Oops, thank you for telling me, Tigerfrost, it does saw Crowfur in Chapter 2. Don't ask me how I came up with that name. oo
I meant Crowfeather, though. Leafpool's POV, now. I think I might need an awful lot of more chapters to finish the book. I'm not half where I wanted to be. .
Glad you guys are enjoying it, keep the reviews coming, they really motivate me to keep writing. 333
Leafpool just stood there, frozen. Her mouth partially open, not willing to close again. She kept replaying the scene in her head.
The tree falling moaning, the screeches of the cats sitting closest to it and the mad scrambling of paws as everyone tried to run away.
And then seeing Brambleclaw and Hawfrost behind the tree. Them half gaping, still too stunned, that the tree had fallen down, or that they had been discovered, and half embarrassed.
Leafpool narrowed her eyes. Cinderpelt had taught her a lot about signs from Starclan, and she would bet a weeks' worth of fresh-kill that this was a sign.
But what could it mean? That Starclan didn't approve of Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost's doing? Whatever it was, Leafpool decided she needed to have a talk with Brambleclaw.
This is all your fault, Leafpool! If you hadn't told Brambleclaw to speak to Firestar about letting him to the Gathering he'd probably be sitting in camp wondering if he should eat a chaffinch or squirrel. Chaffinch, her inner voice replied.
Leafpool rolled her eyes. Trust her to blame herself. She could try to guide other cats in their decisions, but medicine cat or not, every cat had to walk in his own pawsteps.
Medicine cat!
Leafpool gulped. She'd been so busy thinking, she'd forgotten the situation. What good of a medicine cat was she, if she just stood back here, like any other cat?
She made her way through the still astonished crowd of cats to the place where the tree had fallen down.
It was a big oak, probably older than many, many forest cats put together. It's branches lay limply at its side, some cracked and torn, like broken bones, but others still in place.
Leafpool shivered and looked up into the sky. To her astonishment, it looked peaceful again; there were barely any clouds in sight!
A quick sniff at Brambleclaw told her he was alright. He was just trying not to look her in the eyes.
Leafpool shrugged, whether Brambleclaw wanted to tell her what was going on between him and Hawkfrost or not could wait, there were more important things to do now. Maybe Brambleclaw should understand that the world didn't always revolve around him.
She spotted a black cat lying awfully still near the base of the tree.
Leafpool gasped. Starclan, no! Not Spiderleg!
She rushed over to the young cat and drew in her breath sharply. Spiderleg's tail was partially stuck under the tree; he must've not made it away from the tree in time!
She forced herself to relax and think; she could still grieve later. She checked to see if he was still breathing; he was, faintly but still.
A small spark of hope started burning deep in Leafpool.
She looked around, pinpointing Mothwing and Barkface. Littlecloud must've not come to the Gathering.
"Mothwing, Barkface, I need your help!" she meowed truthfully.
Mothwing gave her a confused look, but seeing the injured cat next to the tree, widened her eyes and bounded over to Leafpool.
Her voice trembled. "Oh my gosh. What are we going to do, Leafpool? We can't let him die here!"
Barkface now stood behind Leafpool, too, but he just gapped, obviously traumatized.
This isn't fair! Leafpool thought, Barkface and Mothwing have more experience than me, but they're just standing around as if a two-leg monster tread over their paws!
Ahh, Leafpool, but when has life ever been fair?
Leafpool gulped as she heard the voice of her old mentor, Cinderpelt.
I'll try my best, Cinderpelt, but I'll need of all of Starclan on my side, for this one!
Leafpool could hear Cinderpelt laughing a sound she had gotten to hear so many times when Cinderpelt had still walked on Thunderclan territory and not Starclan's.
Oh Leafpool, that's all that we ever ask.
Given strength by Cinderpelt, Leafpool felt more confident and she could think clearly again.
"Barkface! I'm going to need Coltsfoot, if he has trouble breathing, Cobwebs, I'm not sure if he's bleeding or not, Poppy Seeds, plenty, Comfrey, there's no doubt the tail's broken, Chamomile and Thyme to calm him. And catnip, if you can get some. Have some other cats help you. Wait, and get some dock leaves, too. After all, we need to get him out somehow. Ashfur, Squirrelflight", she mewed, her eyes wandering over to her clanmates, "get on either side of him and keep him warm."
Her eyes wondered to Squirrelflight for a second and she caught waves of disbelief and grief coming from her.
Poor Squirrelflight, she must have the feeling that all the cats she trained with are leaving her, first Shrewpaw and now Spiderleg.
Leafpool nodded. "Mothwing," she whispered, "how in the world are we going to get Spiderleg out of there? The tree must weigh more than all of us together!"
Mothwing seemed to have recovered from some of her early shock. "Well, whatever happens, if he lives or dies, we won't be able to save his tail," she pointed out, "it probably broke on impact; I don't know what we could do to heal it. So, maybe we could get the warriors to push the tree from one side, while we pull Spiderleg?"
Leafpool closed her eyes for a second and then re-opened them. "It won't do the tail any good, but it's worth a try, I guess."
Firestar had been standing next to her and Mothwing and nodded. He ran over to the Highbranch and meowed loud enough for every cat in the clearing to hear, his voice still sounding meek, as if he were already mourning Spiderleg, and couldn't believe Starclan would take another of his warriors:
"You heard Leafpool. We need all the warriors, and apprentices, heck, the elders can help too if they feel strong enough. We're going to try to push the tree away so that Spiderleg's tail can be freed."
A few cats looked at him defiantly, wondering if they should follow Firestar's orders or their own leaders', but eventually, all the cats seemed to agree that Spiderleg need all of their help.
He really does, Leafpool thought.
With that Firestar jumped down again and scrambled next to the tree, positioning warriors on either side of him.
Leafpool's eyes watered as she saw all the cats together.
They're all helping, Thunder- and Riverclan, leader or apprentice, young and old. Why couldn't it be like this more often? Why do the clans have to fight?
"One, two, three, push!" Leopardstar's call made Leafpool refocus. She stepped on one side of Spiderleg and gave him little, but gentle shoves.
At first, Leafpool thought it was working. It seemed Spiderleg had moved several mouse-lengths since she had first discovered him. But the tree hadn't moved. The warriors shoved and pushed with every last ounce of their strength, but the big oak just didn't want to be moved.
Leafpool began to get nervous and her breath became short and anxious. Normally, an injury like this wouldn't have bothered her. A cat could live without its tail; she remembered hearing about an old Thunderclan cat, Halftail, who had lost some of his, too. But if Spiderleg wasn't recovered from under the tree, soon, the injury might spread; the blood could stop flowing in his body. And Leafpool knew of no herb to heal that.
The cats had stopped trying, now. Most wore a look of defeat, although she could see some devastated faces in the crowd, too.
Leafpool growled: "Why did they stop?"
Mothwing's tail dropped and all her positive energy seemed to have left her.
"Leopardstar told me it's no use, and Firestar said he just wanted Spiderleg to join Starclan in peace. Why've they all given up, Leafpool?"
Leafpool whimpered. "I don't know."
Her eyes seemed to have dark circles under them and she had to blink more often to keep them from closing, had it been only a few hours or already moons that they had been treating Spiderleg?
Suddenly Mothwing gasped and she motioned Leafpool closer.
"His heartbeat's fainting!" Mothwing croaked.
"No, Starclan, you can't let this happen! Spiderleg, hang on!"
Half of her wanted to crouch down low in defeat and mourn her clan-mate, but the other half hadn't given up yet.
"Lick, Mothwing," she mewed desperately, wishing Cinderpelt could be here to give her advice, "maybe if we can keep him warm, he'll make it till Barkface comes back with the herbs!"
Mothwing nodded and disappeared on Spiderleg's left side, murmuring and licking him at the same time.
Oh Starclan, I don't know why Mothwing doesn't believe in you, but she makes a fine medicine cat all the same.
"Noooooooo!" Mothwing's call made Leafpool jump up. "He's gone!"
Around them the cats began to murmur sadly and quietly and some Thunderclan cats seemed to stare at Leafpool, angrily und impatiently, wanting to say good-bye to their clanmate.
Leafpool gasped in alarm and checked the cat's pulse. Mothwing was right; Spiderleg's heart had stopped beating. There was nothing else she or Mothwing could do. Spiderleg would hunt with Starclan, from now on.
A wave of loss and tiredness hit Leafpool at the same time, unsettling her and for a few seconds she swayed dangerously on her paws, only barely managing to keep her balance. But then, her world seemed to go upside down and then black, leading Leafpool into nothingness.
Starclan, am I dying? I can't! Thunderclan would be without a medicine cat! were her last thoughts.
&&&
A particular scent made Leafpool open her eyes again, to find herself on the ground, an anxious Mothwing and Crowfeather bent over her.
Crowfeather!
A part of her wanted to jump up and lick him to pieces, the other wanted to run away and never look into those sad, wanting eyes again.
"Leafpool, are you okay?" Mothwing asked, looking into her eyes, concerned.
No, I'm not fine. I have no clue what I'm doing here, or where I am. Where are the other cats? Spiderleg? And what's happening with the Gathering?
Leafpool, got up on her paws dizzily, and tried to sound confident and reassuring:
"I'm fine, really."
Mothwing saw a look pass between Crowfeather and Leafpool and a smile crept up her lips.
"I'll cover for you two. Just don't be too long, okay?"
With that Mothwing's golden dappled fur disappeared in the bushes. Leafpool wanted to protest, she didn't want to be left alone with Crowfeather, but the words just didn't want to come out of her mouth.
Crowfeather gave her a quick, brief, if not even embarrassed lick.
"Are you sure you're okay? You scared me when you just fell down back then. I thought we'd lost you for good." He tried to sound normal, but was doing an awful bad job of it.
Leafpool wanted to purr. I'm fine as long as you're here, I love you, Crowfeather! but thatmight've made the whole thing even worse.
"I'm okay, Crowfeather, really. Look, about…"
She paused, not really knowing to start or what to say.
Crowfeather looked at her, but Leafpool knew his thoughts were elsewhere.
"Look, Leafpool, I understand why you went back. The thing with Spiderleg just proved that you're a wonderful medicine cat, and it's obviously what Starclan want you to do, but..."
He paused, throwing her a look that broke Leafpool's heart.
Starclan! she wailed inwardly, why does this feel worse than anything I've ever done?
"I have the feeling Starclan are just toying around with me. First, they make me fall in love with Feathertail, and then they took her away. Then, they had me fall in love with you, and now I can't be with you."
Leafpool shook her head and padded over to Crowfeather, twining her tail with his.
"Oh Crowfeather, Starclan don't make you do anything. It was you that fell in love with Feathertail, nobody made you do it. And it was you, too, who fell in love with me. Starclan watch over us, and care for us, but they cannot control our lives."
Crowfeather pulled his tail away from hers, surprising and shocking her at the same time.
"Leafpool," he moaned, "this is no use. The only place where we could be together is Starclan, and Starclan's where Feathertail's waiting."
A dark and sad thought wove its way through Leafpool.
He loves Feathertail more than me! Of course he does, but, I love him, more than Feathertail could ever!
Oh really?
Leafpool would've been more than happy if an eagle came down to the island, picked her up and used her to feed its babies. Maybe then she would've never heard Crowfeather say this sentence.
"There has to be a way. Starclan will help us," she meowed uncertainly, pawing the ground, not quite believing her own words.
Crowfeather narrowed his eyes and hissed: "No. It is Starclan who separate us. Didn't they make four clans? And the warrior code."
He paused, going on with a trembling, but sure voice at the same time.
"Leafpool, you know I love you, very much, but at the moment I don't see a way."
He padded away from her, in the direction of the clearing, leaving Leafpool where she was, not wanting to move again, ever again.
Was this what Starclan had meant when they sent the horrible cold to her in her dream? Did this mean that she and Crowfeather were not meant to be?
(Yes, I killed of Spiderleg. Actually, I wanted Rowanclaw to die, but Shadowclan have little enough warriors as it is. -)
&&&
Squirrelflight blinked, trying to refocus, but whatever Blackstar was saying just passed right by her, sounding like nothing more than a blur or words.
How could Starclan do this to her? First Feathertail, then Shrewpaw, Hollykit, Larchkit, Sootfur, Cinderpelt and now Spiderleg. Were all of Thunderclan going to die? They had lost more cats the last moon or two than since Squirrelflight had been born.
The tree still stood there, but Spiderleg's body had been removed. Barkface had returned with the dock leaves, and now the warriors had been able to push harder since Spiderleg's live wasn't at risk anymore.
She saw a flash of tabby fur next to her. It was Brambleclaw. On her other side, Ashfur snarled, but this time neither Squirrelflight, nor Brambleclaw paid any attention to him.
"Firestar's going to ask the other leader's about Feathertail's prophecy. Did you talk to Tawnypelt and Crowfeather?"
Too tired to launch a bitter remark at him that he had been having a jolly good time with Hawkfrost while she had indeed talked to both cats, she replied:
"Crowfeather wants to come, seeing as it was Feathertail that brought the prophecy. But Tawnypelt can't come. She says every cat in Shadowclan has more work than ever now that Talonpaw's dead and Cedarheart is injured."
Brambleclaw just stared at her; he probably hadn't expected that his sister would've turned him down.
Squirrelflight felt the sympathy flood through her and she purred. How many times had she wanted to talk truthfully to Leafpool again, but the gaps between a warrior and medicine cat were too big, no matter how close the bond between two sisters were?
"But, maybe Starclan didn't intend Tawnypelt to come. They said five cats; maybe they meant Stormfur, Brook, me, you and Crowfeather!" Squirrelflight tried to persuade him.
Brambleclaw winced but then nodded, seemingly taking comfort in her green eyes.
Squirrelflight seemed to be dancing, inside. This was the Brambleclaw she knew, the cat she had fallen in love with, the cat she would risk her life for. Maybe they hadn't lost that Brambleclaw after all!
"You're right. Now we just need to hear what the other leaders say", he replied, obviously comforted and happier than before, "Squirrelflight, I-I love you. And have always done so."
He leaned closer to Squirrelflight, his pelt right next to hers, his fur tickling Squirrelflight's.
Squirrelflight could've sung with happiness. The journey 'to find what's missing' could begin!
Suddenly a gray pelt swooped over and landed on top of Brambleclaw.
Ashfur!
Squirrelflight watched in horror and once again in that night disbelief as Ashfur sunk his claws into Brambleclaw's pelt, utterly surprising an unprepared Brambleclaw.
The cats around them jumped to one side, leaving a gap of at least one cat-length between her, the two fighting toms and any other cats, not wanting to join the fight.
No-one really seemed surprised, maybe after what happened to Spiderleg they had come to assume that nothing was impossible and anything could happen, Gathering, full moon, or not.
Blackstar had stopped speaking and wore an impression of amusement and planning, as if he were delighted that Thunderclan were showing Shadowclan a weakness. Leopardstar was licking her paws; it wasn't anything to do with her clan, so she wanted to keep out of it. Onestar stood beside Firestar glancing worriedly from him to the two fighting cats.
Squirrelflight tightened her muscles, preparing to spring to Brambleclaw's, yes, she was willing to fight on Brambleclaw's side, what Ashfur was doing completely disgusted her, but another cat was quicker.
Hawkfrost hurled himself into the fight with a menacingly loud battle cry. Ashfur hessisitated a moment, blinking, as if confused, and Hawfrost used that moment to jump on Ashfur's back, niftily getting him off Brambleclaw and pining him to the ground.
"Get off me, you big, fat, lump of a traitor," Ashfur hissed, "Brambleclaw can fight his own battles."
Hawkfrost did as he was told and was about to throw back a reply, but Firestar silenced him.
Squirrelflight looked at Firestar. If the situation hadn't been so serious she would've whistled.
Firestar looked steaming mad. Squirrelflight could understand him; two of his warriors had fought at a Gathering, in front of all the other clans. His ears thrown back, his claws unsheaved and his mouth already formed in a snarl, his green eyes a flame, turned towards Ashfur.
The clearing was eerily silent as if no cat dared speak a word, all were waiting for Firestar's reaction.
Ashfur seemed to have come back to his senses and looked absolutely embarrassed to be caught fighting Brambleclaw here, not meeting Firestar's gaze. His claws were sheaved again and Squirrelflight could sense that he probably wouldn't defend himself if Firestar attacked him.
Firestar sighed, and sheaved his claws, his gaze relaxing a little, but his posture revealing that he was in no way over what had just happened.
"Cats of all clans, I think it is best if we end the Gathering here. Starclan have already shown their disapproval once, and I don't think we should risk extending it any longer."
There were nods of approval from the other cats, as they crowd slowly dispersed, cats looking around to find their leader.
Firestar barely had gathered all of the Thunderclan cats before setting off at a rapid pace.
Squirrelflight barely caught him whispering: "Ashfur, I need to have a word with you," before her increased his pace so he could be at the front of the Thunderclan cats, where he murmured something to his mate, and Squirrelflight's mother, Sandstorm.
Brambleclaw looked visibly disappointed and he increased his pace so that his matched Firestar's. He mumbled a few words to Firestar and Firestar nodded, replying.
Just as Squirrelflight thought she'd have to join them, too, or she'd burst if she didn't know what they were saying, Brambleclaw slowed down and came back to Squirrelflight.
His voice was excited as he whispered in her ear:
"We're going, Squirrelflight, Onestar says Crowfeather can come. We'll leave in two days!"
Squirrelflight looked back at him, lovingly, wanting to put all her emotion into him.
For the first time in moons she and Brambleclaw weren't bickering, she couldn't care less what Brambleclaw did or didn't do with Hawkfrost, because he loved her!
