CHAPTER 1:
"Toadstep! Toadstep, come on!"
Briarlight was awoken by the yelping of her sister's voice. Must just be Blossomfall again, making Toadstep get up early so they can go on a hunting patrol together, Briarlight thought, annoyed but happy that her sister had found a mate, and one as perfect for her as Toadstep.
Blossomfall was already expecting Toadstep's kits, even though that she'd only been expecting for a half moon. Briarlight reminded herself to keep an eye on her, so when the kits did come, she and Jayfeather could come quickly, and make sure that her sister's birth went smoothly.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. You have to stop jumping around, Blossomfall!"
There was a pause, and Briarlight's ear twitched. "Why?" Blossomfall's voice sounded sly and curious. "Because you are expecting our kits! I don't want them or you to get hurt," he meowed softly, barely loud enough for Briarlight to pick up.
"Oh, when did you become such a worry-wart? I have enough time until the kits come. Lets go on the dawn patrol together!"
Then Briarlight couldn't pick out Toadstep's or Blossomfall's voice among her other Clanmates coming from the warriors den, ready for Squirrelflight, the deputy, to assign them to patrols.
Briarlight sighed, and pulled herself up and out of her nest. I'd better go get some fresh-kill for Jayfeather, or he'll be even more grumpy than any usual day, Briarlight thought happily.
Jayfeather was the medicine cat. He was very skilled, and ever since Briarlight had gotten her back legs crushed by a tree that fell into the camp and paralyzed them forever, she had been his assistant.
He was blind, which meant that every cat took pity on him. He was always grumpy and defensive, so no one felt bad for him just because of his disibility.
He had taught Briarlight how to keep up on exercise's so that she wouldn't end up like Wildfur, a ShadowClan cat that the ShadowClan medicine cat, Littlecloud, had treated. Wildfur had the same problem she had, a broken backbone. Unfortunetly, Littlecloud didn't know that Wildfur was becoming sick, because he was unhealthy and hadn't gotten up to do anything for nearly a moon.
Wildfur died.
Briarlight and her mother, Millie, were horrified. Briarlight had told Jayfeather, and still believed, that she would not end up in StarClan moons before she was supposed to.
Jayfeather was nice to Briarlight, and she even liked him a little bit.
But he's a medicine cat, and I guess I'm kind of like a medicine cat too. We can't be together, never ever.
Briarlight dragged herself around the bramble screen, and out into the clearing, leaving the medicine den behind her.
The fresh-kill pile was nearly empty, only two pieces of prey remained from the night before, a mouse and a very thin thrush. Leaf-bare is coming, and prey is going to get harder and harder to find. I wish I could be of more use to the Clan! It's not fair to the warriors that I get to sit around and eat their caught prey, while they work their tails off to find it!
Briarlight watched Squirrelflight, as she stood proudly on the elders sunning rock, which is where she organized the patrols. She picked out Blossomfall and Toadstep, right underneath the rock, looking up at the deputy with pleading eyes.
"Alright, who would like to lead the dawn patrol?"
The question had barely left Squirrelflight's mouth as Birchfall shouted," I will!"
Squirrelflight nodded at the light brown tabby tom, and then added quickly," Who wants to patrol with him?"
Briarlight was expecting the two loudest voices as they filled the clearing," I will!"
Squirrelflight looked down at Blossomfall. Toadstep meowed next," I'll go with her!" The deputy nodded. Then she looked back at Birchfall, and mewed," Birchfall, I'd like you to take Dewpaw with you."
Birchfall nodded, and Briarlight caught him glancing at the apprentices' den expectantly, as if wishing Dewpaw, his apprentice, would come out quickly.
Briarlight dragged herself to the fresh-kill pile, and saw Rainkit and Stormkit play fighting on the other side of the puny pieces of prey. Rainkit's pale gray pelt stood out against the light brown of Stormkit's.
Briarlight knew that these kits were two out of three of Lionblaze's litter with Cinderheart. They were adorable kits, and Briarlight had often played games with them. Tigerkit, the last kit of Lionblaze and Cinderheart's was more of a loner.
He spent almost all of the time in the Nursery. No cat liked him very much except Cinderheart, who thought Rainkit and Stormkit should be more like Tigerkit.
Briarlight disagreed. All of the kits would be getting apprentice names in three sunrises. Tigerkit's been spending some time in the medicine den. I've seen him talking to Jayfeather about poppy seeds yesterday! Maybe he'll become Jayfeather's apprentice. Then what'll happen to me?
She grabbed the thrush, leaving the mouse and the worry back at the pile of prey. She started dragging herself back to the medicine den, when a cheerful voice from behind froze her half to death.
"Hey Briarlight! Whatcha' got there?"
She turned around to see Foxleap standing right behind her, his green eyes sparkling in delight.
Briarlight had only just started liking Foxleap. Ever since three moons ago when she was gathering horsetail by the lake. She and Jayfeather were picking off stems of the herb, when Jayfeather decided to move along farther toward WindClan territory to gather more. Briarlight was picking off a far out stem, when she fell into the deep blue water. Foxleap was hunting alone when he heard her cry for help. Luckily, he saved her. She'd been shy around him ever since. Why does he have to talk now?
She dropped the thrush. "Oh, just some prey for Jayfeather," she meowed, trying to sound casual, but feeling nervous enough to sprout wings and fly away. "You know him! If you don't bring him some prey in the morning, you'll regret it for the rest of the day!"
"Absolutely! Do you want me to help you carry it?," he meowed, taking a step forward and leaning down, ready to grab it.
"Umm, no thanks Foxleap. I've got it," she meowed. He lifted his head and looked quizzically at her, but then nodded. Briarlight knew that he knew how she felt. That every cat in the Clan had to work hard to find prey for someone who didn't give them anything in return.
"That's fine. See you later!" Briarlight flicked her tail at his departing words, and then watched him trot off, his reddish tabby pelt gleaming in the rising sun.
Why does he have to be so nice to me? I know I'll never have a mate. What tom would ever want a cat like me? I can barely get around by myself!
She shook the words out of her head, picked up the thrush, and headed back to the medicine den, where Jayfeather would be waiting.
Once she had delivered the thrush to Jayfeather, she started sorting out the herbs once again. Sunkit and Shadowkit, who were Daisy and Spiderleg's newest litter, loved to trample through the den. Briarlight hadn't known why, so she had asked Sunkit once about a half-moon ago.
"I love the smell of poppy seeds!" was her answer. Briarlight had told her that in less she was going to be a medicine cat, then she and Shadowkit should stay out.
They hadn't been in here since, but Briarlight knew that any day now she would come in the den, to find Sunkit and Shadowkit prancing around the herb store.
She picked up a burdock root, remembering that it was good for rat bites. We sure have plenty of burdock root! And I see a lot of feverfew and lavender also. Briarlight rummaged around in the herb store, and found two goldenrod stems with crumpled yellow leaves. "Better tell Jayfeather…" "Tell me what?"
Briarlight turned around to see the gray tabby tom standing behind her, his blind blue eyes focused on her, even though he couldn't really see her. "Oh! Jayfeather, I didn't hear you come in. I was just going through the herb store, and I found that we are dangerously low on goldenrod. Would you like me to go and find some?"
Jayfeather's tail swept side to side on the ground impatiently. "Obviously!" he hissed, his eyes locking on her.
"Alright, I'll be back by mid-morning." She meowed, getting up, and dragging past him. At least he's acting normal. Jayfeather normal.
As she was just about to go through the entrance of the camp, there was a voice from behind her.
"Briarlight! Where are you going alone?" It was Bramblestar. The massive dark brown tabby padded up to her, with Squirrelflight behind him. They both looked at her expectantly.
"I was going to the WindClan border to find some goldenrod."
Bramblestar blinked, and glanced at Squirrelflight. Her green eyes widened, and she nodded.
"You should take a warrior with you if you're going to another Clan's border," Bramblestar had barely finished his sentence when he was cut off by Squirrelflight. "Even though a cat from a different Clan would not attack a medicine cat, you should just be safe," she meowed worriedly.
Briarlight was not surprised. She could never go out alone. She always had to take a warrior with her.
Bramblestar turned around and looked across the clearing, scanning it with his piercing amber eyes. "I'd like you to take Foxleap with you."
Briarlight felt her stomach sink. What else could be more embarrassing?
Bramblestar flicked his tail at Squirrelflight. Briarlight was confused by this motion, but when Squirrelflight pelted off, and returned a moment later with the reddish tabby tom on her tail, she knew what it meant.
Foxleap looked at Briarlight. His bright green eyes expressionless.
Bramblestar nodded to Foxleap and Briarlight, and then he and his deputy padded away.
Foxleap padded past her, squeezing through the thorn tunnel out of the camp. "Let's go find that goldenrod!" he meowed excitedly.
She gulped, took a deep breath, and then followed him.
Once out into the forest, Foxleap slowed down, keeping pace with her. Of all cats, why did Bramblestar put me with Foxleap? I would have rather gone with Jayfeather! The grumpy furball.
Briarlight felt embarrassment crawling under her pelt, as she dragged herself along, slowing Foxleap down. His reddish pelt looked dappled as they passed through sunlight shining through the trees. A twig from an oak tree dug into her belly fur on the ground, and she winced, but held back the whimper of pain that she itched to squeal.
When they finally got to the WindClan border, where the trees thinned out, and heather and gorse bushes grew in their place, the scent of WindClan smelled oddly strong.
"What's up with WindClan and their border patrols?" Foxleap meowed suspiciously. Briarlight nodded. Could they be provoking a battle with ThunderClan? , she thought with a shudder.
Briarlight dragged herself over to the streambed, and started to sniff around for goldenrod. The tangy, sour scent of the bright yellow plant was very faint. Briarlight lifted her head, and looked over her shoulder at Foxleap, who was grooming himself.
"I think leaf-bare has already gotten to the goldenrod. The scent is very faint," she meowed quickly.
"I'll help you find some. What does it look like?"
"Well, it's a tall plant with bright yellow flowers. If you chew up a poultice of goldenrod, its really good for healing wounds. And with leaf-bare coming quickly, we're going to need as much as we can get." She explained.
Foxleap headed farther upstream, to where the river curved around a sloping hill, and disappeared around it.
Briarlight moved farther down toward the lake. Her head close to the ground, she didn't hear the pounding paws on the other side of the river.
"What are you doing at the border, squirrel-brained ThunderClan cat!"
Briarlight lifted her head in alarm, and saw a patrol of four WindClan cats, two apprentices and two warriors. She remembered the two warriors from the most recent Gathering. Bramblestar rarely let her go to Gatherings, but lately he'd been letting her go to many more than usual.
She recognized the cat who had spoken as Breezepelt. She remembered him as Crowfeather's and Nightcloud's son. Crowfeather and Leafpool had three kits together, even though they were in different Clans. The three kits were Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf, their dead sister.
The other warrior was a black she-cat with piercing blue eyes, and Briarlight faintly remembered that she was Nightcloud, Breezepelt's mother.
The two apprentices were unknown to Briarlight. The first was a grayish blue tom with blue eyes. The other was a dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes, and he had a weak look in him, as if he would run away from the patrol as soon as he could.
Briarlight thought quickly. "I-I'm not over your border. I'm just trying to find some goldenrod for Jayfeather and…"
"Hah! Look at her back legs, Nightcloud!" the grayish blue tom laughed to the she-cat warrior. "She can't even walk! How useless would she be? No wonder she's a medicine cat like Jayfeather! Two useless medicine cats, no wonder greencough killed that kittypet warrior last moon…"
Nightcloud hissed a warning to the apprentice, and he backed down with a loud gulp.
Briarlight felt sadness and anger build up inside. Greencough had only been in the ThunderClan camp last moon. Only three cats were infected though, Icecloud, Spiderleg, and Millie, Briarlight's mother. After a half-moon of tenseness for the other cats in the Clan, Icecloud and Spiderleg recovered.
Jayfeather and Briarlight worked tirelessly to save Millie, but it had already engulfed her whole body, and it eventually killed her. How dare that WindClan apprentice call me useless! How dare he say that it was my and Jayfeather's disability's fault that Millie died! If I could run, I would run over to him and slash his throat open!
Breezepelt lowered his gaze at the young apprentice. "Watch your mouth, Bluepaw. Or I'll tell Weaselfur that you need another whole moon of training before you become a warrior," Breezepelt warned. Bluepaw's eyes widened and he ducked down to the ground.
Nightcloud stepped up to Briarlight," Get off the border, mouse-breath!"
"I'm just finding some goldenrod! Does it look like I could be a battle patrol?" Briarlight tried to reason with them. ThunderClan needed this goldenrod, no WindClan cat was going to stop her from getting it when she was a whole fox-length away from their territory.
"Yes, it actually does."
Briarlight gave them a questioning gaze, and then smelled more scents from behind her. She turned around to see Birchfall's dawn patrol standing just mouse-lengths away. Also not far off from where the patrol stood, Foxleap watched, eyes round, as Birchfall and his patrol encountered the WindClan cats.
Blossomfall, Toadstep, and Dewpaw stood angrily behind Birchfall. "Briarlight is not doing any harm to your stupid territory, Breezepelt!" Birchfall growled.
"She's too close to the border. If a rabbit hops across it, you ThunderClan mouse-brains will take it!"
Birchfall's hackles raised. "Is that a challenge, Breezepelt? Cause if it is, you'll never win. Four against five. And two of your patrol members are apprentices!"
Nightcloud stepped in front of her son, defending him. "Shut up, stupid ThunderClan mouse-brains! Go back to your camp, and we'll go back to ours. Otherwise, we'll call for backup, and there are WindClan warriors around every rock out here on the moor."
Toadstep yowled a shriek of anger, but Birchfall lowered his shoulder fur, and meowed lastly," Don't think this is over, Nightcloud. We're not done here," he turned around, beckoning with his tail for Briarlight to follow.
Briarlight hissed softly, and slowly followed her Clanmates back into the forest. She peered behind, and saw that Nightcloud, Breezepelt, Bluepaw, and the dark gray tabby apprentice were padding off back to the moor. Now, not only do I believe I'm useless to the Clan, apparently some of my Clanmates do too.
