A NEW ERA

Hi! Crystal Cavern here! First of all I just wanted to say, Thank you to those six people that voted! The vote is now 5-1, with yes as the answer! So I'm gonna ask one more question! Here it is: Should Leafstar die? Review the answer plz! What the first three people say when they review will be the answer! So review quickly, 'cause a lot of people read!

Also, I know I promised that I would put an example of a clue, but then… the story wouldn't have been interesting! So I'm sorry to all of those who were looking forward to the free clue! But you can still have a hint if you want: It has something to do with the revival of Runningnose!

Eat your veggies, brush your teeth, and don't trip your friends on purpose! Crystal Cavern over, and out!

~Crystal Cavern

Chapter 8: Hazeltail's Rebellion

Hazeltail was at the camp entrance when Leafpool returned. "Hello, Leafpool." she said. "What did StarClan say?"

Leafpool practically dragged her paws with her. "The news isn't very good." Leafpool sighed and faced Hazeltail. "StarClan have not abandoned us, but they won't tell me the name of the new leader." At this Hazeltail gasped. Leafpool assured her, "Don't worry, Hazeltail. I know you're worried, but we'll get through this, the other clans are helping us."

"Why would they help us? And how do they know? You didn't drag yourself to all the clans and announced out our weakness, did you? Hazeltail said.

Leafpool glanced at her and walked on. "No, I didn't." She said without looking back.

The sun was setting. It was time for the dusk patrol, and also for rest. Hazeltail sighed. Clan life was hard for her, but she enjoyed it.

Suddenly, the scent of four cats drifted into her nose. Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. What were they doing altogether? She thought. As the little group approached her, she asked them.

Sandstorm replied. "Squirrelflight and I were hunting when we found these two collecting herbs."

Hazeltail was suspicious. They had no herbs, and they also had no fresh-kill. Something's fishy about this. She decided to ask. "Then why are there no herbs and no fresh kill?"

Squirrelflight's temper shot out of her. "Because!" She screeched. "Just because." Squirrelflight walked into the camp, her head held high, her tail lashing.

Sandstorm sighed. "Hazeltail, Squirrelflight was just peevish because she caught nothing. We didn't have much luck. Lionblaze offered to go get what little we caught, and since it was getting dark, I agreed. You don't have to worry about herbs. Jayfeather said that… Well… You ask him…" Sandstorm walked off too.

Hazeltail looked at Jayfeather and Hollyleaf. "Well?" She said.

Jayfeather was angry. "Thanks for the help, Sandstorm!" He called. Then he stalked off towards the medicine cat's den.

Hazeltail was really suspicious now. What was so important that they couldn't tell her? She looked at Hollyleaf. "So?"

Hollyleaf stared back. She pawed the ground nervously in a circular motion five times and drew an outline around four of them.

Hazeltail was getting impatient. She flicked her tail and twitched her ear. "What's wrong? Mouse got your tongue?" She asked.

Hollyleaf looked up from her diagram. "Lionblaze will tell you. Jayfeather had forbidden me to tell anyone, but he didn't exactly say the same thing to Lionblaze's face." And she walked away too.

Hazeltail was stunned, and a little bit mad. Why wouldn't they tell her? She felt down and tired so lay on her belly. Her paws across the ground, one of them, blurred the furthest circle, but she didn't notice. She listened for Lionblaze. He would explain when he came back. She tilted her ears in all directions, trying to hear a rustle, a twig snapping; anything that would alert her that Lionblaze was coming. She waited.

Berrynose, Sandstorm, Honeyfern, Cloudtail, and Brightheart came over to her. They exited. Hazeltail gazed at them with a weary expression.

"Dusk patrol." Brightheart said. Hazeltail nodded.

She strained her ears for Lionblaze again, but heard nothing from the forest. The medicine cat's den, however… had voices coming out. Hazeltail was curious. She got up from her position and padded silently closer to the voices.

She tried to eavesdrop, but she only heard fragments.

"Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze..." Jayfeather.

"… know about it? It means…" Leafpool.

"…most of it… Willowshine…" Jayfeather.

What? Willowshine? Wasn't that RiverClan's second medicine cat?

Next was Leafpool's voice. It was loud and furious. "How could you send her away?!" Send who away? Willowshine? Did she come for a visit? Then Leafpool whispered something.

Jayfeather's fear scent reached Hazeltail. What is going on?

Hazeltail was alert. She crept back to the entrance, and not a second too late. Jayfeather came out and ran to the warrior's den. Hazeltail was going to follow him when she heard Lionblaze coming.

When he was close enough, Hazeltail said, "You owe me an explanation."

Lionblaze dropped a vole at his feet. "For what?" he asked.

Hazeltail explained in a hurry. "Sandstorm said that Jayfeather was going to tell me why you guys went herb hunting but didn't bring any herbs back since Squirrelflight stormed off, but then when I thought Jayfeather was going to tell me, he walked off too and so I asked if Hollyleaf would tell me, but then Hollyleaf said that Jayfeather had forbidden her to say why, and she told me to ask you." Hazeltail gasped for breath. "I just want to know the truth. Why did Jayfeather leave Hollyleaf with me if he had forbidden her to tell anyone? Why did I hear Jayfeather tell Leafpool stuff about you, Sandstorm, Squirrelflight, Hollyleaf, and Willowshine? Why is nobody telling me anything?" Hazeltail took another breath, but this time it was more like a brief gasp. "I want to know what is going on, and why this is happening. I want to know what StarClan said, so I would know how to help our clan, so Lionblaze, please don't push your luck and tell me to go ask somebody else because my patience is really low and I will not take no for an answer!"

Lionblaze looked at her, astonished. He said slowly, so slowly that the pressure was killing Hazeltail. "I honestly have no, and I mean no, idea what you are babbling about."

Hazel gave an angry screech and pounded the ground once with her front paw. "UGHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Lionblaze tensed and stepped back a bit. "Whoa! You don't need to go all dramatic…"

Hazeltail stepped back. "Fine, if none of you will tell me anything, then I'm leaving." She turned around and fled out of camp.

"Hazeltail!" Lionblaze called. "Hazeltail, wait, come back!" Hazeltail heard him but continued running. She ran as fast as she could, not caring who saw her. Up ahead an angry owl screeched. Hazeltail changed direction.

She did not notice where she was running. She just ran. Although her sides hurt, she continued. She ignored her pain. She ran her soul out, with all her might.

StarClan! Help me! She cried desperately in her head.

She ran around trees, darted over bushes and shrubs, and she disturbed a few mice, but she didn't care. She continued running. The landscape changed from trees and shrubs to tall pines and needles. The ground felt prickly underpaw. Even when she could run no more and her body was yelling at her to stop, she continued. As she continued to run, tears started to form in her eyes. Her vision blurred… And she hit something large and hard.

Then everything went dark. Absolutely dark.