Jayfeather's fur stirred in the midnight air, his whiskers twitching in the moonlight. There was no way he could sleep now, not since she entered his thoughts. There was no way he could get her out. Even after taking a poppy seed to help him sleep, his heart kept him awake. No, she's keeping you awake, Jayfeather thought furiously, he would not let himself do this. He sulked back to his nest, careful to avoid his patients and Willowshine and Stoneteller, laying near Jayfeather's nest.
Only a few moments ago Lionblaze and Dovepelt had climbed through the tunnel to go and look for Cinderheart. Jayfeather wished he could've gone with them, like back before the Great Battle, when they always told eachother about everything. Now Lionblaze and Dovepelt were going behind his back to do things! Jayfeather sighed, they probably thought he didn't understand, he didn't have a mate. But they didn't know about her. Nobody could ever no about her, because he barely knew anything about her. But what he did know, that's what sent his heart pounding. Her sweet scent, her way of talking, she made his stomach feel like butterflies. Even though he had known her for only a few days, she made his body feel weightless.
Jayfeather shook his head. This was nonsense. He didn't feel this way about any cat, especially a cat he barely knew. He had to stay focused on the clans and on the look out for the next Medicine cat of either Shadowclan or Windclan. He had felt a buzzing in his hears that sounded similar to birds singing when the loner, Twilight, spoke up during the burial ceremony earlier that night. Hopefully Starclan would show him a sign about the young tom about being the next medicine cat for either clan.
Jayfeather took a step back, he needed to sleep and he could feel his eyelids closing already. He swept his tail around his paws as he settled into his nest and closed his eyes, welcoming the thought of dreaming tonight.
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"Bramblestar wants to speak to you two in his den," Bumblestripe's deep voice rumbled across the den. Jayfeather looked up from his herbs, his unseeing gaze indifferent to the light that shown down through the gap in his den and cast warm light on his back. Jayfeather got up and squeezed through the narrow entrance. It felt weird to be able to walk through his den without some cat yowling threats into his ears like the Place of No Stars cats had done.
Jayfeather passed the fresh kill pile, from the scent of it, there was no prey left. His belly grumbled loudly. Hopefully the hunting patrols would bring back something good. He climbed the wall leading up to Bramblestar's den, which still smelled of Hollyleaf, and poked his head in.
"Jayfeather, come in," Bramblestar murmured to the medicine cat. Jayfeather dipped his head and walked in flanked by Willowshine.
"What are we talking about?" Willowshine sat down across from Jayfeather. Jayfeather shifted his paws irritably.
"Stoneteller says he's going to take his tribe back before the new moon," Rowanstar's deep voice rumbled off the walls. Jayfeather nodded intently, he knew what this meant. Ragwort, Borage, Chamomile... Jayfeather started to recite the herb list for strengthening herbs. Most of his herbs were gone from the long exile in the medicine den, he would have to go and pick more. Hopefully his catmint had survived the frosts.
"What about Skyclan?" Willowshine mewed.
Leafstar spoke up,"We'll leave at the full moon as well," Jayfeather sighed, he would need lots of herbs.
"I'll help you gather herbs, if you like," Echosong breathed into his ear; he hadn't realized the small medicine cat was behind him.
"I'll help too," Willowshine decided. Jayfeather nodded and the three cats padded out of the den.
"Shouldn't you help too?" Bramblestar asked Stoneteller, he was the Tribe's healer after all. Stoneteller got to his paws.
"Might as well," He grunted,"We could learn from each other," Jayfeather snorted, he didn't expect to learn anything from the lazy old tom.
Sunhigh past in the camp by the time the herb patrol returned to camp. Jayfeather squeezed through the narrow entrance, the walls were crumpled down by moons of being neglected. Hopefully some warriors would take care of that.
His mouth watered as he placed his stack of herbs down, hunger gnawing at his stomach. A hunting patrol had just passed the returning patrol, carrying warm scents of prey even in this cold leafbare.
"I'll be off then," Stoneteller walked away, placing his herbs next to Jayfeather's. The old tom had known nothing of the herbs found in the forest, he had to be mentored like a young apprentice. The other medicine cats had been a big help though, Jayfeather was able to collect three times as many herbs as he could normally.
Jayfeather walked out of his den and plodded over to the fresh kill pile. He picked up a thrush, small but fat, and sat next to the bramble patch to eat in silence. A group of cats were approaching.
"Hi Jawfedder!" Snakerock mewed through a full mouth.
"What are you guys doing?" Jayfeather tilted his head quizzically.
"Repairing the forn farrier," Snakerock replied. Jayfeather nodded as the cats passed him. His stomach did flips. She was in the thorn barrier patrol. Her sweet scent surrounded him, he light pawsteps nimbly passing by without a sound. Jayfeather got caught in her warm scent, before shaking his head, cursing himself. He needed to stop this. There was no way he felt anyway about any cat!
Ignoring his thrush, he pelted out to the forest. He needed time alone to think. He bumped into a group of cats. He fell to the ground, landing clumsily on his side.
"Jayfeather!" Lionblaze breathed. Jayfeather looked up, had his bother found Cinderheart?
"Who is this? An intruder on Thunderclan land?" Cinderheart screeched. Duh, Jayfeather thought, why hadn't he tried to scent her out among the group.
"No Cinderpelt," Jayfeather could feel Dovepelt's intense stare burning through his pelt,"This is a Riverclan warrior, Jayfeather," Jayfeather picked himself of the ground and brushed moss off his back. How did they know about Cinderheart's secret? Why was Cinderheart acting so strange?
"Lets get you back to camp," Jayfeather murmured, joining the group back to camp. His own thoughts could wait for now.
The group passed through the gorse tunnel. The cats repairing it greeted them kindly.
"Hello Lionblaze," Sarah, the leader of the rogue's called a greeting to Jayfeather's brother. Lionblaze called back a greeting, Jayfeather could feel awkwardness sparking off his pelt. He could scent Heathertail and could hear her weaving brambles through the walls. Cherrytail of Skyclan was also busy helping Snakerock.
"Where are the badgers? And who are these cats?" Cinderheart hissed, her voice edged with worry.
"We, er, drove them away," Lionblaze scraped his claws against the rocks impatiently.
"Where is Sorreltail? I should be with her!" Cinderheart limped forward, her blue eyes searching crazily across the camp.
"She's right where you left her," Dovepelt answered. Jayfeather sighed, he knew she didn't know where Sorreltail should be, but she had given Cinderheart a very broad answer.
"Let get you to the medicine den," Lionblaze pressed his muzzle against her flank, ushering her closer to Jayfeather's den. Jayfeather could tell that Cinderheart was very fragile and anything could set her off. If they answered one question wrong she could attack them.
Suddenly an idea sparked in his head; the only thing they had to do was to get all the cats that knew Cinderpelt when she was alive!
"Lionblaze," Jayfeather whispered into his brother's ear,"I'm going to get Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Bramblestar, and Crowfeather, maybe they can help us answer some questions," Lionblaze nodded slightly and Jayfeather went off searching for his clanmates.
He poked his head into the warriors' den.
"Anyone here?" Jayfeather called.
A lazy grunt in the back of the den answered,"No, only a sleeping warrior tired from the vigil," It was Crowfeather.
"We need your help, go and report to the medicine den and Lionblaze will explain everything," Jayfeather backed out and sprinted to the nursery.
"Hello Jayfeather,"Squirrelflight and Leafpool were sunning themselves and sharing tongues outside, their kits playing a few tail lengths away.
"Have you seen Dovepelt, her kits say they haven't seen her since the vigil," Leafpool murmured.
Jayfeather ignored her question,"You're needed in the medicine den," He could feel Leafpool's surprise.
"Alright, see you later then, Squirrelflight murmured.
"You too," Jayfeather prodded his aunt.
"Where is your mate?" Jayfeather mewed to Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight stopped and looked back.
"I think he's in his den, but I haven't seen him since the vigil either," Jayfeather nodded and ran to the leader's den for the second time today. He poked his head in.
"Welcome Jayfeather, how was herb hunting?" Bramblestar mewed warmly, it seemed that even though Bramblestar knew that Jayfeather wasn't his son, he never stopped giving him kind words and advice. Jayfeather could feel pride flowing off him like water pouring from a river.
"Medicine den, now," Jayfeather mewed,"We need help with Cinderheart," Bramblestar trotted past him and Jayfeather followed.
"So what happened?" Bramblestar mewed, their pawsteps crunching through the frost.
Jayfeather flicked his tail,"She thinks that she is Cinderpelt and refuses to speak to anyone she doesn't know, and since you knew her when she was alive..."
"I'll be able to talk to her,"
"Exactly."
Jayfeather squeezed through the fern tunnel, Bramblestar close behind.
"...It's alright Cinderpelt," Leafpool's voice echoed calmly throughout the den. "Look here's Brambleclaw,"
"Where is Firestar?" Cinderheart growled. Jayfeather backed away to where Lionblaze and Dovepelt were standing.
"What's wrong with her?" Lionblaze whispered, half to himself. Jayfeather blinked, he didn't know if he should tell his brother that his mate was actually a reincarnate of Cinderpelt.
"Firestar is thanking the other clans for their help," Bramblestar mewed calmly.
"I thought you left, with Crowfeather," Cinderheart rasped uncomfortably to Leafpool. Jayfeather could feel her pelt prickle with unease,
"We came back," She mewed flatly.
"Why are these Riverclan cats still here?" Cinderheart hissed, agitation sparking off her like lightning. The older cats all stood there in silence.
"Er..." Lionblaze mewed awkwardly.
Leafpool cut him off,"Come on Cinderpelt, why don't you get some rest, I'll treat the wounded." Leafpool nudged to the back of the den, their scents fading as they moved away.
"What's going on with Cinderheart? Why does she think is Cnderpelt?" Squirrelflight stepped closer to Jayfeather, he thought quickly of what to say. He heard Leafpool's approaching pawsteps.
"I gave her a few poppy seeds so she would sleep and chamomile to sooth her," He heard her draw in a deep, gusty, breath,"Jayfeather, I think we should tell them,"
"Tell us what?" Lionblaze growled.
Jayfeather beckoned the cats closer,"Everyone knows how Cinderpelt became a medicine cat,"
"When she got his by th monster," Leafpool added.
"But that was not her destiny," Jayfeather shifted his paws,"She was always supposed to be a warrior."
"What has this got to do with Cinderheart?" Squirrelflight whispered.
Leafpool began to explain,"Before Ciinderpelt died, Starclan told her when she would die, and trusted her to keep it quiet,"
"Why would they do such a thing?" Bramblestar hissed.
"Cinderpelt died bravely, but her spirit isn't with Starclan," Leafpool murmured.
"What do you mean? Are you saying she went to the Dark Forest?" Lionblaze gasped.
Jayfeather shook his head,"No, Cinderpelt's spirit is with Cinderheart. Starclan sent her back to fulfill her destiny, as a warrior,"
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Chapter 4
Posted by Firefoot at 9:22 AM
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