Surprise, surprise! This chapter, although a little short, is from Leafpool's POV!
As you might know, reviews are this story's life. Thanks to SilverWolf716, Jasmine Wanderer, Tallstar07, XXXXCinderheartXXXX, Silverpearl2, and Rainleaf37 for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter :)
Light shone into the den. Leafpool rose, her light brown fur ruffled from sleep. The former medicine cat smoothed her fur down, hoping nobody would notice the effort it took. That being done, Leafpool decided to complete what she had always completed ever since she first became a medicine cat apprentice. She padded over to the place in the den where the herbs usually lay. She checked to make sure they were still intact, not ruined by kits who had recently found the den, uninvited. Or at least, she tried to.
The herbs were gone, even the familiar cracks in the den where they were usually placed. The pool of water and some moss growing on rocks were also nowhere to be found. Instead of two nests, rather neat in appearance, there were many more than that. Leafpool panicked slightly. Surely cats might have gotten sick while night ruled the world with a firm hand.
Eventually, the brown tabby remembered. Ashfur was dead, and her daughter was missing after the Gathering. Leafpool had stepped down from her medicine cat office and vowed to live the life of an ordinary warrior. Ever since, nearly every cat shunned her, even her own children. Only a certain tortoiseshell she-cat was left in the great circleof friends that Leafpool had once called her own.
"Sorreltail?" she called. The former medicine cat was in the warriors' den now.
There was no answer. Cats slept on, oblivious to the fact that Leafpool was there or not caring. Leafpool realized that her best friend was on the dawn patrol. Brambleclaw had announced it sometime before nightfall. But Lionblaze, who also belonged on that patrol, was still in the den. He crouched in his nest, awake but looking a little depressed.
"Is anything wrong?" Leafpool asked, with motherly concern. Her son ignored her, his golden amber eyes fixed on his paws. Berrynose, whose nest was next to his, however didn't.
"I think there is," he meowed,"he probably woke up on the wrong side of the nest and missed the dawn patrol!" He said this in a slightly irritated tone, teasing his younger Clanmate. Troublesome cat.
"Yeah, right,"Lionblaze growled, probably twice as irritated as the cream colored tom.
Then he stomped away, leaving Berrynose expecting a fight, fur bristling, with none coming. Leafpool sighed. The golden tabby was not usually this easily angered. Maybe something was really wrong. It's just that Lionblaze, a rather secretive cat, wouldn't explain it!
Berrynose muttered something to himself, which to Leafpool was inaudible.
"Should I get Lionblaze some poppy seeds to calm him down?" she questioned, aware that her words had probably nothing to do with what the young tom was thinking.
The cream warrior nodded and started laughing. Leafpool thought of her daughter and knew that she was living a nightmare.