Twilight

Chapter 10

Leafpool dropped the herbs she was carrying and looked down at the cream-furred she-cat. "Cinderpelt says you need to eat these."

Daisy blinked up at her from sleepy blue eyes, lifting her head from where she lay among the thick moss in the nursery. In the two days since they came to the camp, she and her kits had almost recovered from their exhausting journey. Daisy had groomed her fur back into soft silkiness, while her three kits were curled up together in a purring heap. "You're all so kind," Daisy murmured. She chewed up the herbs obediently, wrinkling her nose against the pungent scent.

Careful not to disturb them, Leafpool bent to check the three kits. "They're beautiful," she mewed. "Have you given them names yet?"

"Yes. The one with cream fur like mine is Berry, the bigger gray one is Mouse, and the smallest one is Hazel." Daisy rested her tail softly on each kit as she named it.

"Those will work very well as Clan names," Leafpool told her. "Here they'll be Berrykit, Mousekit, and Hazelkit. I'll let Skystar know."

She thought Daisy looked a bit doubtful, as if she wasn't sure she wanted her kits to be part of the Clan, but before she could say any more Ferncloud crept in through the entrance with a mouse in her jaws.

"I've brought you some fresh-kill," she meowed to Daisy, placing the mouse next to her. Purring, she settled down in the moss beside the kits. "They look fine now. I'm sure you have enough milk."

Leaving them to discuss the kits, Leafpool said good-bye and emerged into the clearing. The weather was still gray and cold, and the trees above her head clashed in the wind.

More than a half moon had passed since their encounter on the hillside, and Leafpool had heard nothing from Mothwing. Half the time, Leafpool drifted around in a haze of happiness, remembering the softness of Mothwing's pelt and the look in her amber eyes.

But for the rest of the time she was clawed by guilt that she had fallen for her. If she was a true medicine cat, she would never dare to think of her that way. She tried harder than ever to concentrate on her tasks, so that she could become the cat she always longed to be. Besides, she didn't want Cinderpelt to scold her, or suspect that her thoughts were elsewhere.

Leafpool padded toward her den, but stopped short as a black cat hurtled through the thorn tunnel and skidded to a halt in the middle of the clearing. For an instant Leafpool thought it was Thunderstone, and her heart lurched at the thought of another badger or fox attack. Then she looked more closely and recognized Reedwhisker, a warrior from RiverClan.

"Leafpool!" he gasped. "Thank StarClan you're here!"

"What's the matter?" Leafpool asked.

"Mothwing sent me." Reedwhisker's chest heaved. "There's sickness in RiverClan. It's bad— very bad."

"And Mothwing wants me to come?"

Reedwhisker nodded. "Mothwing said you would understand what the trouble is."

Leafpool swallowed, feeling as if a tough piece of fresh-kill were stuck in her throat. She understood too well. Volestar's warning—that Twolegs would put RiverClan in great danger—had come true. Her dream, her long journey to tell Mothwing, had all been in vain.

More cats had begun to gather in the clearing. Skystar appeared on the Highledge with Brackenfur and Sandstorm, while Brightheart and several other warriors emerged from the warriors' den. Daisy peered cautiously out of the nursery, then ran across to Cloudtail and began talking urgently to him, twitching her tail anxiously as she spoke.

Sootfur shot Reedwhisker a hostile glare. "Why should we send our medicine cat all the way around the lake to help RiverClan? They should find help somewhere else."