Erin Hunter - Leafpool’s Wish

THUNDERCLANLEADER FIRESTAR—ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt DEPUTY GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom MEDICINE CAT LEAFPOOL—light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits) DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat CLOUDTAIL—long-haired white tom BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom APPRENTICE, WHITEPAW THORNCLAW—golden brown tabby tom BRIGHTHEART—white she-cat with ginger patches BRAMBLECLAW—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes ASHFUR—pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes APPRENTICE, BIRCHPAW RAINWHISKER—dark gray tom with blue eyes SQUIRRELFLIGHT—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes SPIDERLEG—long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits) FERNCLOUD—pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, green eyes, mother of Dustpelt’s kits SORRELTAIL—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes DAISY—cream-colored, long-furred cat from the horseplace ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired) GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat, the oldest nursery queen LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes, retired early due to failing sight MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat

SHADOWCLANLEADER BLACKSTAR—large white tom with huge jet-black paws DEPUTY RUSSETFUR—dark ginger she-cat MEDICINE CAT LITTLECLOUD—very small tabby tom WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits) OAKFUR—small brown tom APPRENTICE, SMOKEPAW CEDARHEART—dark gray tom ROWANCLAW—ginger tom TAWNYPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits) TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired) BOULDER—skinny gray tom

WINDCLANLEADER ONESTAR—brown tabby tom DEPUTY ASHFOOT—gray she-cat MEDICINE CAT BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits) TORNEAR—tabby tom WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom CROWFEATHER—dark gray tom OWLWHISKER—light brown tabby tom NIGHTCLOUD—black she-cat WEASELFUR—ginger tom with white paws QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits) WHITETAIL—small white she-cat ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired) MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell queen RUSHTAIL—light brown tom

RIVERCLANLEADER LEOPARDSTAR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat DEPUTY MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes MEDICINE CAT MOTHWING—dappled golden she-cat APPRENTICE, WILLOWPAWWARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits) BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom APPRENTICE, BEECHPAW VOLETOOTH—small brown tabby tom SWALLOWTAIL—dark tabby she-cat STONESTREAM—gray tom REEDWHISKER—black tom APPRENTICE, RIPPLEPAWQUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits) MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes DAWNFLOWER—pale gray she-cat

THE TRIBE OF RUSHING WATER BROOK WHERE SMALL FISH SWIM (BROOK)—brown tabby she-cat STORMFUR—dark gray tom with amber eyes

OTHER ANIMALS SMOKY—muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace FLOSS—small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace PIP—black-and-white terrier who lives with Twolegs near the horseplace MIDNIGHT—a stargazing badger who lives by the sea

“Keep still, Birchpaw! If you don’t stop wriggling, I’ll have Dustpelt sit on you!” Leafpool retrieved the fallen moss with a hiss and held it over the apprentice’s eye once more.

“It stings!” Birchpaw protested.

“What, worse than a badger’s claws?” Leafpool meowed skeptically. She squeezed the moss between her pads and a bead of green juice dropped into the center of Birchpaw’s half-closed eye. Birchpaw winced but Leafpool quickly placed her paw on top of his eyelid, keeping it closed while the juice treated the infection.

Inevitably, memories of the badger attack flooded back to her: the sight of her Clanmates battling for their lives when she and Crowfeather had stood, horrorstruck, at the entrance to the hollow; the sound of small furred bodies thudding into the ground, tossed by gigantic black-and-white paws; the snarls of the badgers rumbling beneath the shrieks of warriors. Birchpaw had been lucky to escape with nothing more serious than a clawed eye. Sootfur had been killed, and so had Cinderpelt the medicine cat, desperately protecting Sorreltail as she gave birth to her kits. Leafpool felt a fresh wave of grief, sharp as ever, when she thought of her mentor dying without her. Cinderpelt must have been terrified for the future of ThunderClan without a medicine cat, yet she still refused to leave Sorreltail’s side.

I came back, Cinderpelt, and I stayed , Leafpool whispered fiercely, hoping that her mentor could hear her in StarClan.

“Talking to yourself, eh?” Brackenfur mewed, appearing in the entrance to the den.

Leafpool shook the memories clear from her mind. “Just remembering something important,” she replied. “Is everything okay, Brackenfur?”

“Er, can I go now?” Birchpaw chirped, looking up at her with his injured eye closed and weeping with juice.

Leafpool nodded. “Of course, but you’re still not allowed out of the hollow! I don’t want any brambles poking you in that eye before it’s fully healed.”

Birchpaw trotted out, muttering under his breath. Brackenfur flicked the apprentice with his tail-tip as he passed. “Some cats need to remember how lucky they were to survive that battle,” he grunted.

Leafpool bowed her head. “And those who fell will not be forgotten.”

Brackenfur ducked to enter the den. Like most of Leafpool’s Clanmates, he glanced nervously up at the roof as if he was wondering how the weight of the cliffs above them was supported. “Sorreltail sent me,” he meowed. “Cinderkit’s picked up a couple of fleas and she wondered if you had anything that might soothe the bites.”

Leafpool pictured the tiny gray she-cat scratching at her fluffy pelt. “I’m sure I can help,” she purred. “Tell Sorreltail I’ll bring something over before sunhigh.”

Brackenfur narrowed his eyes. “There’s no rush. You look tired, Leafpool. Is there anything I can do?”