CHAPTER 10

"Briarlight! Wake up!" Briarlight drowsily opened her eyes, and blinked surprisingly into the face of Jayfeather. She glanced around; they were in the medicine den, and she was in her nest.

Once Briarlight knew that the scarred black tom was gone, she flopped her head back down on the comforting feather-filled nest. "B-but what about the-"

"Intruders? Those ShadowClan cats? They were chased out of our territory. They barely put up a fight, from what I've heard," Jayfeather turned around and padded to the herb store. He returned moments later with a poppy seed. "Eat this."

Briarlight was too tired to tell him she didn't need it, so took it anyway.

Jayfeather sat down and turned his head to the medicine den entrance, where bright sunset-light was shining through in a pattern on the dirt floor. "The warriors have been telling me that you shouldn't leave camp for a while. They-"

"What?" Briarlight interrupted. "Why?" she blinked confusingly at him, even though he couldn't possibly tell.

Jayfeather's blue eyes looked sad, even sympathetic. "When they arrived to confront the ShadowClan cats, they said that you all of the sudden collapsed onto the ground."

Briarlight started to groom her fur, which was messy and smelled of dead leaves and the river. Yuck!

"Briarlight, I think they're right. Whenever our warriors go to do something, you decide to be involved in it. You aren't a warrior! You aren't a cat that can defend herself if under attack! Why can't you understand that?"

His shoulder fur bristled, and his claws were flying in and out under anger and stress. "Even though there's every possible way you couldn't ever come back to camp, you still decide to go with the warriors! And what do I always hear when they return? 'Jayfeather! Jayfeather! Come quick! There's something wrong with Briarlight!'"

Jayfeather started pacing. Briarlight pushed herself back against the wall of the den.

"I gave you specific instructions yesterday to collect poppy seeds, and come back to camp. I have just one question for you, Briarlight; why did you send Toadstep back to camp? He's a warrior with tons of experiance in fighting, he's been through more training than you have." Briarlight's ear flicked at the sound of his harsh words. Is he trying to make me feel guilty for the tree falling into the camp?

"You should've come back. Toadstep could've checked it out himself. He would've handled it better," Jayfeather calmed, his voice now just a quiet whisper. "My point is, you have to stay in camp. Until Bramblestar says otherwise." Bramblestar was still in the medicine den. He was recovered now, and was scheduled to return to his leader duty later today. Maybe he would straighten out his battle-hungry deputy.

Jayfeather stared at Briarlight, seeming to expect something like a response. Briarlight kept grooming her disgusting fur, hoping Jayfeather would leave her for some peace now.

The medicine cat hissed angrily and stomped out of his den. Briarlight was alone now. She figured Tigerpaw must've already gone outside.

Why did I send Toadstep for reinforcements? That was completely mouse-brained. Jayfeather was right, I should've thought. Briarlight was a bit angry at the medicine cat for yowling at her so, but knew that he was right.

"It's been SUCH as long time since Spiderleg died! Why hasn't Bramblestar assigned me a new mentor yet?" Briarlight purred with amusement as Stormpaw meowed to his father. She had just finished a delicious thrush, a bit bony, but with leaf-bare coming any day now, it was as good as an overfed one.

Briarlight watched the young light brown tabby tom sit down angrily at Lionblaze's paws. "I-I'm not sure, Stormpaw. Bramblestar could've assigned you a new mentor before the rogues attacked ThunderClan, but he's just recovered from losing a life. I'm sure once he's recovered his first act will be getting you a new mentor." Lionblaze meowed awkwardly to his eager son.

Briarlight was afraid Stormpaw might come up with a decent argument for Lionblaze's response, but the young apprentice looked pretty satisfied with his father's answer, and then bounded off to join Rainpaw and Snowpaw at the fresh-kill pile to share a few shrews.

Lionblaze padded over to the warriors' den, probably to reside from the cold air. It was sunny out today, but a freezing wind was blowing from the lake, and no cat wanted to be out for too long. Briarlight had already felt the coldness reaching her skin through her freshly groomed fur.

Then, from the Highledge, Squirrelflight burst out, looked around wildly, and then raced down the slope, and pelted out of camp, not even stopping at the tunnel where the usual thorn or burr grew.

A few cats in camp had taken notice.

"What was that all about?" asked Brightheart incredously. Cloudtail shook his head," I don't know. Who knows what that she-cat does anymore." Brightheart sniffed the air, but lowered her head into Cloudtail's shoulder fur after scenting nothing.

Rainpaw had taken notice, since she was the only one of the three apprentices facing the camp entrance, but didn't bring it up since Stormpaw and Snowpaw were talking about some cool battle tactics on a WindClan cat. Briarlight was about to go to the medicine den again, feeling the freezing chilliness of the breeze sinking into her fur, when loud yowling from the camp entrance made her stop in her tracks.

The remaining ThunderClan cats pricked their ears, apparently hearing the loud screechs too.

Cloudtail and Brightheart's shoulder fur bristled in fear and confusion when the voices of their Clanmates yowled frightingly from just a few fox-lengths from the camp entrance.

Almost all of the Clan's cats were outside, standing protectively by their dens, waiting for the sunhigh patrol to return, hopefully safe.

Then, out of the entrance, flew the sunhigh patrol, led by Icecloud, and also including Cherryleaf, Birchfall, and Dewpaw. They all carried the scent of fear, and dread raced through Briarlight. She'd recognized this moment before. Just, where?

Icecloud raced to the line of warriors in the camp, and shouted, as the rest of the patrol joined them," Intruders! They were chasing us! We have to protect the camp-" she was cut off as loud, ferocious howls from just a bit away from the camp entrance joined into the anxious murmurings of the ThunderClan cats.

Then, right as Briarlight rose to her paws, and was about to take cover at the prospect of a battle, a pitch black tom with a white tail tip and piercing green eyes pelted through the camp entrance, carrying two kits, one black, one light brown tabby. "Run!"

Just as he finished the word, a massive group of angry, spitting rogue cats raced through the entrance, and quickly launched themselves into battle. Her Clanmates were shocked and angry, but put up a fight, and Briarlight at that moment knew why this scene was familiar.

T-This is my dream! But that means- oh no.