Chapter 7
"Tell us all about it when you get back!"
"Don't forget to tell us what those mangy RiverClan cats say!"
Leapfoot purred. Ploverkit, Hawkkit, Thistlekit, and Rowankit were all staring up at him enviously; he was about to go to the Gathering, and they were being forced to stay behind with Iceshadow.
Leapfoot glanced up at his mother. She had been injured badly in the battle. Not enough to threaten her life, but there were still cobwebs all over her shoulders, chest, and muzzle, and she moved stiffly, like an old cat. He felt a flash of fear. Surely she wasn't planning on joining the elders' den any time soon?
"Tell me all about it, too, Leapfoot," Iceshadow purred; he was relieved to hear the youthfulness in her mew.
"I will, I promise." Leapfoot glanced over his shoulder; wasn't Strongstar ready to go yet? The patrol heading for the Gathering was ready—it was him, Olivepaw, Barkpaw, and Brookpaw, Sunnyflower and Splashpaw, Brownstripe, Goldentail, Stormyheart, Blackstorm, Nightfire, Hollytail, Aspenheart, and Fennelclaw.
Strongstar finally emerged from his den. He was a powerful tom; his broad shoulders rose gracefully from a massive, muscular body, coated in short, coarse blue-gray fur, and he had a broad head with wide-set green eyes that seemed to pierce right through a cat. He was a great leader, and Leapfoot was honored to be his grandson, even if ThunderClan blood did run through his veins.
"Let's go!" Strongstar led the way out the camp entrance. The snow had not yet led to hungry bellies, and the Clan ran toward Fourtrees. Leapfoot pushed ahead until he was neck-in-neck with Brownstripe; the thundering paw steps of the rest of the Clan echoed in the trees behind him. Leapfoot longed to push ahead, to feel the wonderful sliding of muscle against muscle as he sprinted for Fourtrees, but held himself back.
Will Lavenderpaw be there?
They burst into the clearing, and Leapfoot caught his breath. Fourtrees sparkled beneath him; it was covered in white snow, and everything was still and glistening, glittering like all the stars of Silverpelt had fallen to earth beneath the silver moon.
He took a deep breath; WindClan had already arrived. Strongstar raised his tail in signal, and Leapfoot plunged down the slope. Lavenderpaw's sweet scent drifted to his nose almost instantly, the scent of grass and wind and wildflowers.
Lavenderpaw rushed over. Her pale tabby pelt was glossy and groomed, though Leapfoot noticed she looked a little thinner than usual. "Lavenderpaw," he greeted her warmly, rubbing his muzzle against hers.
"It's Lavenderheart now," she purred.
"You're a warrior? That's great!" Leapfoot looked around. "Are your brothers all warriors, too?"
She nodded. "Wheatwhisker, Bluethorn, and Alderpelt."
Leapfoot pressed against her, grateful for her warmth in the freezing air. "That's great, Lavenderheart." Her name flowed easily off of his tongue.
"And we have two new apprentices." Lavenderheart flicked her tail at two small, kit-furred apprentices, one a gray and the other a brown tabby. "That's Fernpaw and Featherpaw."
Leapfoot looked into Lavenderheart's eyes; they were amber, golden-bright like the sun, and made him feel dizzy. "So, how have you been the past moon?"
Lavenderheart looked away, pawing at the ground. "Well…alright, I guess."
Leapfoot knew her far better than that. "No, you aren't 'alright.' What's wrong?"
Lavenderheart's tail tip twitched. She glanced up and looked around. "Well, there's this tom in my Clan, Briarclaw, and he, well, he wants to be my mate."
Leapfoot's heart skipped a beat. "But you're only just a warrior!"
"I know, and he's sweet and everything, but he's just a friend." Lavenderheart shuffled her paws.
As if speaking of him had summoned him, the brown tabby tom appeared from the crowd. Leapfoot had seen him once or twice, but he'd never spoken to him. He was small, even for a WindClan cat, with darkly striped fur and a V-shaped scar in his ear. There was a gentle look in his eyes.
"Lavenderheart, the Gathering's about to start. Come sit with me," Briarclaw invited.
"I'm just going to sit here, with—with Leapfoot," Lavenderheart replied awkwardly.
Briarclaw opened his mouth to protest, but at that moment Poolstar called for the Gathering to start, so he was forced into silence. Leapfoot felt Lavenderheart press closer against him.
"Snifflestar," Poolstar greeted, stepping back and letting the elderly tom take the front of the rock.
Snifflestar dipped his head graciously. Leapfoot was shocked to see how old the tabby-and-white tom looked; his orange tabby stripes were patchy and unkempt, and his bones were easily visible. "In first news, my deputy, Morningtail, has retired to the elders' den. She is to be replaced by Mothleap."
"Morningtail! Mothleap!" As Leapfoot cheered, he craned his neck to view the new deputy. She was small, a pale brown tabby she-cat, but she seemed calm and confident, even in the face of so much attention.
"She was a good mentor to Briarsong and will be a good deputy as well. Prey is still running, and ThunderClan is doing well." Snifflestar dipped his head and stepped back.
Strongstar strode forward. "Unfortunately, one of our elders, Hareleap, has passed on. She will be missed, but she was old and lived a good life. Also, one of our warriors, Graytail, was killed by a fox. Both will be much missed." He bowed his head and paused respectfully; the clearing was silent. Leapfoot remembered Graytail, his calm, unending patience and steady temper, and felt fresh grief rise up inside of him. "In better news, Frostflower has given birth to Shrikekit and Graykit, and my deputy and daughter, Iceshadow, has given birth to Ploverkit, Rowankit, Thistlekit, and Hawkkit. Our medicine cat, Sunnyflower, has taken on the apprentice of Splashpaw."
Mews of approval rippled through the crowd. Strongstar looked around the clearing, his gaze coming to rest on RiverClan. "Splashstar made good on his threat and attempted to take more of our territory; however, SkyClan easily defeated them and remains perfectly strong." His last words were directed fiercely at Splashstar, who lashed his tail and stepped forward.
"RiverClan is doing well, but we need more food, food that Strongstar is too stubborn to give," he growled, "Our queen Lilypool has her little of six kits, Sandkit, Shellkit, Pebblekit, Creamkit, Dustykit, and Puddlekit, and we are unsure as to how we are to go about feeding them this leaf-bare."
Strongstar stared angrily at Splashstar. "SkyClan cannot afford to give territory to RiverClan. You may need food, but so does SkyClan."
Splashstar snarled. Leapfoot realized that around him, his Clanmates' fur was bristling, and claws were coming out; meanwhile, RiverClan warriors were growling and tensing.
"Stop! StarClan is angered!" The cry came from Dawnfern, the medicine cat of RiverClan; she gazed up as a single cloud started to drift across the moon. Reluctantly, both SkyClan and RiverClan calmed down.
Splashstar lashed his tail again. "We have a new apprentice, Carppaw. That is all from RiverClan."
Poolstar, glancing at both leaders and stepping forward as lightly as though he was stalking a mouse, spoke. "WindClan has four new warriors—Lavenderheart, Wheatwhisker, Bluethorn, and Alderpelt."
Cheers for the warriors echoed throughout the clearing, though not as high-spirited as before. Leapfoot purred and touched his tail to Lavenderheart's."
"We also have two new apprentices, Fernpaw and Featherpaw."
Again, halfhearted cheers. Poolstar bowed his head and stepped back.
Adderstar strode forward. "We drove a fox out of our territory. Prey is running well." He nodded curtly.
"The Gathering is over!" Snifflestar yowled.
"Meet me here tomorrow night!" Lavenderheart whispered; WindClan was already leaving.
Leapfoot froze. Say no. Say no. Say no. "Okay, see you there!"
Lavenderheart purred and bounded after her Clanmates. Leapfoot stared after her, the promise he just made still fresh on his tongue. Against everything his mind was telling him, his heart thrummed with excitement.
This is against the warrior code! Leapfoot thought, anguished.
But this is Lavenderheart. I've known her all my life.
"Leapfoot! Leapfoot, hey!"
Leapfoot turned to see Brookpaw racing toward him. Her tail was straight up in the air, and she was purring. "Hi, Brookpaw," he greeted her, his mind still on Lavenderheart. The sparkle in her amber eyes refused to leave his mind.
"That was so fun! Did you see Fernpaw and Featherpaw? They were tiny!" Brookpaw was bubbling over with happiness.
"Yeah, they were," Leapfoot meowed absentmindedly. It's just one night. One night.
Suddenly something slammed into Leapfoot's side. He stumbled but managed to stay on his feet; turning quickly, he glared at Brookpaw. "What was that for?" he growled.
"I was checking to see if you were paying attention!" Brookpaw snapped, her amber eyes flashing.
"Well, I am now," Leapfoot muttered; he couldn't stay mad at the energetic young she-cat. He yawned. "I'm just looking forward to going to sleep."
Brookpaw nudged him playfully. "The den feels so much emptier without you."
"Yeah, well, the warriors' den is way too crowded," Leapfoot replied. He yawned again as they entered the camp. "See ya, Brookpaw."
She nodded and scampered off; Leapfoot envied her energy. The trek back home felt long and endless, and by the time he got back, he was too tired to do anything but stumble toward the warriors' den and curl up into his nest. The cold air pressed against him like a cold, crushing wave of ice, and he scooted closer to the other warriors. Lavenderheart, he thought, his eyes slipping closed.
His eyes opened into a dream. He was standing in a forest that he didn't recognize. A warm greenleaf breeze stirred his fur, bringing scents of green growth and plump mice and birds. He breathed in deeply; why couldn't the forest be like this in the waking world?
"Leapfoot!"
Leapfoot jumped and turned around quickly; shock filled him up. Strongstar was striding toward him!
Wait, no. Leapfoot narrowed his eyes. This tom, while sturdily-built, was smaller, and he had the powerful hind legs of a SkyClan cat. Also, his eyes were a shade more silvery-gray-green than Strongstar's. Still, he resembled Strongstar far too much to be a coincidence.
"Leapfoot, it's good to meet you at last." The tom ran forward and touched Leapfoot's nose. "My name is Stormwing."
Stormwing? That was the name of his mother's dead sibling! Am I in StarClan? Did I die?!
"I have an important message for you, Leapfoot," Stormwing meowed. He pulled back; suddenly his eyes were full of a strange darkness. "A storm is coming; only the clash of wind and water will stop the darkened tide."
"What do you mean?" Leapfoot cried; a wind was whipping up the trees, and thunder and lightning cracked the sky overhead. He looked up, terrified, as rain poured down, fast, icy, bitter shards. The wind was so strong that he had to dig his claws into the ground to stop from being blown away. "Wait! Wait! Tell me more!" he yowled as Stormwing turned and raced away, "Stormwing!"
"Leapfoot, shut up!"
Leapfoot jerked awake; Silverclaw was leaning over him, her lips curled in a snarl. "Brownstripe wants you to go on a hunting patrol. Maybe you can give the rest of us a break with your thrashing."
Leapfoot stood quickly. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered, stumbling outside. He felt shaky, and his claws ached. It was just a nightmare, Leapfoot, he told himself silently. He remembered Stormwing. But that was so real…
"Great StarClan, your fur is a mess!" Brownstripe exclaimed as Leapfoot staggered over. Leapfoot glanced over his shoulder in surprise. His fur was rumpled and tufty. Ears burning in shame, Leapfoot quickly began to groom it.
"You can go on a hunting patrol with Aspenheart, Blackstorm, and Brookpaw," Brownstripe suggested.
Leapfoot nodded and quickly finished up his fur. He glanced over at the nursery. Frostflower and Iceshadow were sitting side by side, watching as their kits tumbled together.
"Hang on a second. I'd like to say something to Iceshadow," Leapfoot murmured. He raced over.
"Leapfoot!" His mother greeted him happily, rubbing her muzzle against his.
"Leapfoot!" came a chorus of echoes; Leapfoot felt the claws of tiny cats piercing his leaf-bare thick fur. He glanced over and purred as Rowankit, Thistlekit, and Hawkkit clambered onto his back. Ploverkit, who was the smallest of the four, paced in frustration underneath. Leapfoot crouched down and allowed him to climb on as well.
"Leapfoot! Leapfoot! Look how big I am!" Hawkkit squeaked. The little tom raised himself up to his full height, fluffing out his gray-brown fur; his dark, unusual stripes stood out especially.
"You are getting big, Hawkkit." Leapfoot shook his fur gently, dropping the kits back into the snow. "Iceshadow…um…you know your brother, Stormwing?" He held his breath.
"Yes?" Iceshadow wasn't paying too much attention as Thistlekit flung herself at Shrikekit, who was just emerging from the nursery.
"What did he look like?"
"He was a big blue-gray tom, almost as big as Strongstar but not quite, and he had powerful hind legs and silver-green eyes," Iceshadow replied instantly, her eyes shading with sadness. She turned to him. "He died when a branch fell after a storm and snapped his backbone. Why?"
"Oh, I was just—just wondering," Leapfoot mewed, his voice shaking. That's exactly what I saw!
Iceshadow's eyes narrowed. Clearly, she knew he wasn't telling her something. "What—?"
"Leapfoot! Come on!" The impatient voice of Blackstorm cut Iceshadow off. Thank you, StarClan! Leapfoot throught, relieved. He nodded to Iceshadow and then raced off, but he could feel Iceshadow's eyes burning into his back.
They raced out into the bright, snowy forest. Leapfoot pricked his ears, but he couldn't hear the familiar birdcalls that told him prey was not far off. He sniffed instead, but it was hard to smell anything in the bitterly cold air.
"Why don't we try by the Big Oak?" Aspenheart suggested.
"Why would we want to hunt by there?" Blackstorm asked Brookpaw, with a nod to Aspenheart.
"Because there are acorns?" Brookpaw replied.
"Yes, there should still be some acorns around, even though it's leaf-bare," Blackstorm mewed.
The four of them headed off into the trees. Leapfoot couldn't get used to how quietly they treaded through the white snow, nor how cold and wet it made his paws feel, nor how bright everything looked coated in it.
"Robin!" Aspenheart mewed softly as they neared the Big Oak. Sure enough, the bird was perched on a branch of the Big Oak, snuffling through its feathers.
Silently, the four of them got into position. Brookpaw, who was the least experienced tree-hunter, stayed on the ground. Leapfoot silently began to climb up a neighboring tree; he crept out onto the edge of a branch a few tail-lengths above the bird. Blackstorm slipped around the tree above it, and Aspenheart took the careful business of stalking it.
For a few heartbeats, as Aspenheart began to step lightly along the branch, there was silence; then the robin, alerted perhaps by Aspenheart's paw steps in the branch, took off quickly, abandoning its feathers.
Blackstorm lunged forward and managed to claw its wing; it started to fall but caught itself. Leapfoot bunched his muscles and soared through the air as it leaped upward again. He grabbed it in his jaws and twisted so that he landed heavily but safely on a branch nearby.
"Well done!" Blackstorm mewed.
Leapfoot, pleased at the kill, picked his way carefully back down. The robin, limp in his jaws, felt plump and big; it would probably feed both Frostflower and Iceshadow.
"I wish I could have helped," Brookpaw muttered mutinously.
"Next time," Aspenheart told her bracingly. He flicked her ear. "You'll be a great tree-hunter once you're more experienced. You're small, and you know how to step lightly, and you've got strong hind legs, even for SkyClan."
Brookpaw brightened. "Really?"
"Really." Aspenheart's ear twitched. "Now come on. Let's keep hunting."
In the end, only Blackstorm managed to find more prey: a single scrawny mouse. Prey was getting scarce, and they were lucky to have caught the robin.
Leapfoot walked into camp, pleased to drop the robin on the fresh-kill pile. He winced to see that the pile had only the robin, the scrawny mouse, a shrew, and a single sparrow. He'd be going hungry tonight.
"Yes! Yes!"
Leapfoot looked up sharply. Sunnyflower was emerging from her den, her eyes bright and her tail held high.
"I've found the cure!" she yowled excitedly. Behind her, Cloudeye stumbled out, looking tired but hopeful. "I gave him a combination of herbs and then he could eat his mouse!" Sunnyflower announced; the few cats in the clearing looked enthusiastic. "Then I gave it to Lightningtail and Brindlebreeze, and they started to get better, too."
"That's great!" Iceshadow exclaimed, emerging from the nursery.
Sunnyflower nodded. "Splashpaw's in there now, mixing up more herbs. And we've figured out where it's coming from. Hareleap got it from a squirrel—I talked with Tigerpelt and Leafwhisker, and she ate a funny-smelling squirrel the day before she first fell ill. We think that the other cats received it from her dirt in the dirtplace," Sunnyflower meowed, "So, we need to be very careful in the future in using the dirtplace."
Leapfoot shivered. One squirrel, to take two lives and sicken three others?
"We will defeat this before whitecough hits our Clan," Sunnyflower growled.
"Hey, Leapfoot!"
Lightpaw and Sparrowpaw rushed into camp, their eyes shining. Brookpaw ran to greet them. Lightpaw raced up to Leapfoot.
"Flowertail says that she wants you to come train with us!" Lightpaw gasped.
"We're doing battle training," Sparrowpaw added, "She says you'll be the freshest warrior, and you'll remember everything best."
Leapfoot sighed inwardly. "Alright. Where are you training?"
"The training hollow!" Sparrowpaw scoffed, as though he thought Leapfoot was stupid, "Oh, and Brookpaw, Flowertail wants you and Blackstorm to come, too."
Before Leapfoot could respond, Sparrowpaw and Lightpaw darted off. Brookpaw raced toward the warriors' den, where Blackstorm had stopped to take a rest. Wearily, Leapfoot followed the two apprentices in the direction of the training hollow.
His paws were soaking wet and he was shivering by the time he reached the training hollow. Leapfoot wasn't yet full-grown, and his leaf-bare coat hadn't completely grown in yet, so he felt the cold more acutely than the other warriors. He landed lightly in the hollow. It was a clearing in the trees, covered in moss; a spring on one side curled off into the main stream in SkyClan territory. Right now, the entire space was covered in snow.
Lightpaw and Sparrowpaw were tussling in the center of the clearing. Rosewhisker and Flowertail, their mentors, looked on contentedly, sitting near the edge of the clearing. To Leapfoot's surprise, his old den mates, Barkpaw and Olivepaw, were also there, accompanied by Stormyheart and Goldentail. He raced over to greet them, Olivepaw especially. He missed the two tomcats.
"Where's Brookpaw and Blackstorm?" Flowertail asked Leapfoot as he entered.
"We're here." Brookpaw landed down next to Leapfoot. Her cream-and-tabby fur was rumpled, but she looked excited.
"Okay, so, here's what we're going to do." Rosewhisker stood up. "We'll have two teams. The first team will be Brookpaw, Sparrowpaw, Lightpaw, Leapfoot, Stormyheart, and Flowertail."
Leapfoot flicked his ear and went to join the other four cats. Brookpaw purred and touched her nose to his.
"That means the other team is me, Blackstorm, Goldentail, Barkpaw, and Olivepaw." Rosewhisker swept her tail toward the rest of the cats. "My team's goal is to get across the clearing and touch that thorn tree over there," Rosewhisker gestured toward an old, twisted thorn tree a little ways outside of the clearing. "Your team's goal," she continued, looking to Stormyheart, "is to touch that rowan tree there." She pointed with her nose to a rowan tree on the opposite side the training hollow, again, a little ways outside of the clearing. "Each team also has to defend its respective tree. Make sense?"
Leapfoot nodded, feeling a little more cheerful. This was going to be fun.
"Okay, let's have a little bit of planning time, then." Rosewhisker frisked off toward her own team.
Leapfoot joined his team. Stormyheart's eyes gleamed as he nodded to his son. "Okay, so, first things first, they have less cats, and we have more. However, Brookpaw, Lightpaw, and Sparrowpaw, you three are bound to be smaller and less experienced than Barkpaw and Olivepaw, right?"
The three apprentices nodded, Brookpaw reluctantly.
"So they'll think you three are a weakness," Stormyheart continued, "but you aren't. I want one of you, whoever is fastest and quietest, to sneak around the clearing to get to the rowan tree."
"Lightpaw," Sparrowpaw and Brookpaw mewed at the same time. Everyone turned to look at Lightpaw. She was the smallest, light-footed, and her fur was pale enough to give her at least some camouflage in the snow.
Lightpaw shuffled her paws, her amber eyes glittering with humble pride.
"The rest of you, fight as hard as you can—without unsheathing your claws," Stormyheart meowed. He brushed past Leapfoot and called out to Rosewhisker, indicating they were done planning
Rosewhisker's team was ready to begin as well. Rosewhisker shook out her fur and then raised her tail. "Ready?"
Stormyheart nodded curtly, his green eyes already fixed on the tree opposite.
"Go!" Rosewhisker leaped for the gray tabby tom.
The clearing was instantly full of the sounds of battle, as loud and fierce as if it wasn't practice. Leapfoot saw Olivepaw making a break for the thorn tree.
"No!" Leapfoot screeched. He gave a powerful leap and landed in front of Olivepaw. Olivepaw slammed into him, knocking Leapfoot off his feet, but the tabby-and-white apprentice was also stunned, lurching backward with a yowl of surprise.
Olivepaw recovered first and tried to keep running, but Leapfoot grabbed him in his claws, being careful not to catch his skin, and swung him back around. Olivepaw battered at Leapfoot's belly fur, wriggling in his grip, as wriggly as a snake.
Leapfoot growled. "You're not getting away from me!"
"Look out! The thorn tree!" The cry came from Goldentail. Olivepaw looked away, surprised, and Leapfoot gave him a hard hind kick that sent him flying. For a moment the small tom didn't get up, and Leapfoot felt a flash of fear; had he hit him too hard? Then Olivepaw leaped to his paws and ran for Lightpaw, who was sprinting across the clearing with Goldentail in hot pursuit.
Lightpaw was dragged back by Goldentail, alas, but the other team was now on the defense. Leapfoot saw his chance; he was not being defended. He took off running, right past Goldentail and Lightpaw. A few more steps…
Someone tugged at his tail, making him stumble, but he lunged forward. His paw smacked tree bark, and he let out a yowl of triumph.
"We won! We won!" Leapfoot stood up tall, shaking out his ruffled fur, and quickly turned around. Rosewhisker purred good-naturedly. "Good job!"
Leapfoot ducked his head, not sure how to respond but feeling pleased with himself all the same.
"Come on. We'd better get back to camp." It was Stormyheart who spoke, sounding refreshed. "Maybe there'll even be some decent fresh-kill for us!"
There was a general purr of laughter at this; there hadn't been decent fresh-kill for warriors and apprentices in a while.
They headed back in a cheery chatter, but Leapfoot stayed silent. He was thinking of Lavenderheart. He was to meet her tonight. His heart crept into his throat. He thought of her sparkling amber eyes, and his heartbeat quickened. It's just one night. He couldn't stifle a purr at the thought of seeing her.
"Leapfoot, Leapfoot, you were amazing!" Brookpaw remarked, dancing around him on her toes. Her eyes were big and pale yellow. They were nothing like Lavenderheart's. Lavenderheart's eyes had six different shades of gold and cream and silver-white, all layered on top of each other.
"Thanks, Brookpaw," Leapfoot murmured. He quickened his pace.
They walked into camp. Frostflower and Iceshadow were sharing his robin, and he felt a little heartened to see that there was a little more prey on the pile than before.
"Leapfoot, share a mouse?" Stormyheart offered, plucking one up by its tail. It looked far too small to feed one cat, let alone two, but Leapfoot just nodded.
"Are you okay, Leapfoot? You seem quiet." Stormyheart dropped the mouse near the hawthorn tree. Leapfoot couldn't help but feel a little honored to be eating near the hawthorn tree, where usually only senior warriors ate.
"I'm just tired," Leapfoot replied. It wasn't totally a lie; he did feel sore and exhausted. He took a bite of the stringy little mouse and forced himself to swallow.
"Leaf-bare's going to be hard on the Clan," Stormyheart commented, "The snow this year was early, and we have six kits to feed."
Leapfoot murmured agreement. Stormyheart watched him through soft green eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, Leapfoot."
Leapfoot nodded. No, I can't. You'd tell me not to go see Lavenderheart. The thought made his heart twist. "I think I'm going to go rest for a little while," he told Stormyheart. His father nodded.
Leapfoot walked across to the warriors' den and lay down in his familiar nest. He was relieved to find that Fennelclaw was also taking a nap; his nest was next to Leapfoot's and would lend some warmth to the young black-and-white tom.
Leapfoot lay down, his back pressed against Fennelclaw's. The silver tabby tom did not stir.
Leapfoot fell asleep immediately, but his dreams were dark. He had the impression of running through a dark, stormy forest and falling into a foaming river; then he saw Stormwing, and the words of the terrible prophecy were being issued again from the gray tom's mouth. He woke suddenly, feeling tired and shivery, less awake than when he'd lain down.
He stepped outside and squawked in surprise; snow was falling heavily. Can I meet Lavenderheart in this weather? he thought with a prickle of unease. He brushed it aside. I must.
From the pale light, he guessed it was around sunset. His stomach was rumbling, but he had spent the entirety of the afternoon napping, and there wasn't enough prey for him to eat twice.
"Hey, Brookpaw!" Leapfoot called, seeing the apprentice crouched dejectedly under the bushes at the edge of the clearing, "Do you want to come hunting with me?"
Brookpaw's eyes brightened. "Sure!"
"Where's Blackstorm?" Leapfoot asked.
"He has a bellyache," Brookpaw responded, "He told me to stay in camp."
"I'll go tell him where we're going." Leapfoot raced across the clearing, hating the way the snow clumped his fur. We'll be lucky to catch anything in this weather!
Splashpaw was at the entrance of the den. "Hi, Leapfoot!" he greeted the warrior cheerfully. Clearly, he was enjoying his life as a medicine-cat apprentice. "Sunnyflower's out trying to gather some more tansy," he mewed, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Is Blackstorm in here?" Leapfoot asked.
Splashpaw nodded.
"Can you tell him I'm going to take Brookpaw hunting?"
Splashpaw nodded again. "I think he feels pretty guilty just leaving her in camp like this. Knowing that she's hunting will cheer him up."
Leapfoot dipped his head and headed back out. The snow had slackened a little, but Leapfoot's visibility was poor, and he shivered as the cold touch of the flakes hit his pelt. Brookpaw was waiting by the entrance, her tabby-and-cream fur fluffed out. Her pale yellow eyes glowed through the snow.
"Let's go." Leapfoot led the way, shaking out his fur, trying in vain to keep the snow off of it.
Brookpaw was trying to scent prey, but every time she sniffed, she breathed in a snowflake and sneezed. "It's impossible to hunt in this weather!" she mewed angrily.
"No, it isn't. It's just hard." Leapfoot pricked his ears. The birdcall of a single lone thrush ruffled his ear fur. He raised his tail for silence and quickly began to stalk through the trees.
The thrush was on a low branch of an oak tree, pecking at a snail. On unspoken agreement, Brookpaw started climbing a neighboring tree while Leapfoot slowly began to claw his way up the oak. He slid backwards at one point but managed to stifle his yowl; the bark was slippery with snow and ice, making it near impossible for even a SkyClan cat to climb.
He crept out on a branch less than a tail-length above the bird. Just as he was about to drop down on it, the wind rustled the tree branches, dumping snow over the thrush. Panicked, it took off, toward Brookpaw.
Come on! Leapfoot silently urged her. She hesitated a moment too long but then gave a massive leap. Her front paws scooped the thrush out of the air, and she killed it quickly, but there was no time for her to land properly. She hit a branch just below Leapfoot's and then fell to the ground with a cry that was quickly muffled.
"Brookpaw!"
Leapfoot jumped down beside her, his heart pounding. She had landed awkwardly on her back and wasn't moving.
"Brookpaw!" Leapfoot nosed her frantically. Suddenly she stirred; her eyes opened, and she yelped.
"Ow, stop that!" Brookpaw stood shakily. "Ow!" She sniffed at her flank. "Just bruises, I think."
"It was an amazing catch," Leapfoot assured her.
"If I can make it back to camp," Brookpaw muttered. She sneezed as she tried to pick up the thrush. Leapfoot abruptly felt guilty; what was he thinking, dragging her out to hunt in weather like this?
"I'll carry the thrush, and you can lean on me," he suggested. For once, Brookpaw didn't protest; that proved to Leapfoot just how much she was hurting. She was hardly putting any weight on her left hind leg. Oh, StarClan, please don't let it be broken!
Slowly, they headed back to camp. It was dark, and the snow was coming down very quickly and heavily. Leapfoot's paws were completely numb, and his muzzle burned with cold. The warmth of Brookpaw's fur against him was all that was keeping him going. The little apprentice was shivering.
He paused for a moment, dropping the thrush and fluffing out his fur. Brookpaw stumbled, her eyes glazed with exhaustion. "Come on, Brookpaw," Leapfoot murmured, giving her a comforting lick on the top of her head, "Don't you want to tell everyone about your amazing catch?"
Brookpaw nodded. She was trembling like a leaf, and her teeth were chattering. Leapfoot pressed comfortingly against her and helped her to her paws before picking up the thrush.
They managed to make it back, although Leapfoot had no idea how he was going to make it to see Lavenderheart at moonhigh. He dropped the thrush on the fresh-kill pile. Brookpaw was sneezing and sniffling; clearly, she'd gotten a chill.
"Let's get you to Sunnyflower," Leapfoot suggested. Again, no protest from the fiery young she-cat. He helped her across the clearing; they almost collided with Sunnyflower on the way in.
"Oh, what's wrong with you?" Sunnyflower demanded, shocked, staring at Brookpaw.
"We w-went-t hunt-t-ting," Brookpaw mewed, her teeth chattering, "I c-caught-t-t a thrush-sh-sh."
"It was a brilliant catch," Leapfoot put in helpfully, "but I think she's got a chill."
Brookpaw sneezed again and then coughed loudly. Leapfoot winced.
"Alright, come in, Brookpaw," Sunnyflower meowed, nosing the little she-cat into her den, "Tell me all about the thrush while I check you over."
Relieved that Brookpaw was in good paws now, Leapfoot crept back out. The snow had stopped. Really? Now you stop? he thought resentfully, thinking of their challenging trek back to camp through the blizzard. Then again, it'd make it easier to get to Fourtrees. I have to see Lavenderheart.
Fortunately, there were few cats left in the clearing—just Leapfoot's old mentor, Brownstripe, and Aspenheart. Leapfoot glanced toward the nursery, his ears pricked. He could hear the soft snores of the many kits and queens. It was unusual that so many queens had had kits during leaf-bare; most queens waited until newleaf or greenleaf.
Shaking off his thoughts, Leapfoot headed for the dirtplace tunnel. He hesitated for a moment. Do I really want to do this? Then he stood up straighter. Of course. Just the thought of Lavenderheart's glittering amber eyes and her soft gray fur made his heart sing with joy. He wasn't really doing any harm, was he?
He made quick progress through the forest. Snow had started falling again, but softly; fortunately, just enough to cover his tracks without hampering his movement. His earlier bleariness had vanished, replaced with swift-footed energy. By the time he reached Fourtrees, he was full-out running, blissfully aware only of the coordination of his muscles and the sharp wind tugging at his fur.
Lavenderheart wasn't there yet. Restlessly, Leapfoot paced the clearing. Where was she? It had to be moonhigh by now. Or was it? Maybe Leapfoot was early. Or maybe the snow had prevented Lavenderheart from coming at all.
"Leapfoot!"
Leapfoot looked up quickly. Joy filled him as he saw Lavenderheart scampering down from the WindClan side. He was shocked at how she looked: skinny, with her tabby pelt patchy and unkempt. Even her bright amber eyes had lost some of their luster.
"Lavenderheart," he greeted her, purring, brushing muzzles with her.
"Leapfoot." Her eyes sparkled. "I thought you might not come, since the weather's so miserable."
"I said I would come," Leapfoot replied. He pressed against her. "You look so thin."
"WindClan's never had enough to eat, come leaf-bare," Lavenderheart pointed out, "and Palebrook just had a litter of kits with Birchfur—Heatherkit, Breezekit, and Tawnykit."
"My mother had a litter of four kits," Leapfoot murmured, "My brothers and sister."
Lavenderheart purred. Snow was still falling, but softly; it glittered silver in the half-light. Leapfoot couldn't help but notice how beautiful it looked, how beautiful everything looked—the Great Rock, shimmery with frost, the oak trees, their boughs laden with white snow, the snow falling slowly, like little pieces of shining white cloud drifting down to earth. Everything was simple and white and frozen.
"If I ever have kits, I want one of them to be named Frozenkit," he decided, his breath puffing in the air.
"Frozenkit?" Lavenderheart's ear twitched. "Why?"
"Because everything's so beautiful when it's frozen," Leapfoot replied, looking around the Gathering hollow. "I mean, look!"
Lavenderheart shivered. "It's cold and wet, and every Clan is hungry and irritable."
"But it's still beautiful." Leapfoot flicked his tail around the hollow. "Look."
Lavenderheart shrugged. "If you say so." Amber eyes met amber eyes; Leapfoot stared at her, wondering how he could be here right now, defying everything he'd ever known, ever believed, and yet at the same time he wondered how he could possibly be thinking of being elsewhere. With a feeling of mischief, he suddenly jumped away from her, kicking up snow as he went and covering her in the stuff.
"Hey!" Lavenderheart shook her fur and then swiped her paw, sending a wave at Leapfoot. He sneezed as a few stray flakes flew up his nose and then darted away. "Can't catch me!" he yelled.
"So can!" Lavenderheart's paw steps pounded behind him; she was much faster than him. At the last minute, Leapfoot skidded into a turn, spraying up snow, and ducked behind one of the main oak trees. Lavenderheart purred with laughter. "You can't hide forever, pine-face!" she called teasingly. Leapfoot could hear her prowling around, preparing to charge at him.
"I can try, rabbit-breath!" Leapfoot dashed out from behind the oak tree and in one powerful bound landed on top of the Great Rock. It was slippery with frost, and for a moment, Leapfoot couldn't find his balance. He dug his claws into the layer of snow and managed to stay on, shivering. He was stunned at the view. The entire hollow lay before him, snow-swept and sparkling.
"Hey, Lavenderheart, come up here!" he called quietly, "It's beautiful!"
"Alright, I'm coming." He heard her kick off and then her claws as they scrabbled against the stone. Quickly he turned and sank his teeth into her scruff, pulling her up just as she started to fall backwards.
"Thanks," she breathed, looking around, "Wow. It really is beautiful."
Leapfoot pressed against her, relieved to feel the warmth of her flank against his. For a few moments they stared out over the hollow. Leapfoot's heart pounded. This is so perfect. Just me and Lavenderheart.
"Let's find somewhere to sleep," Lavenderheart suggested quietly. Together, the two cats jumped down from the Great Rock. Leapfoot glanced at a bush beneath one of the oak trees, sheltered from the worst of the snow. "There?" he asked, pointing with his chin.
"Sure." Lavenderheart bounded across the clearing, her leaping strides long and graceful. Leapfoot's heart twisted. She's a WindClan warrior! What am I doing?
And yet he followed her, inexplicably drawn. Does she feel the same way about me? Or is this just a friendly meeting for her?
No, it couldn't be…could it?
The bush was prickly, but together they cleared out a space in the middle. Sheltered from the wind and snow, Leapfoot curled up beside Lavenderheart. He purred quietly, lulling her in a comfortable sleep, but he himself could not close his eyes.
What would Iceshadow think? he thought with a shiver. His mother was Clan deputy, well-respected, with a senior SkyClan warrior as her mate and a plethora of lovely, SkyClan kits. How would she react to knowing that her eldest son was out at this very moment with a she-cat from WindClan?
Leapfoot shook himself. I have to do this. I've never felt this way about any other cat. His eyes closed.
"Leapfoot, wake up!"
Leapfoot jerked awake. Where am I? Brambles arched close over his head instead of the smooth branches of a dogwood. He looked around, and everything came back to him.
Lavenderheart was awake, staring at him with her lustrous amber eyes. "Come on. It's almost dawn."
"Lavenderheart…" Leapfoot silently willed himself to finish the sentence, but his throat closed. He couldn't bear to tell her what he knew he needed to—Lavenderheart, we can't do this again.
Lavenderheart didn't seem to have understood. "Can we meet here again tonight?"
"We could just see each other at Gatherings," he mewed weakly.
"That's not enough. You know it isn't." Lavenderheart pressed against him. Her fur was warm, making Leapfoot shiver. "Everyone keeps telling me that Briarclaw is an amazing tom, but…Briarclaw isn't you," Lavenderheart whispered.
Leapfoot stared at her. How could he leave her behind? How could he have doubted her?
"I love you more than I thought I could ever love a cat," Lavenderheart meowed, her voice as soft as a breath of wind.
"I…uh…I'll see you here tonight." Leapfoot led the way out of the den. Then, unable to look at her without feeling his heart break, he took off running through the snow, leaving her there in the hollow. She didn't call out after him.
Prey. Prey. Leapfoot lifted his nose and tried to sniff, but all he could smell was the lingering remains of Lavenderheart's scent on his fur.
He found a heap of ferns, still clinging to life even in the snow, and rolled through them, effectively extinguishing Lavenderheart's scent in the sharp, clean odor of crushed fern. Then he tried again, but prey-scent was lacking in the crisp leaf-bare air.
He walked among the trees, looking desperately. Finally, the faint scent of shrew touched his tongue; he saw the tiny creature creeping along the roots of a tree. A single mighty pounce took its life. Leapfoot pawed at it; it was scrawny and bitter-looking. It probably wouldn't even feed one cat, but it would work as an excuse.
Leapfoot picked it up in his jaws and raced back to camp. He was tired and sore, but he knew he had to make up for seeing Lavenderheart to his Clan.
He walked inside, dropping his little shrew on the fresh-kill pile, and started to head toward the warriors' den. He was stopped short by the sound of a loud, rasping cough from the medicine den.
Brookpaw?
His heart pounded. Did I make her sick, for real? He raced across the clearing to the medicine den, ducking inside quickly. "Sunnyflower?" he called softly.
It was Splashpaw who met him, his silver tabby held poking out of the bramble-and-fern screen. "Don't come in!" he growled, "Brookpaw has whitecough."
"No!" Leapfoot stared at the tabby apprentice, hardly seeing him. "This is my fault, all my fault!" Why did I drag her out in that miserable weather last night? What if she dies?
Splashpaw didn't reply, simply ducking back into the den. Leapfoot thought of Lavenderheart. Was it worth it, Lavenderheart?
Of course it was. Leapfoot, for all his guilt for Brookpaw, couldn't wait to see Lavenderheart again tonight.
