(Hi there! XD Ok, so Jayfeather decides he's had enough? That can't be bad right? OH! And for all who are Eragon fans I've posted a new story. Give it a shot yea?)
Nothing could begin to describe how sore the ThunderClan medicine cat's body was when he came to. His legs felt like trees and his head was trying to kill him. He couldn't even lift his tail he was so sore, and to top it all off he had the most disgusting taste in his mouth that he wanted to puke, but again he was sore so his stomach couldn't even manage to heave. And he was hungry. He was so hungry. Jayfeather half groaned half whimpered as he tried to crack his eyes open. They were crusty, but he opened them and was blessed with the dark. Muffled mews were heard around him, and he felt something prod at his at his side.
"He's OK, just groggy." He heard someone mew.
"What about her?" Another cat's voice.
"Eh, I really hope she dies. I'm tired of taking care of cats like I'm still a medicine cat, especially her!"
Who were they talking about?
"Want me to kill her?"
Kill?!
"I would allow it..."
"Yes, let just say she bled to death. Jayfeather wouldn't care anyhow. I actually think he'll thank us."
Who would he want dead? 'Leafpool,' someone whispered in his mind. He felt a suddenly angry feeling, something was growing and needed to be let go again. 'Again? When was the first time?'
"Yea, go ahead. We'll just say she moved and opened her wounds."
Jayfeather groaned, this time loudly. Both of the cats froze. One of the cats called out to him, but he couldn't hear them. "Pool," Jayfeather groaned again. "Leaf...pool..."
"Don't worry Jayfeather, she won't bother you anymore," the cat, one Jayfeather could now make put as a tom, purred.
"Nuu..." He half groaned, half growled. "No," he growled again, this time stronger. He struggled to get up and at that point Cinderheart, he remembered her name, placed a paw on his side.
"You can't move Jayfeather, you aren't strong enough."
"Go away," he hissed and pushed her paw away. The tom sniffed the air and hissed again. "Where is she?"
"Oh, you want to do the honors yourself Jayfeather?" The other tom asked, and Jayfeather remembered it was Foxleap.
"Where is she," he asked again.
"Over here," he said a bit to Jayfeather's left after a while.
Jayfeather walked, more like stumbled, towards him, and the closer he got the stronger he scent came to him mixed with herbs and blood. When he could feel her body heat he paused and sniffed at her. "Cinderheart you did a poor job at this," he grumbled and staggered to the back of his den.
"Well she's the enemy. I could care less for her."
"You..." He started, but clamped his mouth shut. "Never mind, get out."
"What?"
"I said get out!" He snarled, bristled and fangs bore. His sight snapped back on, and he immediately saw their frightened faces. Oh come on he was weak, and yet they were afraid of him? 'Weaklings.' He watched as they ran out then calmed down. Darkness surrounded him again, causing him to blink in surprise.
"Uh..." Confused, he went back to his herbs, grabbed a wet moss and went over to Leafpool. He then carefully proceeded on washing off the sloppy medicine Cinderheart put on her side, mindful of her tender wounds and gently spread on more. Once he finished he sighed and looked down at her. She was sleeping soundly, sides rising and falling as she silently breathed.
"See? Now is that so bad?" A voice said from the right. He glared angrily at the owner.
"Will you shut up Killerfang?!"
"Hey, watch how you talk to her!" Flameblood hissed from his left.
Jayfeather snorted. "I don't care. Do you know put my whole clan in danger?! All just to prove a point?!"
"And pray tell how we put your clan in danger?"
"You brought the foxes near our camp that's how!" Jayfeather almost screeched. Almost.
"We didn't do that," Killerfang mewed dispassionately, idly licking her paw. "Those fox have been there for almost a moon now. I'm ashamed your clan mates didn't notice it as many time you trained by their dens."
"But...what?" Foxes were nearby and they didn't know? "Are there more?"
"Now why would we tell you that?" Flameblood mewed with a deadpan face. Then he grinned viciously. "There are about five more of them out there, including the ones your friends so stupidly let survive." Five? They could barely handle three!
"Jayfeather," Killerfang mewed, "you need to keep a close eye on Leafpool. StarClan told her she might die in a half moon, and that half-moon is up. She has lost too much blood and is warring with life and death as we speak. Your old medicine cat has already let her bleed out after she opened her wounds before."
Before?
"How long have we been asleep?"
"Four days," Flameblood answered calmly. Jayfeather stumbled.
"F-four days?!"
"Yes. After we so delightedly used your body as a medium to vent out our pent up rage your body was too exhausted to stay functioning, so that why when you walked into the camp you blacked out. It has worked up the energy for you to wake up again, so that's a good sign."
"We are sorry about that," Killerfang said as she ducked her head sheepishly. Jayfeather just stared at both of them, processing in his brain what they had told them. Four days, body exhaustion, life and death.
Wait a minute.
His mind back tracked to the day when Leafpool asked him the favor. "She said half a moon," he muttered. He blinked. "She knew?"
"Well duh. Had she said in a half moon she was going to die you probably wouldn't have cared." Flameblood shrugged. "Well, she succeeded, even for a bit. If she does pass on she'll be happy." He closed his eyes and scowled. "Sadly we won't be able to visit you anymore. It was sooo much fun..." Jayfeather ignored him. He didn't have time to dwell on those dreams.
All three cats stared at the she cats body. It had paled considerably in the past four days, making her look small and frail. 'The gashes in her side won't grow fur on them,' Jayfeather thought. 'That's if she survives.'
"Jayfeather, you need to eat. We will watch over her." Killerfang mewed, laying down and curling around the she cat. Flameblood followed suit.
"Didn't you want to kill her days ago?"
"You needed motivation. If you haven't noticed, the scratch on the back of your neck was really light."
Jayfeather snorted and shook his head. "You hurt her and Firestar will kill you, you know that right?"
"He can try," Flameblood answered. With that Jayfeather walked out of then den, somewhat awkwardly.
By the time he got to the fresh kill pile he could walk steadily with the blood flowing freely through his legs and paws, and it was then he noticed the clan was silent and eyes were curiously tearing his fur apart. "What," he hissed in annoyance.
"How are you feeling?" Squirrelflight asked from the nursery.
"Fine," he answered and grabbed a vole.
"Jayfeather..." Lionblaze mewed as he walked over cautiously to his brother. "Um...well..."
"Can you act normal? Tiptoeing around me makes me angry! It's so annoying!" He growled. It really was annoying. Seriously, did they think he was going to kill them all?
"Out apologizes, Jayfeather," Bramblestar murmured. "It's just that, you and Leafpool have been out of it for four days. You missed the Moonpool so Mudfur volunteered to go in your place."
"Hn," he mumbled and bit into his vole.
"Jayfeather, we need to talk."
"We definitely need to talk!" Sakura yowled as she bounded over to him. "That was amazing Jayfeather! You scared me back there and you looked sooo awesome!"
"Yea! You were covered in soooo much blood!" Luna added. "It actually looks really good on you," she purred lowly with a small grin.
Ocean snapped at her then turned his excited gaze to Jayfeather. "Totally awesome!"
"Yes, while I highly praise you for that I though your medicine cats didn't fight." Whitethunder rumbled curiously.
Cherry shared his look. "You fought like an honorable Moonclan cat Jayfeather; I know those techniques and that style from anywhere, down to the way you crouch." She then gave him a suspicious glare. "You've been training."
"No I haven't," he muttered and sighed, his ears drooped in exhaustion. "That wasn't me that fought that fox."
"Seriously?" Lionblaze said with a frown. "I was pretty sure I saw you fighting that fox Jayfeather."
"My body yes, but not my spirit. I was possessed."
"Possessed?!" Squirrelflight gasped. "That's..."
"Absurd right? Makes me sound crazy. And you know what's crazier?" He turned to the Moonclan pair. "It was your kits who possessed me!"
Both cats stared back in shock. "My kits?" Cherry asked.
"Yes, your kits. They knew that Leafpool was going to die if that fox took her, so they possessed me to save her. And I let them." Gasps were heard, along with a few snarls.
"You let them possess you to protect that traitor?!" Thornclaw shrieked, shouldering his way through to get to the medicine cat.
"Watch what you say about my mother fleabag!" Jayfeather hissed, his fur fluffing out angrily. Two shadows melted out of his shadow and surround the tom, both of them hissing.
"Kill him Jayfeather," Killerfang hissed. Flameblood backed her up with a snarl. Jayfeather just shook his head, and to the other he looked to be chasing gnats from his ear. He had had enough of Thornclaw, it was time the clan knew about his motives.
"Your mother? You...you approve of what she's done?!"
"I don't approve of what she's done..." Jayfeather denied. "I'm merely just starting to look past it."
"You can't!" Toadstep yowled and stalking over to him. "Do you know the damage she's done? What the clans think?!"
"The clans think nothing!" Sandstorm hissed from her den. She limped over to them, green eyes glinting dangerously. "You two are so set against my daughter when she's done nothing but help the clans and try to redeem herself, which in my eyes she has."
"That's because she's your kit! You will alway-"
"Silence!" Sandstorm snarled, and not only Toadstep but the whole of the clan fell into utter silence. Her voice suspiciously held the authority of both Firestar and Bluestar. "You two have been stirring up trouble in this clan for the past two moons now and recruiting cats against her. It's been almost twelve moons since the incident and all have looked past it, all but you. You are dragging other cats into it and spreading lies say that she will mate with Crowfeather again, you lie!"
Eyes widened and looked accusingly at the pair. Thornclaw bared his fangs. "She is! If you haven't noticed how secretive they were when the WindClan cat came here, how eager she was to travel to WindClan when given a chance then you are fools!"
"I won't even ask you how you knew about Leafpool volunteering to go to WindClan," Bramblestar growled, "but I have noticed your behavior towards Leafpool and I must say it is uncalled for. Your feelings are long overdue as is the situation. Let it go. Also, let go of this thought of being the leader of ThunderClan."
Thornclaw stared in shock for a moment, a sliver of dread racking his body. They knew, but how?! His eyes narrowed as he growled. "Why?! We are viewed as weak and corrupted! It's bad enough that they think us bad for taking in kittypets, but now rogues and traitors!"
"What's kittypets got to do with this?!" Dustpelt yowled out. Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Brightheart, Lionblaze, Sandstorm and Millie bristled and growled. Even Jayfeather felt a familiar rage stir in him, amplified by the 'oh so helpful' shadows still surrounding Thornclaw and Toadstep. Bramblestar and Dovewing growled as well as Ivypool.
"You know what it has to do with this! When Bluestar took in Firestar the clans thought us weak, then when Graystripe brought the rogue along with him were thought to be even weaker. And then Yellowfang and Cloudtail had to come along! And worst of all Tigerstar's son, you! They all think we are corrupted and I agree with them! Ivypool was trained by the very warriors Tigerstar unleashed on the clans to kill us and we still welcomed her! THIS CLAN HAS TURNED TO NOTHING!"
He raised his head high and challenging at Bramblestar. "I will obviously make a better leader than you Bramblestar, a better leader than Firestar even. I will restore this clan back to its former glory and make the clans know we are a force to be reckoned with. No one will ever think us weak again. Our clan has had nothing but weak leaders and it will not happen again. I WILL be the leader of ThunderClan as soon as we get rid of you."
Thornclaw was panting after his little tirade, and now even Toadstep was looking at her in horror. "WE?! You said we were only going to get rid of Leafpool. You never told us about Bramblestar."
Jayfeather frowned. Thornclaw told him he told Toadstep everything. So the whole making Toadstep deputy thing was a lie. But then again, how did Bramblestar find out?
"You lied to us!" Foxleap yowled.
Whitewing snarled beside him, eyes glued on Thornclaw. "You said we would exile Leafpool, now get rid of Bramblestar!"
"You're just another Tigerstar!" Poppyfrost added. She was glad she never agreed to join them.
Thornclaw looked around at all of them with angry eyes. "Can't you see what this clan has come too?! Are you that dense?!" Amber eyes turned to glare at light blue ones. "You traitor! You told them everything didn't you?!"
"I didn't tell them anything, they must have heard about it themselves. You were never too subtle about our meetings." Jayfeather replied calmly but inside he was conflicted. Thornclaw had been very secretive when it came to their meetings. He still didn't understand how they found out.
"Berrynose died because of you!" Cherrytail wailed.
Molepelt hissed and flexed his paws. "Our father died because of your greed!"
"Your father died for his carelessness, protecting that fox dung in the den! And he was to be my deputy- HA! How mistaken I was!" Thornclaw sneered. Both cats and the dead warrior's mate snarled angrily at him
"No, Berrynose tried to kill Leafpool and make it seem like she bled to death by the fox attack. A fox got ahold to him and ended him." Jayfeather's voice rang out. "He was a deep believer in Thornclaw's words. Thornclaw did promise him he'd be deputy after all."
"And you didn't help him? You turn vicious for that thing in the den but didn't lift a tail to help you comrade?" Thornclaw hissed lowly.
Jayfeather raised his head and suppressed a shiver as a chill went over his body. Everything was suddenly colorful and he was staring at the coldest amber eyes he'd ever seen next to Tigerstar's. "No I didn't. He was going to kill my mother, he's lucky I didn't kill him myself."
Thornclaw fidgeted slightly, fur on ends. It was the tom was looking right at him. He saw the medicine cats eyes flicker yellow and green and shook his head. Illusions, that's what it was. He sneered. "See how the good turn corrupt.
"You are corrupted Thornclaw." Bramblestar mewed. "You are a danger to the clans and to your clan mates. You are hereby exile and if any cat sees you on our territory again you will be killed."
"Forget exiling him," Jayfeather snarled, eyes gleaming and claws digging. "Let's kill him now!" Shocked yowls sounded at Jayfeather's words and the blood thirstiness in his eyes. That wasn't Jayfeather. "Any cat that tries to kill a leader and is not the deputy is automatically dead! Any cat who purposely tries to kill a she cat is dead! He must die!" Thornclaw backed away and whimpered in fear as Jayfeather advanced on him. His light blue eyes were now reflecting the colors green and yellow more pronounced than before.
Whitethunder stepped in front of the possessed medicine cat's path, looking him dead in the eyes. "Flameblood, Killerfang," he said in a commanding and hesitate voice. Jayfeather looked at him as his eyes flickered in recognition.
"...father..." came an equally hesitant mew.
Everyone else watched quietly and in disbelief. "My kits!" Cherry cried and rushed over to Jayfeather, nuzzling his fur. They were shocked for a moment but returned the affection eagerly.
"It is not your place to decide a cat's death. This isn't Moonclan; let these cats decide their own fate." Whitethunder ordered, tail flicking. "And give Jayfeather back his body."
"Father," one of them started, making the medicines cat voice a bit deeper. The medicine cat's body stood taller, straighter, making him look controlled and intimidating. Whitethunder was proud to know that was his son. "We share his body now; he will need us for the future battle."
Narrowed yellow eyed met narrowed blue green ones.
"You may use him then but not now. This clan needs their medicine cat. Leave." The eyes turned into pleading blue and yellow orbs, the voice now lighter.
"But father..."
Whitethunder could instantly tell it was his daughter. Oh how spoiled she would've been. "Leave. You may visit but not by these means. You are exhausting his body."
"Do as your father says sweeties." Cherry purred warmly.
Jayfeather side glanced at her and sighed. "Alright," he grumbled.
They all watch Jayfeather freeze before his eyes flickered. The tom then staggered. "Mouse dung!" He hissed angrily. Whitethunder gave him a critical look over before nodding to Bramblestar. The ThunderClan leader nodded back and turned to Thornclaw.
"Leave the clans. You are no longer welcome here."
Thornclaw spat at the leader. "Traitors, all of you! Blind cats that do not see that this clan is not as it were moons upon moons ago! All of you will pay!" Amber eyes traveled to Squirrelflight. "Protect your sister and kits, I will end them." Something dark flickered in his eyes before he turned to the clan again. "Traitors all of you! I will see you again!" With that he turned tail and ran out of the camp. All of them watched him go, spitting as he passed.
Bramblestar then turned to address his cats. "All of those who followed Thornclaw step forward, now." He ordered coldly. One by one they walked forward: Toadstep, Brackenfur, Cinderheart, Mousewhisker, Foxleap, Whitewing, Icecloud, Rosepetal, and to the clan's surprise, Dustpelt. Bramblestar covered his surprise with a glare of disapproval. When Jayfeather stepped up and joined the group of cats the leader stood and paced in front of them.
"I am highly disappointed of all of you." Icecloud and Rosepetal looked to the ground. Bramblestar continued on. "Why you took it upon yourselves to rid yourself of your clan mate is highly uncalled for. Do you know what you could've done to the clan had you succeeded, to the clans even? Leafpool is playing a very important role in this plan to stop our clans from going into further destruction, and had you killed her you would've doomed us all."
"Bramblestar, we're sorry..." Toadstep mewed quietly, head ducked in shame. He was so sure that Thornclaw was right, so sure that they were doing the right thing...
"Bramblestar, Cinderheart and Foxleap are not allowed to go into the medicine den when Leafpool is there anymore."
"And why is that Jayfeather? Cinderheart has to treat you both since you were wounded." Bramblestar frowned.
"I am fine, I can treat Leafpool myself. Cinderheart on the other hand isn't suitable for the task anymore and not because she is with kits." He braced himself and took a deep breath. He knew something was going to happen, and Flameblood and Killerfang weren't helping the matter, crackling up beside him like kits as the sudden tension in the camp thickened.
"While I was just coming to I heard her and Foxleap talking. Cinderheart said she hoped Leafpool would die and Foxleap offered to killer, to make it look like she bled to death. Then-"
He was cut off as three angry yowls sounded. Lionblaze pounced on Foxleap's back and started to angrily shred him to pieces, Raven right beside him and aiding the attack, both toms spitting in vicious rage and claws unforgiving. The fox looking tom crying out in surprise and trying to fight back, though the blows were too much, making him look like a struggling kit. Squirrelflight had shot out of the nursery and attacked Cinderheart, swiping the she cat harshly across her face and making her whimper, only she was more able to fight back and attacked Squirrelflight as well. The kits screamed in fright and ran to Sorreltail while cats fought to break them up. Dovewing and Ivypool threw themselves on Lionblaze and shoved him off of Foxleap and Ocean tackled himself on Raven while Mousewhisker grabbed his mate and hastily pulled her away, Squirrelflight being dragged away by her mother. She tried lashing out that the she cats again, but was only able to smack her in the face with her tail.
All the while the foreign cats watched with amusement and approval. Mudfur cackled, Longclaw, Luna and Cherry grinned savagely and Ravenpaw and Barley stared, appalled. Sakura let out an excited purr as she watched Lionblaze attack Foxleap, tail twitching excitedly. Whitethunder and Autumnspot glanced at her with a strange look, and then each other. They then turned their attention back to the clans as they heard a snarl.
Cinderheart snarled at Squirrelflight, nose bleeding and ears torn. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! I'M WITH KITS!"
"THOSE KITS ARENT MY SON'S KITS, SO I DONT CARE!" Squirrelflight yowled back, struggling to get out of Sandstorms grip. Sadly the elder warrior had a good grip on her daughter, even with a lame paw. Squirrelflight soon gave up and sat there, flank heaving sharply.
Lionblaze was sitting between the two sister Dovewing and Ivypool in a similar manner, his muscles tensed as though he was ready to attack again. He faintly heard Squirrelflight call him her son, but only faintly. The blood pounding in his ears and running though his veins blocked it out and focused his mind in other this, such as to kill the cat who tried to kill his mother. The nerve! 'When I get to him and he passes on StarClan won't even notice him!' He thought viciously.
Ocean had Raven by his neck; fangs dangerously close over his jugular. The black tom was smart and stayed limp in his mentor's grip, though his mismatch eyes were glaring daggers at the beaten up tom. Ocean had drug him off just in time, because Raven was going to run his claws over the tom's neck.
"Enough!" Bramblestar snarled at them, though he didn't seem too angry about it. If anything he looked slightly pleased. 'These foreigners have had too much influence on us.' He thought with a trouble look as he watched his clan. Things need to change, and quickly.
"Anyway..." Jayfeather continued, sitting calmly, "I woke up and Foxleap asked me if I wanted to kill her," Jayfeather continued. "I didn't, I actually redressed her wounds. Cinderheart did a very sloppy job of it."
Squirrelflight spat at Cinderheart, eyes gleaming in hatred. "Don't think you will be welcome in this nursery! I say we exile them both!"
"We are not exiling them, any of them." Bramblestar stared calmly.
"WHAT?!" Raven shrieked, jumping up and knocking Ocean away. "They just tried to kill my mate and you don't want to exile them?!"
"No," Bramblestar mewed with narrowed eyes. "They are my warriors and this is my clan. If you don't like my decisions then leave." He gave the black tom a challenging look. Raven held it before spitting and turning away, stalking towards the medicine den and disappearing behind the bramble entrance. Bramblestar again addressed the group of traitors in the clan. "You will be punished, not exiled. No Gatherings for three moons and you will be suspended of your warrior duties in all but hunting for the same amount of time. You will take on the apprentice duties of switching out the moss beds and taking ticks off of the elders and other cats. If any of this happens again you will be exile and treated just as Thornclaw has, that's if some of these cats don't kill you first..." He glanced at Jayfeather. "Or them." They all knew who Bramblestar was talking about.
"They will stay well away from Leafpool," Lionblaze growled out, eyes still on Foxleap who had picked himself up and was now licking his wounds. Bramblestar looked around. Sandstorm and Squirrelflight were sending him piercing glares and another from Cloudtail. Raven walked out of the medicine cat's den, having heard what Lionblaze declared and was now fixing him a glare as well as he took a seat right beside his mate's bloodthirsty son.
Bramblestar sighed. "And stay clear of Leafpool. I want to prevent as much bloodshed as possible and we can't fight this threat if we are too busy killing each other." He fixed the group a sympathetic glare. "You will have to earn your trust back to the clans."
All of them nodded, somewhat relieved that they didn't have to suffer any serious punishments. Being suspended of their warrior duties was actually the worse they hoped to happen.
"You are all dismissed. Lionblaze, Raven, Squirrelflight, see me in my den." He said finally before retreating. The three followed, but Raven turned around to glare at the limping away Foxleap. He hissed at the tom to make his freeze and turn around with wide fearful green eyes. Raven grinned viciously and made a show of licking his blood of his paws, claws unsheathed. Foxleap whimpered and limped quickly to the medicine cats den to stand outside it and wait for treatment.
Satisfied, Raven ran inside the ThunderClan leader's den.
~ooo~
Thornclaw tore thought the forest, heart beating in terror. Something nipped at his heels, making him yowl in fear and push himself to run faster. He couldn't out run them though, he knew he couldn't. "You are lucky your leader spared your life!" One of the shadow cats chasing him hissed. "Otherwise we would have killed you." Thornclaw kept running.
"Run run run!" The other cheered gleefully.
Thornclaw yowled again, this time in anguish. Oh no, it definitely wasn't the last time the clans heard of him. His amber eyes flashed blue. 'I will definitely get you back, I will get my revenge!' And he knew exactly how to do it. With bared fangs he ran out of the forest and through the open land of the WindClan territory. He had cats to lead.
Both of the shadow cats watched him once they reached the border. One of them had their hackles raised and spitting with fury. The other calmed him down. "Don't worry Flameblood; we will get him when his time comes, again." She grinned. "I can't wait to meet my clan after all."
"But this is what we are avoiding," Flameblood hissed with narrowed amber eyes. "He will bring danger."
"And we will be there to help," she assured, long fluffy tail flicking. "Come, let's go back." With one last anguished look at the quickly retreating figure the two cats vanished.