Leopardpaw arrived back at Thunderclan camp a while after Honeystar arrived. When she saw Leopardpaw pad through the gorse tunnel, she stepped out of her den and licked Leopardpaw fiercely, for she was her child.
"Are you okay? Oh, I should have stayed with you! I had no idea it would get so out of hand! Please, forgive me!" Honeystar said quickly.
"Honeystar, I'm fine." Leopardpaw said as she pulled away form Honeystar. "Let me explain what happened. Gorsestar offered me to join Riverclan."
Gasps broke out among the clan and Honeystar held up a paw for silence.
"Let her finish." She said.
"Gorsestar said that if I don't join, than he will launch an attack on Thunderclan. He knows how weak we are." Leopardpaw explained.
"Well…what are you going to do?" A dark orange tabby, Flamepelt, asked.
"I'm going to join Riverclan." Leopardpaw exclaimed as another wave of gasps rippled through the clan.
"What?! Why? Why would you ever even think to do something so mouse brained? You belong in Thunderclan and that's where you will stay!" Honeystar yowled.
"But Hon-"
"You are my child and I cannot let you do something ever so dangerous! I could never be separated from you! You are my only kit left and I'm on my last life!"
Horrified mews rippled among the clan for they did not know that their leader was on her last life. She told the clan she had four left. Even Leopardpaw didn't know that.
Honeystar thought for a moment then hung her head and sighed. She jumped on the high rock and called the summoning words. The clan gathered around the high rock and Honeystar began.
"You all know what Leopardpaw wishes to do." She sighed and hung her head yet again. "I have made the choice of letting her do what she must do. Leopardpaw is right, we cannot risk a battle. Riverclan knows we are weak and Gorsestar wants strong warriors."
The Thunderclan deputy, Smokepelt, emerged form the medicine cat's den. He had developed green- cough and was getting weaker by day. Every cat in the clan knew he would not last much longer. Smokepelt was still very young, fifteen moons (a year and three months), to young to join the elders den. He stepped forward.
"Leopardpaw, you need to tell the clan why you are going to join Riverclan besides the fact that it is for the good of the clan."
"I thought that I could join Riverclan and learn how to fish and swim. Then everyday I could meet one of Thunderclan's warriors at their side of the River and give them fish. That way the clan could strengthen up. And when I escape and go back to here, to Thunderclan, we will be ready for Riverclan to attack." Leopardpaw explained.
"I think it might work." Smokepelt said.
"Well, in that case, I think that before you go, you should at least be given your warrior name." Honeystar announced as she jumped down from the high rock. "Leopardpaw, you have trained as an apprentice for four moons. You are way past due for your warrior name. Leopardpaw, I give you your warrior name. Leopardtail, we are thankful to have you and welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."
She rested her muzzle on Leopardtail's head and sighed.
"I just wish…you would stay." Honeystar sniffed. "You must sit vigil for the night. You will leave for Riverclan tomorrow."
"Okay, it sounds good." Leopardtail replied.
She sat in the center of camp as the night set in around her. She could hear the birds calling for their mates to sleep beside them in their warm nests.
Leopardtail longed to go out and catch them, but she knew that she couldn't in Riverclan because the only birds that were in Riverclan territory were huge herons that the clan caught only one time in the history of all clans.
Camp was silent except for the quiet snoring of the cats in the dens around her. Leopardtail rested her head on her paws as she thought about the day ahead of her and what it would bring.
The day faded to dusk and dusk faded to night, the day slipping away like water on a window. The drops sliding down the glass only to land on the grass, split into a million pieces, and then goes back up into the sky.
Leopardtail heard the quiet rustling of bracken as the entrance of the nursery quivered and out stepped a queen, Heathertail.
"Leopardtail?" She whispered. "Is that you?"
Heathertail padded forward and took a closer look. When she was close enough, she nodded and yawned. Then the golden she-cat sat down.
"I got something to tell you." She said. "It's really important. I don't think you should go to Riverclan."
Leopardtail, knowing she could not speak, just cocked her head to one side.
"I think that Honeystar is thinking about making you…you…deputy when Smokepelt…passes. Every cat knows that he is not going to make it through the next night. Why, just this morning Owlpaw, (Owlpaw was Whitewhisker's, the medicine cat, apprentice) was telling me that he was barely going to make it to your warrior ceremony. "She mewed.
Leopardtail pointed with her nose to the apprentice's den, inquiring that she had not had an apprentice yet, for she was barely a warrior.
"I know, but Honeystar is going to give you one when my kits are six moons old. They nearly are. Five moons to be exact. In a few days they will be six moons." Heathertail protested. "Anyway, I've got to go. Don't tell anyone about our meeting. See you soon."
She heaved herself to her paws, her belly still rounded with milk, and padded back through the bracken into the nursery.
Leopardtail wondered why Heathertail would insist upon her becoming the deputy and having an apprentice. She would have to go to Riverclan in the morning. It was the only way that she could maintain her duty as protecting her clan.
She decided that she would ask weather it would be best for her to go to Riverclan or to stand her ground and fight against them.
She rested her head on her paws once more and tried not to drift into sleep as she guarded the camp awaiting the morning where she would confide to Honeystar about her problem.
