Chapter 3

Lionblaze ushered Dovepelt through the sleeping camp, heading directly to the medicine den. Most of Thunderclan were asleep under the stars tonight, despite the leaf bare winds that sent chills down his spine. Cinderheart was alone in the forest somewhere, cold and alone. He pressed on.
"Where are we going?" Dovepelt whispered. Lionblaze turned his head, but kept walking.
"To the medicine tunnel," He clarified quietly. He turned his head back, just in time to move out of the way of his mother, Leafpool.
"Careful, Leafpool is right in front-" Lionblaze began to say before Leafpool interrupted him.
"Where are you two going?" She hissed tiredly. Lionblaze whipped around to face the two she-cats.
"Er, the medicine den," Dovepelt peeped. Leafpool narrowed her eyes.
"For what? I'm sure Jayfeather is tired and can deal with you two in the morning," Leafpool grunted.
"It's urgent." Lionblaze felt his claws slide out of their sheathe out of desperation.
"What is so urgent it can't wait until morning?" The brown tabby queen mumbled.
"Its, er, three stuff," Lionblaze lied quickly.
"Three? What three," Leafpool murmured, her eyes beginning to flutter. Then she sat straight up,"Oh, you three. You, Jayfeather and Dovepelt, well go ahead," Leafpool moved aside, dipping her head in respect. Lionblaze rolled his eyes as they passed her, that had taken valuable time away from them. Quickly and quietly they pushed past the ivy that clung to the rocks. A few cats were sleeping in balls of moss. A stocky gray tabby was moving through the den quietly checking on the injured cats.
"...she needs comfrey, but I can...tomorrow..." Jayfeather yawned, sniffing Pebble drowsily. He sauntered over to his den, behind the crevice in the walls. Before his tail disappeared behind the lichen, Lionblaze turned and nodded at Dovepelt.
"Now,"
Lionblaze and Dovepelt crept in, their pelts brushing silently. Jayfeather whipped around suddenly.
"What do you two want?"
"We need to use the tunnel," Lionblaze hissed.
"What for?"
"Cinderheart is missing,"
Jayfeather opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. His eyes were worried, and his tail twitched irritably. His paws scraped the floor, his eyes in deep thought.
"Um... Jayfeather?" Dovepelt murmured.
Jayfeather looked back at them,"Go ahead, use the tunnel and find Cinderheart," His eyes were strangely clear and full of sympathy.
"Alright," Lionblaze murmured,"We'll be back before sunhigh. If anyone asks, we're out hunting," Lionblaze nodded to his brother, trusting him to keep this quiet for now.
"Lead me to the tunnel, I've only been through it once, remember?" Lionblaze gestured to Dovepelt. The gray she-cat nodded and led him passed the tunnel of ferns and vanished behind a crack in the rocks where Jayfeather kept herbs. Lionblaze followed silently behind her. It was almost pitch black in here, except for the sliver of moonlight that could be seen. Dovepelt edged her way to the back of the chamber and vanished behind long flowing lichen. Lionblaze pushed past the lichen and followed after her. Wisps of fresh air flowed down the tunnel. Lionblaze took a step forward, feeling the tunnel walls with his whiskers. The tunnel closed around him, Dovepelt was already a fox length ahead of him. Lionblaze padded ahead faster until he could feel Dovepelt's tail a mouse length in front of him. Suddenly, the path took a turn and opened up into the forest. Dovepelt ducked out of the entrance momentarily, then poked her head back in.
"Come on then," Dovepelt puffed. Lionblaze grunted and heaved his chest through the hole. Lionblaze could scent the faint scent of badger, it must have been an old set.
"Where should we look first?" Lionblaze asked, unsheathing his claws into the moist dirt.
"I think we should start by the camp entrance, that would be the best place to find her scent," Dovepelt blinked. Lionblaze nodded, setting their course towards the front of camp. They were near the Windclan border, or what was the the Windclan border, the scent markers where long gone.
"We'll need to go fast if we want to find her before sunrise," Dovepelt murmured. Lionblaze blinked thoughtfully, Dovepelt was no longer the nervous apprentice he always thought of her, she was a strong confident she-cat with a family of her own.
"Lionblaze?"
"Let's go," Lionblaze started sprinting through the trees, his tail streaming out behind him. Dovepelt was sprinting at his side, her chest heaving with effort. Trees vanished behind them and soon the hollow was in front of them. Lionblaze skidded to a halt.
"Ssh," Lionblaze warned. He stepped forward and began searching for any snippet of his mate's warm scent, but the sleet had washed most of it away.
"Hey Lionblaze, I think I found something," Lionblaze turned around, Dovepelt's nose was pressed against a large thorn bush. Lionblaze rushed over to see what she was talking about.
"Here," She stepped aside, a large tuft of gray fur was stuck on the thorns. Lionblaze pressed his nose against it excitedly, breathing in the scent.
"That's definitely Cinderheart," Lionblaze murmured. Dovepelt grinned weakly.
"Then we should go this way," Dovepelt gestured her tail through the brambles. Lionblaze frowned, why had Cinderheart made such a hasty retreat through thorns?
Lionblaze carefully pulled a branch back and allowed Dovepelt to pass him, then stepped in after her. He flicked his ears down to avoid getting caught on the over hanging brambles.
"Can you hear her?" Lionblaze asked, flicking dew off his whiskers.
"I can only see her running," Dovepelt mewed back. Lionblaze frowned again, where was his mate going?
"Ouch," Dovepelt grimaced, pulling her sore pad up from the ground. A large thorn was stuck in her foot.
"Here, let me try," Lionblaze moved around to her side. Dovepelt held her paw up patiently as Lionblaze bit onto the thorn and gave it a big tug. Blood started to trickle slowly down Dovepelt's paw. Lionblaze gave it a few gentle licks.
"Thanks, where d'ya learn that?" Dovepelt murmured, sucking on her paw. Lionblaze shrugged.
"Guess I picked it up from Jayfeather," Lionblaze murmured, itching to get going. Dovepelt stood uneasily on three paws, then steadily put weight on her fourth.
"I'm fine, let's keep going," The pair pressed on, searching for any signs of the missing she-cat. Lionblaze saw a few more strands of fur stuck on the thorns.He took a few more pawsteps and gasped. Dovepelt turned around.
"What is it?" Dovepelt cocked her head. Lionblaze looked down, scarlet blood trickled off thorns and onto the forest floor.
"She probably just snagged her fur on the thorns," Dovepelt murmured, coming closer and pressing her fur against his. Lionblaze studied it closely, was Cinderheart hurt? He looked up and gazed into Dovepelt's eyes, there was no fear, just warm determination, the same as Lionblaze's. He was prepared to fight a whole tribe of badgers for his mate. He started to trot through the bushes, then gradually gained speed until he was running through the brambles.
Dovepelt called up to him,"We're getting closer! I can feel it!" Lionblaze looked up to the sky, the first rays of light were streaking up the sky. He ran faster until her came to small slope in the ground. The ferns here were flattened down and still warm.
"She was here, only a few moments ago," Lionblaze murmured, sniffing the make-shift nest, which was full of Cinderheart's fear scent.
"She must have heard us running and thought someone was after her," Dovepelt murmured,"Which means she couldn't of gotten very far. Come on, we can still catch up with her!" Dovepelt sped past Lionblaze. Lionblaze paused to make sure they were heading in the right direction, which they were, and ran after her. The path was full of Cinderheart;s fear scent and it as easy to stay on path. Lionblaze quickly caught up with Dovepelt, the gray she-cat was running full speed, the scent trail getting fresher and fresher. Lionblaze grew more anxious for his mate. Finally, the brambles died away and the forest opened up into a meadow, they were near the Shadowclan border. Lionblaze stopped quickly, gazing across the meadow. On the other side was a medium sized gray tabby she-cat, her tail fluffed up twice its size and her eyes blazing with fear and anger.
"Get away from me!" Cinderheart hissed, clawing at the slippery tufts of grass. Lionblaze took a step forward,"Get back! Or I'll get all of Thunderclan on you!" Cinderheart's ears twitched. Lionblaze looked back at Dovepelt, confused.
"Cinderheart, we are Thunderclan. It's me, Lionblaze." Lionblaze called across the clearing.
Cinderheart's eyes were cloudy with confusion,"There is no Lionblaze in Thunderclan!" Her eyes were full of pain and frustration.
"Cinderheart, you, Dovepelt, and I are all Thunderclan warriors!" Lionblaze pleaded.
Cinderheart shook her head,"I am Thunderclan's medicine cat!" Lionblaze looked again at Dovepelt,"And Leafpool is my apprentice! What have you done with her?"
"Leafpool is back at the hollow," Lionblaze called out.
Cinderheart looked back more confused then ever. Lionblaze was even more confused,"Cinderheart-"
"My name is Cinderpelt!" Cinderheart yowled.
"Alright," Lionblaze blinked,"Cinderpelt, Jayfeather is our medicine cat now, Cinderpelt died before all of us were born. You are Cinderheart,"
"Impossible!" Cinderheart screeched. Lionblaze took a few more steps forward.
"Stay back I said!" Cinderheart looked back up and yowled furiously.
Dovepelt approached him from behind,"Just play along with it," Lionblaze flicked his ears in agreement.
"Cinderpelt, please you have to come back to camp," Dovepelt yelled across the meadow. Cinderheart didn't seem to notice Dovepelt before.
"Why?" Cinderheart narrowed her eyes.
Dovepelt leaned over to whisper in Lionblaze's ear,"How did Cinderpelt die?"
"Badger attack,"
"Badgers are attacking the camp!" Dovepelt yowled, forcing her fur to stick out at all ends to make it look like she was terrified. Lionblaze did the same.
For a moment, Cinderheart's eyes cleared up,"Alright, lets go," She made her way to the pair, but strangely she didn't put all her weight on one of her hind legs. She nodded to Dovepelt, and glared angrily at Lionblaze.
"What clan are you from?" Cinderheart murmured to Dovepelt. Dovepelt looked up at Lionblaze, alarmed. Lionblaze shrugged.
"Er, Riverclan," Dovepelt mewed quickly. Cinderheart nodded.
"What's your name?" Cinderheart murmured, trying to go faster to reach the "badger infested" clan.
"Her name is Dawnflower," Lionblaze mewed, remembering the light gray queen that died in the first battle with the Dark Forest.
"Ah yes, I remember you from the gatherings, how is Leopardstar?" Cinderheart murmured. Leopardstar had died many seasons ago, when Dovepelt was an apprentice.
"Good," Dovepelt answered flatly.
"Say, why has a Riverclan cat come to find the Thunderclan medicine cat?" Cinderheart stopped, her fur rising.
"Because..." Dovepelt opened her mouth uneasily, glancing at Lionblaze.
"Because the badgers attacked Riverclan as well!" Lionblaze chimed in. Dovepelt nodded furiously. Cinderheart narrowed her eyes at the pair, limped forward and started walking at a brisk pace again. Lionblaze and Dovepelt dropped behind her and cast nervous glances at each other.
"What happened to her? Why does she think she is a dead cat?" Lionblaze mewed worriedly.
"Maybe she hit her head in the battle and got confused. She does have the same name as the cat," Dovepelt murmured. Lionblaze wasn't so sure, something else was going on here.