Chapter Two:

*Many, many moons later*

Jewelshine walked quietly among the grass, distant memories of the old clan homes running through her mind.

"Jewelshine," Joyspring hopped over to her. "Silverpaw is having troubles with Followstar. Followstar...I don't know, something's wrong."

Jewelshine, a little worried, bounded back to camp and over to her mother, who was sitting calmly and shifting uncomfortably next to Jewel's apprentice, Silverpaw.

"Followstar," Jewelshine mewed.

"I don't know what's wrong," said the small apprentice, unsure. "She's complaining of stomach cramps, except..." She squinted uncertainly. "I don't know if it's what I think it is."

Jewelshine gently pressed her paw against Followstar's stomach. "Does that hurt, mother?"

Followstar chuckled, a merry light in her eyes. "No, daughter."

"Depends, Silverpaw," replied Jewelshine calmly. "What do you think it is?"

The apprentice shifted nervously. She didn't respond.

"Mother, you're expecting kits. A few moons, I'd say. Three or four," meowed Jewelshine, smiling.

Judging from the surprised and proud look on Silverpaw's face, Jewelshine guessed that was her apprentice's original thought.

Followstar looked surprised, but then she purred. "And here I was thinking I was too old for that stuff. Wow. Where's Whirlwind? I'd better tell him, that silly tom." She spoke fondly of her mate, sweeping her gaze across the camp. "Oh, Jewelshine, I do believe Angleclaw is out hunting. Will you go fetch him? He normally hunts near the SkyClan border."

Jewelshine turned and sprinted towards the SkyClan border. When she got there, her one-eyed brother was indeed there, with a she-cat.

"Jewelshine," Angleclaw jumped to his paws, surprised. "I...I uh, this is Maisie. She's a...she's a loner. I've been telling her about the clans." He was bright eyed and cheerful.

Maisie was looking at Jewelshine, her head slightly tilted and her eyes slightly narrowed.

Smiling slightly when she recognized the cat's jealousy, Jewelshine meowed, "I am Jewelshine. I'm Angleclaw's sister."

This seemed to satisfy Maisie, who sent a shy smile back. "It's nice to meet you."

Jewel gave her a friendly nod. "Angleclaw, you're wanted back at camp. Followstar."

Angleclaw licked Maisie's cheek. "I'm sorry, my mother wants me. Can I see you tomorrow?"

A purr came from the she-cat. "Of course. Same time, same place?"

He nodded, and she licked his neck. "See you then." He reluctantly left her.

When he was clearly out of earshot, Jewelshine turned to Maisie. "Well, my brother seems quite fond of you. How long have you known each other?"

"A couple moons," Maisie replied shyly. "He's a very nice cat, you know."

"Oh, yeah. You like him?"

She nodded. "Well, I should go. It was great meeting you, Jewelshine. I do have a question; do you think that your leader would let me join your clan?"

Jewelshine started smiling. "Yes, I think so. You'd have to ask her, but since Angleclaw seems quite smitten over you, that she would."

Maisie said a timid goodbye and quickly rushed away. Jewelshine started picking herbs, as she was out of goldenrod and tansy, both of which happened to be in abundance near this border.

The unsteady ground started to crumble under her feet. She cautiously skimmed around a hole she knew was there, placing her herbs in a pile.

Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath her hind paws. She sank her claws into the soft ground, trying to pull herself out. With a wild yelp and cry for help, she found herself slipping.

"Angleclaw!" she cried, hoping he was near. "Angleclaw, help! Somebody! HELP!"

The ground kept crumbling, falling away into a dark, cold cavern that she could not see the bottom of. Her claws were slipping. Her breaths were ripping from her chest painfully and frightened.

A dark shadow of a cat came from nowhere, and teeth sank into her scruff, tugging her out and throwing her to steady ground. When she landed on her paws, they were so shaky that she collapsed to the ground, gasping quickly for breath.

The cat that had saved her sat down a couple of feet away.

Panicked, Jewelshine gasped, "Angleclaw, I can't breathe!"

His gentle voice replied, "Jewelshine, you're hyperventilating. You can breathe. Relax. Slow down your breathing."

She was too panicked to realize he wasn't Angleclaw until she had been able to calm down. Her whole body was still shaking and her voice hurt and her head hurt. "Angleclaw, will you clean my back? It hurts."

She sensed his hesitation. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Please?"

The cat flopped down next to her, his tongue brushing against her pale golden fur, cleaning the dirt out of the fur on her back. "Oh, Jewelshine," came his passionate voice. "You're bleeding."

"Angleclaw, you don't smell right," she mewed. Her paws weren't shaking anymore. Her back did hurt, but she was alright, as far as she thought anyway.

His rough tongue cleaned her scratch and she flinched. "I'm sorry, did that hurt?" He stepped back and sat down.

She tensed with shock, leaping to her again unsteady paws and stumbling back. "Hawkwhisker," she growled, laying her ears back. Her back really did hurt now and her whole body shook with pain.

"I'm sorry, Jewelshine, I couldn't...I didn't want...I saw you fall and I knew you didn't have much time, Talonmark fell down a hole like that and broke both his hind legs, it took all night to get him out. I didn't want you to get hurt..." He finally just fell silent.

"You didn't want me to get hurt?" she repeated in a very soft voice. "Why didn't you think about that moons ago, the first time?"

Hawkwhisker slunk back.

"Hawk!" meowed Joyspring, hopping cheerfully over to her brother. "Jewelshine, what on earth happened?"

"I almost fell down the hole over there. Watch that place," growled Jewelshine. She picked up her herbs and ran off.

"What happened?" Joyspring asked her brother.

"I saved her," he grumbled. "I don't want to talk about it, Joyspring. Yes, I love her. Obviously, she hates me. It doesn't matter," he muttered gruffly.

Joyspring brushed against her brother. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I'll talk to you tonight at the gathering, okay? I'm not really feeling up to conversation," he said, turning and sprinting in the direction of his clan.

Joyspring watched him leave with a slight smile. He really hadn't changed. He was still a wonderful, kind, intelligent tom, and he was still her brother.