Author's Note: Helllooo people, and welcome back FINALLY to a Greenleaf Breeze.

Yeah, I know this took depressingly long to write, but I was busy writing Slaves, and I wanted to make sure I got this chapter exactly right before I posted it. It's pretty important in the course of the story, as I'm sure you'll find about when you read the rest of this chapter.

But anyway, here are my replies to your reviews:

RussianBlue279- Thanks so much for your continued reviews! I really appreciate them. Yeah, I really enjoy getting into the head of Ashfur as well. He's pretty much my favourite character. :)

I hope your enjoy the chapter! Please RR, and I'll post the next chapter once I've finished up Chapter Nine of Slaves.

A Greenleaf Breeze

Chapter Three:

Ashfur, can I have a word with you please?'

The dark grey tomcat wasn't enjoying his day so far. He was starting to get sick of all the seemingly endless sun, as was most of the Clan. It was giving him a headache, and even if he drank, he knew that he'd be thirsty again a few moments later. Ashfur preferred not to leave the camp to find a stream or a puddle several times a day, but that was what he was being forced to do. Even then, the streams and puddles were rare, as most of them had dried up. Unfortunately, it seemed like the heat was showing no signs of stopping. It had been the same sort of weather for about half a moon now. I never thought it would come to the point where I genuinely started to dislike Greenleaf, Ashfur thought, but it has.

Things for him as a warrior were starting to get worse as well. The whole issue with Whitewing was yet to resolve itself; cats expected him to say sorry, even though it had been the she-cat's fault in the first place. Lionpaw, now that he'd been taken out once, had apparently started to think he was going to be taken out for training daily. If Ashfur was certain of one thing, it was that daily training sessions with Lionpaw were not going to happen any time soon. So all in all, it was no surprise that his leader had decided to come over for a little chat with him.

Firestar had padded over almost as soon as he'd entered the camp. Ashfur wasn't able to reply straight away, as his mouth was full of the prey he'd just caught. Despite the lack of water, he couldn't deny that the forest prey was plentiful, and thankfully, it gave him time to think of a response.

Ashfur emptied his mouth quickly, before addressing the ginger tom. 'Of course,' he said, with forced politeness. 'Go ahead.'

Firestar's ears twitched. 'Preferably alone.'

Ashfur winced. He'd hoped that Firestar wouldn't say that. It meant that what he had to say would most almost definitely be negative. He recovered himself, before speaking again. 'Okay,' he murmured warily. 'Where?'

'My den.' The ginger tom flicked his tail, before turning around and padding over towards the Highledge.

'What about my-'

'You can leave your catch by the fresh kill pile on the way.'

Foxdung, Ashfur thought bitterly. That was his last excuse gone. It looked as if he was going to be forced to talk with Firestar, and to say he didn't want to was an understatement. The dark grey tom followed reluctantly. He could sense a couple of intruding eyes fixed on his back as he walked, but he made sure not to spare them a second glance.

Looking at his leader, Ashfur wondered if he had ever suspected that he had a part to play in the incident that had left Firestar bleeding helplessly in a foxtrap. When Hawkfrost had first approached him about a plan to kill Firestar, he'd been apprehensive of the RiverClan tom's motives. But it hadn't taken Ashfur long to convince himself to do it. He'd wanted to do it really. The enraged voice inside his head had been so persuasive, whispering words of revenge that echoed in his ears. Ashfur had thought all of his hatred towards Squirrelflight would go away after Firestar had been killed, but of course, Firestar wasn't dead, and the iciness within him had just got colder.

Ashfur dropped his prey on the fresh kill pile as slowly as possible. Firestar didn't bother waiting for him, padding into his den before he could say anything. He considered making a run for it while the ginger tom wasn't looking, but he knew it wouldn't really have made a difference. Right, Ashfur felt like snarling, lets get this over with.

When he entered the leader's den, he couldn't help but flinch at the disapproving look in Firestar's leaf green eyes. It was rare that Ashfur saw his leader angry; he'd always considered him to be a calm, collected cat, if a little too kind sometimes. Certainly, he'd never seenFirestar angry with him personally, but this was the closest yet. The tom gestured for him to sit down nearby and Ashfur obliged.

'I'm sure it's no mystery to you as to why you're here, Ashfur,' Firestar said, curling his tail neatly over his paws.

'Yes Firestar.'

'At least, I hope you know.'

'Yes Firestar.'

The leader took a deep breath, like he was an elder about to repeat a long story to a kit. Here we go, Ashfur thought.

'As a member of ThunderClan, it's your responsibility to commit all of your effort to hunting, patrolling and protecting your Clan,' he told him. 'That, for one, is an integral part of the warrior code.'

'Of course.'

'And although it may not be set out in stone, it is also the responsibility of a member of a Clan to at least go about your duties with dignity,' Firestar added. 'Not, I stress, to mope around with a sour look on your face, feeling sorry for yourself, and overall being rude to every single clan-mate you come across.' He eyed him cautiously. 'For example, Whitewing.'

Ashfur was tempted to snort at the ginger tom, and tell him exactly what he thought about Whitewing at the moment, but naturally, Firestar didn't give him a chance.

'Now, I must admit, I know very little about this whole issue,' he said calmly. 'All I know is that a few of your clan-mates won't stop talking about it, and indeed, about you. Whatever happened on that patrol, whatever you said to each other, the best thing to do would be to forget about it and put the whole thing behind you, right?'

'And I suppose you want me to apologise?' Ashfur shot back, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

Firestar ignored his outburst. 'Really, I'm surprised you and Whitewing even fell out,' he rasped. 'It seemed to me you were very close friends.'

'Maybe, but that was before she started being a mousebrained piece of foxdung to me.'

Again, Firestar decided not to reply to his remark, although Ashfur noticed a flicker of impatience cross over his face. 'Look, you and Whitewing are mature cats. It really shouldn't take your clan leader to usher you in the right direction before you decide to sort out your differences.'

The dark grey tom laughed scathingly. 'Believe me, I have no intention of sorting out any differences with Whitewing.'

'It isn't unreasonable for her to expect an apology.'

'So why is it unreasonable for me to expect one?'

'I don't want a debate about this, Ashfur.' Firestar snapped. 'I expect you to say sorry to Whitewing within at least seven sunrises. If not, there will be consequences.'

'Did someone complain to you?' Ashfur challenged. 'Cloudtail, perhaps?'

His eyes narrowed. 'What are you suggesting?'

'Well, let's just say I thought it was a leader's responsibility not to show favouritism towards their closest kin.'

Genuine anger entered Firestar's eyes, and his leader slowly got to his paws. 'How dare you suggest I'm being prejudicedtowards you!' he snarled.

'Why shouldn't I?' Ashfur retorted. 'After all, it appears that a large amount of your family are in control in this Clan. Leafpool's your daughter and Brambleclaw is the mate of your other daughter.' He had to prevent himself from spitting as he spoke. 'Coincidence? I think not.'

'Now you listen to me,' the ginger tom growled. He was clearly seething. 'I will not be spoken to like that in my own den. I'm your leader. You me should show more respect.'

'I don't see a reason why I should when you show such little respect to m-'

'Enough!' Firestar shouted, effectively cutting off the dark grey tom's protest. His pelt had fluffed out to twice it's normal size, and an unnerving silence enveloped the den.

For awhile, all the two cats did was glare at each other. Ashfur's expression was mutinous; no matter how much his head told him to take back what he'd said, he couldn't now. Firestar was breathing in and out heavily, his eyes burning, but Ashfur refused to be intimidated. It's him who's being unreasonable! an icy voice growled inside him.

Eventually, his leader sat back down in his nest, although the tension refused to fade. It had settled like a cloud of blacksmoke. Ashfur felt tempted to speak, but it was Firestar who broke the quiet first.

'That was completely unacceptable,' he hissed. The tom was trying, and evidently struggling, to keep a calm voice. 'Let alone unnecessary.'

He waited, expecting a reply, but none came. Quickly, Firestar shook his head, allowing his cool to return. 'I can't believe thenerve of you!' he echoed, tapping his claw on the floor of the den. 'There's just no need for you to act like this, whether you're with me or your clan-mates.' His eyes narrowed down to slits. 'What have we done to deserve this sort of rudeness?' he demanded. 'Why of you seem to be so angry with everyone at the moment?'

'I don't know, Firestar,' Ashfur muttered, looking away.

'No, don't give me that. I want a proper answer.'

Ashfur would've replied if he'd been able to, but for some reason, he couldn't. The words wouldn't leave his mouth. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to Firestar, and a few thousand things he wanted to do to Firestar, none of them good. There was a slight pain in his chest when he looked at his leader, not only because of his connection to Squirrelflight but also because of something else. You should be dead, Ashfur thought to himself. If you were dead, I wouldn't even be like this.

'I'm sorry, Ashfur said, his voice empty of emotion. 'I can't tell you.'

Firestar watched him edgily. He looked about to open his mouth, only to let out a long, resigned sigh. 'I wish that you'd tell me. It would make things easier for both of us.'

'I'm sorry,' the dark grey tom repeated.

'You're a good warrior, Ashfur,' Firestar murmured. 'If you put your mind to it, you could become a great warrior. No one can doubt your hunting skills or your fighting efficiency. Previously, I'd thought that your loyalty was unflinching as well, but after this, the only thing I can say is that you've proved me wrong. It's disappointing.'

Ashfur's expression hardened. Oh, and now he's insulting my loyalty!

'But nevertheless, I feel inclined to give you a chance to redeem yourself, whether you deserve it or not.' Firestar said, raising his head again. 'Like I said earlier, you have seven days to swallow your pride and apologise to Whitewing, in addition to changing the way you act around your Clanmates. Otherwise, I'll be forced to take more serious action.'

He leaned in closer, so that his face was only inches away from Ashfur's. 'Don't waste this,' Firestar warned. 'I know that you're better than the way you'rebehaving at the moment.'

At this, Firestar leaned back, before nodding towards the entrance for him to leave. Ashfur didn't have to be asked twice, quickly dashing away from the scolding gaze of his leader. He didn't really know what to think about what had just happened. Blood pounded in his ears, giving away that he was furious, but the rest of his body felt oddly numb. He wanted to hit something, preferably a cat. If Firestar had known about the agony he was feeling, perhaps he would've been a little kinder. He had seven days to apologise did he? The Ashfur of a few seasons ago might of headed straight over to Whitewing to do just that, but he was hardly the same cat of a few seasons ago. Some stubborn and defiant part of himforced him to pad away from any other cats in the Clan and over to the warriors den. This time, he didn't have to ignore the looks he was getting from his clan-mates. Ashfur barely even noticed them.

Luckily, there was no one else in the den as he ducked inside and crashed into the feathers of his nest. He wouldn't have wanted anybody else to see him in the state he was in. The tom looked straight forward at the cold stone wall of the den. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, but his mind was raging inside his skull like a cornered rat. I deserve more respect that this, Ashfur thought, I'm a warrior of ThunderClan too, aren't I?

Are you really? a cruel, familiar voice whispered back.

Ashfur shook his head. Shut up.

Why should I? It's true. The voice snarled back. You don't really belong here, not anymore. Judging bythe way you tried to kill your leader, the warrior code means virtually nothing to you, and your clan-mates hate you. Why even stay?

Ashfur wanted desperately to answer, but the worst part was that he didn't have one. Instead, he just closed his eyes, trying to tell himself the meeting with Firestar hadn't even happened. All he could think about was what his punishment would be if he didn't say sorry to Whitewingand start to treat everyone differently. Confinement to camp? Apprentice duties for a month? Whatever it was, Ashfur didn't want to know.

The moonlight spilled down into the camp, giving the cold stone walls an eerie feel. It was odd seeing it devoid of any cats, like it was empty or abandoned. They were all fast asleep in their dens, and without them, the camp seemed lifeless. The hunting grounds of StarClan glowed brightly overhead, lighting up the black sky. Leafpool peered out of her den, admiring them. She wondered what it was like up there, untouched by the stress of Clan life. Probably a lot better than her life was.

She had been staring at them for quite a long time, ever since she'd woken up in the middle of the night in fact. Leafpool found it comforting when she couldn't get to sleep. It happened a reasonable amount, after all. Eventually, she tore her eyes away and took a peek at Jaypaw, who was lying in his nest. His chest rose and fell in a relaxed rhythm, his blind eyes closed. She smiled at the sight. Her son couldn't snap at her while he wasasleep.

Over the past few days, Jaypaw's attitude towards Leafpool hadn't changed. He was still reluctant to get up in the morning, and still unenthusiastic training. The medicine cat understood that she had to give her apprentice time to adjust to the fact he couldn't become a warrior, but she would've hoped that he'd at least warmed up to her by now. Stop worrying, Leafpool told herself, he's still a young cat. How would you feel if you had to follow a destiny you hated?

She turned away, back towards the camp. Leafpool felt restless. She had to get out and do something, instead of staying cooped up in the medicine cat den for the night. Looking at the treesthat seemed as black as shadows due to the light, her paws shifted. A walk would probably do fine, she thought.

Making sure not to make any noise so that she wouldn't wake anyone up, Leafpool padded out into the camp clearing. It was completely silent- to a passing rogue, it would be like no one lived there at all. She made her way over to the camp entrance, before stopping just before she left. A sudden gust of wind blew through her fur, shaking the branches of the trees up ahead. For some unknown reason, she hesitated.

Leafpool shook herself. What's wrong with you? she thought. You're just being paranoid. She padded into the forest, not giving herself a second chance to think about it.

It was pitch black. Leafpool could hardly see her paws in front of her face because of how dark it was. The thick leaves shrouded out whatever minimal light was coming from the moon and stars, leaving only small glimmers to break through the canopy. It didn't bother Leafpool though; she walked at a slow pace, enjoying the comforting scents of ThunderClan's territory and letting her paw steps take her wherever they wanted without protest. She found it quite therapeutic, allowing all her worries to disappear into the night. This sort of relief from her anxiety didn't come along that often.

She continued to pad through the forest for some time, until coming to stop when she found herself by the bushes that broke away into the lakeshore. It was easier to see the water than it was to see through the undergrowth. Leafpool shoved her way through the shrubs and onto the expanse of grass and sand that surrounded the lake. Water rolled forward and back in a gentle rhythm, washing over the medicine cat's paws as she reached the lake's edge. She glanced down at her reflection. The ripples denied her a clear image, but it struck the she-cat that she looked somewhat… different. There was a sadness in the pair of amber eyes in the water, an emotion that told a story of loss and heartbreak.

'What are you doing here?'

The voice startled Leafpool, and she jumped back in shock to see a dark grey tom glaring at her coldly. After a second where the medicine cat didn't say a word, taken back that there would be someone else awake at this time of night, she recognised him as Ashfur. He was stood a few fox lengths away, his tail kinked high over his shoulder. She wondered how long he had been watching her.

'Ashfur!' she stuttered. 'I didn't see you there.'

The tom didn't seem to register her, instead just repeating what he'd said first. 'What are you doing here?'

Leafpool didn't answer him at first. Her mind had gone black, and whether it was from the initial shock of seeing him or from her own lack of reasoning for being out of camp in the forest, she didn't have a clue how to reply. 'I was- uh- collecting some herbs,' she made up on the spot. Her voice rose at the last few words, making it sound more like a question than an answer.

Ashfur's ears flattened. 'Of course you were,' he returned sarcastically. 'Now tell me why you're actually here.'

She huffed. 'I wasn't following you, if that's what you think,' she said. There was no point in persisting on her excuse, as it was obvious that Ashfur believed her about as much as he believed that a dead mouse could fly. 'I just…'

'Well?' he pressed, sounding a little angry that she'd lied to him.

Leafpool sighed. 'I don't know, alright?' she murmured. 'I just couldn't get to sleep.'

There were a few moments of awkwardness where Leafpool couldn't meet Ashfur's gaze. She could tell that there would be scorn in his eyes, and she didn't want to face it. So she just stayed quiet, and didn't say a thing.

Finally, Ashfur scoffed. 'Whatever,' he replied curtly, settling down onto his haunches. 'You should get back to camp. It's late.'

When he said this, Leafpool suddenly realised that Ashfur had left camp too. He doesn't have a right to talk to me like this! 'What about you?' she questioned. 'Why did you leave camp?'

His eyes contracted sharply. 'None of your business.'

'Yes it is!' she snapped hotly. 'Apparently, it's was your business why I left camp. Besides, I'm the medicine cat, and you're a warrior. You should show me more respect.'

'Oh please, don't give me that,' the tom snorted. 'I've had enough about respect from Firestar today already.'

Leafpool frowned. What does he mean, he's had enough from Firestar already? Then, she remembered something that had happened earlier that day. When she had gone to get some prey from the fresh kill pile, she'd heard some of the warriors gossiping about the fact that her father had been talking with Ashfur in his den. They hadn't mentioned what about, but Leafpool was sure that she could guess. The whole tirade with Whitewing seemed to have been going on forever. And from the sound of his voice, it seemed that whatever Firestar had said hadn't been good.

'Is this about Whitewing?' she asked slowly. 'Is that you why you left camp?'

Ashfur's pelt bristled, and Leafpool thought that he might snap at her again. He didn't look too pleased that she'd brought up the subject, but thankfully, he decided against it. 'Yeah,' he mumbled. 'I guess it is.'

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ashfur's shoulders appeared to sag. His eyes drooped a bit, and his tail fell onto his paws. The sight of the usually proud tom looking so uncharacteristically despondent made her feel a burst of pity. She stepped forward, albeit uncertainly.

'Don't worry Ashfur,' Leafpool said, trying to make her voice sound as sympathetic as possible. 'You can talk to me about it if you want.'

But the sight of the medicine cat trying to comfort him seemed to snap Ashfur out of the downcast mood. He drew himself back up again, and the steely glint came back to blue eyes. 'No,' he told her.

'Are you sure?' Leafpool began to say.

'Yes,' Ashfur cut in. 'And it's still late. Like I said, you should get back to camp.'

Making sure not to provoke anymore anger out of the dark grey tom, Leafpool took another step towards him and spoke again, 'Honestly, I think both of us should be getting back to camp. Sleep would be the best thing for you at this point. And for me,' she added, quieter.

The light tabby had hoped that Ashfur would agree to what she'd suggested straight away, but it was clear that he had no intention of doing so. Leafpool looked at him imploringly, just before he was about to protest, and then, he stopped. Their eyes met, light amber locking onto icy blue. She was reminded of a time in camp when the same thing had happened. Squirrelflight had been with her that time, but now, it was just them two, alone by the side of the lake. His expression changed to something that Leafpool couldn't interpret. It made her feel uncomfortable, but the depth of his stare was so captivating that she couldn't look away. It was almost like Ashfur had recognised something in her that he never thought he would see again.

Eventually, he took a deep breath. 'Okay, Leafpool,' he said calmly. 'Let's go back to camp.'

She forced herself to tear away from Ashfur's stare. 'Alright,' she managed to choke out, blinking rapidly.

But Ashfur didn't look away. He carried on looking at her, and Leafpool wondered whether they were going to move at all. But then, the tom turned around and started to pad back towards the bushes. He glanced back at her when he reached them, signalling for her to follow, and she did so after a momentary pause.

What in StarClan's name was that? she thought to herself, as she chased after him. What came over me? Leafpool had never seen Ashfur act like that towards her. The level of intensity in his eyes had left her practically breathless, even though they'd hardly moved. Leafpool wanted to ask him what he'd been thinking about, but how could she? We're not even friends! she felt like shouting. His closeness to Squirrelflight always prevented any kind of friendship. She looked him up and down uneasily from behind. He seemed completely at ease in contrast, far from the uptight cat she'd been talking to at the start of the conversation.

Ashfur began to slow his pace until Leafpool caught up with him. An owl shrieked loudly above them, and Leafpool shivered. A cloud had come over the moon, making everything around them even darker than before. For some reason, there was an apprehensive feeling in her gut, setting the she-cat on edge. She felt the need to talk to the cat beside her, ask him something, anything, but the power of speech had deserted her.

As they neared the camp, Leafpool began to sense something was happening to Ashfur. She could tell he was thinking hard by the way his cheeks were furrowed with concentration, and his tail lashed from side to side. He was thinking about something that was troubling him. Worry tugged at her like a thorn in her side. Now, Leafpool was adamant that something was wrong. All that she wanted was to get back to camp.

'Leafpool…'

All of a sudden, the medicine cat became aware that Ashfur had stopped moving. She closed her eyes, before opening them once more and twisting her head back to where the tom was standing. Whatever had been bothering him seemed to have stopped doing so, because now he was as unmoving as stone. His eyes were trailed on her pelt, and his face was full of the same emotion from before.

'Ashfur?' she called out shakily. 'Is there something wrong?'

He muttered something under his breath, a name that she couldn't make out, before slowly padding towards her. Leafpool could feel her heart pounding nervously in her chest as he approached. Once again, she felt the desire to move, to pull away and run back to camp, but her paws were rooted to the spot.

Ashfur came to within a few inches towards her before coming to a halt. He was so close that Leafpool could see all the specks of grey fur on his face. Her eyes widened when he looked down at her paws. His tail was brushing slightly against her own.

'What are you doing?' she whispered.

Only silence greeted her words. Ashfur just remained still. It was like time had stopped.

Then, he blinked once, slowly and meaningfully, before closing the gap between them and pressing his muzzle against her own. Despite the way he was acting, Leafpool still hadn't expected it. Surprise leaped through her body as if it had caught fire. She wanted to pull away, to scratch and yell at him, demand what he thought she was.

But there was something inexplicably gentle about the way his muzzle felt when Ashfur had moved in. He had touched her like she was something precious, or like she was the only thing in the entire world that mattered. It was completely, and utterly ridiculous. After all, they hardly even knew each other, but Ashfur didn't seem to think so. And whatever he was thinking about, whatever conclusion he had come to in his head, Leafpool couldn't bring herself to pull away.

Softly, Ashfur reached around her haunches with his tail and entwined it with her own. His eyes were closed, but Leafpool's were wide open. Because he was taller than her, she was being forced to crane her neck upwards just so that their muzzles would still meet. The trees were blurring over around her, transforming into a strange golden haze in which she couldn't tell one from the other. It was like she had lost herself in a swirling snowstorm of confusion. But now, it was too late to pull away. Ashfur was too close.

Whatever happened throughout the rest of that night, Leafpool had no idea.

Just to clarify, this doesn't mean that Ashfur and Leafpool are actually in love yet. It's just a VERY big step in the development between the two characters! Don't worry, Ashfur's full motives will be explained in the next chapter. :)

I really hope you liked the chapter. The word count for this story was 4,756 words! Whew.