Chapter 13 - Leaf-fall's End

Leaf-fall had come and went with surprising speed, thought Ivyfrost as she silently watched a mouse nibble at a nut it had found on the ground. Fallen leaves surrounded her and filled the forest with colors. The wind was chilly and left the deputy of ThunderClan forcing down her shivers as she hunted for her Clan. With an athletic leap, she pounced on the mouse and bit into its neck. Warm blood flooded her mouth and she sighed in bliss at the taste. Ivyfrost knew she couldn't eat the fresh-kill before her Clan was fed, but she couldn't deny the wonderful taste that mouse filled her senses with.

Idly she wondered if this would be the last of the prey before leaf-bare set in and made the rest go away.

Lionpaw stretched out chest almost touching the ground after weaving the last bits of bramble into the nursery wall. Since the Gathering, all cats able had been devoting their time to hunting and restoring the hollow to the way it was. With leaf-fall's passing, the Clan didn't have long until leaf-bare dug in its claws and made living harsher for the cats. Many had expressed their worry and Oakstar had assured everyone that the Clan's camp would be back sooner than later. The young calico at first hadn't believed the red tabby's words, but as the dens' walls became patched and nests were created the vision the leader had given all became more and more real.

A cold breeze passed through the hollow and his ears twitched as he tried not shiver. The other cats in the hollow helping rebuild the camp looked up from their work as the breeze met them as well, as if the breeze was a sign to everyone. The apprentice looked up through the opening of the hollow to the sky. Gray clouds were already spreading across the sky. He sighed, thinking, It's going to snow before we finish the dens.

Seeming to respond to his thinking, small flakes of snow started to fall and dust the ground with white. A few heads popped out of the entrance to some of the dens and looked to the sky. Spottedpelt, Berrypaw's mentor, appeared out of the medicine cat's den and looked around. "Any repairs unfinished?" she asked the gathered cats. None of the cats spoke up and she flicked her tail. "Then I'll go tell Oakstar that we're all finished."

The spotted tabby she-cat ran out of the bramble tunnel. Everyone who had been working on the camp grouped together wherever there was cover from the snow and sat, sharing tongues. Lionpaw slipped into the apprentices' den and sat inside the entrance.

Snowflakes continued to fall lazily to the ground as the first of the Clan entered the hollow. More groups started to form as friends joined together, talking excitedly under the shelter of something or other. A few warriors brought what was left of the fresh-kill pile and stacked the prey in the traditional spot. Leafpaw and Berrypaw came in soon after carrying packets of herbs ahead of Silverwing. The three she-cats ducked through the bramble curtain covering the entrance to the medicine cat's den. Lionpaw's got distracted from watching them go as a familiar red tabby entered and jumped onto the Highledge.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Cats who had disappeared into their dens came out at the call. Elders slowly came out of their den and took seats right outside it. Warriors took places before the Highledge and Lionpaw got to his paws to join them. Soon after Leafpaw joined him at his side followed by Berrypaw. She flicked her tail at his ear and mewed, "It's great to be back into our home isn't it?"

He felt his heart soar at her words, but didn't let it show through his demeanor as he answered. "Yeah, I guess."

The trio looked up as Oakstar started to speak.

"Leaf-fall has been replaced by leaf-bare," he started. "And we have been working for three moons to bring ThunderClan's camp back to its former glory. I'm sure StarClan is watching over us now, proud of our perseverance and continuance to work even though odds weren't in our favor.

"also proud of our Clan as well. We have achieved a goal that could have taken longer than expected, yet we accomplished it in such a short time; just in time for the first snowfalls of leaf-bare."

Oakstar paused in his speech to regard his warriors and continued, "Tonight, we'll celebrate and relax. But tomorrow, we'll go back to our daily lifestyles. Leaf-bare will not take us down."

He disappeared into his den at the end of his speech and all the cats started speaking to each other in soft tones. The warriors who had worked on the camp that day went directly for the fresh-kill pile.

Leafpaw tilted her head to the side. "Huh. I just realized something."

Berrypaw glanced at her. "What?"

The light gray she-cat flicked her ears. "It's been six moons since we became apprentices."

At the statement, Lionpaw's ears perked up. Leafpaw's sister narrowed her eyes. "Yes. So?"

"So? So?" Her sister shook her head. "You really don't know? We can become warriors soon!"

"Oh," Berrypaw said, surprised. The calico tom shook his head in disappointment.

Flicking her tail at her, Leafpaw mewed in laughter. "Sometimes you can be so clueless, Berrypaw."

"Whatever."

Lionpaw glanced over at the Highledge where Oakstar had came out of his den. The red tabby tom's gaze drifted over his Clan before locking with the apprentice's. He gestured with his tail for Lionpaw to come and went back into his den.

He flicked an ear. "I'll be right back."

"Um, okay," Leafpaw said as he got to his paws and darted up to Highledge. From there, he climbed up to the leader's den and paused at the entrance unsure if he should go in.

"You can enter, Lionpaw," a voice said from within. The apprentice stepped through the lichen curtain. Near the back, Oakstar sat tail wrapped around his paws. He nodded to his apprentice. "Please sit."

Doing as told, he took a seat in front of his mentor and draped his tail over his paws. "Why did you want to see me?" he asked.

The leader blinked. "Blunt as always I see. I wanted to tell you that your evaluations are coming up soon."

"To become a warrior?"

"What else could it be?" he asked back. The two stared at each other before Lionpaw nodded his head. "I'm sure you'll do good. I doubt there is a reason you won't become a warrior, Lionpaw, despite the...misunderstandings of the past."

Lionpaw flicked his tail. "What misunderstandings?"

"Do you really need me to go into them?" The apprentice shook his head. "Good. You should go eat and rest now. I know you've been working hard lately. Your work will not go unnoticed."

He nodded and got to his paws. Before he exited the den, Oakstar called, "Oh, and Lionpaw, meet me at the camp entrance at dawn."

"Of course, Oakstar."