A/N: Hey guys! Yay for Chapter Two! :D

Foxtail of StormClan- Ah, all will be answered in time! ;)

Chapter Two

"How is he?"

"Will he live?"

"Hush! Both of you! I'll call you when something happens!"

Blinking open his eyes, a tom gazed around himself blearily. In a nest lined with moss and feathers, he could hear the trickling of water just outside the hollow log he was in. Where am I? He wondered hazily. Who were those voices I just heard? Soft paw steps sounded just outside, and in stepped a small black-and-white tom. His silver gaze was calm and gentle, and the tom felt himself at ease.

"So you're awake," the tom meowed, his voice an even-toned mew. "How do you feel?"

Looking around, he tried to sit up. Dizziness edged his vision, and he forced himself to stay down. "Very dizzy," he rasped.

The tom gave a brief nod, and rested a paw on his chest. "Seems you were in the water a good amount of time," he murmured. Tilting his head, he moved back. "My name is Whispersong by the way, I'm LeafClan's medicine cat."

"Medicine cat? LeafClan?" the tom echoed, confused.

Whispersong rustled through some hollow indents in the log. "LeafClan is one of the four Clans of the forest. The river you were found in was close to ReedClan's border. Our dawn patrol found you floating down the river, unconscious."

"Dawn patrol...?" the tom repeated, his mind whirling. What are all these strange words? Just where am I?

Placing a leaf bundle in front of his muzzle, Whispersong sat with his tail neatly wrapped around his paws. "I can imagine this is a lot to take in at once," he observed. "You've had a pretty traumatic experience, so just try to take it easy."

Sniffing at the bundle, he screwed up his nose. "What is this? It smells strange."

"Strengthening herbs," Whispersong replied, whiskers twitching. "They might taste a bit bitter, but you'll feel much better afterward."

Hesitating, the tom lapped up the herbs bundled in the leaf. Struggling to swallow the bitter taste on his tongue, he grudgingly gulped it down. Licking his lips disgustedly, he sat back up. The LeafClan medicine cat looked on in amusement, before getting back to his paws.

"Tell me," he mewed suddenly. "What is your name, young one?"

The tom blinked uncertainly. My name? He thought, frowning. I can't remember anything...did I even have one? Shaking his head, he looked down at his paws. "I-I..."

Darkness swept through his mind then, edging the lining of the oak forest. Shadows cast along the floor, providing safety and security for the tiny life living among the ferns and brambles. That's right, he remembered suddenly. My name...

"My name it's," he began, looking back up. "My name is Shadow."

Blinking thoughtfully, Whispersong gave an approving nod. "Shadow," he repeated. "That's a fitting name for a dark tabby like yourself."

"Whispersong!" a mew sounded just outside the hollow log. "Dawnrise is complaining of cramps, I'm not sure if she's kitting or not."

Turning his head, Whispersong sighed. "I'll be right there, Sleetpaw," shifting his gaze back to Shadow, the small tom dipped his head. "I must go check on one of our queens, so I ask that you try to get some more rest."

Shadow watched Whispersong disappear outside, his paws feeling heavy. I'm so tired, he thought drearily. My mind is all hazy too, I don't remember anything at all. Shifting his paws uncomfortably, Shadow gave a quiet sigh. A fluffy gray tom suddenly ducked into the log, sniffing around the herb stores. Absent-mindlessly shifting through them, he grunted and scooped up a pawful of strange looking plants. Shadow watched him curiously, but didn't say a word.

The tom quickly darted back out of the hollow log, leaving Shadow to himself again. Twitching an ear, he listened around him. The many sounds of cats talking, kits mewling, and the scuffling of dirt as cats tussled filled his ears. Curiosity itching in his paws, Shadow slowly slipped out of his mossy nest. Tasting the air, the scent of fresh-kill and other cats bathed his tongue. There must be a lot of cats here, he noted. I wonder how many?

Pushing through a thin lichen wall, he emerged into a grassy clearing. A small pool of water trickled outside of the hollow log he was in, a thick fern barrier surrounding the tiny clearing. Peeking his head outside of the fern entrance, he could see an even bigger clearing—trees looming on all sides, while a thick bramble barrier surrounded it. Near the hollow log he was in, Shadow could see a thick clump of brambles not far off. The sounds of mewling kits told him it was a nursery. Another large hollow out tree was on the other side of the log, with reinforced bramble walls along the side. An old light brown tom laid outside, his silver eyes dull with age.

Across the clearing, were two more large clumps of brambles. A golden tabby she-cat tussled around with a dark gray tom, a black she-cat with white paws looking on. In front of the other bramble clump, were two older cats sharing a large blackbird together. At the very edge of the clearing, stood a thick, old oak tree. It sat atop a large boulder, its ancient roots wrapping itself into place. At the bottom, along the side of the boulder, a narrow crevice seemed to open up into a den of sorts. The very center of the clearing stood a pile of freshly caught prey—made up of all sorts of creatures from the forest beyond.

"So you decided to come out," Whispersong's even mew startled him.

Shadow flinched, looking down. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was just curious..."

"It's quite alright," the gentle tom purred. "Seeing your curiosity tells me you're feeling well."

Lifting his head, Shadow tipped his head to the side. "So, is this LeafClan?" he asked, remembering Whispersong's introduction not long ago.

Silver eyes gleaming, Whispersong nodded. "That's correct," he said. "The very heart of it to be exact. We're in the camp."

"The camp?" Shadow repeated questioningly.

Whispersong turned to face a hole through a hollow log, near the clump of bramble dens. "Over there is the camp entrance," he said. "The two dens beside it are the apprentice and warrior dens."

"Apprentice and warriors?" Shadow asked. "What are those?"

"Well, a warrior is a cat who protects the Clan from predators and enemy Clans. The apprentices are warriors in training, or in other cases, a cat training to be the future medicine cat," Whispersong explained. "Apprentices start their training when they're six moons. Actually, you would have just became an apprentice if you were Clanborn."

Shadow's mind whirled with the new information. He shook it and thought for a moment. "So Sleetpaw is your apprentice then?" he asked.

Whispersong's whiskers twitched approvingly. "Correct," he purred. "And over there," he pointed his tail toward the bramble of mewling kits. "Is the nursery where the queens stay with their kits until they're old enough to become apprentices. On the other side, in that hollow tree is where the elders stay."

Shadow gazed around in awe. LeafClan was so well organized! Each cat seemed to be busy with their own duties, and Shadow couldn't help but feel impressed. How great it must be to be part of a Clan! He thought excitedly. His bright blue gaze drifted towards the large oak, curiosity stirring in his pelt.

"What is near that large oak tree?" he asked.

Whispersong sat, wrapping his tail around his paws. "That is where our leader addresses the Clan," he meowed. "In that crevice just below, is where she makes her den."

Shadow watched the crevice, blinking when a cat emerged. Her fluffy calico fur glowed in the sunlight, while her black tipped ears and toes shone gray. A dark ginger-and-white she-cat approached her, and the two talked quietly among each other. As the second she-cat disappeared through the camp entrance, the first one looked over towards Shadow and Whispersong.

"That is Echostar," Whispersong murmured to Shadow quietly. "Remember to be respectful, she is LeafClan's leader."

Shivering a bit nervously, Shadow lowered himself to the ground as she approached them. Echostar gazed down at him, her dark blue eyes warm and friendly. Whispersong stood, dipping his head respectfully.

"Foxchaser had told me our guest had woken," she mewed, her voice soft and warm. "And I can see he is not much older than our newest apprentice, Firepaw."

Whispersong nodded briefly. "Yes, he just woke up not long ago," he responded. "He doesn't remember much, but he told me his name was Shadow."

Echostar looked at him thoughtfully, exchanging a glance with Whispersong. Shadow looked at them, feeling uneasy. What was that just now? He wondered. Whispersong draped his tail across Shadow's shoulders, nodding to him.

Echostar turned to head back towards her den, motioning for them to follow. Gulping uneasily, Shadow followed alongside Whispersong. A thin lichen drape lined the entrance to the crevice, and he watched as the LeafClan leader disappeared inside. Whispersong gave Shadow a nod, and he hesitantly followed after her, Whispersong just behind him. Echostar sat at the back of the small cave, her tail neatly around her paws. Whispersong sat beside her, while Shadow nervously sat a few tail-lengths in front of them.

"Shadow," Echostar spoke, her blue eyes sparking thoughtfully. "Is it true you do not remember anything but your name?"

Shadow dropped his gaze, staring down at his paws. "Y-Yes," he answered. "I don't even remember coming here."

Whispersong looked at his leader. "Echostar, what is it that's on your mind?"

Echostar kept her gaze on Shadow. "If it is true that our guest does not have any memory, it would be wrong to cast him out of camp."

"So what is it that you suggest?" Whispersong asked, ears perked.

"I think Shadow should be taken in, until further notice," she responded.

Shadow looked at her, heart quickening. "Taken in?"

The fluffy calico's blue eyes lit up. "Shadow, how would you like to become a LeafClan apprentice?"