Thank you, Naruto106, for putting me on favorite author and favorite story list. :D

Anonymous: I'm glad I've finally gotten reviews from you! Thanks for the support, and enjoy the chapter!

Crystalstar: well...Whiteclaw's dad is going through some hard times. Why don't you read to find out?

Very Annoied AImelody: I'm glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter!

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Three warriors from Noclan and the medicine cat walked out from behind a low line of shrubs. An apprentice got up from the ground.

"Whew! What a hefty cat!" sniggered Silverpelt.

Whiteclaw, Mouseclaw, Leafpaw, and Whitepaw laughed with her.

"Did you see me?" gushed Whitepaw. "It was all like, BAM! And he was all like AHHH! And, SPLASH!And then, presto chango! You've got cat!"

They laughed again. After the gale had subsided, Whiteclaw gave some quiet praise.

"You were good. That leap was perfectly timed and aimed quite well. Your mentor would be proud."

Whitepaw positively glowed.

"Thanks!"

They gathered around the prostrate body of a cat.

"Hrm," mused Leafpaw. "I guess if you faint while you changed, you stay the way you fainted in."

She looked up, a quiet light in her eyes.

"Was that confusing?"

The rest shook their heads.

"Good. Now-"

She was cut off by Silverpelt, who glared at her. Obviously she didn't like usurping medicine cats.

"NOW!" she said loudly, "Let's get this cat up and back at camp before he wakes up! Hup-two!"

Whiteclaw and Mouseclaw both hefted the cat up.

"Lemme take it," muttered Whiteclaw.

He slung the cat onto his shoulder.

After a ten minute long trek, they reached their camp. There was a tense moment when Whiteclaw almost dropped his father down the tree, but then he steadied and all was well.

"Hey-o!" shouted Silverpelt. "We're back! Did you miss us?"

There was an uproar as the rest of the kids gathered round.

"Hold it!" yelled Leafpaw, "I need to get my patient to the medicine den, if you please!"

A path parted through the gathered children.

"Thank you!" Leafpaw commented dryly as she passed them.

Whiteclaw and Leafpaw reached the medicine den, and laid his father on Grasspaw's sleeping bag. Whiteclaw was about to turn away when Leafpaw stopped him by a gentle touch to his shoulder.

"Hey, Whiteclaw, can I talk to you a moment?"

Whiteclaw shrugged, and sat back down. Quietly, Leafpaw began to talk.

"I have an inkling that Silverpelt might become leader. What do you think of this?"

Whiteclaw shrugged again. Annoying...thought Leafpaw.

"What I mean to say, is that...things aren't the same between you and her since we got here. What happened?"

Whiteclaw blushed deeply.

"None of your business," he muttered, turning to get up.

Leafpaw put pressure on his shoulder, forcing him down.

"It's plenty of my business. I'm medicine cat- er, girl. If I have to deliver kits-"

Whiteclaw looked horrified.

"-Then it's plenty of my business, as you well know." she finished threateningly. "Besides. It could be important."

Whiteclaw relented. "Fine. Ever since we came here things have been different. When I look at Silverpelt, I find myself wishing to be a cat even more. When she looks at me...she blushes."

He got up, and this time, Leafpaw didn't make him sit down again.

While Whiteclaw and Leafpaw were having that disturbing conversation in the medicine den, Silverpelt was outside, talking to the clan.

"...and he changed, then we carried him back home." she finished. The blinked. Home? Home is over there, outside of the woods...or is it?

"What are we going to do?" someone asked. Silverpelt jolted out of her reverie.

"Um, right. We're going to ask him to be our elder, of course. He's well over 50, you know. His wife had Whiteclaw when he was...45."

The clan was silent.

"Another matter!" declared Silverpelt. "We need to start training! If something happens, then we'll need to defend ourselves! So, I want to send out a few patrols! I need you to look for a place that would be good and safe for training!"

Whiteclaw had come out at that point, and helped her divide up patrols.

An hour later, Mr. Webb came to. His head hurt, and his knees felt bashed in. A girl with brown hair and tan skin was bending over him.

"Mr. Webb?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

He groaned, and sat up.

"Yes," he said. "I think so."

"I'm sorry for what we did. It was necessary, though. Will you forgive us? Do you believe now?"

The man thought about the question for a moment and nodded.

"Yes and yes. Thank you. And you're Shay?"

Leafpaw shook her head.

"We're not human anymore, Mr. Webb. I'm Leafpaw."

"Oh," said Whiteclaw's father faintly. "Right."

He looked pale.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Leafpaw pushed a small pile of leafy green stems, white flowers, and more green leaves.

"Eat these. Then you can come with me and we'll discuss things."

He gingerly took the herbs, and pulled a very childish face at the taste.

"Quite horrible." he said, frowning at her. "I hope it wasn't poisonous."

She grinned. "Quite the opposite. Though your taste buds won't be thanking me!"

He laughed.

Leafpaw lead him out of the den and into the clearing. Silverpelt and Whiteclaw were sitting on top of Rockpile, as the apprentices had dubbed it. The setting sun, for by now it was late, was behind them, making their hair glow.

"Hey!" called Silverpelt, leaping down from the Rockpile. (as the apprentices had dubbed it that morning)

She landed on her feet, then blinked in surprise.

"Did I do that?" she asked, looking up at the 15 foot high drop behind her.

"Yup," answered Leafpaw and Whiteclaw simultaneously.

Whiteclaw jumped down after Silverpelt. He too landed light as a feather. Cat-like. Silently.

"Cool," breathed Leafpaw.

"Awesome," agreed Silverpelt.

Mr. Webb looked thunderstruck.

"How- How...how...how..." he trailed off.

Whiteclaw rolled his eyes, embarrassed. Silverpelt grinned.

"Here, Mr. Webb, this is how things are." she began, and proceeded to explain their whole situation. At the end of it, Whiteclaw's father looked faint again, and Leafpaw handed him some chamomile. He ate it obediently.

"So, the story...It's all true?" he asked. The others nodded.

"So then." he said. "I guess I'm to join your clan."

"Excellent," said Leafpaw and Silverpelt together.

They glared at each other. Both loved to be in authority. So Silverpelt took the initiative, and finished the thought.

"We have our first elder! We'll hold your ceremony at sundown!"