"It wasn't real! It wasn't real." Leafpool meowed quietly to herself as she paced back and forth in the makeshift den she and Crowfeather had made the night before. Visions of blood and horror had entered Leafpool's dreams paralyzing her with terror. The worst part was the loud cry that sounded strangely like Cinderpelt. It had chilled Leafpool to the bone.

"Leafpool?" Crowfeather had awoken and was watching her with a worried silence. "Are you alright?"

Leafpool numbly shook her head. "No." Her voice trembled as she spoke. "I had this dream. ThunderClan was attacked. Everyone was either dead or mortally injured. Including-" Leafpool's breath caught in her throat forcing her to stop speaking for a moment. Finally gathering courage Leafpool continued to speak. "Cinderpelt was horribly injured. And I watched her die."

Crowfeather padded to Leafpool's side and rested his tail on Leafpool's shoulder. "You're having guilty feelings about leaving your Clan. It's okay. I'm having them too."

"But what if they aren't just dreams? What if they are real and I abandoned my Clan?" Leafpool's voice rose to a wail.

"Leafpool. You are a caring cat. That is why I like you. You carry a burden with you. You swore to protect and serve your Clan with your life and you broke that oath coming with me. You must think about your future now. Would ThunderClan ever accept you back as a Medicine Cat? I'm sure they know that you left them."

"I don't know," Leafpool whisper pain enveloping her. Even if she returned to her Clan would she be accepted back? Or would her Clanmates step on her like she was a piece of crowfood? Finally, after a few seconds, Leafpool came to a conclusion. "I want to stay with you." She whispered as she pressed her nose into Crowfeather's soft warm fur.

Crowfeather purred and wrapped his tail around Leafpool's small frame. "I promise I'll take care of you Leafpool. You won't regret your decision."

ThunderClan Camp

Brambleclaw padded around the decimated ThunderClan camp. Beside him was his friend Squirrelflight. "I think they are gone." He growled briskly." As he sniffed that air.

"But not without a price," Squirrelflight whispered. "Cinderpelt is dead. She died defending Sorreltail and her newborn kits. I don't know what we're going to now. Leafpool is gone. We have no Medicine Cat."

Brambleclaw rested his tail on Squirrelflight's shoulder comforting her. "We'll be okay. StarClan work in mysterious ways.