Part 4

It had been six moons since Birchwing had announced herself to them and now MoonClan was thriving. They had six new warriors, Cinderheart, a grey she-cat with blue eyes, Wildstorm, a gold tabby tom, Icestorm, a silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes and her sister Wavefur, a brown tabby with blue eyes with white paws and muzzle. There was also Midnightsky, a black she-cat with amber eyes and her mate, Hawktalon, a black tom with green eyes. They also had another queen, Silentblue, a blue-grey she-cat with red eyes. She had recently given birth to five kits, Spottedkit, Mistykit, Emberkit, Moonkit and Dreamkit. And today they were about to make two kits apprentices. Bramblestar sat up proudly as he watched Sparrowkit and Bramblekit tussle in the clearing. They both had there own personalities, Sparrowkit was bosterious, energetic but clever, which made him most likely to get into trouble. Bramblekit was more like his mother, quiet, quick thinking but his temper certainly kept Sparrowkit in line. He purred with satisfaction, they would both make fine warriors. Just then familiar forest green eyes appeared infront of him.

"Hello Bramblestar," Birchwing mewed in a friendly voice, "Excited that your kits are going to be apprentices?" If only they were his kits, he thought sadly. They had told the cats that he was the father of Leafpool and Crowfeather's kits, never wanting any of them to find out.

"Yes," he mewed smoothly, trying to hide how his heart fluttered when he saw her, "I'm glad you came, I want you to mentor Bramblekit." She nodded with excitement and ran out to tell the rest of the Clan. He swallowed his emotions guiltily. Everytime Birchwing was around he felt his fur flush and his heart flutter. He shock himself angrily. Leafpool was his mate! How could he think like that! But then again, he thought, Leafpool was becoming more and more distant with everyday. She barely seemed to eat, and she never shared tongues with him anymore. Infact, she'd stopped talking to him all together! Everytime he'd gone to talk to her she seemed so far away, she wasn't the cat he loved any longer. But was Birchwing? No! He thought. Leafpool must just be going through a phase or something. She'd be back to normal soon and they'd be sharing tongues happily as they used to. Leaping onto the pile of rocks the clan had made for him to stand on, he called the cats to start the ceremony. It didn't take long for them to gather. He saw Leafpool with her two kits next to the RockPile, grooming them. He heard their indignant mews of protest.

"I'm clean already!" Sparrowkit mewed in protest, "If you keep licking my fur it'll fall out!"

"I just want you to look clean for the ceremony," he heard Leafpool mew gently to her kit.

"You don't have to worry about us anymore mother," Bramblekit mewed, "We're going to be apprentices!"

"I'll still worry about you when your elders and I'm in StarClan!" she joked, "It's my job." The two kits purred with laughter.

"You'll never die!" Sparrowkit mewed naively, "I'll protect you! Your going to live forever, right?" Leafpool said nothing but looked away from her kits.

"Hush now, the ceremony's beginning," she mewed softly staring at her paws.

"Cats of MoonClan!" Bramblestar mewed helpfully expecting Leafpool to be grateful. But she didn't move. He sighed and continued.

"Today we gather below the RockPile to give two kits their apprentice names!" he mewed, "Bramblekit, Sparrowkit, come here please." The two kits padded up to him eagerly.

"Until they have earned their warrior names," he continued, "These cats will be known as Bramblepaw and Sparrowpaw." He turned to face the crowd of cats.

"Icestorm," he mewed, "You have proved your loyalty to MoonClan, and your strength and wisdom, I expect you to pass all this on to young Sparrowpaw." Icestorm nodded with her eyes wide and touched noses with Sparrowpaw.

"Birchwing," he mewed, "You have made a fine deputy for MoonClan, with your gentle understanding and strength of mind, I expect you to pass on all you know to young Bramblepaw."

"Of course," she mewed and she touched noses with Bramblepaw. Bramblestar didn't miss Leafpool's look of disgust at his choice and he felt himself bristle with anger.

"Have you got a problem with that Leafpool?" he snapped at her and all the cats turned to face her. She looked up at him in horror for a long time. Then her expression turned to one of anger.

"No," she snapped drawing her ears back, "Have you? Or do you simply wish to accuse me?" Not waiting for an answer she spun around with her nose and tail in the air and padded into the Medicine Cat den. Bramblestar growled softly. Why did she have to ruin Bramblepaw's apprentice ceremony? But when he looked back to the rest of the clan he was glad to see they had just blanked out Leafpool's aggression and moved on to congratulating the first apprentices for MoonClan. I must speak with her he thought and he jumped down from the RockPile and padded into the Medicine Cat den after her.

"Leafpool!" he called and he saw she was sitting in her den, staring at the corner with wide confused eyes. Fear for his mate overwhelmed him and he padded over to her, resting his tail on her shoulder. "Are you OK?" he asked. Instantly she snapped her head up to look at him.

"I'm fine," she mewed softly and he relaxed as she licked him on the cheek, "Sorry I snapped at you." He purred and nuzzled her gently, but as he did so he felt her stiffen beside him. He looked up and saw Birchwing had come in.

"What do you want?" Leafpool hissed at the deputy, "Get out of my den!"

"I only wanted to…" but she was cut of by his hiss of outrage. What right did Leafpool have to be so nasty?

"Leafpool!" he snapped, "Don't be so rude!" He turned to Birchwing, "What's up Birchwing," he asked softly.

"I just wanted to see if Leafpool was OK," she mewed innocently.

"You see!" he growled turning back to Leafpool, "She was only being friendly!" Leafpool got to her paws, rage like he'd never seen before in the usual gentle medicine cat showing in her amber eyes.

"Get…Out!" she hissed so dangerously he flinched and Birchwing took a step back in horror, "You have no right to come into my den so I suggest you both leave now!" She raised her hackles threateningly and unsheathed her claws. Birchwing ran out in terror, clearly not wanting to be torn apart by the angry medicine cat. Just then Leafpool bent down and dissolved into a painful coughing fit and Bramblestar took a step towards her in horror, his horror increasing when he realised she was coughing up blood.

"Leafpool!" he mewed in horror, tears filling his eyes, "Your sick." Leafpool looked up at him, still unable to breathe, her eyes filled with tears.

"Just…Leave…Bramblestar," she wheezed angrily.

"But…" he protested.

"THERES THE EXIT NOW LEAVE!" she yowled in anger, her ears drawn back, her teeth bared and her claws unsheathed, only her eyes revealed how upset she was. Terrorfied, he ran out of the den, shaking uncontrollably as he crouched outside. As he tried to calm himself he heard her sobbing uncontrollably. They'd never quarrel as viciously as that. He'd never seen any cat as angry as he'd seen Leafpool. He'd never have expected in a million moons for her to get that angry! He didn't even think she possibly could! Looking around the camp he saw every cat staring at him in shock, even the kits! He felt a gentle tongue rasp his ear and he turned to see Birchwing.

"Its OK," she mewed reassuringly, "I'll take you into your den." Gently she guided him to his den under the RockPile and he didn't have the will or the strength to stop her. As he passed Sparrowpaw and Bramblepaw he noticed Sparrowpaw giving him a look through narrowed amber eyes. But he was to shocked to care. He settled in his nest and Birchwing curled herself around him.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely, "Why is she so angry with me?"

"I think…" Birchwing began, "I think she's jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?" he asked her looking confused and he felt his fur tingle as her forest green eyes came closer, as she licked his cheek.

"Of us," she whispered and Bramblestar couldn't resist a purr of joy.