"Bramblestar! Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" The light filtered into the leaders den, through mounds of pure white snow. Bramblestar blinked open his intense amber eyes, breathing in the fridgid winter air. A handsome, dark tabby pelt covered his massive, muscular body and long, intimidating claws lay sheathed in his large paws. The sound of his clanmates calling his name over and over still echoed in his ears. Though a moon had passed since his rise to leader, he could not forget that feeling. That of respect from all of his clanmates. It really ment something to bramblestar, knowing that for so long his clanmates had not been trusting of him. Any cat could have mistaken him for his evil father, Tigerstar. Known for his dark, murderous ways many cats thought the young leader would follow in his fathers footsteps. Such comments were what drove tawnypelt, Bramblestars sister, from thunderclan. SHe knew that when she moved to shadowclan that she would be accepted.
It was barely dawn, though the gentle mews of a returning patrol echoed in the center of the thunderclan camp. Bramblestar recognised the voice of his mate, squirrelflights. She was likely organizing a hunting patrol, for those were the duties of the deputy. Bramblestars heart twinged as he recalled being deputy. The simple times before he knew all of the secrets of his and his clanmates lives. Before he found out that he was not the father of his own kits, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze. Before the death of his mentor and hero, Firestar.
Peeking his head from his den, bramblestar saw Squirrelflight, standing pround with her firey ginger fur just like firestar, her father. She stood with three other warriors, Brackenfur, with amber eyes and a golden brown pelt, Whitewing, who almost blended into the snowy landscape with her pure white fur and Bumblestripe, a very pale gray tom with black stripes. Seeing Bramblestar, she stopped the conversation instantly. Her head turned to look lovingly up at Bramblestar, Reveiling her beautiful green eyes.
She padded towards the pathway to the highledge, and Bramblestar crept down towards her.
She purred. "You were yowling in your sleep again," She meowed as they touched noses. "Bad dreams?"
"Maybe..." Bramblestar glaced at the fresh kill pile, which was hardly a pile at all. It consisted of a few stringy mice and one aged blackbird. He could not remember all of his dreams from last night, but he knew they must have been about the great battle. He just could not get it out of his head. "Have you sent out a hunting patrol yet?"
Squirrelflight nodded. "Of course." She continued. "But I was planning on sending another before sunhigh, Since the first was sort of rough."
Bramblestar shrugged. "Blame the weather."
"Yes," Squirrelflight nodded. "I don't think I've seen a leafbare so harsh."
Bramblestar agreed. It was particuarly unfair that this was how he had to start off his leadership. "Are you hungry?"
Squirrelflight gulped. "I don't need to eat right now."
"No, we can catch more. At least take one of those mice." Bramblestar nodded at the fresh kill pile.
Squirrelflight shook her head. "Leave it for the elders, I'll eat later." She purred, her whiskers twitching. "You're the one who is losing weight."
"It's leafbare, Squirrelflight. We are all losing weight." Bramblestar shook the falling snow from his fur. He stood and glanced at the medicine den. "I've got to go check in with Jayfeather."
"Alright, I'll see you." She padded off.
Bramblestar watched her meet back up with the warriors she had been with originally. He followed a trail another cat had made in the snow towards the medicine den. He pushed away the ice covered ferns to see Jayfeather tending to Hazeltail, a thin gray and white she-cat who had come down with white cough. He was nudging a pile of herbs towards her.
"Ah, Jayfeather. The medicine cat that never rests." Bramblestar chuckled as the handsome gray tabby turned around, his blind eyes shifting in their sockets.
"Ah, Bramblestar, the leader that never seems to leave Jayfeather alone." Jayfeather meowed, half serious.
"Sorry, I just needed to talk to you" Bramblestar went on. "Seedkit started to cough last night."
"Oh, I'll take a look after I'm done here." He turned back to his patient. "I'm afraid Greencough will be going around. It's part of this time of year, can't be stopped." I shook his head, troubled.
Bramblestar stepped towards the stressed medicine cat. "Well when it does, don't overwork yourself." Bramblestar paused, shivering in the cold. "I'll send an aprentice to help you."
"Bramblestar for the last time, I'm not looking for an aprentice." He stepped aver to the herb store and shuffled a small pile of leaves into on of the nooks in the stone. "I have Briarlight."
As if on cue a dark brown she-cat, Brairlight, pulled her way into the medicine den. From the head to her hips, she could be a perfectly normal warrior. But Her back legs, scrawny and unmoving, dragged benhind her. Moons ago a tree had fallen on the young cats back, breaking it and parilysing her from the waist down. Even in her dire condition, the she-cat grinned as she saw Bramblestar.
"Good morning Bramblestar." She shuffled into the den, her muscular front legs helping her move around. "Not feeling good?" Her voice sounded a little worried.
Bramblestar sighed. "No, not yet." He glanced at Jayfeather. "Just passing on some information to Jayfeather."
Briarlight looked like she was going to ask what, when Jayfeather cut in. "Its medicine cat stuff."
"Okay, got it." The she-cat stayed quiet as Bramblestar and Jayfeather continued.
Jayfeather stood up, shaking out his ungroomed fur. He padded towards the entrance and turned his head back at bramblestar. "I'll go take a look at Seedkit." He shivered, feeling the leafbare air flow into the den. "Thanks,"
Bramblestar nodded and followed him from the den. He cast one last look at briarlight as he stepped out. She normally seemed so opamistic, but now her eyes were filled with shadows of regret. Bramblestar felt a twinge of hurt in his heart. It was like a wonderful warriors life had been torn away from her.