Author's Note: Pretty short chappie, and not very interesting... just showing what's going on in ThunderClan! Don't worry, it'll get better!

Chapter 2

ThunderClan POV

Leafpool halted in front of the lichen-covered den. "Firestar!" she called out.

Something stirred inside and a fuzzy voice answered, "Come in."

Leafpool took a deep breath and ducked to enter. Her father was half-asleep, forcing himself up. "What is it Leafpool?" he looked past his daughter to the entrance of his den. "It's not even dawn yet. What is the matter? ShadowClan attacked?"

Leafpool didn't reply. The tabby she-cat shuffled her paws uncomfortably.

Firestar shook himself and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. When he saw the troubled look in the medicine cat's gaze, he instantly awakened fully. "Leafpool," he meowed urgently. "What's wrong? Why have you come? Tell me!"

Leafpool decided to go straight to the point. "Firestar. StarClan have sent me another sign."

"A sign? What sign?"

Leafpool began blurting out everything she had seen and heard. In the midst of pouring everything out, a nagging worry formed in her mind as she thought of how Cinderpelt would react if she found out her apprentice has another dream yet again.

Firestar remained rigid after she finished her last few words. "NorthClan?" he meowed, puzzled. The words were stiff at his tongue; he never heard of it before.

She nodded unsurely, her dream as vivid as ever. She could never forget the haunting beauty of that lonely place and the cold… Leafpool winced as she recalled how the place was so cold it was actually painful. But she knew those cold winds had not blown over the cats heart. They still grieved for their lost friend.

"And you say there's AuroraClan?"

Leafpool looked up. Her father was looking at her expectantly, his eyes shining in the gloom. "Yes," she murmured.

Firestar lowered his gaze to the ground. Leafpool waited patiently, her heart beating fast. When he looked up again, she desperately searched his eyes. Was he going to allow them to return? Her heart lifted when she spotted anxiety in his green depths. Her heart sank again as her father shook his head.

"You won't let them return?" she asked timidly.

"It's not that. But it's not my decision to let them come back; we need to discuss this with the other leaders."

Leafpool leaped up, her eyes lighting up. "Let's go now!"

Firestar let out a purr. "Not now. We will wait until the next Gathering."

She nodded, sitting down again. However disappointed she was, she knew he was right. Now was no time to provoke the other Clans by trespassing.

Her father nodded at Leafpool to dismiss her. "You may go now, if you don't mind. Your poor old father is going to die of lack of sleep," he murmured a tone of amusement in his voice.

Leafpool knew it was a joke but when she observed Firestar carefully, she could see he was exhausted by his fur, ears and eyes. Feeling a pang of guilt, she dipped her head and backed out of the den, her mind whirling. She felt worse when she saw Cinderpelt heading towards her, fully awake. Swallowing nervously, she padded over to her mentor.

Cinderpelt's blue gaze was mildly curious. "What brought you to Firestar so early?"

Leafpool found, with dismay, that she could not meet Cinderpelt's gaze squarely. "Did I wake you up?" she meowed evasively.

"No… I just sensed something was wrong," she frowned upon Leafpool's hesitation. "And something is wrong, am I right?"

"I—I got another dream," Leafpool stammered uncertainly.

Cinderpelt remained quiet.

"I'm sorry," Leafpool blurted out. "StarClan should have told you."

Cinderpelt shook her head and let out a purr of amusement. "No. StarClan chose to tell it to you. You're the future ThunderClan medicine cat!" She had meant to reassure Leafpool, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was a sign. A sign that Leafpool's place as medicine cat of ThunderClan would come soon. And if that happens… she herself…

Leafpool noticed a flicker of worry passed her mentor's wise blue eyes. "Is… anything wrong?"

Cinderpelt shook herself roughly. "Don't worry! Nothing is wrong, really!"

"Okay. I'm going out to hunt for some herbs," Leafpool offered.

Cinderpelt nodded, relief clear in her expression. "Thank you."

Leafpool's eyes followed her mentor as she returned to her own den. Shaking herself briefly, she slipped out of the stone hollow silently. The air was chilly, but here and there, Leafpool spotted signs of thaw. One or two flowers were beginning to sprout out from the snow, and the snow in the trees were melting, and dripping onto her head.

Leafpool shook the water droplets away and focused on hunting for some useful herbs. Unknowingly, her paws led her all the way to WindClan border.

With a sudden jolt, Leafpool remembered what happened only a few nights ago. Alarmed, she veered off sharply away, hoping to return quickly to ThunderClan.

Too late.

"Leafpool!" a voice called out from behind.

Leafpool couldn't forget that voice. Slowly, she turned around, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the familiar lean shape. Swallowing uncomfortably, she made her way to the border.

Crowfeather's eyes shone as he stepped forward, just at the border, to touch his nose to hers.

Leafpool drew away reluctantly. Much as she wanted to press her muzzle onto his fur, she knew how much it was forbidden.

Crowfeather gazed at her with a hurt expression. "Do we have to be this way?" he murmured quietly. "I couldn't forget that night… I thought you felt the same way, Leafpool…"

Leafpool looked up to meet his eyes. "I do," she whispered.

Light returned to the tom's gaze, and he purred. "I do too."

Before he could say anything else, more scents wafted near.

"I have to go," Crowfeather hissed at Leafpool. He held her gaze for moments longer before he spun around, yowling, "I'm coming!"

Leafpool couldn't help feeling relieved. Trying to forget Crowfeather, she padded away from WindClan border, looking out for herbs.

The sun was almost directly above her when she returned with a mouthful of herbs. The first thing she saw was Squirrelflight. The second thing was Brambleclaw, and the third, Ashfur.

Dropping the herbs quickly near the entrance of Cinderpelt's den, she watched curiously.

"Stop ordering cats around like they're apprentices!" Squirrelflight spat.

"Well some of them do behave like apprentices!" Brambleclaw flashed a look of contempt at Ashfur.

"Don't drag Ashfur into this! If you were half the warrior Ashfur is, I'd be thanking StarClan!"

"If you want a fight, Squirrelflight, you'll have it."

With a sinking feeling, Leafpool realized the two warriors were at the brink of attacking each other. Remembering how they used to be inseparable in the past, she wondered how they had gotten from then to now. She rushed forward quickly to help, but Ashfur was faster.

"Calm down, Brambleclaw," Ashfur meowed. "Squirrelflight didn't say she wanted a fight."

Leafpool winced. Why couldn't he see that he's making the situation worse?

At that moment, Firestar appeared from his den, shoving his way between his warriors. "What's going on here?" His voice was angry, and Squirrelflight froze.

Many warriors had gathered by now, watching the heated argument.

Firestar whirled around to face his daughter. "Squirrelflight, I expect better of you, being my daughter. Go and make yourself useful, instead of picking a fight with Brambleclaw."

Turning around to the tabby tom, he hissed. "And you… come with me." With an angry lash of his tail, Firestar headed towards his den, Brambleclaw following slowly behind, his steps jerky.

Leafpool rushed over to Squirrelflight. She had never seen her sister look so dejected.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Without another word, she brushed past her sister and broke into a run into the forest.

Leafpool sighed wistfully. With so many problems in the Clan, the prophecy of NorthClan was the last thing on her mind.