Chapter 5: Riverleaf

"Riverleaf?"

Riverleaf blinked open her eyes and looked up as Hawkspirit softly called her name. Her brother was peering into the entrance to the medicine den, his eyes concerned.

"What is it, Hawkspirit?" Riverleaf heaved herself to her paws.

"I...I was wondering if you experienced any trouble at the Moonriver when you went a few sunrises ago."

"No, I was fine. The place reeked of Twolegs, but they didn't bother us." Hawkspirit had been repeatedly worried for Riverleaf's safety. "Hawkspirit, are you all right? You seem more worried than I."

Hawkspirit shuffled his paws. "Newleaf isn't being kind to Poolflower's kits. They haven't shaken their cough yet. And you haven't seemed focused ever since they were born."

It was Riverleaf's turn to feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to talk about the omen, not until she had had time to think about it. "How is Poolflower?"

Hawkspirit couldn't frown at her change of subject, not when it was about his mate. "She's tired, but she's got plenty of milk. Owlspots caught a minnow, and Moonkit loved it."

Riverleaf purred. "I'm glad."

The ginger-and-brown tabby continued. "Stonekit's eager to swim, but Poolflower won't let him near so much as a puddle. I took him to the shallows yesterday, but a pike snapped at him and scared him. Poolflower told me that large fish like pike are the reason why day-old kits don't go anywhere near water."

Riverleaf cocked her head. "Did you see any of that heron that flew by yesterday?"

"Oakclaw and Timberclaw lead a patrol to chase it off and came back with two nests' worth of feathers."

Riverleaf smiled in wry satisfaction. "That should keep it away. Say, have you seen Pikepelt?"

The brown tabby staggered into the medicine den just then with a massive trout clamped in his jaws. Both he and the fish were dripping wet.

Pikepelt threw down the fish at Riverleaf's paws. "There," he panted. "I finally got it."

It was Hawkspirit's turn to smile. "That trout is finally fresh-kill."

Riverleaf mewed agreement. For several days, Pikepelt had done nothing but fish. Upon returning from the Moonriver, a trout had leapt out of the stream and nipped viciously at the medicine cat apprentice's tail. Riverleaf had had a hard time dragging the furious tabby back to camp.

"Do you want it?" Pikepelt asked. Riverleaf nodded, her belly rumbling at the scent of fresh-kill. Hawkspirit excused himself and left the medicine cats alone.

Riverleaf tore hungrily into the trout. Pikepelt settled on its opposite side and attacked a protruding fin, shaking it furiously before eating it.

"Even though it's dead, do you still hate it?" Riverleaf teased. Pikepelt growled in a friendly way before working on the tail. "Pikepelt," Riverleaf meowed after swallowing another bite, "do you enjoy being a medicine cat?"

This question surprised him more than Riverleaf had anticipated. He choked on a tail fin before coughing it up.

"That," Pikepelt spluttered, "was unexpected." He rose to his paws and buried the half-eaten fin before resuming his meal. Riverleaf watched patiently as her apprentice chewed slowly and swallowed before answering.

"Sometimes," Pikepelt mewed deliberately, "I wish I were a warrior. Serving my Clan with herbs has a certain satisfaction, especially the regard they view me with."

"Do you enjoy being a medicine cat merely for the status?"

Pikepelt clawed at a bone in frustration. "I hate to admit it," he growled. Riverleaf allowed him to score his claws down the bone, waiting for him to continue.

"I love having the power of the stars in my paws," he muttered. "StarClan is amazing. Reading signs and interpreting omens—" Here Riverleaf stiffened. "—simply fascinates me. I'm not as keen about the herbs. Strengthening herbs are interesting, as well as certain herbs such as borage. But sick cats..." Pikepelt shuddered. "I find healing revolting."

Pity washed over Riverleaf like water over a stepping-stone. Pikepelt had the initiative and memory, but not the stomach.

Then Riverleaf felt a flash of anger at her tactlessness. Why had she taken upon this question when she had an unanswered omen?

"Well," she mewed brusquely, "if you could chose between being a warrior and a medicine cat, which would you be?"

Riverleaf trusted her apprentice to use the wisdom she and StarClan had bestowed upon him. Most cats would decide rashly, but not Pikepelt. He mused over his fish for a while, plucking at each individual scale. When one crooked scale sliced his pad, he gritted his teeth as blood flowed and dripped onto the fish.

"I've decided," he meowed at last. "I'd like to stay in my current position. I'd be far behind if I did switch, despite my previous warrior training. I enjoy hunting, and battles make my claws itch—but for herbs and healing, not for the blood of a rival Clan. I'm sure my revulsion will pass in time. This is how I may best serve my Clan."

Riverleaf's heart swelled. Pikepelt had come far from the eager, hasty 'paw he had been moons ago. "I'm glad to hear it, Pikepelt," she mewed, leaning over the fish and licking his forehead tenderly. "I would be honored to continue passing on my knowledge, even when I join StarClan."

Pikepelt smiled in relief and swiped his tongue first across his paw and then over the blood on the fish. He took a huge bite. "All this talk has made me hungry," he mumbled around the mouthful.

Riverleaf let out a mrrow of laughter and sank her teeth into the other side of the fish.

"Do you remember any omens you have read?" she mewed after swallowing.

Pikepelt narrowed his eyes in thought. "The full moon was red one night. That was when a BreezeClan warrior attacked a DarkClan warrior without reason. The BreezeClan warrior died at the DarkClan leader's paws."

Riverleaf nodded. "Very good."

"And then you saw a sharp, shiny thing—"

"A hook," Riverleaf corrected him. "It's a Twoleg thing."

"A hook in Shellstar's fish. After that, Duckfeather died giving birth to a LightningClan cat's kits—Muddypaw, Rushpaw, and Birdpaw."

"Exactly."

Pikepelt studied Riverleaf. "Have you had any omens that I don't know about?"

Riverleaf lashed her tail but managed to control herself. Could she trust Pikepelt?

"Yes," she murmured. "I have had an omen. But, Pikepelt, understand that I know nothing about what it means.

"After Poolflower gave birth, I lay awake in my nest for a while. I felt very strongly that the birth had been an omen. Poolflower had three kits, and the omen made reference to three cats. The forest will be destroyed, but I am the fourth cat.

"Later, I dreamt that Bloomwing—my mentor—came to me. She delivered this message: 'Four cats from four Clans will save the forest from destruction. Four will become one against the threat that never disappears.' I knew that my omen related to her message, but how and why, I have no idea."

She nibbled at the trout, waiting for Pikepelt's response. The tom was sitting in stunned silence, his yellow eyes darting about on their own as his mind worked.

Finally he meowed, "As you said, I have no idea. This is troubling. The forest was threatened by Dogstar, and then Frogstar—" Riverleaf flinched at the mention of her father's name. "—but I don't know what else could lie ahead."

"Do you know the stories of Dogstar and Frogstar?" Riverleaf asked. "You weren't even born when Frogstar was defeated, and I was just an apprentice."

Pikepelt cocked his head, remembering. "Heroncloud knows the stories best." He eliminated the other fin of the fish with a large bite. "Dogstar ruled DarkClan many, many moons ago. He sent elders away from the Clan, ignored the warrior code, and scorned StarClan. He began trespassing on other Clan territories to learn the land. He wanted to rule the whole forest, so he joined StreamClan and BreezeClan with DarkClan, naming the new Clan DogClan. Wolfstar, LightningClan's leader, did not join, and he met with the former leaders of BreezeClan and StreamClan. The three Clans mounted an attack against DogClan, and Wolfstar killed Dogstar. But Dogstar had one more life left, and he killed Wolfstar easily. The deputy of LightningClan—was it Lionclaw or Lionfang?"

"Lionclaw."

Pikepelt narrowed his eyes. "Lionclaw was left in charge in the middle of a battle. Dogstar was sure he had won, and was also certain that, with no leader or deputy, LightningClan would turn to him for guidance. Dogstar had let his guard down when he attacked Lionclaw, and Lionclaw flipped Dogstar over to expose his belly and attacked until that foul tyrant died. The medicine cat had also been banished along with the elders, and he—I think his name was Shadefur—returned with a sign from StarClan. He proclaimed that a tawny owl had flown across Silverpelt in the darkest of nights. He interpreted this to mean that Tawnywing, a DarkClan warrior, should be leader, and Tawnystar served her Clan well with all of her lives."

"Excellent. Do go on."

Pikepelt lapped at his almost-dry chest fur before continuing. "Frogclaw was the son of Dogstar and a passing rogue. His father walked in his dreams, I think."

Riverleaf nodded, surprised. "How did you know about that? Bloomwing told me in my dreams, but I thought I was the only one..."

"Bloomwing told me, too. As I was saying, Dogstar taught his son to walk paths of evil. He had several ideas to slay leaders, including taking one life and throwing the unconscious cat into the Moonriver to drown. Frogclaw recruited rogues from Twolegplace, led by a tom named Agony, with the second-in-command called Badger. They invaded LightningClan territory but were driven out. He eventually rose to power and led StreamClan. He killed many cats, including the previous leader, Freezestar, and his own apprentice Reedpaw. Mothstar united all of the Clans against the newly made FrogClan, led by Frogstar himself. StreamClan cats and disagreeing rogues joined either DarkClan or LightningClan. A rogue named Bright proved to be a worthy aspect of these cats. Grassfoot was made deputy after Tawnystar died, but he never became leader." Pikepelt leaned closer. "Freezestar herself walked in my dreams and told me the aspects of this story occurring on the other side. Dogstar and Frogstar had walked in Grassfoot's dreams, trying to persuade him to join FrogClan. Frogstar was slain by the very rogues he had assimilated—after murdering their leader and deputy, the third in command came forward and ordered the kill. Bright joined LightningClan, I think, and the rogues left for Twolegplace. Petalshine, the medicine cat apprentice in LightningClan, was formerly StreamClan. She died giving birth to the kits of a DarkClan warrior."

Riverleaf nodded, submersed in memories. "My brother," she mewed bitterly, "was evil. Yewpaw followed his father and father's father in the starless forest where evil cats go. He told us, I know. Hawkspirit, Shellstar, they know. Ripplestreak and Yewpaw were getting close, so Yewpaw told her as well. How could he make a bigger mistake? Death came upon him soon after." She bowed her head, swallowed up in anger and grief.

"StreamClan will stay strong," Pikepelt vowed. "Regardless of mysterious omens or dark-hearted cats making the Clan filthy, we will not falter."

Riverleaf raised her head, her green eyes burning with new fire. "We will not falter," she repeated.

"I am with you on this, Riverleaf, my mentor, my Clanmate, and my friend. Whatever this threat is, StreamClan will face it as one."

She allowed Pikepelt to lick a fish scale off of her paw, but inside her emotions were in turmoil. I feel as if StreamClan cannot take part in what I must do.