Okay...not much mention of Crowfeather in this one, but I dont like to think tht he's always on her mind. Still, a lot happens here. Next chappie up soon!
"You wanted to see me, Firestar?" Leafpool meowed politely as she stepped through the lichen covering the entrance to her father's den.
The ThunderClan leader looked up and purred. "Yes, I did."
Leafpool sat down opposite Firestar and gazed at him curiously. His grin faded to concern. Then Firestar asked the dreaded question.
"How are you?" he meowed.
Leafpool fought the emotions inside her and tried not to sound irritated as she meowed, "Great. Never been better. Why do you ask?"
Firestar answered uncertainly, "Oh, I don't know, I've just been worried about you. And Squirrelflight mentioned that she was worried…" his voice faded as he saw the mutinous look on Leafpool's face.
Squirrelflight! I should have known! She silently cursed her nosy sister.
"Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" Firestar asked uncertainly.
"Quite sure." Leafpool meowed tersely. This was starting to annoy her. "Well, is that all you wanted to speak to me about?"
Firestar nodded slowly. "That's all."
"Then I'm going to go and collect some poppy." As she turned to leave, however, Firestar called her back.
"Don't travel too far from camp just yet! I'm bout to call a clan meeting." He meowed.
Leafpool pricked her ears and narrowed her eyes. "A clan meeting? Why?" she meowed suspiciously.
Firestar grinned and laughed. "Don't worry, I'm just performing Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, and Mousepaw's warrior ceremonies."
Leafpool smiled mischievously. "Trying to keep up with Leopardstar and Onestar?"
Her father shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's always good to have more warriors then the other clans, but it's still about time they received their warrior names. They have been warriors longer then the two cats announced at the last gathering."
Leafpool nodded in agreement and wondered if she should mention how she had noticed Lionpaw and Mousepaw paying particularly close attention to the two she-cats mentioned, but decided she didn't want more angry apprentices to deal with if she were wrong.
Licking her father on the forehead in farewell, she turned and left the den. She missed having a close relationship with her parents and sister, but at least she had her medicine cat duties to distract her.
As she padded out of his den she blinked in the bright early green-leaf sunshine. Cats were stretched out in front of den entrances sharing tongues, as it was too hot right now to do much else.
Leafpool tried to hurry past all the mates without being noticed, but Brook called out to her as she passed her and Stormfur lying in front of the warriors den sharing tongues.
Greetings, Leafpool." She meowed in her heavily accented tribe voice. "How are you?"
Leafpool stopped mid paw step. There it was again; that question.
She rounded on Brook and snapped, "Do I look like there's something wrong with me?"
Brook looked affronted and Stormfur growled angrily, "There's no need to be angry! She was just trying to be nice!"
Leafpool' fur flattened and she meowed apologetically, "Yes, I'm sorry. Just haven't been having a good day, I suppose." Brook smiled shakily, but Stormfur gave a small snort and went back to grooming Brook.
Leafpool turned and padded to her den feeling terrible. Why was she snapping at any cat that tried to talk to her?
As she entered her den she saw Jaypaw sorting through a high stack of herbs; since they had started avoiding each other, both had taken to collecting herbs in different parts of the forest. The only up side to this was that their stocks were overflowing.
He scrambled to his paws and tried to dart past her, muttering something about looking for poppy, but Leafpool blocked his path.
I think we already have quite enough poppy seeds," she meowed, pushing aside the fact that she had used this same excuse on Firestar earlier. "Besides, Firestar asked us not to travel too far from the camp right now; he's about to call a clan meeting."
Jaypaw's ears pricked in curiosity despite his desire not to appear too interested. "A clan meeting? What for?"
Leafpool was about to answer when Firestar's yowl sounded across the clearing from the Highledge.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge. It is time for three of our apprentices to finally receive their warrior names."
Jaypaw's eyes widened and he rushed from the den. Leafpool followed and saw Firestar standing on top of the Highledge, cats scrambling to their feet and padding there excitedly. Mousepaw, Berrypaw, and Hazelpaw were standing shocked by the entrance to the apprentice den, eyes wide and mouths open in shock. Brambleclaw nudged his apprentice toward the Highledge and the other two followed eagerly, tripping over their paws.
Leafpool purred in amusement at the sight and hurried from her den to follow them.
"I gather you all for the ceremonies of three loyal apprentices. Berrypaw, Mousepaw, and Hazelpaw have proved themselves worthy to earn their warrior names."
Yowls of approval echoed around the clearing, and Leafpool joined in happily. The apprentices certainly had proved themselves, especially since they weren't clanborn.
"Berrypaw!" Firestar called. The cream-colored tom padded forward excitedly, and Leafpool winced as she glanced at the spot where his tail should be; it had been severed by a fox trap when he was a kit, and Leafpool still remembered having to bite through the last tendons of the tail when she realized it couldn't be saved.
"I, Firestar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Berrypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" he meowed down to Berrypaw. Leafpool saw Daisy's ears flick at these words, but Berrypaw didn't seem to notice.
"I do." Berrypaw's voice rang out strong and calm through the clearing; Leafpool saw Brambleclaw gaze down at his apprentice proudly.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Berrypaw, from this day on you will be known as Berryfur. StarClan honors your bravery and loyalty and accepts you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Firestar finished. He leapt down from the Highledge and rested his muzzle on Berryfur's head. Berryfur licked Firestar's shoulder in respect and stepped back to join the warriors. Leafpool saw Spiderleg and Birchfall congratulate him.
"Berryfur! Berryfur! Berryfur!" the clan chanted.
Firestar performed Mousepaw then Hazelpaw's ceremonies next. The clan chanted along for them too. (Mousewhisker! Hazelclaw! Mousewhisker! Hazelclaw!) Then the clan cats broke up the meeting and padded back to their dens. Bramcleclaw organized the Sunhigh patrol, taking Berryfur, Mousewhisker, and Hazelclaw on their first patrol as warriors.
Leafpool padded cautiously over to Jaypaw, who had not moved as the clan meeting had broken up. "Jaypaw?"
He shifted and turned his head towards her before she had even spoken. 'What, Leafpool?"
Leafpool took a deep breath, praying to StarClan that she would know what to say. "I need to talk with you in my den." She flicked her tail for him to follow, and then paused, remembering that he couldn't see her. "Follow me," she added hastily.
Jaypaw followed her into their den and sat, staring at her without seeing her. "What is it? Longtail said his pads were cracked and I was planning on going to help him."
Leafpool nodded, wondering why Longtail hadn't come to her, but brushed it off and meowed slowly, "I'm sorry for what I said to Squirrelflight. I-I mean it, I was lying because…well, because she asked me if something was bothering me and I didn't want to tell her the real reason so I just…blamed it on you. I know I shouldn't have, if it got you in trouble with your mother."
Jaypaw tilted his head. "Then what is the real thing that's bothering you?"
Leafpool sighed. "I'm sorry Jaypaw, but I really can't tell you that. Perhaps someday…but for now, I just want to make sure we aren't avoiding each other anymore. Your training has seriously fallen back, and if we gather any more herbs we wont be able to fit in our own den!" Leafpool purred in amusement, but Jaypaw didn't smile, only nodded.
"Okay. I miss training to. But…tomorrow, can we train in warrior duties? Like hunting or fighting?" his voice was eager and his tail flicked back and forth excitedly.
"Sure," Leafpool purred.
The rest of that day, she helped Jaypaw take care of the ill cats and taught him a bit about herbs. She realized how much she missed mentoring and vowed to herself not to injure her relationship with Jaypaw again.
But that night, as the cats of ThunderClan were all silent and sleeping, Leafpool stared out of the den entrance at the three silent silhouettes of the new warriors, and only one image came to her mind; Nightcloud lying on her side, nursing two smoky-black cats with blue eyes, and thought bitterly of how her relationship with Crowfeather may be damaged beyond repair.
No, I have NO idea what Berrypaw, Mousepaw, or Hazelpaw's warrior names will be, I just liked these ones.
