Seafern's P.O.V
Squirrelflight led the way through the tunnel. "Go straight to Leafpool," Stormfur advised him softly. "I'll come and see you once I've spoken to Brambleclaw," Squirrelflight mewed. "He'll want to know you're safe." Jaypaw slunk toward the medicine cat's den. Crowfeather padded after him. Jaypaw blinked in confusion. I decided to follow in case he decided to pick on my Clanmates. Leafpool spun around as Jaypaw padded through the entrance to her den. She hurried to his side. "You're safe." She tensed suddenly, jerking her head to stare at Crowfeather and I as we pushed our way through the brambles. Jaypaw's fur pricked as tension set the air crackling like lightning in greenleaf. "Hello, Crowfeather," Leafpool meowed. She sounded as though she had a burr caught in her throat. "Leafpool." Crowfeather's greeting was curt. I wondered why. I reached into his mind and only saw 3 words there. I love you. I snapped my mouth shut and sat down in surprise.
"I was out with Breezepaw and his mentor when my friends and I found him." Crowfeather meowed. "Again, you keep saying the same thing. I saved him and you dragged him up the pebbles." I muttered. Leafpool stiffened. "Your son's an apprentice already?" Her mew was brittle. "He is," Crowfeather replied, his voice flat. "Jaypaw!" Hollypaw rushed up and rubbed her muzzle against his cheek. "You look half-drowned!" Jaypaw sank down to the ground, suddenly tired. "Fetch some thyme, Hollypaw," Leafpool ordered. Hollypaw darted away to the back of the den and returned a moment later, breathless and flustered, her jaws full of leaves. I recognized the scent of feverfew, not thyme. "Thats feverfew. Not thyme" I mumbled to Hollypaw. "Oh." She said, looking at the herbs. "He hardly needs cooling down," Leafpool meowed impatiently. She hurried to the herb piles herself and grabbed a mouthful of thyme.
Crowfeather stood and watched silently. "And why am I giving him thyme?" Leafpool prompted Hollypaw, dropping the leaves beside Jaypaw. "To make him warm?" Hollypaw ventured. Leafpool shook her head. "You can warm him by lying next to him," she meowed. Hollypaw crouched down and pressed her body against Jaypaw's. Leafpool nosed the thyme leaves toward Jaypaw. "The thyme will calm him and help with the shock," she explained. She licked Jaypaw's cheek. "Eat them all," she encouraged. "They don't taste too bad, and I'll send Hollypaw for a nice fresh mouse to wash the taste away once you've begun to warm up." Jaypaw swallowed the leaves without complaint. He was too cold and tired to object to anything. He let his eyes close. Then he let himself slip into sleep.
Leafpool looked up at Crowfeather. "I'm sorry. Go. Go back to your clan. They must be wondering where you are." Crowfeather gritted his teeth. "Yes, I realise that. Leafpool, I wish you didn't do it. But you did. I will never do it again." Then he left. Leafpool crumpled to the floor. She loves him too? Great Catfish, thats crazy. I sat beside her. "Everything will be ok. Leafpool, look at me. Everything will be ok." Leafpool looked up and stared into my deep lake blue cooling eyes. Then she gasped. "Seafern! Oh great Starclan! Seafern!" She cried and pressed her muzzle into my soft fur. "You're here. You're really here. I thought you were gone..." She started crying, her tears wetting my fur.
I stared at her, surprised, confused and sympathetic. Reaching my paw toward Hollypaw, I picked out a thyme leaf. When Leafpool looked up again, I smiled. Before I could open my mouth, she spoke first in a whisper. "Seafern. Tell me, who are your parents?" I stared at her. "My... parents?" Leafpool nodded. My eyes widened. "My parents... I... I don't know..." Suddenly, a memory gripped my brain and I saw a orange furred cat crying out, worried. "WHERE IS SHE?" Everyone came out of their dens and searched for the cat she was looking for. Then I came back to the medecine den. That wasn't my memory. That was Leafpools. I wasn't there."I... I don't know. I don't remember." Leafpool sighed. "You poor thing."
Moonpaw's P.O.V
Firestar leaped up onto the fallen trunk, picked his way carefully across to the far shore, and jumped down. The pebbles swished beneath his paws as he turned to watch his Clanmates cross. Brambleclaw followed him, then Dustpelt. The smooth, black water flowed beneath her, lapping gently at the dead branches that held the tree fast in the lakebed. She weaved her way through the stubby twigs and knots until she reached the other end. Then she jumped down and turned to watch Lionpaw cross. Trembling with excitement, he scrambled up onto the branch. The bark was slippery and his paws slithered in all directions. Ahead of him was a jutting shard of bark where a smaller branch had once sprouted. He curved his body around it, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the far end of the tree. Suddenly his forepaw slipped and his paw shot off the trunk. He felt himself begin to fall and stared in horror at the water shining cold and dark beneath him.
Seafern slithered up behind him and gripped his pelt, pulling him back onto the bark. "Thanks!" Lionpaw gasped. She rolled her eyes. "You welcome." Lionpaw unsheathed his claws and gripped the trunk like a squirrel the rest of the way. He jumped down onto the beach, happy to be on solid ground once more. Seafern jumped down behind him and looked across to me. I leapt onto the trunk and felt how slippery it was. I gripped my claws to the bark and slowly padded forward. Suddenly my paw slipped and I fell down the trunk. I waved my paws, trying to get a grip on some wood. My claws sunk into a branch that was sticking out and I hung there, helpless. Suddenly, the branch began to splinter, then it broke in half. I screeched, then Seafern pounced forward and dragged me onto the trunk again.
"I though I was going to die!" I shivered. "Me too. Come on, I'll walk behind you." Seafern smiled. I leapt down the trunk and Seafern did as well. "I thought you were fish food for a moment there," Hollypaw welcomed Lionpaw and I. "Me too!" Lionpaw purred. Hazelpaw weaved her way among the jutting twigs; Berrypaw pushed his way through with his powerful shoulders, while Spiderleg slipped around them like a snake, clearly accustomed to the crossing. I felt very small and inexperienced, but I threw that thought away. Finally, all the ThunderClan cats stood on the beach. Firestar swept his gaze over them, then, with a single nod, turned and padded into the trees.
I followed him excitedly. When I got through the bushes, I saw cats everywhere. I had never seen so many different shades of pelts. Some were lithe, some broadshouldered. Most seemed much bigger than me. There were more cats here than I had seen in ThunderClan, so there must've been more clans around the Lake! At the far edge of the clearing, with the lake behind it sparkling distantly through the leaf-bare forest, I saw the Great Oak, the center of every Gathering. "Is it what you expected?" Hollypaw whispered. "I didn't realize there would be so many cats." I stared at a unfamiliar tom, his pelt so sleek that it shone in the moonlight as he flexed his well-muscled shoulders. "Imagine meeting him in battle! I would be terrified!"
Padding over to Seafern, I sat down. But she got up straight away. "Sorry, I want to see Crowfeather. How about you meet his Son's friend? She's really sweet. Heatherpaw, I think." She pointed her paw at a pretty cat not far off and walked over to another cat nearby. "Ok." I said and padded over to her. "Hi! I'm Moonpaw. ThunderClans new apprentice."
"Oh cool! My name is Heatherpaw. I'm from WindClan." I smiled at her. She was really sweet!
