"Break the Warrior Code?" Crowfeather snapped in disbelief. "Isn't that kind of what we've been doing this whole time?" He seemed to ignore the fact he was talking to the Clan leader.
"Not in this way," Firestar pondered—ignoring Crowfeather's disrespect— tapping his pink nose with his thin, silky tail. "I mean...we break it by allowing a Medicine Cat to have a mate." he shifted uneasily. "I don't like it, but we may have to cope." Leafpool stared at her father in shock.
"The clans will never allow this, Firestar!" she cried out. "It's bad enough letting Crowfeather stay in our camp, but letting us openly be a couple will surely set fire to the lake!" she spoke the words in denial, but knew they were true. If the other 3 clans found out ThunderClan was harboring a former WindClan warrior, who is the mate of their medicine cat, they would turn their backs and drive them out. Firestar narrowed his eyes into slits.
"We're not going to say anything." Firestar spoke. "And she's not being disloyal to the clan, if, say, she were to somehow have kits," he shot Crowfeather a brief glance, but he got the message, "we can assign a temporary medicine cat beforehand, so they won't need her guidance." A whole new role? Leafpool wondered silently to herself. So we'd have a medicine cat, a medicine cat apprentice, and a medicine cat assistant? She shook her head in confusion.
"I...I suppose that would work." Leafpool still felt uncertain with her father. "But...will StarClan allow this?" she mewed wearily. Firestar's green eyes glimmered.
"I suppose you'll have to ask them yourself," Firestar replied, turning around to face her. "After all, you are the medicine cat." Leafpool felt herself shiver with the weight of the whole outcome now on her shoulders. She tensed, then dipped her head respectfully. He turned back around, away from Leafpool and Crowfeather. "You may go. I will announce it tomorrow morning." He finished, flicking his tail to the mouth of the den. The tabby she-cat exchanged quick glances with her mate then nudged him to follow her out of the den. He just gave a brisk nod before following her out. They walked across the ledge quietly, before hopping down once towards the medicine cat den. Crowfeather licked her once before beginning to turn away, to return to the Warriors piled below, but she stopped him with a grunt.
He blinked and slowly turned back. She stood there for a moment, then eased. "Y—you can sleep with me, if you want." she offered. Crowfeather's eyes lit up as he nodded and approached her again.
"Sure." he accepted, as the two walked inside, brushing past the brambles carefully. Leafpool led him inside, quieting their pawsteps as they neared the sprawled out Spiderleg and Thornclaw. She stopped when they reached her nest, and she lay down, and scooted over to make room for the black tom. He felt his fur heat, afraid that Spiderleg and Thornclaw would comment on them sharing nests at Sunrise, but settled down beside her calmly. He curled around her, the touch of her warm fur made him feel dizzy, but he brushed his muzzle against hers again, and felt her body rumble as she purred. Satisfied, he purred back, beginning to groom her head again. She opened her eyes and touched her nose to his. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too, Leafpool." he purred, before drifting asleep, at peace.
Everything was quiet. Too quiet. She couldn't feel Crowfeather's soft rise and fall of his breathing on her back, and couldn't hear Thornclaw and Spiderleg tossing and turning in their sleep. Leafpool blinked her heavy lids, and lifted her head drowsily. She opened her eyes to a black, dark world, but still felt the cold moonlight air swerving around her. She coughed at the strange atmosphere, feeling her lungs fill with fog. She struggled to lift herself to her paws, but stumbled and collapsed. She took a deep breath, then stood again - this time managing to balance without toppling over. The tabby she-cat shook herself awake, then opened her amber eyes to the darkness, and began to walk. StarClan? She wondered silently, as she noticed stars in the air around her, then plants and undergrowth slowly came into view as her eyes began to adjust to the darkness. Her view was suddenly filled with a glowing figure up ahead.
Starlight water soaking her long, silk, orange-and-brown pelt, stood the beautiful tortoiseshell cat, Spottedleaf. Although, she wore a different face from the one Leafpool had grown to known. It was long, and full of an emotion the tabby she-cat couldn't read. "Spottedleaf?" she breathed, not wanting to inhale the fog around her. The tortoiseshell she-cat didn't turn to Leafpool. She blinked, confused. "Spottedleaf, I...I...I followed my heart, like you said."
"True," the one word left Spottedleaf's mouth like it burned her tongue.
Leafpool blinked. "Are...you mad at me?" she fretted. Spottedleaf's expression quickly turned into surprise, as she whipped her head towards Leafpool.
"No, of course not." she mewed, running up towards the young Medicine Cat. Leafpool looked up at her with clear eyes.
"Crowfeather shouldn't be here, should he.." she murmured, dipping her head. Spottedleaf's response once again seemed like the words were spat like they were disgusting.
"No, not...entirely. But I don't have time to explain all that. You'll understand." she lowered her eyelids at the younger cat. Leafpool narrowed her eyes in thought. Was Spottedleaf saying she and Crowfeather weren't supposed to have come back? To have stayed out on their own, together, leaving their lives in the Clans behind?
"Should...we have stayed gone?" she asked. "Should we still leave?" Spottedleaf brushed her striped tail over Leafpool's back.
"No, stay. I just..." she searched for words. "I'm happy for you, knowing you're happy now." she purred, caressing the small cat like she was her daughter. Leafpool accepted the embrace, then pulled back.
"Please just...tell me," she began wearily. "Is StarClan mad at me for this path I'm taking? With Crowfeather here, with me?" Spottedleaf's pale amber eyes narrowed to slits softly, closed them, as she touched her nose to Leafpool's.
"StarClan is always watching over you, Leafpool. I never doubted you."
There's chapter 5 you guys, hope you enjoyed! I hope the plot's getting a bit more clear, if not this chapter then in the next or the one after. Please leave a review on what you thought!