Erin Hunter - Twilight

“Hey, Berrykit, get off!” he panted, giving the creamy-white kit a gentle cuff around the ear. “Mousekit, that tickles .

And who’s got their teeth in my tail?” He rolled over, taking the smallest kit with him. “Hazelkit, show a bit of respect for a warrior!”

“He’s really good with them.” Brightheart had returned and stood gazing at her mate with a wistful look. “He’ll be a fantastic mentor,” she went on. “He was so patient with me when I was injured. He worked out all kinds of fighting moves for me so I could be a warrior again.”

Leafpool felt an unexpected stab of sympathy for her.

Maybe Cinderpelt was right, and Brightheart had more changes to get used to than any of them. It couldn’t be easy for her to watch Cloudtail spending so much time with Daisy and her kits. But her sympathy dissolved when Mousefur padded up and spoke to Brightheart.

“I forgot to ask you,” the brown-furred elder meowed.

“Can I have some poppy seed? This fever has kept me awake for two nights now.”

“I’m not sure,” Brightheart replied. “I don’t think you should have poppy seed on top of all that borage. Let’s ask Cinderpelt if she has anything better.”

She led the elder behind the brambles that screened Cinderpelt’s den, leaving Leafpool to stare after them in frustrated disbelief. Who’s the medicine cat around here ? If Mousefur or Brightheart had bothered to ask her, she would have suggested chewing a dandelion leaf instead of poppy seeds. But they’d acted as if Leafpool wasn’t even there.

Maybe Cinderpelt would make Brightheart a medicine cat apprentice. But I’m still her apprentice , Leafpool thought miserably. Even though she had her proper name now, she would continue to learn from Cinderpelt for many more seasons.

She had never heard of a medicine cat having two apprentices at the same time. Besides , she added to herself, Brightheart has a mate, and a kit. She can’t be a medicine cat. Right?

She felt as if a huge stone hung in her belly, weighing her down. Maybe this is a sign from StarClan after all , she thought. A sign that I’m not needed in ThunderClan anymore .

A few wisps of cloud drifted across the sky, but the full moon floated clear of them as the ThunderClan cats crossed the tree bridge to the island. Leaping down onto the pebbly shore, Leafpool scanned the cats who were already there and spotted Ashfoot and Barkface making their way toward the line of bushes that guarded the center of the island.

WindClan are here , so where’s Crowfeather ? She told herself to stop looking for him, but when she couldn’t spot him her belly clenched with disappointment. She paused in the shadow of the tree roots, tasting the air for his scent, but it was impossible to pick one out among so many mingled scents.

Tail drooping, she trudged up the slope toward the barrier of bushes. She saw Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost padding up to touch noses; amber eyes gazed into ice blue. Some unspoken message passed between them, then both cats turned and disappeared beneath the thick branches.

Leafpool felt chilled to the depths of her fur. For a moment the island vanished, and she was back in that dark forest where Tigerstar was advising his sons how to seize power. What were Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw planning?

She heard the bushes rustle as the two tabby toms pushed their way into the clearing, and she waited for the leaves to stop quivering before she followed them. Her paws tingled with the sense of danger. Was Brambleclaw plotting to take over ThunderClan, just as his bloodthirsty father had plotted so many seasons ago?

She emerged from the bushes, blinking in the shining wash of moonlight that outlined every leaf and stem.

Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost were sitting side by side in front of her, not far from the roots of the Great Oak. Leafpool was just in time to see Squirrelflight glare at them before she settled down beside Ashfur. Tawnypelt and Russetfur joined them and the four warriors greeted one another in a friendly way, as if they were remembering how they had recently fought side by side against the kittypets.

Mothwing was comfortably crouched near the edge of the clearing with her paws tucked under her, beside Cinderpelt and the other medicine cats. Leafpool padded over to her.

“Is everything okay? Have you had any more trouble with that Twoleg stuff?”

Mothwing shook her head. “Everything’s fine, thanks.

Dawnflower and her kits have gone back to the nursery, with Mosspelt to keep an eye on them. And Beechpaw is training with Blackclaw again.”

“That’s great news,” Leafpool purred, at the same moment as Littlecloud asked, “What Twoleg stuff?”

Mothwing began to tell him about the leaking green and silver liquid, while Leafpool glanced around the clearing. She flinched as she made out the lean gray-black shape of Crowfeather, sitting in a group of other WindClan cats. She had been so sure he wasn’t there! She stared at him for a few heartbeats, only tearing her gaze away when his ears twitched as if he knew he was being watched.

A yowl sounded from the branches of the Great Oak. She looked up to see Blackstar standing on a branch that jutted out over the clearing. Firestar was sitting on a branch just above him, with Leopardstar beside him. Onestar was a couple of tail-lengths away, crouched in the fork between a thick bough and the tree trunk. Ashfoot and Mistyfoot were already sitting on the roots; Russetfur bounded up to join them as Blackstar stepped forward.

“Cats of all Clans,” he began, “StarClan have brought us here again to gather in the light of the full moon. Firestar, will you begin?”

The ThunderClan leader stood up and dipped his head to Blackstar. “ThunderClan have a new apprentice,” he reported. “Ashfur is now mentor to Birchpaw.”

Not far away, Leafpool saw Ashfur give his chest fur a couple of self-conscious licks, while Squirrelflight, beside him, gazed around proudly. Birchpaw himself hadn’t come to this Gathering.

“Daisy, one of the cats from the horse place, has brought her kits to ThunderClan,” Firestar went on as soon as the meows of congratulation had died away. “I have given them permission to stay as long as they like.”

A murmur of surprise rose up in the clearing, along with one or two yowls of protest. Rowanclaw of ShadowClan sprang to his paws. “Is that wise?” he demanded. “What good will kittypets be?”

Leafpool saw her father’s neck fur bristle, then relax again as if he were trying hard to keep his temper. “Daisy isn’t exactly a kittypet,” he replied evenly. “She lived with the horses, not in the Twoleg nest. And she did a brave thing in bringing her kits to us so the Twolegs couldn’t take them away.”

Rowanclaw flicked his tail. “They’ll never be warriors.”

“You don’t know that,” Firestar meowed, with a glance at Cloudtail, who was sitting near the roots of the Great Oak.

“A good warrior doesn’t have to be forestborn, just as being forestborn doesn’t guarantee being a good warrior. Daisy is settling in well, and her three kits will be apprenticed as soon as they’re old enough. They’ll soon learn the warrior code.”

“Maybe,” grunted Rowanclaw, sitting down again.

Leafpool was close enough to hear him mutter to Oakfur, “Why do we expect him to understand the importance of being Clanborn? Firestar would fill the forest with kittypets if he could.”

Oakfur twitched his ears. “You’ve got to admire him,” he mewed. “You think Blackstar would turn down the chance to have three extra warriors for the Clan?”