Elsi: JAYYYYYYYFFFFFEEEEEEAAAAATTT TTHHHHERRRRRR.

Trek: Yes, Elsi. Jayfeather. It's Jayfeather's chapter.

Elsi: It's just really exciting! I'm sorry. I need to sleep...

Trek: So I can tell. Elsi doesn't own Warriors...she's just a big, crazy fan.

Elsi: Sure am! So, here we go! Jayfeather! YAY!

Chapter 3

Jayfeather

At sun-high, Jayfeather received his first patient of leaf-bare. He wasn't surprised when Hazeltail pushed into his den, led by a worried Thornclaw, coughing her head off. He was prepared for leaf-bare, and he knew exactly what to do. Barking orders to Thornclaw and mindlessly preparing herbs for Hazeltail…it all felt very easy. Almost too easy.

He softly fed Hazeltail the bundle he had created, knowing very well that it could prevent any further damage. White-cough wouldn't take the Clan this leaf-bare!

"Thanks, Jayfeather," said Hazeltail, her breathing shallow. "I don't want to be any trouble."

"No, it's good that you came straight to me," Jayfeather answered, feeling slightly mindless as he spoke. "If you had gone around and infected other cats, we would have had a problem." Hazeltail gave a wheezing laugh, but stretched out in her new nest. Jayfeather watched her for several minutes, thinking. She would be fine; it was probably nothing. White-cough was possible, and he guessed that some other cat would contract the disease before long. But for now, Hazeltail would be alright, and there was little for him to worry about.

That was a big, fat lie, and Jayfeather knew it. Sighing, he turned his mind back to the other, more pressing issue: the fourth cat. Who could it be? He didn't think that any ThunderClan cat was wandering in the Dark Forest, but then again, he'd gone there for a reason. Tigerstar was raising an army, and he and Lionblaze knew that very well. Surely some ThunderClan cat had given in by now.

An idea occurred to him: maybe he could find his way back to the Place of No Stars on his own! Spottedleaf and Yellowfang had taken him before, so why couldn't they do it again? He needed to figure out who else Tigerstar and Hawkfrost were training in the trees. Maybe it would be a good idea to go to the Moonpool and ask for help? No, that was out of the picture. Cats would start to get sick, and he couldn't just up and leave without explanation. Firestar would understand, but would anyone else? No, he couldn't risk panicking the Clan.

So what other option did he have, except to wait? Jayfeather moaned to himself; he hated waiting. But if Dovepaw wouldn't help him, he and Lionblaze just had to figure out who the fourth cat was on their own. He honestly wasn't looking forward to that.

The next few days passed in the monotony of waiting. Jayfeather couldn't stand the waiting, but he had to move ever-so-slowly. Lionblaze came to visit him at least once a day, and he could often try to talk to Dovepaw, hoping to encourage her to help him out with her powers. Every time she brought him fresh-kill, she would walk in, set it down, and leave before he could call out to her. Typical. She was avoiding him, and now he was stuck in the medicine den. He couldn't even fetch her! Luckily, he thought that he would be able to find her soon. Hazeltail was recovering well, but a stubborn Cloudtail had avoided the medicine den for days and had apparently spread his wheezing cough to Whitewing and Millie. Once Brightheart had gotten him in a nest, Jayfeather had given him a long lecture for that little act of rebellion. At least, he liked to consider it an act of rebellion.

There was one cat that kept him sane, and that was Briarlight. He could count on spending a bit of his time turning to her, walking her through her exercises, and becoming more and more relieved by her recovery. Jayfeather managed to multitask by having Briarlight drag her hind legs over to fetch wet moss when his patients needed it. She had always been a helpful presence, and Jayfeather was appreciative.

Well, he should have been more appreciative, and he knew it. Sometimes, Briarlight's help meant that Jayfeather had to sit and wait some more. She would do everything he needed and take a nap, and those naps would leave Jayfeather in silence, watching the rise and fall of his Clanmates' chests. And think.

He'd gone over every ThunderClan cat six times in his mind by day seven, when Leafpool marched into the medicine den. Jayfeather knew that it was his mother right away, and he shrank back. He and Leafpool hadn't really…talked…lately. There were things that he really didn't want to talk to her about, and he saw everything she did in a new light now. She was just so motherly to him; she always had been, but it was different now that he knew that she was his actual mother. Furthermore, seeing Leafpool reminded him of his family: Lionblaze. Hollyleaf. Thinking of Hollyleaf made Jayfeather sadder than he ever had been.

"Eat up," Leafpool purred, settling a vole at his paws. Jayfeather thanked her quietly, and was unsurprised that she didn't leave. "Do you need my help, Jayfeather?"

"I thought you were a warrior, not a medicine cat," Jayfeather said quietly, crouching to pick at his food.

"Don't be silly, I can still help you," Leafpool pointed out. She sat down in front of him, making Jayfeather uncomfortable. What did she want from him? "Tell me. Do you need help? I don't want green-cough breaking out."

"I don't think it will," admitted Jayfeather. "This leaf-bare isn't nearly as cold as the last one was. And Briarlight has been helping me." Leafpool sighed heavily, and Jayfeather cursed inwardly. Why was she so stubborn when it came to him?

"Don't lie, Jayfeather. I can tell that something's weighing on your mind." She gave him a soft lick to the top of his head, making him squirm. He hated when she did things like that; it just reminded him that she was actually his mother. That reminded him of Hollyleaf. That made him sad.

"It's really nothing," Jayfeather promised. "At least, nothing that I can't deal with." Leafpool sighed, her weariness stretching out to him. Was she giving up? He didn't dare to hope.

"Then I'll have to let you deal with it, won't I?" she inquired. Jayfeather shrugged. "I just…you're scaring me a little bit."

"How so?" Jayfeather wondered. He waited while she thought and fidgeted.

"The cats who have been here have said that you're being rather unresponsive," she confessed at last. "That's not the Jayfeather I raised." Jayfeather didn't answer, not sure how to respond. Maybe this fourth cat business had been heavier on his mind than he had previously thought. But unresponsive? He wouldn't go that far. Apparently, Leafpool would, and had.

"The Jayfeather I know would never put his Clanmates at the back of his mind," Leafpool lectured. "He would put all of his focus on healing them, no matter what it did to him. And what I see is a cat who doesn't care what happens to himself, but doesn't really care what happens to his Clan, either."

"Look, Leafpool," Jayfeather cut in, sick of the lecture. "I appreciate the concern. But ThunderClan is fine. I'm doing all that I can, and I think the sick cats will recover on their own. Don't you agree? I've got everything under control."

"But what about in your head?" Leafpool inquired. Jayfeather didn't know what she meant, and she noticed. "Something has you distracted. Can you control it if things get worse?"

"Things won't get worse!" insisted Jayfeather. Plus, if time went on and they did, he should have figured out who the fourth cat was. Lionblaze and Dovepaw had to be getting close. Right? Again, Jayfeather didn't dare to hope. He was terrible about hoping and being wrong.

"Alright, fine," Leafpool admitted, giving in. "At least go rest for a little bit. Maybe StarClan has your answers." He thought for a moment. Could he really leave his Clanmates to talk to Yellowfang and Spottedleaf about the fourth cat?

"Go on," insisted Leafpool. "I'll keep an eye on them until you wake up. I know you haven't gotten much sleep."

"Fine," Jayfeather muttered. He was secretly grateful for the break; deep in his heart, Jayfeather knew that Leafpool was right. He was pretty disconnected from the sick cats in his den, and that was dangerous. If he could figure out who this dark prophet was, he would be fine!

Jayfeather curled up, tucking his tail over his nose – and was gone.

He looked up, his dream-vision coming into full clarity. The sunny fields of StarClan surrounded him, and Jayfeather stood up to shake off his pelt. This was good. He looked around, wondering if anyone was coming to find him.

"Leafpool's right, you know." Jayfeather recognized the voice, and he turned to see Yellowfang. "You aren't focused on healing your Clanmates. As medicine cat of ThunderClan you should be-."

"I'm worried about the fourth cat," Jayfeather answered, cutting her short. The very last thing that he needed was another lecture. "Can you tell me who he or she is? I just need to know."

"Can't you wait for Dovepaw to figure out the truth?" asked Yellowfang. Jayfeather glared at her, and she sighed. "You know, I think you're right."

"Really?" Jayfeather was surprised. He didn't actually think that anyone would tell him anything – they never had before. Yellowfang turned, flicking her tail for him to follow. He scrambled after her, amazed, as they walked through the beautiful fields that StarClan offered. At last, Yellowfang paused, and Jayfeather stood staring down at a pool of ice. It was beautiful, he figured, but he didn't really know why she had brought him here. Was this some sort of sign? Ice…Icecloud! Was Icecloud the fourth? That didn't seem right…

"Yellowfang…?" he wondered, but then, something began to churn underneath the pool. At once, Jayfeather was captivated.

He stood in a thick field of grass, which blew in a strong wind. Jayfeather looked up, seeing the three stars that represented himself, Lionblaze, and Doveheart. There was something off about them, and Jayfeather's heart skipped a beat. Five tiny stars glittered below his stars, ones that didn't seem quite right.

The first star wasn't solid, and Jayfeather could see that as if the star was right in front of him. A globe of wind churned within it, and as he watched, his vision went silver for a blinding moment. Confusion sent him staggering, but the wind picked him back up again and set him on his feet.

The second star, on the other paw, was very solid. He stood right there, able to see that it wasn't a star at all, but rock. He looked closer, and everything smashed into him, black as the darkness in his mind. Jayfeather gasped, and for a brief moment, everything shook and stood still.

The third star both terrified and intrigued him, and as Jayfeather watched, it burst into violent flames. Red charged through his sight, and Jayfeather swallowed back his fears as they burned him to the core. He wasn't intimidated by fire, and it faded away to consoling warmth.

The fourth star could have been its twin and its opposite, icy as a morning in leaf-bare. Fascinated, Jayfeather leaned forward, and a blindingly cold white stunned him for a moment. The air constricted with cold, and he shivered as everything went back to normal.

The fifth star was the strangest of all. Again, Jayfeather was convinced that it wasn't a star at all, but a globe of churning water. He wanted to touch it, and bright gold overcame him. Water splashed on Jayfeather's pelt, and he felt himself tumbling down the hill.

When he looked up, the stars weren't as clear. Jayfeather wanted to know more. He tried to rush to the top of the hill, but when he reached it, the stars were still far off. Four paths descended at his feet, and Jayfeather could see the first stretching before him. Red stalks of grass lined the pathway, and Jayfeather gulped. Why red? Red was blood, and fire, neither of which were good things for Jayfeather. Before him, walking down the hill, Jayfeather could make out Lionblaze following a path of…silver? Gold. Silver…it could have been either, for all he knew. Dovepaw was on his other side, following a path of white grass.

Then he saw the fourth path, black in color. That was it. That was his fourth cat, trotting down the darkest path. Jayfeather pushed through the grass, trying to find the path. For a few moments, he was lost in tall grass, spinning in circles. This was stupid! He had to find his way out! He had to figure out who that cat was.

Finally, a hill loomed up above him, and Jayfeather squinted to see the top. Sapphire eyes shone down at him, and his cat smiled.

"Ivypaw?" demanded Jayfeather, and he was back, reeling out of the icy pond. Yellowfang looked up at him sadly. "The fourth cat is Ivypaw."

"She walks in darkness now," Yellowfang fretted. "Hawkfrost has her in his paws." Her eyes fell to the ground. "Spottedleaf will try to save her, but we cannot see if it will work."

"It must work," Jayfeather insisted. Determination gripped him. "Ivypaw is a good cat, and I can pull her out of the Dark Forest if you fail. I have to."

"Yes, I think you have to," agreed Yellowfang. Her golden eyes glowed, and Jayfeather realized that he had finally reached the catch. "You cannot tell Dovepaw or Lionblaze what you have seen. Nothing about the stars, nothing about the paths, nothing about Ivypaw."

"At least tell me what that all means," Jayfeather pleaded. Yellowfang snarled a refusal, and Jayfeather sighed. He hadn't expected any more answers; he had already had many.

"The Five are none of your concern, not yet anyways," she said. "For now, try and focus on ThunderClan. Darkness is closer than you think."

"Yellowfang!" cried Jayfeather, but everything twisted in on him, and he was awake with a gasp. Greyness again, the paralyzing greyness that was his downfall. He hated being blind sometimes. Sighing, Jayfeather picked himself up, trotting out to where Leafpool was sitting.

"Thanks," Jayfeather muttered. Leafpool turned to him, making him jump when she ran her tail over his flank. She really had to stop doing things like that.

"Did you get everything sorted out?" asked Leafpool, sensing some kind of change in his bearings. Jayfeather gave a swift nod. "Excellent. You'll call me if you need help, won't you?"

"Sure," Jayfeather promised. But he knew he wouldn't need help. Not with the sickness that leaf-bare brought. Something in his stomach told him that everything on that front would clear up. Jayfeather carefully followed Leafpool out, pleasing his mother, and turned to regard the camp. Cherrykit and Molekit were playing happily by the nursery under Daisy's watchful eye. Firestar and Sandstorm were sharing tongues under the Highledge, and Dustpelt was, as he usually was, fretting over Ferncloud. Jayfeather couldn't believe that the speckled she-cat was having another litter of kits - Dustpelt had assured him that it would be their last (but Jayfeather had a sneaking suspicion that he had said the same thing before Foxleap and Icecloud were born). Most cats were napping – or gossiping – in the hollow at this time. Cautiously, Jayfeather let his eyes wander over to Lionblaze, who was talking to Cinderheart again. The two were going close, he reflected, and a note of unhappiness lit in his stomach. What was that about? He pushed it away, annoyed. Desperately, Jayfeather wished that he could tell his litter-mate about his dream, but he knew that Yellowfang had forbidden it for a reason. His eyes went over to Dovepaw, who was talking with Blossomfall and Bumblestripe. Ivypaw was nowhere to be found.

Just that made Jayfeather uneasy. He wanted to keep Ivypaw under his eye at all times; maybe he could get Firestar to have her help him? No, Firestar would have him take Leafpool instead. Jayfeather sighed, coming to realize that he was going to have to do things himself.

He would just have to stalk her. Lovely.

Elsi: And so Jayfeather's quest of stalking Ivypaw begins! He will do it...pretty much throughout the entire book.

Trek: Sigh...for Elemental fans, check out that awesome reference! I laughed pretty hard when I realized that Elsi ONCE AGAIN made the silver/gold thing ambiguous. That's a big part of Book Three, where nobody knows if Lionblaze is supposed to be guiding Littlepaw or Skypaw...

Elsi: I wrote a prologue where I gave away who the leader was, too. Then I trashed it, and you got the really nice one with Hawkfrost! I kind of like Hawkfrost after writing this. Breezepelt is the one that I want to cuddle and make happy, though. Which is most likely why I gave him Sunstrike. You should read Sunstrike's Story, if you're interested in that.

Trek: Enough references to other works. Read and review!

Elsi: Sorry I haven't written any more, but the next chapter is an Ivypaw chapter! YAY! We'll see more of her next time, but for now...bye!