Leopardstar's Regret

Apprentices

"Ripplepaw, your mentor will be Mallowtail. Mallowtail, you are a capable warrior, and I trust you to pass on all your knowledge to Ripplepaw. Dawnpaw, yours will be Heavystep. He is an experienced warrior, and hopefully he will also pass on his talents to you."

"Ripplepaw! Dawnpaw!" yowled Leopardfur as loudly as she could, raising her head to the sky. A few days earlier, Frogleap had drowned while trying to find a carp for her, and she missed him terribly. Leopardfur hoped that he would be watching her from the stars.

But it was not just her deceased mate. Her beloved adopted son, Whiteclaw, had also died a while before Frogleap had, jumping off the gorge. After Silverstream's death, the dark brown tom's personality had changed greatly. He snapped at many cats, especially Graystripe. Leopardfur had even witnessed Whiteclaw take a swipe at the former ThunderClan cat's muzzle.

Though up to the events leading to his death he had hunted normally alongside his Clanmates, he became increasingly unpredictable, crazed in his grief and longing for Silverstream. Whiteclaw would whimper in his sleep, and his paws would twitch, as if yearning for his former mate.

And at last, on the fateful day itself, Whiteclaw and Leopardfur had been hunting near the gorge. Whiteclaw had given the gorge a long look, then turned to face Leopardfur, his eyes devoid of any spark of life, though all torture gone. He had whispered words that would forever haunt Leopardfur. "Leopardfur, thank you for being a mother to me. But after Silverstream...I can't take it anymore! What's the point of living any longer?" Then, before Leopardfur could comfort him, he had whipped around and dived into the gorge, letting out an anguished wail.

Leopardfur didn't intercept him then. She believed that by going to StarClan, he would finally be at peace. But that didn't stop her from from yowling her grief, feeling her heart throb in pain.

"Leopardfur? Did we do okay?" inquired Dawnpaw. Her sky-blue eyes stared into Leopardfur's amber ones, and she shook herself from memory. "Of course, Dawnpaw. I'm proud of both of you," she purred, giving her daughter a nuzzle. Dawnpaw scampered away to her mentor, looking pleased, but Ripplepaw hesitated. "I miss Frogleap too," he murmured softly, gazing at Leopardfur with his dark blue eyes. Strangely enough, neither of their kits had amber eyes like their parents; both had blue eyes.

Letting out a comforting purr, Leopardfur reflected that Ripplepaw was a lot more thoughtful and reserved, and tended to observe what other cats' were feeling. "I miss him too. But now, you've got to go train, and live up to your father, Ripplepaw," she mewed quietly. He looked at her, then dipped his tawny head and ran to Mallowtail, who was waiting for him.

Seeing her kits grow up, Leopardfur felt a fresh pang of loss. Oh, Frogleap, Whiteclaw, did you really have to go? she wailed silently to the sky.