." He nodded their approvel. "Thanks!" The warriors meowed gratefully. Almost at once Sootwhisker had prey in his paws. So did Hopeclaw.

She crouched, ignoring the painful muscles that were strained. She saw a unsuspectful mouse scuttling in the hay. Now was her chance! She unsheathed her claws, and leaped forward, killing the mouse instantly. Sootwhisker padde behind her as she collected her fresh-kill.

"Nice catch! But next time, ask me and I'll catch it for you." Sootwhisker mewed with concern. "I'm alright." Leaftail meowed defensivly. She knew her brother always worried about her, but she can take care of herself at some points right?

The cats were beginning to pack up, when a scent flooded over her. "RiverClan!" Leaftail gulped down her prey and rose to her paws. The scent was very familiar, she followed the trail until it stopped at several fern bushes clumped together. She parted the leafy plant to find a dark grey pelt with dark flecks. "Pebblepad!" Leaftail meowed with fear.

At once, Sootwhisker dashed to her side. "What is it? Are you hurt?" His mew trembled. "No, this is the RiverClan cat that traveled with me." She explained as she licked his fur. Fortunetly, he was breathing. "RiverClan? I thought it was you and Hopeclaw only!" Sootwhisker yowled with confusion.

The RiverClan tom finally rose his head up, with dull sleepy eyes. His eyes widened at the sight of Sootwhisker, and he leaped up. The tom's ribs were showing, and his pelt was dull. But his teeth were bared and his neck fur rose. Leaftail leaped between them, hissing in pain as her side bumped against her brother.

"Leaftail? Is that you?" The tom stood, astonished. "Yes, where have you been? We've looked for you forever!" Leaftail meowed. The glow of excitement faded from Pebblepad's eyes, and he meowed dully, "I was in the base of the oak, when the storm lightened, I came to look for you and the others," he paused before continuing. "I caught your scent trail, but I lost it after a battle against those mangy foxes. They had come back, so I killed one of them, leaving the other squealing."

Leaftail listened carefully, while Sootwhisker disappeared back through the ferns. Ignoring her brother, she flicked her tail in order to tell him to countiue. "After losing them, I began to wander about, until I approached a pin. I leaped up on the post, and saw no cat. So I leaped into the ferns,made a nest, and went to sleep." He finally ended.

"Well, now what about Whiteface?" A voice hissed behind them. Leaftail turned to find frosty blue eyes staring into their pelts. "Hopeclaw, I can explain about-" Leaftail mewed before the ShadowClan she-cat interrupted. "I heard already, do you think I can't hear you all bickering?!" The cat almost sounded like an elder, cranky and mad.

"Let's go, we need to move." A voice sounded, and Leaftail knew it was Firestar. The orange pelt flashed across the grass, and he didn't look back. Without delay, Leaftail sprinted awkwardly toward the moor. Sootwhisker, Pebblepad, and Hopeclaw following behind.

Sootwhisker caught up to her and pressed his flank against her good side. "Does this help?" He asked, trying to keep up with her strange steps. " A little, thanks." Leaftail mewed. Sootwhisker's pelt was smooth and his whiskers were pressed against her face. "You got it now?" He asked. "Good, now he thinks I can take care of myself." Leaftail thought.

"Yeah, I think I'm good." She reassured. And he slowly separated himself from her. At first, she was unsteady, but she gained back balance. She turned to find herself speeding through the grass, her whiskers waving in the air. She turned to look beside her, to find an amazing discovery. StarClan cats! Two were at one side of her, bounding with her, their starry pelts glowing. At once she noticed Spottedleaf. Her sweet scent flowed around her. It was exactly what Leafpool had said!

With her was a small cat, his pelt flying with speed. She did not recognize him, but a voice whispered in her ear gently, "This is Swiftpaw, a brave apprentice who died before you were born. He is Brightheart's brother." The voice faded,and the apprentice just glanced a friendly, encouraging smile before fading with Spottedleaf.

Leaftail looked to her other side to find two more cats bounding with her. A blue gray she-cat was swiftly beside her, with a tan tabby beside her. "Bluestar, Oakheart! I can't believe it's you!" They stared with pride before disappearing like the others.

They passed Windclan's camp and were nearing the thin stream that lined the border to ThunderClan. But just then, Firestar swerved to the side, running beside the rushing stream. "Where are we going?" Leaftail thought as she made the turn. Firestar kept running, unaware if any nearby WindClan patrols were around.

Hopeclaw exchanged a confused glance with Leaftail before continuing. What made Leaftail really nervous was that they were following the stream on WindClan's side! They began to slow down, and Leaftail could feel the forest floor become stone. She looked down at her paws, and sure enough, she was walking on pure rocks.

The half moon had risen, with no clouds in the sky. Leaftail drew in a breath, suddenly scenting cats of different clans. Firestar stopped, and let Sootwhisker, Hopeclaw and Pebblepad ahead. Leaftail limped toward them.

There were all four medicine cats sleeping. Barkface, from Windclan, with a small apprentince at his side sleeping too. Mothwing was asleep, and so was her apprentince, Willowpaw. Littlecloud too, snoring loudly.

Leafpool was the closest to the Moonpool, eyes shut tight, and her muscles were tensing. Leaftail began to wonder what the medicine cat was dreaming about. She shrugged her thoughts off, and layed down beside Sootwhisker at the edge of the star shimmering pool. Firestar took a spot beside his daughter, Leafpool, and lapped one drop of water. His eyes began to close. And sleep was dragging him in, before his eyes shut he whispered, "lick the water of StarClan…." And his head fell down to his paws in slumber.

Hopeclaw stepped forward first, and bravely licked one drop. Suddenly, she collapsed to the ground, startled by the sudden weakness. Her eyes dragged shut, and her tail lay limp at her side. Sootwhisker stood up, and took a slurp of water. His paws trembled with weakness and he curled up in a ball before falling asleep.

Pebblepad stuck his paw in the pool, and pulled it out carefully before licking his paw. He scooted his paws drowsily, before sinking to the stone floor. He was asleep now. And Leaftail stared nervously at the pool of water. She cautiously heaved herself to her paws, staring deep in the pool.

Her eyes watered, and she shook herself. She layed down closer to the pool, her tail hanging over the dip to the pool. Making sure her tail didn't fall in, she leaned closer, and touched her nose against the surface of the water. It was as powerful as starlight, it seemed as if she were drowning in the stars and moon.

She let the StarClan cats pull her to the depths of slumber, and her eyes shut weakly. Now she was going to find out what StarClan's been trying to tell her. Now….

~Chapter 12~

The forest glittered with stars and moonlight. "Where am I?" Leaftail thought as she roamed the unfamiliar forest. Just then, a light grew bright, and down came four StarClan cats. Bluestar came with her icy blue eyes glowing at her. She came to her first, nearly face-to-face she whispered, "Don't forget your prophecy, you mustn't ever forget." She licked Leaftail's cheek sending a cold streak of Leaf-bare.

Bluestar backed away, letting another cat walk down. It was a tom with a crooked jaw, and smelled of reeds. "I am Crookedstar, the leader of RiverClan before Lepordstar." His voice rumbled. "Greetings, I want you to remember your family, no matter what happens to them." Crookedstar padded forward, and licked her cheek. It felt like the sun in Newleaf, warm and caring.

Down came another, his paws drifting down. The pelt of the newcomer was black as night. His eyes glowed as he spoke, "I want you to remember your battles, all of them. In a good way, no evil." The pelt of the leader ruffled. "I am Nightstar of ShadowClan, and what I've told you must stay with you for all your life." He licked her cheek gently. Leaftail felt the scorching heat of Greenleaf smudge across her face.

Lastly, came a black and white tom with an incredibly long tail, ran down from the stars. "I am Tallstar, of WindClan, before Onestar. I want you to remember how to be thankful for the help of others even if it wasn't needed."

Tallstar bent down and licked her face smoothly. It was as cool as early Leaf-fall.

The leaders began to back away, and they each meowed a farewell before disappearing ino the starieness. The wind picked up, ruffling Leaftail's well, recently groomed fur. She felt her claws sink in the grass, as she struggled to stay on ground.

Her claws gave way, and she felt the trees sway above her. They were closing in on her, a branch that was shriveled with death had moved toward her like claws grasping prey. She yowled for help feeling her lungs squeezing tight. The moon was fading, and the trees were surrounding her, their limbs stretching far over her.

Leaftail awoke with a jolt. She stood up, and scraped her claws against the stone floor. Sootwhisker was still sleeping, but the medicine cats were awake, startled at their visitors. Firestar's eyes fluttered open, he stretched and yawned before rising to his paws. Pebblepad was finally awake too, leaving Sootwhisker and Hopeclaw dozing.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Leafpool mewed. "I've come to share tounges with Starclan, and so did these." Firestar flicked his tail to the group of cats. Leaftail stared at the medicine cat. She knew that the medicine cat was startled by their appearance, but something else was in the she-cat's mind that Leaftail hadn't figured out yet.

"I suppose…" Leafpool's meow was unsure. "Um, I have to go Leafpool, Onestar will wonder what has become of me." Barkface mewed, and bounded away, his short tail in the air. "Me too, Blackstar won't be pleased if I arrive late, goodbye though." Littlecloud whispered before trotting away. "I guess we have to go too, don't we?" Willowpaw mewed feebly. Mothwing stood frozen, she shook herself before speaking. "Riverclan territory is quite a walk Willowpaw, we can't waste time talking." She turned to Leafpool. "Goodbye." Leafpool trotted after the RiverClan medicine cat, "May StarClan guide your path!" The RiverClan medicine cat turned to glare at her, before mumbling to herself.

What did Leafpool say to make her so angry? Leaftail shook herself, but the words came tumbling into her mind once more, "May StarClan guide your path!" Did Mothwing dislike StarClan? Leaftail shook herself again, and padded toward her brother's side. He was awake now, eyes wide with confusion, but he hid it from the others by looking confident.

Leafpool turned to the group of cats, "follow me," and the medicine cat padded away from them,tail drooping. Firestar followed, and they began to follow. To Leaftail's surprise, Hopeclaw was following, last time Leaftail looked, Hopeclaw was asleep. Would StarClan be unhappy that they were warriors and drank out of the Moonpool?

Leaftail shook away her thoughts, she had to focus on getting home, and trying to cover up for the missing WindClan tom, Whiteface. Hopeclaw caught step with her. "I know what your thinking," her mew was full of understanding. "You're worried about how WindClan will react once we return without Whiteface, aren't you?" Leaftail drew in a breath. "I know, but what will Onestar say? He hasn't exactly been merciful since the badger attack. If he figures out that the other cats from other clans made it home safely and not his warrior, we have our fur ripped off!" Leaftail nearly let her anger control her, and she tried to contain it when the ShadowClan she-cat backed away.

But what Leaftail could see inside Hopeclaw's icy blue eyes were not fear, but determination. She stepped forward, fluffing herself to make her look twice her size before meowing, "It doesn't matter what that old tom says! Are you going to just stand there and do nothing? Step it up Leaftail, or it's your clan that's going to be disappointed." Her eyes were stiff, and her muscles were tensed.

"Alright," Leaftail stood to match the she-cat's position, "but don't worry about me now. I think your speech motivated me enough." Leaftail mewed, trying to shove in some humor, but the she-cat didn't laugh. She just mewed curtly before bounding forward.

Leaftail sighed. "Oh StarClan, what am I going to do?" She thought, looking up at the setting moon. "Dawn's coming soon…" Leaftail thought. She realized that she was being left behind, so she dashed to Sootwhisker's side awkwardly. The tom looked startled, but then he quickly supported her with his side.

"I think you'll be alright. As soon as Cinderpelt treats your scratches, and that nasty bruise, you'll be free to go." Sootwhisker meowed hopefully. Leaftail began to speak when Leafpool interrupted hastily, " You mean, me." Leaftail felt Sootwhisker's pelt ruffle, and warm waves flew out. "U-uh I-I'm sorry…" He mumbled with embarrassment. Leaftail stared at the medicine cat, the brown tabby stood her ground. Her eyes glowing fiercely. But Leaftail looked deeper, and she found the most faintest but strongest feeling inside of Leafpool…Grief.

~Chapter 13~

Dawn dew trickled the grass blades as the cats traveled back to the camp. Leaftail's paws ached to run ahead onto the forest floor's of ThunderClan. But, she and her clanmates were padding on the open moor. "Hurry!" Firestar hissed as they quickened their pace. "I smell a WindClan patrol!" Sootwhisker added.

Leaftail sniffed. Sure enough, the wind was carrying the WindClan patrol's scent toward them. "Lucky we're where we can smell them and not them smelling us!" Leaftail thought, thanking StarClan silently. "Just stay close to the lake, remember? As long as we're within two fox-lengths beside the lake, there's nothing to fret about!" Leafpool, the medicine cat pointed out.

"It doesn't matter, they still have a right to ask us why we're practically on their territory." Firestar retorted. Leafpool rolled her eyes and Leaftail began to wonder why she's been such a stinky old badger! What bothered her so bad, that not any cat has told her about?

Leaftail scrunched up her nose. WindClan scent flooded inside her nostrils. Leaftail shoved herself closer towards the lake, her paws sinking into the marshy reeds. "Yuck!" Hopeclaw complained from the back. There came three WindClan toms, and with a jolt of surprise, one of them were Whiteface!

Leaftail felt a warm feeling of relief wash over her. But as she noticed the other two toms at his tail, she spat. "Oh, Crowfeather! How are you?" Leafpool suddenly mewed. Leaftail turned around. The medicine cat didn't look at her, the cat's eyes were fixed on the gray-black warrior.

"I'm fine. The real question is-" He was interrupted when a tom shoved his way forward. "What do you think you are doing?" the tom spat. "Calm down, Tornear." Crowfeather spat back. "What are all of you doing so close to WindClan territory?" Crowfeather asked, not being as hostile as Tornear.

"We're coming back from Moonpool," Firestar explained. "What about these other ones?" Tornear butted in. "Hopeclaw's from ShadowClan, and the rest are going home." Whiteface mewed. Crowfeather looked like he suspected something, but the tom didn't reply. "Very well, we will let you pass." Crowfeather dismissed, and led his patrol away. "Finally!" Leaftail thought.

Firestar bounded ahead, he leaped over the small stream, and waited for the others. Leaftail approached the thin line of water. The current was calm, so if she did fall, she could pull herself out. Gathering enough energy to leap on top of a badger, she threw herself up, landing almost perfectly on four paws.

"Good job! Maybe those wounds are healing faster than I thought!" Sootwhisker complemented. After every cat crossed, the cats made their way under the canopy of trees. They approached the gorse tunnel, and Leaftail bounded ahead. She couldn't wait to find Muddfoot, and her mother and father and her younger sister Whitewing.

Leaftail's nose caught a scent she remembered since kithood. Longtail! She could hear and smell him, but the trees were blocking view. She could also hear Mousefur, another elder. "Oh hush up! When that medicine cat comes back, you can whimper and whine about your fleas later!" The she-cat hissed.

Leaftail approached them, and crouched into a bush of ferns. Leaftail peeked through the feathery stems, and saw Longtail's mouth dropped open. "He must smell me…" Leaftail thought. Mousefur began to speak. "So, I've been wondering when-" the elder cut herself off. "Longtail! Shut that mouth of yours, or you'll have dust in your teeth by mealtime." She hissed before cuffing Longtail's ear with a strike of her paw.

"I smell Leaftail! I'm not lying! Smell for yourself!" Longtail exclaimed. Mousefur flared her nose, taking in a humungous snort. "I can't believe my nose! For a first, you're right!" She mewed with disbelief. Leaftail pulled herself to her paws. She knew she would have to uncover herself sometime.

By mistake, she shuffled the fern stems loudly. Longtail's sightless gaze flashed toward her, and it was almost as if he were staring at her with real sight. But he drew in another scent before leaping to his paws, "Leaftail!" He exclaimed. And more voices echoed.

"Leaftail?"

"Leaftail, where?"

"She's here?!"

Astonished, Leaftail took steps back as more and more cat's gathered around her. Finally, Firestar appeared. But Sootwhisker nor Hopeclaw padded from behind. Concern biting her tail, she thrust her way toward the ThunderClan leader. "Where's Sootwhisker? And Hopeclaw?" She asked.

"Oh, no need to worry, Sootwhisker's just escorting Hopeclaw back into ShadowClan territory. He'll be back after sunhigh." Firestar reassured. Then, his gaze flickered toward the group of cats. "Leaftail's home!" He announced. Leaftail flattened her ears with annoyance. "Doesn't he see I was trying to get away from them?" Leaftail thought sourly as the cats stumbled over themselves to reach her.

Leafpool emerged through the gorse tunnel with catmint in her jaws. "She must've stopped by the abandoned twolegs nest." Leaftail guessed. Brightheart shoved her muzzle into Leaftail's. She smiled and groomed her fur as if she were a kit. Leaftail licked her mother's cheek. "I'm okay, I've only been gone for a couple of days, what's the big worry?" Leaftail explained how Hopeclaw, the she-cat from ShadowClan, had been missing the longest, nearly a moon.

"Cloudtail!" She called, almost ignoring Leaftail's mew. "Great," Leaftail mumbled under her breath, not loud enough for her mother to hear. A white pelt flashed out of the warriors den. "Leaftail!" Cloudtail yowled with triumph. "Where have you been?" He buried his nose into her fur, before thrusting it away. "Yuck! You reek!" He hissed.

"Oh, who cares? Just be thankful she's home!" Brightheart spat before cuffing her mate's ear roughly. "Ow!" He complained. "Fine, you win. Just wash up." Cloudtail mewed before trotting happily towards the fresh-kill pile. "Yeah, your father's been depressed since you disappeared." Brightheart mewed, rolling her eyes.

Leaftail couldn't hold back a mrroww of laughter. "Well, I'm back, so that's all that matters." Leaftail meowed. The sky was turning into the color of Firestar's pelt by the time her brother came back. "Hey Sootwhisker!" She greeted her brother. "Hi," he mewed solemnly. "What's the matter? You look like a fox bit you in the ear!" Leaftail mewed. "Nothing, I just hate how difficult it is to travel with ShadowClan cats." He admitted.

"Don't worry about it. If they come back with their claws unsheathed, you show them what it's like to have real wounds!" Leaftail instructed. Sootwhisker didn't look convinced. Instead of protesting, he shrugged his shoulders before scooping up a vole from the fresh-kill pile. Leaftail padded away, ignoring her brother's stubborn attiude.

She approached the den to find Muddfoot scampering around, kicking up moss like an apprentice. "Stop it you little kit!" A familiar voice spat from the back. "Chill out Deathclaw! Just because Leaftail's not here doesn't mean you can act like a sour piece of mouse bile!" He hissed before clawing at his nest.

Leaftail pushed her way through the den, and sat her tail on Muddfoot's shoulder. His back was away from her, so he didn't know who was touching him. Leaftail felt his muscles ripple and his fur prickle beneath her tail, but he made no effort to attack.

He turned around, finally facing her. "Leaftail?" His mew was uncertain, for only a heartbeat. "Leaftail!" He exclaimed, happily prancing around her. She smiled. It felt good to run around him, and play like apprentices. Leaftail pounced on top of him, tumbling around. She finally pinned him down lightly. "Wow! Where did you learn that?" He mewed astonished.

"I guess since I fought Hopeclaw," Leaftail guessed. She didn't feel any stronger, neither good battle skills. "Hello Leaftail," Deathclaw's voice mewed in the back. Leaftail nodded a greeting, before following Muddfoot out of the den. She glanced over her shoulder to find the icy stare piercing her pelt.

~Chapter 14~

Sootwhisker sat beside his mother, Brightheart, as Firestar yowled. "Let all cats, old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" The leader's voice echoed. Sootwhisker glanced behind his shoulder to find his sister and Muddfoot, a tabby tom that obviously has fallen in love with his sister.

"I want you to love some cat, I just have a doubt telling me no." Sootwhisker thought, almost talking aloud. He shook himself as the leader began speaking. "I'de like to announce how successful ThunderClan has been since you were gone, Leaftail." He suddenly turned the comment to Leaftail, and the clan turned their faces toward her.

Sootwhisker could almost feel her embarrassment whirl inside of her. Muddfoot placed his tail on her paw. After the clan turned their attention back on Firestar, he heard his sister sigh with relief. "Birchpaw is now Birchfall, Berrykit is now Berrypaw, Hazelkit is now Hazelpaw, and Mousekit is now Mousepaw." He explained.

"Firestar, did you forget about me?" A voice mewed expecting an explaination. "Oh, I guess I did. Forgive me, Whitewing." He mewed Sootwhisker flashed his gaze around. He padded away from his mother, and licked the white she-cat's cheek. "Good job little sis." He praised before padding back to his mother.

Whitewing was his youngest sister, born when he and his sister were apprenticed. Leaftail was smiling too. Leaftail was just a tad bit younger than him, but not much. After Firestar announced everything, he began to stumble down the Highledge.

"About time," Deathclaw hissed. "Cranky, much?" Sootwhisker thought hastily. "It's time to go to sleep now." Sootwhisker heard Daisy mew. "But we're apprentices now!" Berrypaw hissed. "I don't care, your still going to get a bath, even if you were the leader of this clan!" She said as she scooped up her cream colored kit.

Sootwhisker padded away, walking toward the warriors den. He found a good spot beside Leaftail, but her nose was touching Muddfoot's, and however many times he brushed closer, she'd only scoot tightly beside Muddfoot. "Would she rather have a mate than a brother?" He thought feebly. Then, a feeling pierced his pelt, jealousy.

~Chapter 15~

Leaftail opened her eyes to a sudden flash of lightning. She leapt to her paws, fur bristling. Rain was pounding the forest outside. "Great, rain!" She thought. Rain wasn't her favorite, and that meant, all the fresh-kill outside would be filled with rainwater by the time sunhigh approaches. She shook the moss from her pelt, waking her brother, Sootwhisker. "What's wrong?" He mewed sleepily.

"Nothing, I'm just hungry." She admitted. "Go get some prey off the fresh-kill pile." He answered lazily. "If you didn't notice, it's a downpour mousebrain." She pointed out harshly. Her brother seemed careless, and it just made her morning feel worse. She flicked her tail, aggervated by the weather.

"When there's rain, there's more prey we need to recatch, and when there's prey to catch, there's angry cats." She thought, disgusted inside. She lay back down, and snuggled back in between her brother, and Muddfoot. She closed her eyes, and fell deep asleep.

Sunhigh approached and Leaftail awoke to the sun shining harshly in her eyes. The rain had disappeared, and the sun was battering the rain beaten grass. Leaftail let out a huge yawn, and stretched before padding out of the den. The cats were already mewing about, getting their morning meal, Brambleclaw sending the dawn patrol, and it seemed that every cat had something to do.

Leaftail found a spot on top of the halfrock. She grabbed herself a squirrel before pulling herself up the rocky platform. For a cool season, the sun warmed her pelt, and the chilly air around her did nothing. As she finished, she sat a couple of moments longer, before leaping down.

She watched Brambleclaw sort a hunting patrol, and dawn patrol at the same time. "I'de hate to be a deputy…" Leaftail thought, feeling sympathy for the tabby warrior. He was on his paws every day, and Leaftail began to wonder if he even sleeps at night.

Shaking her thoughts away, she padded to her mother, who was standing beside Squirrelflight. "Leaftail, would you like to join the hunting patrol?" Brambleclaw asked. "Sure," she mewed, siding her mother. "Alright, if that's it, you head out with the others." Brambleclaw ordered.

Leaftail followed her mother and the ginger she-cat after dipping her head respectfully to Brambleclaw. They traveled through the gorse tunnel, and Squirrelflight mewed, "Let's separate, just be sure you come back. In fact, we'll just meet at the SkyOak." And the ginger she-cat made her way through the forest.

Leaftail looked at her mother who was standing beside her still. "What's the SkyOak?" Leaftail asked, she felt like a kittypet roaming an unknown forest. "Oh, that's right, you haven't been here long enough to know. It's this huge tree, towering above any in our territory. I thought it was just my imagination when we found it, but it was as real as day and night." Brightheart explained.

"Okay, I think I got it now." Leaftail reassured. They then headed different directions. Leaftail knew that the other warriors claimed that the beech tree was the best place to hunt mice, especially Leaf-fall. She made her way through the forest. She saw movement scuffle through the leaves, and the smell of mouse washed into her nostrils. There, it was, cleaning quickly.

Leaftail could feel it's heartbeat beating hard, it was almost like she could feel the tiny pounding through the ground. She crouched, tensing every muscle in her body, before leaping forward. The leaves were pushed through the air, when she kicked her back legs to pounce; landing perfectly on top of the mouse.
Biting it swiftly in the neck, she dropped her dead mouse in the hole she made. "After burying this, I can come back for it later." She thought. Once her prey was buried deep into the moist earth and leaves, she set out in search for more prey.

Leaftail came back to her last pile, scraping the earth to uncover her mouse. She held her three mice by their tails, before padding for the gianormous oak. She looked ahead, but there was no sign of the SkyOak. She began to come to a stop at a pine. "There's only one thing I can try to do…" Leaftail thought. She leaped up onto the base of the pine, it's rough bark scratching her pads and underbelly.

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, she inched her way up towards the nearest branch. Finally, she reached with her paws, tightly keeping the mice from falling out of her jaws. She clawed the slender branch, relying on it's strenghth. "Please hold me up," Leaftail pleaded to herself. She then, gathered enough courage to semi leap up the branch.

Using her back legs, she pushed herself up, but the rough flakey bark scattered from beneath her paws. With her body half dangling, she felt a surge of fear blast through her. She got herself up, even though she were afraid to move a muscle. Now, she was up high, but not high enough. All she could see, were brambles and trees.

She looked up, finding another branch towering above her. There was a feeling of doubt piercing her pelt, but inside, she felt determined to make her way up the skinny pine. After her short moments of rest, she pulled herself up the tree's coarse bark. Finally, she made her way to the clearest branch. Up ahead, was the tallest oak she's ever seen! "Wow!" She thought, bewildered at the size.

Leaftail raced through the bracken, her paws burning with the fierce cuts from the pine's spiky bark. She felt warm blood oozing from one of her pads. "Maybe I should be careful where I put my paws!" She scolded herself, before nearing the humungous base of the SkyOak. There stood Brightheart, with two squirrels.

"Glad you made it," Brightheart sounded relieved. "It took me awhile," Leaftail admitted, her voice muffled through the mice tails in her mouth. "I almost suffocated myself!" Brightheart exclaimed, glancing at the fat squirrels at her paws.

"My," Leaftail started before setting her mice down. "Mother died because dead prey killed her!" Leaftail finished clearly, trying to hold back a mmrroww of laughter. She and her mother laughed for what seemed like ages, until finally Squirrelflight came back with a rabbit. But it wasn't thick, Leaftail began to grow suspicious.

"Squirrelflight's a great hunter, just like her mother Sandstorm. And I know there's bad luck when hunting, but it took her a while to catch a scrawny rabbit…" Leaftail thought, but it was pushed away once Squirrelflight spoke. "Bad luck today I guess," she mewed starring at Leaftail's prey.

"I don't know why your looking at my prey. Look at yours!" She thought, almost yowling aloud to the ginger she-cat. She held her tongue. She knew there would be some problems if she quarreled with Firestar's daughter. After all, he is the ThunderClan leader. "Would Firestar banish me for fighting with his daughter?" She asked herself. But at once a voice inside answered her question. "Of course not! Firestar would never do such a thing!"

She felt doubt prickle her pelt. I guess he can't do anything. She is related to him in a way too. Firestar's sister is Princess, gave her first born kit to him. That kit grew up to become her father, and her mother Brightheart, chose him as a mate. That seemed some what simple but complicated.

She shrugged off her thoughts, and scooped up her mice. She trotted confidently ahead, tail raised high. She couldn't show a sign of any kind that proved she would give up. Before she knew it, she was entering camp, relieved to find the dawn patrol back and the others settling down. "Mealtime," Leaftail thought warmly. "A time when every cat's happy."

~Chapter 16~

Sootwhisker felt his fur relax when he saw his sister entering camp with prey in her jaws. He watched his mother drop two squirrels into the fresh-kill pile. He shook off the leaves that clung to his pelt. He waited for his sister to approach, but as soon as she dropped her prey, she made her way towards Brambleclaw, who was sorting out more patrols.

Sootwhisker felt something brush up against him, and his fur began to prickle with unease. He sighed with relief when he found the medcine cat, Leafpool, at his side. "Can you fetch your sister for me? She's just like her father, she hates to admit she has wounds." She asked. Sootwhisker nodded before making his way toward Brambleclaw.

"I thought I already sent you some where," he heard the deputy mew. "You did, just I-" Sootwhisker interrupted his sister; "she was just making her way to the medcine den," he mewed quickly, nudging his sister away. "No I wasn't-" Sootwhisker cut her off again, by cuffing her ear sharply. She glared at him before padding ahead.

"She's really going to hate me now," Sootwhisker thought, feeling regret swirling in his mind. Once they got out of earshot, his sister spun around eyes burning. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing?!" She spat. Sootwhisker felt his fur rise, he tried to flatten it but his sister kept on. "…you mousebrained fool, I'd be careful if I were you, before I swipe your ears off and-"

"Your not doing anything!" He hissed.

He and his sister were face-to-face, fur bristling. Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and Sootwhisker's fur rose when he saw the tabby tom glaring at him. "Out of all cats," he thought, narrowing his eyes. "Muddfoot!" Leaftail sounded relieved. Sootwhisker stepped backward awkwardly as the brown tom shoved past him.

They rubbed their cheeks against each other, making soft murmuring noises. "Wait til' Cloudtail finds out about this," Sootwhisker thought, swatting a nearby moss ball. Sootwhisker stepped in between them. "What is it?" He snapped, and the brown tabby looked startled. "I was just wondering where Leaftail was," he mewed.

"You look like trouble if you ask me," a voice inside hissed in Sootwhisker's ear. "Fine," Sootwhisker flashed an angry glance at the two before stomping away. He squinted his eyes as the light shone in. He noticed his father sitting with a group of wariors, sharing tongues. He turned the other way, to find his mother visitating with the queens, and watching the kits wrestle each other.

Why couldn't he find a cat of his own, his very own mate? It seemed that Leaftail was ahead on life, but he were still roaming around. His thoughts were broken once Leafpool flicked her tail across his shoulder. "Where's Leaftail? I thought I told you to find her, why do you look like a fat mouse ready to be pounced on?" Sootwhisker looked up at the medicine cat, "because she decided not to." He retorted.

"What's wrong with you?" She snapped. Sootwhisker felt his fur prickle. He knew better not to argue with a medicine cat, even if he was having a bad day. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's alright, I just need to know where your sister is," the medicine cat's voice was much more soft and her fur was smooth again. "I'm right here," a voice sounded behind him, and he turned to find his sister starring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Good, c'mon you need to be examined." She insisted. Sootwhisker's sister didn't look at him when she past, and Sootwhisker felt his heart rip. He hung his head low, letting is tail drag. He felt like he would never earn his sister's trust. "All because of that tabby tom! The longer time he's away from her, the better." Sootwhisker thought, anger swelling inside.

The sun was setting, and the orange rays that warmed his pelt left him cold. The air was thick and chilly, he could taste Leaf-bare. The frost was coming, but it's not here yet. He let out a yawn as the leader yowled from the Highledge. The cats gathered from below, and waited until he would speak.

"Tommorow, Leafpool will travel to the Moonpool to speak with StarClan," he announced. "Remember, it's the halfmoon tomorrow night." he reminded them. Sootwhisker sat by himself, and didn't mind if any cat came and sat beside him. He just didn't want to walk to them, if they had something important to say, they'd come to him.

Firestar didn't have anything else to say, and the moon was rising. The apprentices were put to their dens not long after the meeting was over. And Leaftail had emerged from the medicine cat den soon after. Her paw was wrapped up with cobweb, and her pelt reeked with herbs and ointment.

She padded past him, entering the warriors den. He followed, and layed down beside her. She was facing him, and he urged himself to smile, but she just turned away. He felt like his sister didn't love him anymore. "Of course not! She may be mad, but we will always be brother and sister. Always…" He thought, but there was a feeling inside that disagreed with his mind, and it almost seemed like the feeling came from his heart.

~Chapter 17~

Leaftail turned to her brother, who was sleeping. His face was as sad as a mother that lost her kits. She began to feel sympathy for him, but she pushed it away. She turned to her side to find Muddfoot asleep. "I will be back," she whispered to him, but he didn't stir so she guessed he didn't hear.

She made her way through the gorse tunnel, once she was away from camp, she raced through the forest. She was nearing WindClan border. "Whiteface should be waiting," Leaftail thought. She had let Squirrelflight and Brightheart get ahead, so she could dash to the border of WindClan and tell him their meeting place.

She felt the cool breeze beat her face as she approached the border. "How could a cat live like this?" She thought, shivering. Then a black pelt flew across the moor. Before she knew it, Whiteface approached. "Good to see you," he mewed. "Let's go," she insisted. And she raced alongside the WindClan warrior.

They dashed through her territory, finally nearing the ShadowClan border. "Hopeclaw should be here, I warned her the day I saw her and Sootwhisker padding through the territory. He was hunting by the WindClan border." He whispered. And after a while, the white and black pelt emerged from the bushes. "About time," Leaftail thought impatiently.

"Let's get Pebblepad." Hopeclaw mewed. "Follow me, I know this territory after all." She meowed, taking the lead. Leaftail raced after the ShadowClan she-cat. "We're almost past the camp, be quiet." Hopeclaw warned. After a while, the ShadowClan cat announced, "I think we're nearing a small Thunderpath, be careful." "I'm not a kit! Why does ShadowClan cats think we can't take care of ourselves?" She thought hastily.

As they past the small Thunderpath, Leaftail noticed they were getting closer to a small stream. On the other side stood Pebblepad, his gray pelt glistening in the moonlight. As they approached, the RiverClan tom jumped across the stream to greet them. "Everyone ready?" He asked, giving himself a confident lick on the chest. Leaftail nodded, and the others followed the RiverClan tom, back over the stream.

The smell of RiverClan was strong, and an anxious feeling prickled the cat's spines. Pebblepad was practically leading them into his camp! Leaftail felt the reeds brush against her pelt, and she turned to find the wall that protected the RiverClan cats camp. "Hurry," she thought anxiously. Finally, they made it to the river leading to the lake. Each one of them wadded most of the way, before jumping on the stones.

Finally, Leaftail could breath fresh air. They were nearing the Horseplace, and Leaftail could smell the long hoofed animal again, and the memories were as haunting as nightmares. "Watch out for the horses," Whiteface warned. "Horses?" Leaftail echoed. "Those long legged things?" She asked. Whiteface nodded.

"If you don't be careful, they can step on you," he mewed. Leaftail's fear for the horses grew as they made their way through the hay stacks. "Smokey!" Leaftail called. She knew the gray tom had helped them when they were hungry and needed a place to stay when the horses trampled around, nearly squishing them.

"Smokey isn't here," a voice mewed. "Who's there?" Hopeclaw hissed. "It's just me, Floss," the voice mewed calmly. "Where's Smokey?" Pebblepad spat. "Did you kill him to take this barn?" Hopeclaw chimed in. "No, he just left yesterday to find some prey, he got tired of eating mice." Floss mewed. "He better not hunt on RiverClan territory!" Pebblepad hissed.

"RiverClan? I don't know what your talking about," she mewed innocently. "Okay, we were just wondering if we could stay for the night," Leaftail shoved Hopeclaw and Pebblepad aside. "Of course, there's a spot of hay over there," the pretty she-cat flicked her tail toward the small beds of hay. "Thanks," Whiteface mewed, before following Leaftail. "Do you mind if we grab a bite to eat in the morning? We will leave at sunhigh, that's the max." Pebblepad mewed.

"Go ahead, there's plenty." Floss mewed approving them. "Thank you," Hopeclaw mewed. "Your welcome," Floss meowed. Leaftail shut her eyes, and she thought, "tomorrow, our prophecy begins."

Leaftail awoke to sunlight shooting through the holes of the barn. "Good morning," Floss yawned. "Good morning, I think I'll wake the others." She mewed before prodding each of the warriors. Once she woke them, they began to search for some prey. Leaftail saw a plump mouse nibbling on a piece of hay. She crouched, pushing one paw in front of the other. She pounced, biting it swiftly in the neck.

"Well done, I've never seen a forest cat hunt before." Floss meowed. Leaftail nodded, hungry for food. She felt her mouth become warm once she sunk her teeth into the fat body. Before she noticed, her mouse was gone in just a few gulps. But her stomach felt full, so she did not hunt anymore. After every cat got their prey, and had eaten it, she mewed a farewell to the horseplace cat before padding out of the small barn.

Out in the open, where the horses stomped, she darted quickly until she made it to the far end. Hopeclaw and the others were right at her tail, and Leaftail felt relieved to be moving quicker. "Now where do we go?" Hopeclaw snorted. "Did any cat receive a dream of some sort at Moonpool that time?" Hopeclaw asked.

"I did," Pebblepad announced. "It was Crookedstar who told me, he said to follow the path that was beaten from the rest. I didn't want to tell anyone because I thought we weren't supposed to tell any cat." Pebblepad studied his paws for a moment. "I had a dream, but it was different. I was walking on the lake, and I didn't fall in. There was bushes that made a path for me, but that was it." Hopeclaw mewed.

"I had a dream too, it was all four leaders before ours, and they told me to remember our prophecy, and to remember our families and battles, for one day they could help us." Leaftail explained. "I wish I was there," Whiteface sighed. "Is that every cat?" Pebblepad asked. "Hey, didn't Sootwhisker come too?" Hopeclaw asked with a cock of her head. "He did come! But," Leaftail stopped herself. How would they ever find out what he dreamed of? She pushed her questions away. "Just keep walking, you never know what we might stumble upon!" Hopeclaw suggested. Leaftail agreed and they set out again, walking into the unknown.

~Chapter 18~

Sootwhisker awoke to find his side cold. Leaftail was gone. At once he scrambled to his paws, scanning the den, but she wasn't there. Her scent was stale, and panic rose inside of him. Did she run away because she was angry at him? Would she ever come back?

He raced out of the den, panic-stricken. Firestar was by the fresh-kill pile, picking up a mouse. "Firestar!" Sootwhisker meowed. He looked at him for a second before carefully sitting his mouse down. "Yes?" He mewed. "Leaftail's gone," he gasped for air. Would it be his fault because she's gone? He gulped nervously.

Firestar gobbled down his mouse, and rose to his paws. Firestar turned to face him. "Are we going to send a search party? Or maybe ask another clan? Or-" Sootwhisker mewed anxiously, and he stopped only when Firestar slapped his tail over his mouth.

"Shhhh, calm down." Firestar's voice was stern, but he kept a sympathetic look on his face. "For now, there's nothing we can do." Sootwhisker couldn't believe what his leader just said! "We can do something like-" Firestar cut him off. "We can wait, she's in the paws of StarClan. They will keep an eye on her." Firestar reassured.

"But, why?" Sootwhisker pleaded but it seemed like Firestar had his mind made up. "No, you heard what they had said at the Gathering! She has a prophecy she has to fulfill. Like I did once long ago, and my prophecy still stretches today." His leader meow was long, almost as if he were giving him a lecture. "Is he teasing?" He thought, eyes narrowed. He didn't have time for this! But, perhaps his leader was right, maybe it's just best to leave her be. But his heart ached to search for her.

And one small voice was hissing scornfully in his ear, "It's all your fault, thanks to you she's gone." He turned to look and he saw a ghostly figure at his side. "Who are you?" Sootwhisker was frightened at the ghostly cat. The cat's amber eyes were narrowed, but he kept his voice light, "I am Tigerstar."

~Chapter 19~

"Tigerstar?" Sootwhisker echoed. But the cat was gone. He felt abandoned, but he shook away his feelings. He raced toward the gorse tunnel, he wanted to spend some time with Tigerstar, he heard stories about how he hated every cat and killed many. "But maybe he isn't like this now, maybe he's changed…" Sootwhisker thought as he made his way far from any cat.

He sat, and let the wind ruffle his fur. Then the spectral cat came back, and he sat down beside him. "So, it was my fault she's gone?" Sootwhisker asked staring at the tom. "Yes, but that can change." His voice rumbled. Sootwhisker's eyes widened. "Really?" Tigerstar padded to face him. "Would you like to accept my training?" Tigerstar asked. Sootwhisker cocked his head. "I don't need training, I'm a warrior, that means-"

"I know what it means!" Tigerstar spat.

"I meant, do you want me to teach you how to become stronger, faster, trustworthy?" Tigerstar rephrased. Sootwhisker's intrest grew, and his eagerness to accept was high. "Well, if you say it like that, sure!" Sootwhisker agreed. Tigerstar looked pleased, but he just dipped his head. "Meet me tomorrow night, don't be late." And then he disappeared in thin air.

Pawsteps were pounding against the forest floor, and a patrol emerged. "Oh, it's only Sootwhisker!" Brambleclaw meowed. Sootwhisker got to his paws, and washed himself quickly. "Berrypaw, stop that!" Brambleclaw's hiss was rough as he cuffed his apprentice's ear roughly. "You'll never catch any prey swishing the leaves!" The deputy scolded.

Ignoring his apprentice, Brambleclaw faced Sootwhisker. "So, what brings you out? Troubled?" Sootwhisker couldn't bare such innocent words. "My sister's gone, and I don't know where she is." He didn't meet the deputy's gaze.

"She's out fulfilling her prophecy! That's what she said at the Gathering, remember?" Brambleclaw reminded him. Except, he didn't need to be reminded, Firestar already did! He was aggervated. He shoved past the deputy, ignoring his questions. Now, nothing mattered, he was only focused on being ready for Tigerstar.

He padded back to camp, hungry for prey. "Maybe I should've hunted before I come in," He thought, but it was too late. He found himself padding straight to the fresh-kill pile. He bent down to grab a mouse when he felt a object fly into his side. Nearly knocked over, he struggled for breath. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing?" He stared at Deathclaw.

"You haven't killed any prey for the clan, so you don't get any prey." The gray tom spat. "Who made you clan leader?" Sootwhisker hissed. "I did," he retorted, and there was a ambitious glint in his eyes that made Sootwhisker shudder. Squirrelflight padded up to him spitting, "if you two don't take this argument some place else, I'm going to rip both of your ears off!"

Sootwhisker padded away, ignoring him. He padded back through the gorse tunnel to find some prey, so maybe he can take it to an elder and grab his own meal. He was deep into their territory now, far from camp. He watched a mouse scuffle beneath a beech tree. "Here's my chance," he thought.

Just as he were about to leap, Deathclaw collided into his side. He pinned him down, and Sootwhisker watched his mouse run away. "Thanks a lot!" He spat. Sootwhisker turned to pull himself up, only to feel claws pierce his pelt. "Hey! Your claws are unsheathed!" He hissed, trying to wriggle from beneath the tom's weight.

But Deathclaw's claws tightened, and he felt like prey. Sootwhisker eyes widened as the tom neared his throat. Sootwhisker jerked his head to one side as the tom snapped. Pushing the gray tom's back paw from under him, he jumped up, butting the tom with his head. To Sootwhisker's surprise, a ghostly figure appeared beside Deathclaw, helping him push Sootwhisker off.

Sootwhisker felt himself sling off, and he hit the ground with a hard thud. Sootwhisker could feel his new wounds stinging as he struggled to his paws. Deathclaw was walking confidently over. "What did I do to you?" Sootwhisker mewed, fighting for breath. Deathclaw shoved his snout into his face, before hissing, "you'll never know once I'm through with you."

Sootwhisker claws were sheathed, he knew he should never disobey the warrior code. "Don't unsheathe your claws," he reminded himself. He got to his paws, he looked down to find them covered with blood. He found his forearms cut with blood rolling down to his feet. "Firestar will be angry to hear you broke the warrior code," Sootwhisker began.

Sootwhisker got to his paws slowly, before turning quickly. He made a dash for the camp. He could hear Deathclaw at his heels spitting between breaths, "no, mustn't…let him reach camp…" Sootwhisker ignored the pain, forcing his body onward.

The afternoon light poured into his eyes as he entered the camp. He swayed his head back and forth feeling dizzy. Firestar was sharing tongues with Sandstorm, not far away from him. He made his way towards him, until he felt Deathclaw's claws grab his head. He yowled with pain, and Firestar camp up instantly.

Sootwhisker fell to the ground, feeling the leaves and stones beneath his pelt. He could barely see Firestar on top of Deathclaw. He then felt the medicine cat's presence, and her face was horrified. He felt his scruff being tugged, but he didn't get up, he didn't even try. He knew now, that he was in the paws of StarClan. "StarClan will decide if I am ready to join them," he thought.

~Chapter 20~

Leaftail's paws were aching by the time the sun was setting. "Where do we sleep?" Whiteface sounded terrified. "I don't know," Leaftail admitted. "Let's keep walking, we have to get somewhere!" Hopeclaw hissed, pushing herself onward. Leaftail felt like protesting, but she hurt so much, she didn't bother.

As they wandered, Leaftail stopped. There was three valleys, leading different directions. The one just ahead was clear, and the setting sun was shining. "That looks safe," Leaftail thought warmly. She flicked her gaze toward the left side, it wasn't as clear, but it looked safe and manageable.

And on the very right, was a path where the shadows laid the thickest, covered with thorns and brambles. "Let's take the one in the middle," Hopeclaw mewed, shoving past Leaftail. "Wait," Whiteface hissed. "How do you know it's the best route to go?" He spat, frustrated. "Are there bees in your brain? This is the easiest!" She spat back.

Pebblepad stepped forward, "Easiest can only lead to laziness." He padded over to the darkest side, flicking is tail. "We should go through this one," he insisted. "Why?" Leaftail was startled at the sudden suggestment. "Remember my dream? Follow the path beaten from the rest, this one seems like the choice a kit would make…" The RiverClan tom was still speaking, when Leaftail heard Hopeclaw mutter, "Maybe your kits."

Leaftail ignored the ShadowClan she-cat, even though she kind of agreed with her. Her paws ached, it would be easier to go through the path that was clear. But Pebblepad was right too, his dream did make a match with their situation. "I say we take the beaten path," Leaftail spoke up. "Fine, suit yourself. I'm going this way!" And the ShadowClan she-cat whipped around, before stalking off.

Whiteface dashed after her. "Wait!" He yowled. Hopeclaw turned around, "What is it?" She growled. "C'mon, we can do this! Let's take the beaten path, we'll go by much quicker, please!" Whiteface begged. To Leaftail's surprise, the she-cat followed without protesting. "I wonder what makes her agree all of a sudden," Leaftail thought.

Without a remark, the cats shuffled their tired paws forward. The path had dips in the ground that made Leaftail stumble over her paws. The brambles and thorn vines stretched across the path, and Leaftail gasped with pain as she stepped on one. "Ouch!" She hissed, shaking the blood off her paw.

They kept walking, glancing at the rising moon. It was halfmoon, which means the medicine cats of each Clan will gather at Moonpool. Leaftail's paws stung, and her belly rumbled. "Are you hungry?" Whiteface got in step with her. "Very," Leaftail admitted, trying not to sound dramatic. The pine needles and thorns were stabbing her feet, and Leaftail couldn't bare a second of it.

Knowing that all that she could do was keep walking, made her empty tummy twist. After what seemed like moons, they finally approached a new path.

"What is that?" Pebblepad spat. Leaftail squinted her eyes. The figure eyes were gleaming, and it's pelt looked unwashed. Hopeclaw flared her nose, before wrinkling it with disgust. "Trespassers!"

Leaftail unsheathed her claws, even though she wasn't ready for a battle. The cat walked forward, fur prickled and it reeked of mud. "Who are you?" His voice boomed. Leaftail's fur rose defiantly, as she hissed, "Who are you?"

The tom strolled forward, and then his fur bristled. "You are on our land, the mountains belong to us. I must take you back to Stoneteller." His voice was firm, unwilling to change his mind.

"I'd like to see you try!" Leaftail thought harshly. "You're not doing anything, if it's a fight you want-" "Then I'll make you," The mud covered tom hissed, interrupting Pebblepad's growl. The cat leaped without warning, and streaked his claws across Pebblepad's pelt. It was a fight of hiss and fur.

Leaftail watched Whiteface jump in, pulling the mud covered tom off by the scruff. But the tom was much more bulky, rolling on top of him and squishing him from beneath. Leaftail jumped, but she was pushed back by another figure. She fell back, startled at the sudden attack. The cat's pelt was as dark as Pebblepad's but without the black flecks.

The two muscular bodies were slowly circling them, shoving them close together. "Great!" Leaftail thought hastily. There was four of them, and only two mud covered cats. "Lay a claw on me and I'll-" "Shut up Hopeclaw," Pebblepad hissed. The two mud covered cats had them rounded up, and they looked satisfied.

"Jag, you make sure they don't go anywhere from behind, I'll lead," and the mud covered tom padded to the front. "Are you ready?" He called to Jag. "Yes, I'm ready Talon," Jag responded. "Talon? Jag? What kind of names are those?" Leaftail thought, confused. "And whoever this, 'Stoneteller' is, better have a good explanation!"

Leaftail hissed with fury as Jag shoved her forward once Talon began walking. She padded, angry for being at the back where Jag watched every move she made. The cats traveled until they approached rocks and boulders. Talon leaped up, his muscles rippling beneath his pelt. He clawed his way up the boulder, until reaching the top.

"There's no way I'm doing that," Hopeclaw hissed. "Well, you are!" Jag shot back at her. Hopeclaw's teeth were bared, but Whiteface put his tail on her shoulder to comfort her. Finally, it was Leaftail's turn to climb up the giant rock. She bunched her muscles, ignoring the impatient clawing that sounded behind her.

She jumped, digging her claws into the rock. But, it wasn't as easy as Talon had made it look. She felt her claws loosen, and she couldn't find a way to inch up. "Hurry up!" Jag spat from below. Leaftail felt a frantic feeling rush through her, as she scrambled up. She gripped the very edge of the boulder, before heaving herself up to the flat top.

Just as she got to her paws, Jag was already pulling himself up. "How did he get up so fast?" Leaftail thought, astonished. Talon jumped down to the other side, and bounded ahead. Leaftail and her friends kept up, but a ferocious hiss told Leaftail that Jag was angry.

As they approached, several other cats were seated out, as if they were guarding something. "Talon? Who are these?" A black she-cat mewed, bewildered at their arrival. "Don't worry Night, I've got it under control." He responded, strolling forward. Talon kept padding, and the farther they got, the darker.

"We're almost there, now hurry up!" Leaftail stiffened as she approached the darkness, ignoring Jag who was yowling behind her. She scrambled across the ground as Jag shoved her forward. "Show some respect!" She thought, nearly saying it aloud.

Leaftail shuddered as she walked, not knowing where she was placing her paws. "Talon?" A voice cracked the silence. "Who is this?" The voice boomed. Leaftail shuffled her paws unevenly, a strange feeling pounding inside. "We found them near our cave so I told Jag to help me. They looked like they were hunting, and I told them the mountains belongs to us," Talon explained.

"Liar!" Leaftail yowled in her mind. "Jag, is this true?" The voice switched his comment to Jag, who was standing behind Leaftail. The gray tom dipped his head. "Bring them closer, I want to speak with them," the voice echoed. "Alone…" He added. "Yes, Stoneteller," Talon backed away, before scampering off. Jag stood for a couple of heartbeats longer, before trotting out. Once the two were away, Stoneteller flickered his dull gaze to them. "You smell familiar," he mewed. "You smell of, Clan…"

~Chapter 21~

"You are a fool!" Tigerstar's voice echoed in his ear. "Me?" Sootwhisker urged himself to say. "You were helping him! I saw you," Sootwhisker hissed with the breath he had. "He's the only one worth helping, you are nothing," Tigerstar hissed.

Sootwhisker felt his fur sting as claws sunk deep into his pelt. "Your leader is useless," he heard Deathclaw hiss. Sootwhisker wanted to rake the tom's eyes, but he was too weak. Deathclaw made one more challenging remark before grabbing him roughly by the scruff.

Deathclaw pulled with might, and Sootwhisker felt his body fly to one side. Deathclaw did it over and over, but this time, he let go. Sootwhisker slammed against the halfrock. With a shudder, Sootwhisker rose to his paws, and to his relief, Deathclaw was pinned down by Brambleclaw, the deputy of ThunderClan.

Sootwhisker struggled to keep himself up, but the words echoed in his mind. "He's the only one worth helping, you are nothing…" Pushing Tigerstar's words away, he straightened himself out. Firestar was ordering kits and queens to stay in the nursery. While Sandstorm nudged all of the apprentices into the apprentice den.

"Go now Berrypaw!" Sootwhisker heard Sandstorm hiss. "I can fight!" Berrypaw insisted. "No," Sandstorm shoved the apprentice into the den before joining Firestar. "Deathclaw!" Firestar's voice boomed. "Why have you attacked me and my Clan?" He hissed. "Tell this mousebrained fool to get off!" Deathclaw shoved Brambleclaw off of him.

Sootwhisker expected to find the tom scampering away, trying to escape the leader. But the tom sat still, casually licking his wounds. "You have disobeyed the warrior code, so just like Bluestar did to me, you will do apprentice duties like clean the elders den and ticks. Longtail!" Firestar called.

Longtail came out of the den, his sightless eyes wide at the scent of blood. "What is it Firestar?" Longtail asked. "Deathclaw will be cleaning you and Mousefur's den for a moon," Firestar explained. "He's lucky you didn't send him into exile," at the moment the words slipped from Longtail's mouth, Deathclaw jumped, shoving his weight on top of Longtail.

"Owwwwww!" The elder yowled. At once Mousefur's head poked out, and her teeth were bared. She raced toward the gray tom, anger piercing the air. Sootwhisker watched with amazement as the elder leaped forward landing on top of Deathclaw's head. She bit his ear hard, and Sootwhisker began to remember a story Brightheart told him about Longtail's fight with Firestar when the leader just entered the forest.

"And Firestar gave him a good nip on the ear!" Sootwhisker thought, wishing that it would happen to Deathclaw. Mousefur was a very small warrior, but now, she retired as an elder. "That doesn't mean she can't fight like she used to," Sootwhisker thought. And just as the battle seemed over, a piece of Deathclaw's ear flung into the air as Mousefur landed roughly on all four paws.

Longtail was lying on the shadowy side of the clump of ferns. "Longtail?" Mousefur's voice cracked as she limped toward him. "Longtail?" She repeated. But no answer came. "Longtail!" The elder yowled but the tom wouldn't move. Mousefur buried her nose into his fur, licking the blood from his shoulder.

At once her gaze flickered toward Deathclaw, anger shimmered in the depths. She yowled with maddness as she pelted toward the gray warrior. "Murderer!" She repeated over and over. She scratched the tom's pelt, and swiped her claws across his face. Two long claw marks against both of his eyes were shaped like an "x."

Firestar seemed frightened, but he remained calm. "Deathclaw, you attempted to kill a clanmate and harm others including me," he mewed with an edge at his tone. "I'm afraid that you've pushed too far, now, there will be no apprentice duties; but exile."

Sootwhisker watched the tom walk forward as blood trickled down the "x" shape across his face. Firestar was on the Highledge, yowling for all to come. "Every cat gather here now," he yowled. Cautiously, cats came crawling out of their dens.

There was two long rows, as the cats watched Deathclaw at the very end. "Longtail! He mustn't be dead," Sootwhisker begged to himself as he limped to the line with every other cat. Firestar faced the gray tom, eyes narrowed. "Deathclaw, you have broken the warrior code by trying to harm others, and not listening to the leader's word, from now on, you shall live without the clans, as a loner or rogue."

Sootwhisker watched Deathclaw walk forward slowly, with Brambleclaw at his tail. "ThunderClan is a kittypet Clan! This Leaf-bare will freeze you and the rest out of your kittypet Clan." Deathclaw spat, before stalking away. After the tom was gone, Firestar told Brambleclaw, "Make sure he's not on ThunderClan territory okay?"

Brambleclaw dipped his head before trotting away.

"Sootwhisker," a voice mewed.

"Sootwhisker?" It repeated.

"There you are!" To Sootwhisker's relief, Leafpool, the medicine cat came to him. "Your wounds look deep, let me check them."

"Thank you," he mewed before following the medicine cat to her den.

~Chapter 22~

Leaftail felt a surge of wariness prickle her pelt as "Stoneteller" sniffed them. "You made a long journey," the tom began. "We know that part," Hopeclaw spat. The brown tabby tom's eyes glistened, but he made no attempt for a retort, or threats. "Why are you Clan cats in the mountains?" Stoneteller stalked around them suspiciously.

"Invaders? Spies?" Stoneteller pressed. Leaftail watched her friends' pelts bristle one by one. "We are not spies, nor invaders." Whiteface explained gently. "We were led here, not by our warrior ancesters, but-"

"Your disrespecting warriors took us!" Hopeclaw yowled, drowning Whiteface's voice.

"They are not warriors, they are cave-guards," Stoneteller corrected sharply. "Cave-guards? Are they the ones that guard the camp?" Pebblepad chimed in, suddenly interested. Stonteller raised his eyebrow, but shook his head. "They do not guard a camp, they guard our cave." Stoneteller looked annoyed.

"We should get going," Leaftail put in. She didn't want her friends to get used to this, and become interested. "No," Stoneteller's voice was brisk. "For now, you are our prisonors," Stoneteller's eyes were dull again.

"You can't do that! I didn't come here for this," Hopeclaw yowled with fury.

Stoneteller's claws unsheathed, and his neck fur rose. Leaftail unsheathed her own claws, willing to fight for her friends if necessary. Stoneteller looked angry, and Hopeclaw shared his expression. "If it's a fight you want," Stoneteller mewed, but at once he leaped. Leaftail let out a surprise gasp of breath before the mud covered tom collided into her side.

She felt the claws of attacker pierce her pelt, tearing her precious fur. Leaftail kicked with her back legs, jabbing Stoneteller's ribs. Flinging him off instantly, she staggered to her paws, paws trembling. Hopeclaw stepped forward, "Stay where you are Leaftail." The ShadowClan she-cat spun to face her opponent, teeth bared.

Hopeclaw lunged her body, landing perfectly on the mud covered cat's shoulder. She bit hard before sliding beneath him. Leaftail watched as the ShadowClan she-cat went to pop her head up, but Stoneteller rolled out of the way just in time. Within a heartbeat, Stoneteller was back to his paws, leaping with claws piercing the air.

Hopeclaw rolled out of the way when Pebblepad took her place. His muscles rippled defiantly beneath his pelt, hiding his unfed belly. Stoneteller stood his ground, although his sides were heaving. Pebblepad was ready, energy shining in his eyes. Leaftail heaved herself up, before joining Hopeclaw.

Pebblepad launched himself to Stoneteller, clawing at his ears. Stoneteller shook and swatted, but he was missing. Leaftail watched the mud covered tom swing his paws clumsily, Pebblepad was raking his ears. Whiteface jumped in, pushing Pebblepad away. Leaftail watched as the WindClan warrior padded over to Stoneteller, who was lying on the ground, sides heaving. "We are Clan cats, and we are leaving." Whiteface's voice was firm.

Stoneteller lifted his head, "Very well, but you shall stay tonight for rest." He pulled himself to his paws, before leading them out. Leaftail followed, belly yowling for food. There were cats with kits lying beside a thundering waterfall.

The she-cat's lifted their heads with alarm, swiping their tails protectively around their kits. "These are our kit-mothers," Stoneteller explained. The kit-mother was staring at them, panic-stricken. Stoneteller padded forward, introducing them one by one.

"Are those the apprentices?" Pebblepad mewed. Leaftail's ears flicked as his voice bounced arcoss the cave walls. Stonteller turned to face them. "They are our to-bes, they are training to be whatever they were born with," The mud covered tom explained. "Born with?" Hopeclaw got in step with Stoneteller.

"I look at a kit, at the moment of birth, their fate is decided." Stoneteller mewed, a edge to his old voice. "You mean, you choose how their life will turn out?" Leaftail couldn't help asking, and to her surprise, he nodded. "Are you ashamed of that?" Leaftail bit her tongue, nearly saying her thoughts aloud.

"Greetings, Stoneteller," One of the to-bes voice broke Leaftail's thoughts. "Who is this?! Intruders!" At once the to-be leaped, landing clumsily on her forepaw. Leaftail took one paw, and pushed the to-be gently with her other paw, claws sheathed.

The small cat bowled head over heels, rolling until a rock stopped him. He rose to his mud covered paws, his slender body heaving. "You are a intruder!" He yowled. "Stop! They aren't intruders! Besides, you are a prey-hunter," Stoneteller reminded sharply, cuffing the to-be's ear roughly. "Sorry," he muttered before scampering away.

"To-bes," Stoneteller sighed. Leaftail followed Stoneteller with her friends at her tail. They approached some cats that smelled of the wind and rock. Skinny, slender bodies were layed up against the wall of the cave, their eyes glowing. "These are our prey-hunters they just got back," Stoneteller explained.

"I can show you the cave-guards tomorrow, you all need rest," Stoneteller mewed before showing them a spot to rest. "Here, you can sleep over here, with the others." And the tom disappeared. "Great," Leaftail muttered. Eyes were glowing, some were frightened, some were hostile, while others were mischievous.

Leaftail noticed all of the prey-hunters were gathered on the darkest part. Leaftail settled, back facing the unknown cats. Leaftail couldn't understand how Brambleclaw and the others had slept here once, when they were there.

Leaftail's thoughts dragged her asleep, "At least they were actually sent by the word of StarClan, what if this is the wrong place to be?"

~Chapter 23~

Sootwhisker awoke laying on a moss bed. He dug his nose deeper, feeling the chill of leaf-bare coming, but it was very sluggish. Sootwhisker realized he was in the medicine den once the tangy smell of herbs struck his nostrils.

He could see Leafpool pacing back and forth, one moment, she had herbs dangling from her jaws, the next more moss. Sootwhisker stretched farther out, and his eyes caught a familiar pelt. "Longtail!" Sootwhisker thought. He stifled a yawn, before mewing, "Leafpool, I'm up." Sootwhisker pulled himself up slowly, feeling something slide off his back.

At once, Leafpool rushed in. "Hold still or you'll-" The medicine cat cut herself off as chewed herbs sluggishly slid down his shoulder. "I'll be back," Leafpool mewed hastily as she padded away. "Oooppps," Sootwhisker meowed once she left. She returned with a bundle of herbs. She looked aggervated so Sootwhisker tried to change the subject.

"What herbs are you using?"

"You mean, reusing?" She corrected hostily.

Sootwhisker felt embarrasment prickle his pelt, he opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"There is, some leaves?" He made himself mew. Leafpool looked up at him, "They're not just leaves, they're medicine." She mewed briskly.

Leafpool spat out the herbs she had been chewing, before rubbing them on his scruff, that had been torn up from Deathclaw's attempt to shake him.

"I wasn't a squirrel, he couldn't just shake me!" Sootwhisker thought. Finally, Leafpool finished, before shoving three small black seeds to his paws. Leafpool looked at him expectedly, before mewing, "Eat them already!"

At once Sootwhisker lapped up all three of the black seeds, before swallowing. Leafpool gave a satisfying nod before returning to Longtail. Sootwhisker's curiosity grew twice it's size when he heard no sound of the elder.

Sootwhisker pulled himself up, and with a jolt he remembered the herbs. He quickly squashed himself low to the ground, keeping the chewed herbs even so they wouldn't slide. He crept over to Leafpool, carefully nudging her side for her attention. "What is it now?" She spat.

"I just want to check on Longtail," his voice quivered. Leafpool's gaze made him look away, the green depths reminding him of his missing sister. "He's fine, just a infected scratch," she mewed. "It'll heal quickly, he is very strong for an elder." She added.

Sootwhisker forgot that he wasn't that old, but he retired the rank of a warrior because of his blindness. "He'd probably give anything to see the beloved forest again," Sootwhisker thought, feeling an enormous wave of pity. "Sootwhisker, I'm not going to die," unexpectedly, Longtail's voice mewed.

Sootwhisker twitched his whiskers with amusement, before turning away. "I'm good now Leafpool, honest." He called over his shoulder. "Just don't reopen that scratch!" She called back, before returning her attention back to Longtail. Sootwhisker rushed out, eager to get some fresh air. For once, he felt carefree, since Deathclaw was banished from ThunderClan, what could threat him now?

He looked up to the rising sun, when he felt the back of his neck sting. It was his torn scruff, meeting the air and pressure for some time. He bit back a short yelp, that seemed to be urgingly needed. He watched Brambleclaw order patrols, the kits tumbling outside, and apprentices travel out with their mentors.

Tonight was the gathering, and Sootwhisker felt like an apprentice again. He was so excited, but at once his enthusiaim dropped when he remembered his sister's quarrel. "I was just taking her to the medicine den like Leafpool asked me to! Why did she get so upset?" He shoved his thoughts away, padding toward Brambleclaw.

"Good afternoon, isn't it?" Brambleclaw called to Firestar, who was climbing the Highledge. "Indeed it is," he responded brightly. Once the orange leader made his way up the ledge, he called for all cats to join beneath the ledge for a once Sootwhisker settled beside his friend, Darkspot, Muddfoot's brother.

He was much more into action, and cleverness, rather than romance and love for another cat. "Lovely isn't it?" He whispered into his ear. "Yes," Sootwhisker felt suddenly light, with some cat to talk to. Firestar's voice rumbled as the leader spoke. "Tonight is the Gathering, and I believe it's time for our young apprentices to come along, am I right Brambleclaw?" He flicked his confident gaze toward the deputy, and the tabby nodded.

"Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw are ready for the Gathering, since Mousefur had not one complaint about the moss, did you?"

Mousefur gazed up at her leader, "Only except a piece of a nettle, but it was dead, so yes they are free to go."

The apprentices leaped around, squealing like kits. "Calm down, or you can stay," Daisy hissed. The apprentices kept their positive smiles, but they quietly bounced around in small circles. Mousefur grunted as she turned around, and she limped toward the elder's den.

"Something's wrong with her," he thought. And with a jolt of surprise, he noticed her bone in the wrong place. It was dislocated! She was walking on that for a long time now, why didn't she ask Leafpool to help her fix it? Sootwhisker's thoughts were broken at the sound of Firestar scrambling down the Highledge.

"Hey Sootwhisker!" Darkspot called. Shaking himself thoroughly, he pulled his head up. "Yeah?"

"Did you hear what Firestar said?"

"No"

"We can go!" Darkspot jumped with joy before returning to the ground with a twist in the air. "Wow," Sootwhisker mewed, astonished. "What?" Darkspot looked innocent. "That move you just pulled off, it was amazing," Sootwhisker complemented. Darkspot's eyes grew wide. "R-really?"

Sootwhisker nodded. "Well, I wasn't really trying to," Darkspot shuffled his paws, studying them. "No, really I think it was cool," Sootwhisker admitted. Darkspot smiled before turning away happily. Sootwhisker felt good to make some cat's day.

~Chapter 24~

Leaftail stifled a yawn as the unfamiliar scents choked her. She felt the cold winds of the north ruffle her pelt. She rose to her paws, before leaping backward as something cold and clunky spattered onto her pelt. "If you stay in the tribe, you must be the tribe," Talon was towered above her, mud covered his pelt.

Leaftail pulled herself stiffly to her paws, feeling her skin beneath her pelt dirty. "Why do you use, mud?" Leaftail asked. "It keeps you warm, and disguises your scent," Talon explained sharply. Hopeclaw was hissing with fury as Jag splattered mud all over her. Pebblepad's fur was bristling as another cat battered him in mud. Whiteface was shivering as two to-bes were scraping mud on his pelt.

"There," Talon sounded satisfied. "You'll need it for the battle," he added. Jag flicked his tail over Talon's mouth silencing him. "He meant, your journey home." Jag added, pushing Talon away. Once the tribe cats disappeared, Leaftail scanned the clearing for Stoneteller. "There you are," Stoneteller mewed, shoving anything in his way. "What are your names?" Stoneteller mewed. "I'm Leaftail, of ThunderClan, this is Hopeclaw, from ShadowClan and…" Leaftail continued her list of names and Clans.

Stoneteller nodded his head slowly. "I met some Clan cats once," he began. "One was a muscular tabby tom, the other was a gray tom with his sister, a silver she-cat, and a tawny colored one." His voice stretched far into his memories. "That's Brambleclaw," Leaftail meowed.

"And the silver she-cat is Feathertail, and her brother is Stormfur." Pebblepad added.

"And that tawny colored one is Tawnypelt." Hopeclaw chimed.

"What about WindClan?" Whiteface mewed.

"Oh, yeah that black pelted to-be…." Stoneteller muttered. "He isn't a to-be anymore," Whiteface meowed. "His name is Crowfeather now," he corrected. Stoneteller nodded before turning away. "Feathertail saved us from Sharptooth," he began cautiously. "Clan cats are so strong, brave, smart-"

"Get to the point!" Hopeclaw hissed.

"The point is, we need the Clans again…" Stoneteller's voice trailed off.

"We have our own prophecy that we must fulfill," Leaftail's voice cracked as she stepped forward. "A prophecy?" Stoneteller sounded interested. "Yes," Leaftail's suspicion grew more as the mud covered tom circled them like he did when they first made it there. "Tell me about this, prophecy…"

Leaftail felt something inside that told her not to tell him, but Stoneteller's claws were sheathing and unsheathing impatiently.

"Well," Leaftail began nervously. "Well nothing! Besides, it's none of your bussiness!" Hopeclaw interrupted, fur standing on end. "She's right, this doesn't concern you nor your tribe," Pebblepad assured gently. "Very well, but you must tell me. You never know, the Tirbe Of Endless Hunting might have told me of cats like you coming." Stoneteller pressed.

"Fine," Hopeclaw muttered. Leaftail began cautiously explaining the dreams, their visions, and thoughts on their way there, and Stoneteller's intrest shimmered inside the depths of his round blue eyes. "Leaves, I see," he murmured.

"See what?" Hopeclaw arched her back.

"Be quiet," Stoneteller hissed. He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I see something, a cat…"

Hopeclaw rolled her eyes. "We see it every day."

"A cat with a pelt of night, as if he were a puff of soot," Stoneteller continued. "And a cat with a burning pelt, with stripes cutting into his fur."

"What does the black cat look like?" Leaftail meowed. Stoneteller didn't respond. "A….Clan cat!" At once his eyes popped open, astonishment flickering inside. Leaftail felt her heart pounding, as if a bird fluttered inside her chest, it's wings beating her insides.

"Follow me," urgently, Stoneteller raced toward a tunnel. He kept walking, and to Leaftail's surprise, he didn't stop to check on them. She could feel Hopeclaw's pelt bristle beside her as they entered the darkness. Her paws trembled as the stone cut crisp into her pads.

Leaftail couldn't see anything, only her nose, ears, and paws could guide her now. They all continued through the darkness, until Leaftail felt her whiskers brush against Stoneteller's tail. "Stop," he announced, breaking the cold silence. He flicked his tail, and continued padding. Finally, Leaftail felt the tunnel's walls widen, and fresh cold air gushed through her lungs as she made it to a clear spot.

There was stalactites hanging from the roof of the opening, and all through out the huge cave. Water dripped into a slow, steady rythem from the pointed stones that hung above them, adding on to the small pools of water in the craters on the ground. "What is this place?" Whiteface whimpered. "It is the Cave Of Pointed Stones," Stoneteller's voice echoed deeply through the cave, making Leaftail's ears twitch irritably.

"Is that like your tribe's place for sharing tongues with your StarClan?" Pebblepad asked. "Yes, but it is not the skies of StarClan we sit under, it is the Tribe Of Endless Hunting." Stoneteller explained. "Who's your leader?" Leaftail mewed with wonder. Perhaps this tribe could help them by telling them what territories there are around this place, and warn them about dangers lerking around every peak.

"I am the Leader of my tribe," he began.

"Then who's your medicine c-"

"I am." Stoneteller interrupted Whiteface's question. "Is he annoyed?" Leaftail thought suspiciously. "I am the tribe leader, and healer. I have two responseabilities, and they are to be done everyday, any day." Stoneteller's voice bounced across the walls.

"Why have you taken us here?" Hopeclaw broke into the conversation, bringing it to an end. "Oh, yes, that part…" Stoneteller sounded surprised. "That part? What does he mean by that?"

~Chapter 25~

Sootwhisker shivered as a cold breeze ruffled his fur, pushing it backward. The sun wasn't as bright as it used to be, and to Sootwhisker's surprise, leaf-bare was very close. "Good job," Brambleclaw's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Oh," Sootwhisker glanced at his recently killed prey before grasping it in his jaws. "It's nothing," he muffled.

"I think you did well today, the camp is filled with warm moss for our upcoming leaf-bare, and the elders have eaten, so take that back so us warriors can eat. I'm starving!" Brambleclaw mewed with amusement. Sootwhisker gave a friendly nod before following the ThunderClan deputy through the cold forest.

Sootwhisker's mouth watered as his stomach became more and more hungry. Sootwhisker shrank with embarrasment as his stomach made a growling noise. "Hungry, I suppose?" Brambleclaw giggled over his shoulder. "Yes," Sootwhisker admitted. Finally, the two approached camp. To his surprise, it felt warmer in camp than it did out in the bare forest.

"That was a great gathering last night, wasn't it?" Darkspot mewed happily as he dropped his prey into the pile. "I guess so, except my sister wasn't there to see it…" He whimpered. "Cheer up, if she turned up once she'll do it again!" Darkspot encouraged. "Thanks," Sootwhisker meowed appreciatively.

"Every cat must be excited about Graystripe's appearance last night," Darkspot changed the subject. Sootwhisker wondered why Graystripe came back with a kittypet named Millie. But instantly he realized the bond between the two. At once his thoughts were broken by Firestar's deafening yowl from the Highledge.

"Let all cats, old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath the Highledge for a meeting!"

Cats gathered below like always, but something felt strange with Graystripe's companion sitting about. "We have a new cat among our Clan today," Firestar reminded. "I'd like to give her warrior name. I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat, for she has fought and learned to respect your ways. Millie, to the Clans you will be known as-"

"Stop!"

To Sootwhisker's surprise, Millie's yowl rang, piercing the cool air. "What is wrong?" Firestar asked. Millie studied her paws for a heartbeat, before returning her gaze. "I can't except a warrior name," She announced boldly. Firestar listened closely. "I like my name, Millie, it reminds me who I am…" Her voice trailed off.

Heartbeat after heartbeat passed, but the silence remained. Finally, Firestar broke the silence ."Very well, Millie has chosen to keep her original name, for she has refused the name of a warrior. No matter, she will now sit under the sky of StarClan, for she is officially a warrior of ThunderClan!"

The cats yowled with pleasure chanting Millie's name: "Millie! Millie! Millie!"

Firestar rested his his head on top of Millie's, holding a quick vigil. Once he finished, she respectfully licked the leader on the shoulder before bounding back to Graystripe. Sootwhisker watched Firestar study the distance before leaping down from the Highledge.

"Sootwhisker!" A voice made Sootwhisker jump. Behind him, amber eyes were glowing through the dirtplace tunnel. "Come here," the voice rasped again, and at once he realized it was Tigerstar. Sootwhisker glanced side to side, wondering if any cat could see Tigerstar. But no cat seemed to notice, they were all walking around like normal.

Sootwhisker gave himself a hard shake before creeping to the dirtplace tunnel. Sootwhisker stifled a yelp as a bramble raked his nose. Tigerstar's eyes were burning deep into his pelt.

"What is it?" Sootwhisker demanded.

"Why aren't you visiting me?"

Sootwhisker couldn't believe his ears! "Me? Oh, yeah, remember… you dumped me for Deathclaw!" Sootwhisker spat, bunching his muscles.

"Deathclaw was much better at coming on time," Tigerstar's fur was bristling, but his voice was smooth. "Coming on time?" Sootwhisker's fur rose. "He's been training with you?" Sootwhisker hissed through gritted teeth. "I do not follow cats like you," Sootwhisker began bravely. "Cats like you, belong in the Dark Forest!" As soon as his words slipped out, Tigerstar leaped.

Sootwhisker expected him to disappear in thin air, but to his surprise, his claws pierced his pelt. Sootwhisker screeched as he fell back farther into the brambles. His fur was snagging on every thorn, twisting at every move. Tigerstar sat, blood splattered on his nose. He watched him struggle but Sootwhisker knew he was stuck.

"Cats like me belong to the Dark Forest! Ha! You mouse brained fool!" Tigerstar sneered. Sootwhisker looked up, anger burning inside.

"ThunderClan is ruled by a kittypet, you got rogues crawling everywhere! Firestar let that kittypet join the Clan, whats her name? Millie? And he let Stormfur and Brook into the Clan too? The warrior code means nothing to your Clan! StarClan would turn away from you any day in leaf-bare!" Tigerstar spat.

"The warrior code exists, you don't," Sootwhisker growled, before lunging himself. He felt the sharp brambles pull him back, but he ignored them. He tugged like a lion, ripping free and hurdling into Tigerstar, claws unsheathed. Tigerstar yowled with surprise before being bowled over.

Sootwhisker raked Tigerstar's belly, and he kicked. Tigerstar was flung back, rustling the thorn bushes all along the tunnel. Tigerstar's voice echoed as he faded away within a mist.

~Chapter 26~

Leaftail stood, starring out at her forest home that was so far away. Leaftail dipped her head with acknowledgement as Hopeclaw sided her. "It's about time we get going, that eagle made my belly bulge!" Hopeclaw mewed as she rasped her tongue around her muzzle. "Me too, but there's something fishy about Stoneteller…" Leaftail trailed off. She could feel something burn inside that told her she was mistaken. She pushed it away, before joining Stoneteller. "Stoneteller, thank you for the hospitality but we should really get going," Leaftail began nicely, but firm.

Stoneteller's blue eyes sparked, but nothing came. Leaftail felt her fur bristle uncontrollably. She tried to flatten it, studing the tribe leader's face. He didn't dare meet her gaze, and Leaftail felt annoyed.

"If he was an actual leader, why would he just stand there, unwilling to acknowledge my presence?"

Leaftail slid in front of him, finally putting him to a stop. "Listen up! We are leaving, now." Leaftail whipped around before stalking toward her friends. Maybe now he would get the idea that she meant her words. She announced to her friends that they were ready to leave. Leaftail watched them take their first steps, and Leaftail glanced over her shoulder to find Stoneteller sitting with his tail over his paws. Leaftail nodded with satisfaction before joining her friends.

Hopeclaw was leading, followed by Pebblepad, and then Whiteface at the rear. "Hi guys, I had to make sure Stoneteller didn't send Talon or Jag after us." Leaftail explained. They trekked up the boulder, claws slipping from the cold breeze whisping their fur roughly. "The wind out here is worse than the moor!" Whiteface voice was nearly drowned out by the buffeting wind. "I hope so, or I'll never visit WindClan!" Pebblepad yowled over the howling gusts.

Leaftail felt her paws slide as she began to plan her leap down on the boulders edge. She half skidded down, clumsily landing beside Whiteface. Leaftail felt the air thicken, and the earth felt moist.

"It's going to rain!"

Leaftail thought miserably. She felt a fat raindrop hit her ear and run off her whisker. "Hurry, or we'll lose each other like last time!" Pebblepad reminded sharply before racing through the rocky terrain. Leaftail stumbled over her paws as she scrambled forward. Leaftail rushed to her friends sides, dodging unfamiliar dips in the ground. Finally, they arrived at the very end of the mountains, and Leafatil's paws were bleeding. They were so scratched up and cut that it left bloody paw prints. "Grass at last!" Whiteface leaped into the grassy part, rolling around before coming up instantly as thunder rolled.

"Here, let's take shelter in that tree," Pebblepad pointed with his tail. "That's that tree you hid in!" Hopeclaw cuffed Pebblepad sharply on the ear. "Don't worry, we'll all find a way to keep warmth," Pebblepad mewed. "I promise."

Leaftail padded toward the tree, she found a small hazel bush big enough for two cats to fit beneneath. "Hopeclaw and Whiteface can sleep there," Leaftail pointed out. She scanned the area until her gaze caught a fern. She padded to it, bit a couple of stems before placing them gently on the ground under a branch. Hopeclaw had just caught a blackbird, and Whiteface was holding a squirrel. "Let me borrow this," Leaftail scooped up Hopeclaw's prey. "Hey!" Hopeclaw's angry voice sounded behind her.

"Don't worry I'll give it back!" Leaftail's voice was muffled.

She crouched by her fern bed, ripping every last feather off of the bird. She placed them in the center. She picked up the blackbird, and carried it back to Hopeclaw. The ShadowClan warrior snatched it away. "This is my prey, it took me forever to catch it!"

Leaftail rolled her eyes. "Probrably, because it was late leaving."

Pebblepad nodded his thanks to her as he snuggled in the ferns and feathers.

"Leaftail, how about you sleep in the hole on the tree," Whiteface flicked his tail toward the hole in the oak. "Thanks," Leaftail dipped her head before gathering moss off a boulder nearby. She made a comfy little nest inside the den, and yawned with sleepiness as she got situated.

"Good night," Whiteface murmured. "Good night," Leaftail whispered. She watched a leaf come tumbling down, making a crunch when it hit the ground. Leaf-bare was taking every leaf down, and soon, there will be only one left.

Keep watch for

LEAFTAIL'S MISSION

WARRIORS

Book 2:

JOURNEY

Leaftail wondered hopelessly as the ShadowClan patrol stopped them. Tornear growled as he circled them. "What are you doing with our warrior?" He spat. "They did nothing to me! I left on my own!" Hopeclaw admitted. "You have no right to leave like that, I will tell Blackstar about this." Tornear beckoned Hopeclaw with his tail. Hopeclaw backed away from them, and Leaftail felt waves of anxiety flowing through the ShadowClan she-cat's pelt. "Good bye Hopeclaw," Leaftail whispered, feeling pity for her friend. They were going to have to get ready, there is prophecy they must fulfill, whether their leaders like it or not.