Strength Of A Leopard (BOOK THREE) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Nine

"Let all cats old enough to capture their own prey gather around for a clan meeting." Owlstar's call woke Leopardpaw one morning.

He followed Stormpaw to the center of the den, where Owlstar had decided to hold meetings. "What do you think this is about?" He asked Stormpaw.

"Frostpaw's warrior ceremony." Spidereye answered him. Leopardpaw turned to her, nodding his thanks as Owlstar called for silence.

"As you all know, the clan was nearly crushed when the cave collapsed. If it hadn't been for a warning from Frostpaw, many cats would have died." Owlstar's gaze rested on Frostpaw. "She has trained hard to understand the ways of StarClan's noble code and I commend her to them as a warrior in her turn. Frostpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Frostpaw held her head high. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Frostpaw, from now on you will be known as Frostfeather."

Leopardpaw winced. He knew where Owlstar had gotten that name: their sister, Feather. She had chosen not to join the clan when Frostpaw and Leopardpaw joined. I wonder if Feather ever dreams of the fallen rocks. Leopardpaw guessed that the dream wasn't a warning of the collapsing cave, as he continued to have it still.

"Frostfeather! Frostfeather!" The clan cheered. As the meeting broke up, Stormpaw approached Leopardpaw.

"Rainstorm is taking me hunting. Want to come?" She offered. Leopardpaw shook his head.

"No, I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep." He yawned. That was a half lie; he was tired, but he actually didn't want to be around Rainstorm. The moon cat was somewhat intimidating. He'd been nothing but angry since StarClan stopped visiting his dreams.

"Okay, well... Goodnight then." Stormpaw muttered, turning away.

"Hey, Leopardpaw!" He didn't expect to hear Spidereye calling his voice. He wasn't very familiar with her, so he didn't talk to her much.

"I noticed that Coldwind has been neglecting your training." She started, digging her claws into the ground. "I, uh.. Well, I have no apprentice, so I want to offer to mentor you, because he clearly isn't?"

Leopardpaw suddenly felt much less tired. "Really?"

"Yes. I actually think you deserved to be a warrior with Frostfeather, and you would have, if Coldwind didn't hate you so much." She purred.

"Th-Thank you. That.. That would be great, Spidereye. Why does he hate me so much?" The older cat was pretty close to Coldwind, as she was best friends with his mate, Cloudpool.
"I don't know. He wasn't so bad, before his kits died. He has.. Odd ways of grieving, I guess." She shrugged. Leopardpaw felt like there was something Spidereye wasn't telling him. "Anyway, why don't we start now?"

"Training? Er.. Let me take a nap first." Leopardpaw sighed, "I'm tired."

***

Leopardpaw was in the nursery. He knew this was his dream, but something seemed different. He could scent the familiar smells of the two adult cats near him, and hear the mewling of the kits alongside him, but when he looked up, things were different.

Instead of the unfamiliar golden and brown she-cat, he saw his sister, Feather. "What are you doing here?" He mewed.

Feather bowed her head. "I am part of StarClan now, Leopardpaw. Bloodshed found me and made me pay for leaving his clan."

"B-But.." Leopardpaw stuttered. "Why are you visiting me? Why not the moon cats?"

"That is what I have come to tell you. We cannot visit Stormpaw or Rainstorm because Stormpaw's mind swirls with forbidden love. It prevents us from visiting her and her mentor."

"What forbidden love?" Leopardpaw was confused. "Feather?"

"I cannot tell you that." She began to fade. Leopardpaw tried to stop her, but she was gone too soon.

Then, his ears filled with the dreaded cracking of the rocks overhead, and he was trapped in his dream once more.