Chapter IV: Leafpool
I leaned over Sam, he had just been brought back into camp after being found talking to no one in the forest, somehow he had escaped Rowanstar, Bramblestar, Cloudtail, and Alderheart without being seen. Now he was sleeping, with a large dose of poppyseed keeping him down. It took almost four times the regular dosage for reasons I didn't know, but I was willing to bet that what he said was true, he couldn't possibly be a real cat. But yet, he was.
His paws twitched, his shoulders tensing. I backed away as his eyes snapped open. His eyes landed on me, a malevolent green-golden sheen among the filtered dawn light of my den. I could hear Jayfeather outside, arguing that the guards had better let him in, but they refused. He would be Sam's target if this cat was what I feared, a bloodthirsty monstef. Desperate and confused, but deadly.
"Who are you?" his voice still stunned me. It spoke our tongue, but sounded like a twoleg. It was so deep and fluctuating of emotion. It scared me.
I didn't know if I should tell the truth, but I decided I better, in case he attacked. "I am Leafpool. I am the healer of ThunderClan." I surprised myself with how even and flat my mew sounded beside his. He eyed me suspiciously. How could someone not shy away at those eyes? I managed not to, somehow.
Sam looked into the shadows, and, shaking his head as if it hurt him, he stared into the darkness. He didn't see anything, just like me, and turned back to fix gleaming eyes onto mine. "Tell the trickster I'm going to escape, and when I do, I'm going to hunt him down and kill him!" I gasped, shocked. Now I suspected that something was seriously wrong with Sam. I circled the den, but he must have taken this gesture of submission as aggressiveness, for his eyes narrowed and he growled.
"I'm sorry Sam, but I don't know who the trickster is! I can only help you if you try to think clearly." I begged him, my tail swishing and body low. He had to understand that we wanted to help him! Maybe I could make this crazy cat see some reason. If he seemed so filled with hatred about whoever the trickster was, than perhaps they were a threat to ThunderClan. Suddenly his eyes blazed.
"You can't trick me," Sam snarled. "I know all about your type. Dean will be here soon, and whoever is working with the trickster is dead." Sudden fear for my Clanmates filled me. What if someone worked with whoever the trickster was, and they would die? What if it was Lionblaze or Jayfeather, or worse, Squirrelflight?
I shook my head. "I can promise that ThunderClan is innocent. We don't even know what a trickster is-" I stopped talking as Sam's head snapped up, staring at the stars. He looked at me sharply and then outside.
"Of course not! You're his creation, you couldn't know anything but this." I was shocked. What in the world did he mean? I settled that he was all the way chaotic by now. His eyes seemed to grow brighter with sympathy, and his bristling pelt smoothed slightly. His mew was soft this time. "You have to let me go."
I shook my head again. I was under strict orders from Bramblestar to keep his here. "Please!" he pleaded, but I couldn't.
"I'm really sorry, Sam. Bramblestar won't let me-"
I gazed at Sam, his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He looked so... trapped.
As that what he was? Was everything he said true? He was a prisoner, an my entire life a lie? It felt like my heart was a stone and my belly hollow. Everything felt so real! What kind of sick person could do this?
But then... I was reminded about Sam's vicious nature, could he be whatever a trickster was? He could be tricking now! But he looked so sad... "Sam," his head snapped up to meet my gaze, unflinching. "I'll talk to Bramblestar." I sighed.
I bounded outside, motioning to Bramblestar. I could hear him sending Tawnypelt into place while he and Rowanstar followed me. I sat by the fresh kill pile, and Brightheart led a cluster of cats away. I flashed her a grateful smile. Just then, the two leaders sat before me.
"What is it?" Rowanstar asked me, tail swinging. He glanced at the medicine den, where I could make out Sam pacing.
Bramblestar nodded. He seemed to have regained his usual temperament. I took a deep breath. "I've been talking to Sam, and he seems to think something called a trickster brought him here." I didn't mention the part where we may not even be real, it had bothered me enough, it would be just as bad for the leaders. And worse when they were unable to lead the Clan because of it. I hurried on before they could intervene. "I-I think he might be telling the truth... he seems so sure, so sad and lonely. He's desperate and confused! Sam is trapped."
Sympathy warmed Rowanstar's gaze but he shuffled his paws. "I don't know, Leafpool..."
Bramblestar stamped a paw furiously. "You are both fluff brained! Rowanstar, you've grown soft! And Leafpool, I always thought you were wise!" I blinked in surprise as he spun around and raced toward highledge.
Rowanstar sighed. "He means well. But Leafpool... what are you trying to say?" he stared at me. I took in a sharp breath.
"I think we should let Sam go." Rowanstar's fur bristled.
"You know this isn't my Clan! Bramblestar would flat me and hang my pelt on a tree if I let Sam go!" he explained, looking over his shoulder at highledge were Bramblestar and his mate argued. I shook my head in defeat.
"Great StarClan." I grumbled. "Tell me something! Anything!"
I cowered on the floor of the twoleg den, soft red grass like fluff beneath my paws. A twoleg, shorter than most males I had seem, stood with a cocky smirk on his face. He turned around and raised a furry strip of skin above his eyes.
"Leafpool, you look darling, my dear." I felt oddly soothed by this twoleg. Wait... why could I understand him? Was he speaking cat?
"Who are you?" I asked. The twoleg pet my back. He chuckled.
"Don't you know yet? Sam hasn't told you?" his voice was like honey, it drenched into me. I started to have my head, but paused.
"The trickste?" he nodded with a smile.