Dappledleafs mystery (1)

chapter 24

Anxiety churned in Dappledleaf  belly,s he sighed and sat up and shook her head, she looked outside only to realize the sun wasn't up. "Dappledleaf?" A soft voice spoke beside her. "Yes, Honeypaw?" 

"Do you think everything will be okay with Shadowclan and Thunderclan?" She asked.

Dappledleaf replied, "It's not for us to worry about , besidesyou should go back to sleep we have to collect herbs tomorrow."

Sleep nagged at Dappledleafs paws, she closed her eyes and settled into a deep sleep.

A black storm rose above a cat, It's Thunder striking it. But it wasn't thunder.. it was cat claws!' 

She awoke with a start, looking around desperately. She sighed with relief when she realised it was only a dream. Dappledleaf padded outside to see the Dawn patrol getting ready to leave, the deputy leading it. 

"Morning," he called to her.

She grabbed a plump mouse from the fresh kill pile, for her apprentice. Honeypaw was just waking up when she dropped the mouse at her paws.

Honeypaw blinked a sleepy thanks. "I'm gonna collect some catmint so the frost doesn't destroy it." Dappledleaf told her. 

The medicine cat took a big stalk of catmint, careful not to suck out the juices. 

She dropped them suddenly as a yowl echoed across the forest. She raced towards it, gasping for breath. 

She felt her blood run cold, the Thunderclan deputy lay lifeless on the grass. 

That night they sat vigil, but it was time for a new deputy.

"May all cats gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" 

The cats' blinked up at him hopefully. 

"Bloodclaw, you are a brave and honourable warrior, will you be Riverclans next deputy?" Reedstar asked hopefully. Bloodclaw's eye's gleamed. "Yes, thank you, Reedstar." He growled. 

Dappledleaf woke with a cold shiver, stretching her muscles, she padded outside. She gasped, paw-deep snow covered the clearing.

She blinked to see Bloodclaw organising the morning patrols. She called out to him. "Dappledleaf, how are you?" He purred. "Good thank you. May I join the border patrol? I need to collect some horsetail near Windclans border," She asked. He nodded, "Of course." 

Dappledleaf followed the patrol to the Windclan border, scanning for horsetail. "Ah, there it is!" She meowed hopefully. She padded over to grab it. "And just what do you think you're doing?" A voice snarled. She looked up to see Tornear, Crowfeather, Breezepaw and Heatherpaw of Windclan. "What's wrong?" She growled. "That's our horsetail!" Crowfeather spat. Dappledleaf blinked confused and realised she had accidentally crossed the border. "She's a medicine cat for Starclans sake!" Nightshade yowled. "Oh, great. So now medicine cat's can just steal whatever prey and herbs they want?" Tornear hissed. "I'm sorry, okay, I didn't realise I crossed the border!" She snapped. "You shouldn't have to apologise. Medicine cat's should be allowed to take any Clans herbs. Every cat knows herb's die quickly in leaf-bare!" Birchfall backed her up. Tornear took a threatening step over the border. Dappledleaf realised with horror there was going to be a battle.  Surely they wouldn't be mouse-brained enough? There's five of us, four of them.'

"Code-breakers!" Whiteshell snarled. Tornear leapt at the white she-cat, slashing at her fur.

'This is all my fault.'