Cinderpelt stirred for a minute before she opened her big blue eyes all the way. She glanced at Leafpool sleepily as she sat up.
"What is it, Leafpool?" she asked as she drew a gray paw over her face.
"We need to have a talk," Leafpool mewed with a serious tone.
Cinderpelt heard it right away. Her paw dropped from her face as she met Leafpool's gaze. "What is it?"
"I'm leaving," Leafpool stated.
Cinderpelt's eyes doubled in size.
"You're what?" she mewed.
"I"m leaving," Leafpool repeated. "Tonight."
Cinderpelt's back raised in instant anger. Her pelt stood on end as she faced her apprentice. The tiny kit that she had spent many moons molding into a decent medicine cat.
"You're a medicine cat Leafpool. Do you have any idea what that means?" Cinderpelt mewed calmly despite her stature.
Leafpool shook her striped head. Instantly she regretted deciding to tell Cinderpelt of her decision. What else could she have done?
"It means that you became a special part of this Clan. You can share tongues with StarClan and look out for your clanmates. You can make them better atter the worst battles. They need us Leafpool. You took an oath on the day that you became my apprentice that you would always care for your clan."
"I do care about ThunderClan," Leafpool said shaking her head sadly. She wanted so badly to explain herself to Cinderpelt but with so many thoughts spinning like sparrows in her mind it was difficult to pinpoint the thing she wanted to focus on.
"Then show it," Cinderpelt said. "Stay."
"I'm doing what I think is best for the Clan," Leafpool offered.
Cinderpelt shook her head. "What could possibly be worth giving up your position as medicine cat, giving up your position in ThunderClan?"
"I-I realized that I want kits," Leafpool told her.
"Kits? You want kits?" Cinderpelt said. "That's against the medicine cat code. You knew that from the day you began hanging around my den."
Leafpool nodded. "I never realized it would be so hard."
"Of course it's hard. Most times our minds and hearts want polar opposite things," Cinderpelt said. "I can maybe understand being a normal Warrior again but why do you have to leave ThunderClan?"
"My mate..." she began.
"Is from another Clan?" Cinderpelt guessed sounding upset once again. Even more than she had been a few minutes ago.
"Yes," Leafpool said hesitantly.
Cinderpelt merely sighed and the fire in her eyes went out. "I know I can't make you stay, I just wish you knew what was important."
"I do know what's important," Leafpool argued.
"If you leave I can guarantee you'll regret it for the rest of your life," Cinderpelt said.
Leafpool held her gaze for a long minute. "I"m willing to make that risk."
