Chapter Four: Jayfeather

I never thought such a small group of cats could make so much noise! I mean they probably heard them back up in the mountains! StarClan! And they wanted to keep this on the "down low", that worked. I pretty sure they scared Hollyleaf to death because she's melted back against us and is pressing into our fur.

"It's okay." Lionblaze whispers to her.

"I know. But thanks any way Lionpaw." She mews. Wait what?

Lionpaw?

What had she said in my dream? "Jaypaw! I thought I'd never see you again!" Jaypaw. Why would she call us by our paw names? We'd gotten our real names moons before she ran away. Unless…

"Hollyleaf!" Brambleclaw walks forward, "We thought you were lost forever."

"Wait, what? Who are you talking to?" she mews sounding so confused.

"We really need to get her back to camp so I can treat her." I cut in quickly. I want to test my theory before anyone finds out.

The going is slow; Hollyleaf is growing weaker with each passing second. Brambleclaw and Brackenfur eventually end up carrier her back to camp.

I can remember the last time the camp went this crazy over something and I really want to forget it.

Graystripe almost explodes when he sees us, ("Why didn't you tell me? I would have helped!"), Ferncloud drops the mouse she was carrying, and (the weirdest) Hollyleaf stumbles over to Squirrelflight and Leafpool and starts talking about how much she had missed Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. That was the sign for me. I need to get her back to the medicine den before a cat ruins my plan.

That's what brought me here.

"Please eat it. I know it tastes nasty but you have to." Hollyleaf sighs, long drawn out sigh, but she eats the herbs.

"So where's Leafpool? Why isn't she treating me?" Hollyleaf asks.

"Have you ever heard of cats forgetting things after a bad accident?" I ask quickly glossing over her question.

She shakes her head no and mews, "But I can see how it would happen."

"Well it happened to you." I mew and Hollyleaf almost chokes on the reminder of her herbs.

"WHAT?!" She exclaims as soon as she can speak.

"I'm sorry. I understand that this is hard to process, but can you tell me the last thing you remember?" I ask her tentatively.

"We were in the mountains, with the Tribe of Rushing Water after the battle with the rogues." She answers. I let my breath out with a whoosh; I can't believe that much of her memory is gone. She shifts in her nest and I know she is looking at me with dismay,

"That's not the last thing that happened is it?" She breaths. I shake my head slowly and slip into the herb cleft to get some (okay maybe ten) poppy seeds, she needs sleep and I need her to be knocked out for a while. (Five or six days more like.)

"How long have I been gone?" Hollyleaf asks quietly when I return.

"Well a while. Foxkit and Icekit are now Foxleap and Icecloud, there's been a few battles, and uh Millie had kits who are now warriors, Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, and Briarlight, who happens to be paralyzed. And oh Leafpool-is-no-longer-a-medicine-cat-and-Squirrelflight-and-Brambleclaw-aren't-mates-anymore." I mew as quickly as I can. Hollyleaf hesitates but mews,

"What was that last part?"

"It doesn't matter." I lie quickly.

"Have there been any deaths?" She asks causing me to sigh sadly. She has to know.

"Honeyfern, she was Honeypaw. A-a snake bit her. There was nothing we could do." Hollyleaf shivers in her nest, I can hear it shaking.

"Anyone else?" she whispers.

"Longtail. A tree fell into camp, the birch that's here now. It hit Longtail and Briarlight. He died immediately, she broke her spine. She has no feeling in her lower back or in her hind legs." Hollyleaf fills with sorrow at my words.

"That's so cruel. How could they let that happen?"

I shake my head, for I have no explanations. "Eat the poppy seeds." I mew instead.

She doesn't protest, from her emotions I can tell she wants a dreamless sleep. All the same, I wait until I am certain that she is in deep, deep sleep before I slip out of the den. Before I go to see Firestar I turn back, wondering if I should have told her about Ashfur… But what if it makes her remember? And then everything will happen all over again….

The camp is still a buzz. It easier than I thought it would be to weave through the clusters of cats and up the path to see Firestar for the second time today.

"Jayfeather how is she?" Firestar asks when I enter.

"She's responding well to the treatment, but… Firestar the last thing she remembers is being the mountains." I mew unsure how he will take this.

"Then I must address the Clan. She cannot know more than she needs to know." His mew is sharp here I can tell what he is thinking easily.

"Trust me I will not tell her. That's when she changed and I want her the way she is now. I do whatever it takes to keep her this way."

"Good." Firestar mews briskly, "Then I will address the Clan now. She is sleeping?"

"Yes, I gave her poppy seeds." Firstar nods and walks out to Highledge. I slip out behind him and sneak down the path to find a place in the shadows.

Firestar gives the call for a Clan meeting, and the Clan assembles beneath him. I can sense Lionblaze looking for me, but at the moment I want to be alone so I shrink back farther into my shadow.

Basically, Firestar explains Hollyleaf's return and her memory loss, and then he explains our plan. To be honest I am surprised, from the mutterings I'd heard I thought the Clan was going to kick her out, but only three seemed wary and the rest sound excited. They're all yowling their heads off now 'to welcome Hollyleaf back'. I think Foxleap started it which is weird because I thought he was all busy impressing Rosepetal. But judging from the waves of joy coming off of him, he's over her and devoted to Hollyleaf. It's weird because I would have never matched them together, but then again I'm a medicine cat so how would I know?

Not that I'm jealous or anything. Yeah… It's just a small pang, nothing to worry about. I focus in on Foxleap, Icecloud has joined her brother and I'm trying to ignore the deepening pang at Icecloud's soft smell and sweet purr as she licks her brother's ear. I am a medicine cat. And I am not Leafpool.

But then again I never wanted to be a medicine cat, so it should count for me. Should it?