moonspirit - Thanks!
leafpool-medcat - Thanks, here is the next chapter!
Bubbletail - Well thanks for reviewing my story! leafpool went alone to the Gathering because it would be harder to stay hidden if there had been five cats than just one. She went to the Gathering because her ktis are going to re-join the Clans and she needs to know what's going on. It's a good thing when there is nothing critical to say about a story. )
Aviation-Nyra's Revenge - Thank-you so much! Your praise means so much to me. I had decided on a couple of names for the kits, but your names are soo much better. I love the name Whisperwind and Whispersong for Whisperkit. I like the name Stormshadow - and would name him that - but I wouldn't want to steal your name. I think the name Stormflame fits his personality perfectly. I also like Flightfrathe, but it sounds just a touch too femine.
As for where in the story I am - I'd say its at the beginning of like the plot with the kits, but sort of the end of the middle of the Leafpool and Crowfeather plot. The rest of the story is going to be mostly about the kits, though there still will be some chapters about Leafpool and Crowfeather.
The POV's will be Leafpool and Flightkit. I know that Whisperkit is pretty much everybody's favorite, but there is a special tid-bit/surprise at the end of the story about her that should make people not too mad at me for not including her in the POV's.
I have been thinking about having Leafpool and Crowfeather having more kits, but it doesn't really fit the plot.
PearlaH.Sweden - Thanks for the help, I have to have a whole seperate WORD page with just the kits and apprentices and all. And there are still MORE kits to be born. Yikes!
snowybreeze - Thanks!
Spottedfeather - Lol, thanks!
Adi Sagestar - backs away slowly
Troublestripe - Thanks!
Nightwing from ThunderClan - I have changed a bunch of things - like cats who have been born, who have lived and who have died. Jaypaw, Hollypaw and Lionpaw don't exist.
euphoricLIES - Thanks!
Snowfur - Yes, Cinderpaw is still Cinderpelt.
TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED HAVE A LEAFPOOL PLUSHY!!! tosses Leafpool plushies to all
ThunderClan scent wove around Leafpool like a spider-web, its invisible strands catching her heart, making her break inside. No longer could she claim this scent as her own, no longer could she call this territory home. Any ThunderClan warrior who came upon her would try to drive her off, or kill her. Nowhere in this forest was safe, nowhere was home.
Leafpool raced through the trees, dodging tree trunks and the bare bark of logs with the easy skill and grace she thought she had forgotten. After moons and moons of living on the bare, empty moors the thick growth of trees was like her mother's scent it was so familiar, and so comforting to her aching heart.
She and Crowfeather had had their first fight ever, and it cut her deeper than any claw ever had. It was from him, from their fight, that she now fled. They had never, in all of the seasons they had been together, never once had a fight. They had had little arguments and disagreements like all mates, but they had never raised their voices, never been truly angry at each other. Not like this time. Leafpool's mind recoiled as she thought about it, and she felt her heart break a little.
"Crowfeather, don't you understand? She died because of me! Cinderpelt died because I wasn't there to save her!"
"No," her mate's eyes flashed with a coldness she had never seen there before. The anger in his face scared her a little. "No, you were with me!"
Suddenly the tabby cat coiled her muscles, crouched down and then leapt. She flew through the air, her fur flying back in the wind as she jumped. With a small gasp she connected with the trunk of a sturdy oak. Quickly, she sunk her claws into the rough brown bark, hissing in pain as a splinter pierced one pad.
Even though Leafppol could feel the sticky liquid already oozing from her paw she began to haul herself upward; raising one paw then sinking black claws into the trunk again, slowly inching up the sturdy tree. At last, after what had seemed like moons of climbing, she reached a sturdy branch. Exhausted, she slumped down on it. Pain shot through her injured paw, and she let out a long, low hiss. Bending down, she fastened two rows of pointed ivory teeth into the wood. Taking a deep breath, she yanked sharply; knowing it would hurt all the more if it were drawn out slowly. The pale cream wood was stained a dirt maroon at the point, a trickle of red oozing out from the puncture in her pad.
The former medicine cat began to clean the wound, drawing her tongue over the hole, tasting the bitter tang of her blood mixing with sap and dirt. Her nose wrinkled in distaste as she cleansed the puncture. As she drew her tongue over her paw again and again, her mind drifted away, settling on a wise grey face and mysterious blue eyes.
Oh Cinderpelt, I never meant for this to happen! I never wanted you to die. I wanted to leave because I was in love; I never knew you would be killed because I left!
Leafpool raised her slender muzzle, her amber eyes looking through the dappled canopy of leaves and branches above her to where Silverpelt glimmered.
"Can you see me Cinderpelt?" she whispered, her amber eyes gleaming with sorrow, "Do you wish you couldn't? I know you'll never speak to me again and I don't want you to. I mean, I want more than anything to be able to talk with you, to smell your scent again, but I don't want to put you through that. I don't want you to have to talk to me, the cat that killed you. All I want is for you to know this: I never wanted you to die, and I will never forgive myself for what happened."
"Leafpool?!" a voice yowled below the tabby cat.
Oh no, no, no, no! Leafpool's heart stopped beating and her breath caught and stuck in her throat. No, no, no, no! Only one word spun around in her head, digging claws into her mind, not letting go until Leafpool was paralyzed complete terror. Someone had found her.
Oooh, cliffy!
No, just joking! I would never be that cruel. Just keep scrolling and you'll get there.
Leafpool closed her eyes.
Should I climb higher and pretend to be some other cat? Should I jump out of the tree and run away? Oh great StarClan what am I supposed to do! The pale tabby cat squeezed her eyes shut, digging her black claws deep into the bark of the oak tree. Her muscles tensed, she felt like a block of stone.
She could hear the cat slowly clawing its way up the trunk. With every moment that passed she felt her heartbeat speed up. All she could do was wait as each agonizing second passed, waiting to find out who it was that had found her.
At last Leafpool saw a pale tabby poke between the leaves, amber eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Birchpaw?" the rogue hissed in surprise. The young tom was the last cat she expected to find her.
"So it is you!" the tom wriggled with excitement, "I was afraid it wasn't, that I was mistaken. I mean I was only an apprentice when you left, barely seven moons old. And you've been gone for so many seasons… by the way, it's Birchfall now, I'm finally a warrior." two amber eyes glowed with excitement as Birchfall clambered up the rest of the way to the branch where Leafpool rested. He hauled himself up onto the branch, and then crouched down, facing his former medicine cat.
"Why did you come back?" the young warrior asked, tilting his head to the side. Leafpool opened her jaws to speak, but then shut them and turned away.
When she at last spoke, her voice as barely above a whisper, "Please don't tell anyone I'm back. No one can know, except… except for Squirrelflight." Leafpool turned back to face Birchfall, her eyes searing into his like two orbs of golden flame, "it is very important that I speak to her. Tell her to meet me in exactly one-quarter moon on the Island at moonhigh. Please Birchfall, I need to speak to her." she had no idea whether or not the ThunderClan cat would listen to her. In fact, he had every right to drive her away using tooth and claw. But instead he dipped his head, his voice low as he spoke.
"I remember you as a great medicine cat Leafpool, and I have never had anything but respect for you. I promise you to do everything in my power to get Squirrelflight to the Island," his eyes were deadly serious as he looked at her, "and I will tell no one but her about your return."
"Thanks Birchfall, you are a compassionate cat," Leafpool whispered, licking her former Clanmate on the shoulder. Then quietly and quick as a flash, she dropped down to the ground, and vanished into the darkness.
I bet you weren't expecting Birchfall to find her.
As for the special tid-bit - I have decided that after this story ends I shall be making a sequal. But the sequal will be entirely about Whisperkit. So... what do you think?