I did not get a review from someone who hasn't reviewed, but I just couldn't wait to update!

Shout-outs:

XxSilvermist105xX

Smokestarrules

Breezestar of CinderClan

I can't say anything, but a certain cat may just become leader of StreamClan, heeheehee

Don't forget to vote in my new poll!

Chapter 19: Mintleaf

Mintleaf's claws ached from digging. The clans had agreed to bury all the dead under the waterfall, even Shiningmask and Swiftlake. They had also agreed to stop the war temporarily, but Mintleaf knew it wasn't over. As the last cats were placed into the graves and covered with dirt, Flowerstar and Breezeheart started to wake up. They had been fed enough poppy seeds to keep them asleep all through the vigil. Fortunately, they were groggy and not aggressive.

"We can take them back to our camp," Leafstar announced. "We have an extra den."

"We should split them up so they're less dangerous," Flamestar argued. "You can take one and we'll take the other."

"But what about us?" Brackenstar broke in.

"And us!" Fernspark, a StreamClan cat called. "We should take them. They're our clanmates."

Flamestar shook his head. "Some of you may be on her side."

"What if, for now, LakeClan takes Breezeheart and OakClan takes Flowerstar?" Leafstar suggested, her voice strained. "This isn't that important, and we all need to go home. There are cats in the camp."

"But that's not fair to us!" Brackenstar shouted.

"They are our clanmates!" Fernspark snapped.

"And they just tried to kill you!" Flamestar hissed. "I don't know why you want them back, unless you're secretly all traitors!"

Fernspark's fur bristled. "My clanmates fought and died to help you! We are not traitors!"

Brackenstar stepped in front of Fernspark and the other leaders. "Let's do what Leafstar suggested, for now."

Fernspark hissed, "Fine. We will go home and decide on a leader."

Leafstar shook her head. "You can't just choose a leader. You should wait until your medicine cat has a sign."

"I agree to that, Leafstar," Smallfoot, the StreamClan medicine cat, meowed, padding forward. "We will wait until there is a sign telling us who should be the next leader. But now, we must go home." He dipped his head respectfully, and all StreamClan left.

"Good," Flamestar meowed. "Let's all go home, and we will meet at the next full-moon."

"Agreed," Leafstar meowed, dipping her head. She turned to her warriors, standing behind her. "Rowanstem, Mintleaf, guard Flowerstar."

Mintleaf walked beside Flowerstar as the ginger leader ambled at the back of the patrol. Her eyes were half closed and her tail drooped. For a cat who had almost taken over four clans, she looked non-aggressive.

"Do you think it's safe to take her back to camp?" Rowanstem muttered, eyeing Flowerstar suspiciously.

"Is it safe to let her free?" Mintleaf countered.

Rowanstem sighed. "I guess not."

…

In the days after the battle, many cats were confined to camp. The weather turned wet and the cats who weren't injured spent as much time in camp as possible. Even the cats were less joyful than usual. We've all gotten tired of this stupid war, Mintleaf thought, dropping a mouse on the soggy fresh-kill pile.

"What if they attack us?" Thunderstrike's voice muttered. Mintleaf saw him sitting with Leafstar, Smokesplash, and Sootsong. A meeting with the senior warriors. It was strange to think of her siblings being the senior warriors. That meant Leafstar and Thunderstrike were getting old. But does it really? If they hadn't died in the war, all the senior warriors from when I was a kit might still be alive.

"We can't rely on StreamClan to help us. They don't even have a leader!" That was Smokesplash.

"OakClan and PineClan lost a lot of cats," Sootsong pointed out. "Once the kits become apprentices, which isn't too far away now, we'll be the strongest clan!"

"But," Leafstar broke in. "I don't know if we have enough cats to be mentors. You two are already mentors. We don't have ten more cats."

"Hollypaw and Stonepaw will be warriors around the time these kits become apprentices," Thunderstrike meowed.

"If I must, I can give you each another apprentice. But Mintleaf and Featherbreeze became warriors young, so they're about the age now when they'd become warriors. I don't think they're old enough for apprentices." Mintleaf could imagine Leafstar slicing her claws in the ground. "I could have Silverriver and Willowwind mentor each other's kits. But Silverriver might not have enough experience in LakeClan. Whatever. Meeting dismissed. Smokesplash, Sootsong, go hunting. Thunderstrike, you need to send out the sunset patrol."

…

The clan was starting to worry about the war continuing, Mintleaf could tell. It had been almost two moons since the battle, and the gatherings were short and curt. Cats muttered about what to do if there was an attack. StreamClan still hadn't found a leader. Cats worried StreamClan was falling apart. The only good news was that Shiverwhisker of StreamClan and Firesong of PineClan were expecting kits.

"Mintleaf!" Mintleaf whirled around to see Leafstar. "Come to my den, please." Leafstar quickly ducked into her den. Did I do something wrong? Mintleaf wondered frowning. Or is this about the prophecy? She followed Leafstar into her den. Almost all the other cats in the clan were sitting inside, except for the apprentices, elders, kits, and Silverriver. Willowwind's here, but not Silverriver? Mintleaf mused.

"Wow. Why are there so many cats here?" Mintleaf asked in surprise, squeezing in next to Sootsong.

Leafstar sighed. "All the warriors, Willowwind, me, Ivybreeze, and Thunderstrike are going to mentor the kits. That's the only way we have enough cats."

"But don't Sootsong and Smokesplash already have apprentices?" Featherbreeze asked.

Leafstar nodded. "Hollypaw and Stonepaw took their assessments today. We're holding the ceremony at dusk. And tomorrow at dawn will be the apprentice ceremony."

"So, they're going to be mentors again?" Featherbreeze frowned. Well, you can't call it unfair. Everyone else gets an apprentice.

"Yes," Leafstar meowed. "These are the pairings: Thunderstrike-Finchkit; Ivybreeze-Tanglekit; Smokesplash-Leafkit; Sootsong-Robinkit; and Rowanstem-Wrenkit—and don't teach her to fight in water during leaf-bare." There was a collective purr at this comment. Mintleaf rolled her eyes, remembering when her mentor had told her to practice battle moves in the freezing cold lake. Leafstar cleared her throat and continued. "Stormshade-Oakkit; Mintleaf-Slatekit; Featherbreeze-Stormkit; Willowwind-Frostkit; and I will mentor Snowkit. The ceremony is tomorrow at dawn. You may go."

Mintleaf waited for the den to empty before trying to push her way out.

"Mintleaf," Leafstar's voice surprised her. She turned around.

"Yes?"

"What should I do about Ivybreeze?" The question took Mintleaf by surprise. She hadn't thought about Ivybreeze's betrayal for a while.

"W-well," Mintleaf stammered. "I mean, maybe you should talk to Thunderstrike. He is the deputy."

Leafstar shook her head. "He says to forget about her punishment, and let her keep being medicine cat. She broke the warrior code and the medicine cat code."

"Then have her step down after Tanglekit finishes training. It's your choice." Mintleaf dipped her head and walked out of the den.

I didn't love this chapter, and it's kind of rushed, but it needs to move forward, so...

QOTC

Should Ivybreeze remain medicine cat?

It's your opinion, and I'm sure you all have one, so go right ahead and tell me!

P.S. Don't forget to vote in my new poll!