Chapter 5

Dovepelt licked her lips. A sparrow was plucking a worm from the ground, she crept closer. She got ready to pounce, the breeze blew toward her, sending the scent of the bird into her nose. She haunched her shoulders and kept her tail close to the ground and jumped through the air. Just before she hit the ground, a  gray flash of fur ran through the bushes in front of her, frightening the bird to the highest parts of the forest.
"Mouse-dung!" She spat. She looked up into the amber eyes of her son, Stonepaw. Only just apprenticed, he was still as cheeky as a kit.
"Stonepaw! Get back here!" Another cat crashed through the bushes. Crowfeather jumped over the gray tom without slowing and ran into brambles.
"Hiya Crowfeather!" Stonepaw mewed cheerfully. Crowfeather turned around, a few snatches of fur stuck to the bramble bush, and glared at his apprentice.
"Stonepaw, I told you to go to the training hollow, not to disturb another warriors hunting," Crowfeather growled. Stonepaw's gaze didn't falter as he replied.
"I was just trying to say 'hi' to Dovepelt,"
"Well now you can say 'hi' to the elders for me when you clean out their nests today,"
"But-,"
No 'buts'!" Crowfeather growled again, ushering his apprentice away. Dovepelt watched her son go, he would learn sooner or later and a strict mentor like Crowfeather is just what he needed. Dovepelt turned back and listened for more prey, but it seemed that Stonepaw's raucous had scared all the prey away. Dovepelt sighed and looked through the trees, newly green buds flourished on the branches and the sweet scent of newleaf  swam through the air. Dovepelt breathed deeply, the memory of the Great Battle was two moons behind them now and new life could be born. The apprentice den was full, Firepaw, Sandpaw, Stonepaw, Hedgepaw, Snowpaw, Foxpaw, Duskpaw, Petalpaw, and Sheeppaw were all being mentored now, and Honeypaw was now the new medicine cat apprentice. Gingerstep had joined Leafpool in the medicine den and was expecting Oakfur's kits. Skyclan and the Tribe had left without a hitch and Dovepelt expected they were settling nicely into their old homes.
Dovepelt made her way back to camp, empty pawed. She walked into the clearing where the newly made warriors, Twigstorm and Leaftail were entering the warriors' den probably to sleep after their vigil. Dovepelt padded to Lionblaze, his fur was unkept and greasy.
"Hows it going?" She murmured softly. e looked up, his eyes dull and crusty.
"Cinderheart isn't eating," He rasped, his voice cracked with grief.  Dovepelt pushed her muzzle into his flank and looked around the camp, she saw Mountainpaw, who was now bigger than herself and his muscles bulging underneath his sleek pelt, watching his father with a glassy stare. Lionblaze's kits were probably very confused, their usually involved parents no longer visiting them. Lionblaze saw this too.
"This is all my fault," Lionblaze growled,"If I had visited Mountainpaw, he wouldn't of been distracted during his assessment and he would've passed and been a warrior with Leaftail and Twigstorm."
"That's not true," Dovepelt protested,"He wasn't distracted, he just didn't bring back any prey,"
"Maybe I should visit him," Lionblaze remarked, he got to his paws. Dovepelt's ears twitched in grief, she could hear Cinderheart shriek in protest from the medicine den.
"I have to help her," Lionblaze scurried away. His gaze flickering to his mate and to his son awkwardly as he pushed through the fern tunnel. Dovepelt sighed, her friend was in a horrible situation, her mate didn't know what was happening most of the time. But Lionblaze needed to help his kits too, they were very confused aboout their parents. Cinderheart didn't come out of the medicine den anymore and even the clans were starting to notice the absence of Thunderclan's deputy. Dovepelt sighed as she trotted over to the fresh kill pile and plucked up a plump vole. She sat down and ate it in ravenous bites near the bramble thickets. She saw Jayfeather exit the medicine den with Honeypaw in behind. Dovepelt's kit was bouncing next to her mentor, her pelt ruffled in excitement. The two cats grabbed fresh kill from the pile and Jayfeather dismissed his apprentice. Dovepelt watched her daughter run off towards the elder bush and sit with her sister, Duskpaw.
Dovepelt looked back to Jayfeather, he was eating alone under the highledge. Dovepelt picked up her vole and sat next to Jayfeather.
"How's Cinderheart?" Dovepelt murmured as she bit into the vole again.
"She refuses to eat," Jayfeather mumbled.
"Who is she today?"
"Cinderpelt, and she only trusts Leafpool," Jayfeather sighed,"So I can't even give her poppy seeds for her to sleep. I can't let her out of the medicine den anymore, I'm afraid she might attack someone she doesn't know,"
Dovepelt nodded,"Maybe you should speak to Starclan,"
"I've searched for them in my dreams, but the its like I'm seeing things through another cat's eyes, I can't do anything about whats happening,"
Dovepelt looked away from Jayfeather, who was now murmuring something inaudible, and looked to the warriors' den. Three she-cats padded out and stretched their backs lazily. Jayfeather looked up and too, his eyes glassy and vague. The three she-cats padded closer; Sarah, Cristy, and Petalfur.
"Hi Dovepelt, Jayfeather," Sarah dipped her head respectively.
"I'm going to the fresh kill pile, anyone want anything?" Cristy mewed warmly.
"I'll have a thrush," Sarah flicked her tail at her friend's ear.
"Mouse, please," Petalfur murmured, settling herself down next to Jayfeather. Sarah sat down as well. dovepelt saw Sarah's mate, Tinder, exchanging words with Bumblestripe by the nursery.
"Sorry, there were no thrushes," Cristy passed the prey around, giving Sarah a dove instead.
"Here you can have mine," Jayfeather passed his prey to Sarah, which was a thrush.
"No that's alright Jayfeather," Sarah passed it back, but Jayfeather pushed it forward again.
"No, I insist," Jayfeather murmured. Dovepelt looked back up to see Tinder watching Jayfeather through narrowed eyes. Tinder blinked and padded away to where Ghost was sitting. Dovepelt didn't trust Ghost, nor his friend Raccon.
"So how long are you guys thinking of staying,"Petalfur mewed to Sarah and Cristy. The two she-cats exchanged glances.
"I'm not quite sure," Cristy answered, licking her whiskers carefully.
"Well you guys don't have to leave," Jayfeather insisted, then he mewed more quietly,"I mean, theres more than enough room here for your group," Dovepelt narrowed her eyes at Jayfeather, why was he being so awkward around the she-cats?
"I have to go," Jayfeather mewed softly, picking up his prey and shambling awake, his head low and awkward.