Riverheart followed silently behind Firestar as he dragged Mousefur's body back to camp. Brambleclaw and Graystripe were right behind with Blackclaw; Firestar had insisted that he be taken as well. Spottedleaf trailed behind, her tail dragging on the ground.
It was early in the morning, and the only cats up were out hunting. Firestar set Mousefur's body gently by the Hightree with Graystripe following suit, and then jumped back over the stream to Leafpool's den. She could hear Firestar's meows calling out for Leafpool, and shortly after, Leafpool came bounding towards them.
"What happened?" Leafpool whispered, mostly to herself. Firestar heard, and turned to Riverheart and Spottedleaf.
"Yes, what did happen? Brambleclaw told me you ran out of the camp the second he let you go, which is why we followed you."
Riverheart looked into his eyes, and was glad he didn't seem angry. "Well, last night I saw Mousefur sneak out of the camp, and she never came back, but I didn't go after her because I didn't want to break the vigil, so I ran after her this morning." Riverheart gasped for breath, and looked at Spottedleaf. She looked just as astonished as Firestar. How could she not have seen Mousefur sneak out?
Firestar nodded, though he couldn't keep confusion out of his eyes. Leafpool and Graystripe also looked vaguely confused.
"That all makes sense," Leafpool started slowly. "But I don't understand why Mousefur snuck out of camp in the first place."
Graystripe nodded. "She's always been fiercely loyal to ThunderClan, but she's old. Maybe that's why?" However, before any of them could think of an answer as to what Mousefur was doing with a cat of RiverClan, Jayfeather (A/N subject to change lol) tottered sleepily out of the medicine cat's den, and yowled loudly at the scent of Mousefur and Blackclaw's bloody bodies.
Within the next few minutes, cats from the warrior's den and apprentice's den started to emerge. Some just stopped and stared, and a few approached the cats' bodies, looking forlorn.
Firestar jumped up onto Hightree. "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock!" Almost every cat was already there, but the three in the nursery stuck out their heads.
"Mousefur is dead." Firestar said bluntly. Not many cats gasped as normal since they already knew that she was dead. "She was killed by another cat, and she was also found with a RiverClan cat."
"Did Blackclaw kill her?" A cat's voice rose from above the murmurs, though Riverheart couldn't tell whose it was.
"No, I smelled something else on it." Graystripe mewed. Riverheart looked over at Mousefur's body, wondering if she should tell. She could see Mousefur's old apprentice, Thornclaw, sitting over her, stiff. He looked so pathetic, Riverheart nearly blurted out everything. No, I can't!
Firestar told the Clan that anyone close to Mousefur would sit vigil next to her body, and then he jumped down to talk with Brambleclaw. Spottedleaf leaned over and whispered in Riverheart's ear. "Who could have killed them?" Riverheart nodded, feeling a knot rise to her throat.
A few days passed by, and Riverheart noticed that almost nobody talked to Spottedleaf anymore. Spottedleaf seemed to notice, too, because she began to eat less food than normal. She disappeared more and more, and Riverheart knew she was visiting Northpaw. Every time Spottedleaf came back, Riverheart could feel a flash of resentment towards him and Spottedleaf. Though she'd told Spottedleaf that she'd forgiven her, she still wondered how they could do that.
Riverheart padded up to the fresh kill pile and took a large mouse, but dropped it when Brambleclaw batted her paw. "What-" she started.
"You can't have anything until you go out with the hunting patrol this morning." He said, his face stern though his eyes flashed with playfulness. Riverheart hissed at him and walked towards Cayonridge and Brightheart who were waiting at the entrance for her.
Cayonridge smiled at her on their way out and Riverheart felt herself heat up. Brightheart nudged her and Riverheart hissed. Was everyone out to embarrass her today?
As they reentered camp, Riverheart noticed something was different. Normally, at this time of day, everyone was sharing tongues or eating the fresh kill. Only a few were supposed to be out of camp on the noon patrol. But Riverheart could only see Spottedleaf finishing a small bird and Sorreltail heading towards the nursery, and could barely see a few tails in the warriors den.
"Where is everybody?" Riverheart asked Spottedleaf. She only gulped down the remains of her bird, shrugged, and stalked out of the camp. After she left, a few warriors came out and grabbed some fresh kill, settling down to eat it.
"What was that about?" Riverheart whispered in Brightheart's ear. But she only pretended not to hear. In frustration, Riverheart unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground. What is going on!
She saw Graystripe depart from the nursery and sprang up to talk to him. He stopped when he saw her.
"Hey, Riverheart," he mewed. "Catch much?"
Riverheart nodded impatiently. "Yes, but can I ask you something?" When he agreed, she continued in a low murmur. "Does it seem to you that everyone has been avoiding Spottedleaf?"
"Look, I can't really tell you much," Graystripe stated, sounding anxious. "But I'd ask Firestar." Riverheart nodded.
"Do you know where he is?"
"I think… I think he's out with the noon patrol," Graystripe said slowly.
"Oh."
Riverheart did not get a chance to talk to Firestar over the next few weeks. Every time she saw him, he was always talking to someone else. When they finished, he was began talking to someone else. And of course, there was no one Riverheart could talk to about her frustrations. Spottedleaf would just get annoyed with her if she told her what she was trying to find out.
After coming back from a noon patrol, Oakstripe informed her that she was going to the Gathering that evening.
"Our first Gathering as warriors," he mewed happily.
Spottedleaf was also excited to go. "I can't wait!" Riverheart rolled her eyes, knowing why.
That night, at the edge of the small clearing, Riverheart quivered with anticipation. Firestar seemed to take forever to tell them to go. When he did, she sprang up wildly and trotted into the clearing, trying to keep in control. Through the tall grass that was up to her shoulder blades she spotted Silver Lake for the second time, filled with wonder as it reflected Silver Pelt above. Her attention was drawn away when she saw Spottedleaf head towards a group of WindClan cats and a few ShadowClan and followed her. She wouldn't let her friend do anything stupid this time!
Among the WindClan cats was Northpaw, though Riverheart doubted he was an apprentice still. She sat down next to Spottedleaf and listened to the conversation.
"Yeah, he was killed. We just got a new medicine cat, Windrifter." Riverheart's ears perked. Another cat had been killed?
"I wonder what's going on; Owlfur and Nightpelt were both killed." A WindClan said. Riverheart remembered something.
"Your deputy was killed? Who's your new one?" She asked loudly. The WindClan cat, whom she'd finally recognized as Crowfeather, flicked his tail irritably. "Northtail." Riverheart jerked her head in surprise, while also wondering if Crowfeather was annoyed that he hadn't been picked as the deputy. After all, he had been one of the four cats to make the journey. But Riverheart had also heard of his betrayal when he'd gone off with Leafpool.
But at the same time, she saw Spottedleaf quiver as if it were taking all her strength not to jump up and congratulate him in a more than friendly way.
Completely disgusted, Riverheart stood and padded over to Canyonridge who was speaking to a white cat with one blue eye and one green. "Hi, Ivypaw!" Riverheart greeted her friend as she settled next to Canyonridge.
"Actually, it's Ivyclaw now."
Riverheart smiled brightly. "Congrats!"
"I was just telling her that we're both warriors, too." Canyonridge mewed. Ivyclaw nodded, and then turned to Tree of Uniting. Already, Onestar and Leapordstar were sitting on two of the low branches. Moonstar, a pretty, sleek, white she-cat who was the new ShadowClan leader now that Blackstar had joined the elders was next to jump up and Firestar was last. Each Clan spoke of their new warriors, kits, and apprentices, but there was also a dark side to the Gathering. Each Clan had also lost at least one cat from their Clan, some more. ShadowClan had lost four cats on a patrol.
The Gathering ended and as ThunderClan walked back to their camp, Spottedleaf seemed very happy.
Riverheart spent the next few days trying to talk to Firestar and hunting with Canyonridge. Spottedleaf was very boring, speaking only of Northtail when they were in private. It was a relief to spend time with her other friend, Canyonridge.
Riverheart sniffed the air, and smelling a mouse nearby, immediately dropped into a hunting crouch. She stalked forward, listening to the sound of it scuffling its feet and realized it was on the other side of a bush. Quietly, she skirted the bush and when she saw the mouse, pounced. Her claws unsheathed, Riverheart quickly ended the creature's life.
Canyonridge came barreling through the same bush into her. His eyes were wide with shock. Riverheart yowled in surprise and jumped up. "C-cat!"
"What are you talking about?" Riverheart demanded. He just shook his head and signaled her to follow him, calming down a bit. He ran back through the bush and Riverheart followed, ignoring the scratches she got from the bush.
They finally came to the sun-drown place, and Riverheart looked over the edge of the cliff. It wasn't large; a Twoleg could jump it and not get hurt, but cats had to find other ways down. Riverheart squinted in the dying sun and saw a body.
"I think it's another WindClan," Canyonridge whispered in her ear. But Riverheart didn't notice. A smell was wafting up from the body below. StormClan!
The next few days was chaos. No kit was permitted to leave the camp, and the queen's refused to even let them out of the nursery. Hunting and border patrols had more warriors, and a few, like Spottedleaf, were stationed at the camp to guard it. Though it had only been a WindClan cat, so many were dying, Firestar wasn't taking any chances. Riverheart also noticed that Graystripe and Sandstorm were around her more.
"I wonder what that smell was on the body," Sandstorm said to no one in particular one morning. She looked at Riverheart. "Do you know?" Riverheart shook her head continued eating.
Another time Graystripe slowed his walking and ended up next to Riverheart, once again picking up his pace a little. "So, what do you think has been going on?" Riverheart shrugged and dashed up to Amberpelt.
Spottedleaf also started acting odd, getting more and more rude and edgy. Riverheart could tell she was getting annoyed she couldn't see Northtail. She also was not getting enough exercise and was slowly getting fatter. Riverheart felt bad for her and wondered if Firestar knew. And of course, there was the fact that hardly anyone talked to her, and Brackenfur and Lionheart (A/N also subject to change) glared at her openly every time they passed her.
Finally, Riverheart got her chance to speak to Firestar. Early one morning, Riverheart had gotten up before everyone else. Outside waited one of last night's catch and hopefully a large juicy mouse. She was just about to grab one when movement caught her eye. Someone else was up, but she couldn't see through the early morning mist. She quietly ate her mouse and waited for the cat to make its way to the fresh kill pile.
It was Firestar. Riverheart jumped up and mewed a greeting. He nodded groggily at her. "Can I ask you a question?" Riverheart asked him. He nodded again. "Why does everyone not to talk to Spottedleaf anymore?"
Firestar sighed. "I thought it was a good name at the time, but I didn't think of how the Clan would react."
"What are you talking about?" Riverheart inquired further. "What's wrong with her name?"
"It was the medicine cat's name from when I was very young; an apprentice, actually." Riverheart purred with amusement. She'd forgotten that Firestar had once been an apprentice.
"So?"
"I don't know," Firestar said, his face twisted into a look of despair. "I guess that she was such a good medicine cat that everyone thought someone a bit more worthy would receive her name… or no one at all."
"Well, why'd you name her that in the first place?"
"I-" He frowned. "I-Well, she reminds me of her… She even kind of smells like her." He seemed to blush and he remembered her rubbing against his flank every time he went in for something and the scent coursing through his body.
Riverheart purred in amusement, guessing the reason for his blush. "What are you going to do? You can't just let her suffer." Firestar frowned and the thought that he knew flashed through her mind.
"I don't know, but… I'll think of something. For now, could you please tell her to go out hunting with you right now? I don't think it was smart of me to keep her here all the time." Riverheart nodded, though she couldn't help but think he was hiding something.
OMFG! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry you guys! You probably hate me for taking so long... I'm SORRY! Anyway, please R&R, even if you are angry with me. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! Anyway, this wasn't exactly a very lively chapter, but the next one should be. It WILL be! I'm not gonna tell you what happens though. Umm... This is gonna sound kinda sad, but I had no real intentions for Spottedleaf when I named her that, I just felt like doing it. I normally wing these things, which is why the chapters are often boring; they end up getting too long! But I guess I'll have to think of something to do with her. Okay, R&R! Ty for not hating me, that is, if you guys really don't