Hi! I am really sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I am on vacation this week and my school starts in a couple weeks, so I will probably update only once a week. Sorry!

Thank you so much to my only reviewer on the previous chapter, HEATHERSTORM! She is one of my friends, so please check out her bio.

Finally, please please review! My goal on this chapter is five reviews, and I am much more encouraged to continue if I get those reviews.

Now here is the chapter!

Chapter 7: Mintleaf

Mintleaf watched the last warrior stumble out of camp. "They're gone," she sighed. She heard voices in the nursery and ran over to it.

She walked in and gasped. Silverriver was glaring at Flamestar, who was apparently still there. Every few seconds, she would cast a glance at Ivybreeze.

"What is going on?" Mintleaf asked.

Ivybreeze stepped forward. "I think we should leave Willowwind and her kits in peace. Let's go outside." Her voice was tight and she looked like she would rather go hide in her den. The cats who had been in the nursery followed her out, even Willowwind. This must be very interesting if she's leaving the kits.

"What in the name of StarClan is going on?" Leafstar asked. "Why is Flamestar still here?" She bounded to the center of the clearing. The rest of the clan, including the elders, gathered around to know what was going on.

Featherbreeze stepped forward. "Flamestar was arguing with Silverriver about how she should go back to OakClan. Then he meowed, 'Your mother would be ashamed!' and Ivybreeze and Silverriver looked horrified. Silverriver meowed, 'You know she wouldn't, after all, don't you think she wants me to be in her clan, after you stole me for your own clan?'"

Leafstar gave Flamestar a long look. "I think you'd better go," she meowed, her voice laced with meaning. I still don't understand! Mintleaf thought. Isn't Firespring Silverriver's mother?

"Fine," Flamestar meowed. He padded out of the camp.

Leafstar glanced at the warriors around her. The apprentices were sitting at the edge of the group. "Hollypaw, Stonepaw, Creekpaw, go make sure they've all left," she ordered.

"But we—" Hollypaw started, silenced by a look from Leafstar. "Okay," she muttered and the apprentices ran out of the camp.

"Ivybreeze," Leafstar growled. "Care to say anything?"

The medicine cat dipped her head. "I understand that I broke the medicine cat code and the warrior code, and I accept whatever punishment you give me." Wait, is Ivybreeze Silverriver's mother?

Smokesplash dared to speak what Mintleaf was thinking. "Wait—you mean Ivybreeze is Silverriver's mother?" the tom asked, pushing through the crowd.

Leafstar was silent for a few heartbeats. Then she meowed, "Ivybreeze is, or was, Flamestar's mate and Ivybreeze's mother. And, Ivybreeze, am I to think that since Firespring pretended to be Silverriver's mother, she also knows of this?"

"Yes, Leafstar," Ivybreeze murmured.

"Silverriver," Leafstar continued, "I'm sure there is more to this story. Why don't you tell us?" She didn't sound angry at the young she-cat, just curious.

Silverriver blinked. "Flamestar lied to me about my mother. He told me it was Firespring. Just now, right after I told him I knew he stole me, he said, 'What do you mean? Firespring is your mother! Firespring, an OakClan cat!' and I told him I knew she wasn't. I said, 'No. Firespring is my foster mother, because when you needed a mate in your clan, she was willing. Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Firespring never loved you. She was loyal to me, as my foster mother, and told me the truth about my family. I have always known the truth!' and everything I said is true." The clan was silent for a few heartbeats.

"Is it true that you were stolen?" Leafstar asked.

"Yes," Silverriver meowed. "Ivybreeze didn't give me to OakClan. And the reason I joined LakeClan with Smokesplash is that I knew I belonged here."

"This conversation is over," Leafstar announced. "Ivybreeze, I can't force you to step down from medicine cat, because we won't have one. But, when you get an apprentice, and your apprentice becomes a full medicine cat, you will be forced to step down."

"Fine," Ivybreeze murmured and slipped into her den. "If any cat is badly injured, come see me. Otherwise it can wait until morning," she meowed, ducking her head back out. Gradually, all the cats in the clearing went to their dens; it wasn't dawn yet and every cat had to be exhausted. Only Mintleaf and Featherbreeze remained.

"Are we supposed to be guarding?" Mintleaf wondered aloud.

"Probably," Featherbreeze sighed. But she didn't move. "We can guard here."

"Okay," Mintleaf yawned. For the remainder of the night, she and Featherbreeze would prod each other occasionally to make sure they didn't fall asleep.

…

"Mintleaf, Featherbreeze!" Thunderstrike was padding towards them. "Go get some sleep," he meowed. "It's pretty much dawn and cats are starting to wake up." Thank StarClan! Mintleaf thought. I'm about to fall asleep. She stumbled into the warriors' den and found an empty patch of moss. Yawning, the black she-cat lay down and instantly fell asleep.

…

Mintleaf yawned. What time is it? She wondered. She got out of her nest in the warriors' den and slipped out of the entrance. Featherbreeze was still fast asleep. It was just past sunhigh, which meant she had slept half the day. She looked around the clearing. Silverriver, Willowwind and the kits were sitting outside the nursery. The kits were all playing together, in a big heap.

"Silverriver, Willowwind!" she called, trotting over to them. The queens looked over at her.

"Hi, Mintleaf," Willowwind purred. "Have you come to meet the kits?"

Mintleaf nodded and asked, "what are their names?"

"Kits!" Silverriver called. The ten kits split into two groups and trotted back to their mothers.

"The calico she-cat is Tanglekit, the dark grey tom is Slatekit, the brown-red she-cat is Finchkit, and the tom who looks just like her is Robinkit. The last one is Wrenkit," Willowwind replied, pointing with her tail at each kit.

Silverriver pushed her kits toward Mintleaf. "The brown tabby tom is Oakkit, the smaller white she-cat is Frostkit, the brown tabby she-cat is Leafkit, the other white she-cat is Snowkit, and the black tom is Stormkit," she meowed.

"A lot of kits," Mintleaf commented. She looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were beginning to block out the sun. "I think it's going to snow," she meowed.

Willowwind nodded briskly. "We're going to take the kits inside," she meowed. "Come visit later!" Mintleaf meowed a quick goodbye to the queens and padded back to the warriors' den while the first snowflakes of the storm began to fall. She sat down in her nest, but as she started to groom herself, Ivybreeze stuck her head into the den.

"Wake Featherbreeze," she ordered Mintleaf. Mintleaf looked at her gray tabby sister who was still fast asleep. Ivybreeze left the den whispering, "We need to talk."

Well it wasn't that exciting a chapter, in my opinion, but hey, it was necessary! Now for the question of the day!

QOTC

What particular reason does Ivybreeze have for needing to talk to Mintleaf and Featherbreeze?

So there is the question! Now I am going to let you in on a little secret. I haven't completely decided why, so if I like your idea, I will use it!

Like I said before, I am much more encouraged to continue if I get reviews, even if they aren't positive!

I am going to try to update once more this week, and if I don't next week.