Warriors: The Chosen Warrior: The Betrayal (Book 3)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Leafsong woke up a little bit before dawn.  All the warriors were still sleeping, their chests steadily rising and falling.  I need to go get that catmint!  Leafsong thought to herself.  She quietly got up and made her way to the den's exit.  She poked her head out through the branches to check the clearing-it was deserted.  Leafsong carefully snuck across the clearing to the dirtplace tunnel and pushed through the thorn barrier to the outside of the camp.

She hurried to the border with ShadowClan all the way to where the territory ended.  Leafsong hid in some bracken leaves, checking if it was clear to cross.  Something was making her stomach hurt.  Come on, scaredy-dog!  Leafsong scolded herself.  StarClan themselves told me to do this-I have to save my Clan.

Leafsong forced herself to cross the border into ShadowClan territory.  She jumped from bush to bush to hide herself.  As she continued going deeper and deeper into enemy land, oak trees and fallen leaves were now turning into pine trees and fallen needles.

She glanced up at the sun-it was dawn.  Oh, StarClan!  Please don't let a patrol see me!

Just as she thought that, a ShadowClan patrol appeared through the undergrowth.  Leafsong gasped softly and went deep into a juniper berry bush, hoping it would hide her, along with her scent.  She held her breath as a white she-cat walked past, tasting the air.

"Snowbird, come back!" a cat yowled farther off.  "There's nothing suspicious here."

"Coming, Rowanclaw!" Snowbird called back as she turned around to leave.

Leafsong let out a sigh of relief as the footsteps went away.  She continued her trek through the territory.  It felt like a moon before her paws sank through mushy ground and got soaked.  She growled in annoyance.  Well, I know I've made it to the marshes! She muttered under her breath.

Leafsong kept on going, keeping low and hurrying to the nearest patch of tall grass, despite the small coverage.  She was a tail length away from dry land when she suddenly sank into the ground.  Leafsong gasped in shock and froze as the ice cold water soaked into her fur up to her belly.  She struggled to get out of the hole when she saw a hazel bush shaking at the edge of the marsh.

Oh, no!  A ShadowClan patrol!

Leafsong struggled even harder, using all her might to try to get out, but it was too late-two cats pushed their way through.  She froze with her eyes wide with fear.  "Oh, StarClan, forgive me!  I'm sorry for-"

Leafsong broke off as she recognized the two cats.  She gasped with joy.  "Scarpelt!  Redswirl!  Thank StarClan you're here.  I-"

"What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?" Scarpelt interrupted with a hiss.

Leafsong felt a cold chill running down her spine.  Her joy then returned as both ShadowClan cats started mmrowing with laughter.

"You should have seen the look on your face!"  Scarpelt exclaimed between purrs.

"Relax, Leafsong.  We would never hurt you," meowed Redswirl after she calmed down.  She glanced so fast at her Clanmate that Leafsong could have imagined it.

"Ha, ha," she meowed sarcastically.  "Now that you had your fun, could you maybe help me out of here?"

"Of course," answered Redswirl, who fastened her teeth into Leafsong's scruff.  She pulled, with Scarpelt pushing from behind.  Finally, Leafsong got her front legs free and clawed the rest of the way out.  She got blasted by the late leaf-bare wind and started shivering wildly.

 "Whoa, are you okay?" asked Scarpelt, his head tilted to one side.  "You can stay here if you like."

Leafsong shook her head and meowed between chattering teeth, "I need to do something important."  She began to turn and head towards the RiverClan border again when Scarpelt stopped her.

"Wait," he meowed.  "Are you going to the Gathering tonight?"  Leafsong simply shook her head.  "Then meet us at the Twoleg nest before dawn, ok?"

She nodded and, not wanting to answer any more questions, dashed off towards RiverClan territory.  "See you at dawn!" she called over her shoulder, and disappeared out of sight behind the trees.  The image of Redswirl's scared face and Scarpelt's hatred face burned in her mind when she glanced at them as she left.

Why are they like that?  Is something wrong?  Did I do something wrong?

She kept on going, only thinking about her surrounding and Redswirl's and Scarpelt's expressions.

*****

Leafsong finally saw the border with RiverClan and looked for where the StarClan cats told her where the catmint is-underneath a hollow log.

When she found it, with it covered in moss and cobwebs, she dug her hind claws into the ground, pushed the log, and rolled it over to uncover the hidden catmint.  Leafsong took as much catmint as she could carry in her jaws and headed back to her own familiar territory.

Leafsong got back to the camp around sunhigh.  She went straight to the medicine den.  Her heart stopped for a moment when she saw only Jaypaw in the den, taking care of the sick warriors.

"Where's Leafpool?" she asked him, her voice muffled.

He didn't answer the question as he noticed the herb in her mouth.  "Is that catmint?" he asked her as he padded up to her.  "Where did you find it?"

Leafsong only set it down in front of Jaypaw's paws and meowed, "You're welcome."  She turned to leave to be stopped by the apprentice.

"Wait," he called.  "I thought you weren't going to get catmint.  What made you change your mind?"

Leafsong snorted.  "Let's just say that when you tell me to do something, I don't have to.  But when StarClan tell me to do something, I do have to."

Jaypaw's ears perked up and his neck fur started to bristle.  "How can you not listen to me?  I'm your medicine cat!"

"Apprentice," Leafsong added on.  "You don't know enough for a warrior to listen to you.  And plus, what would StarClan tell an apprentice?  If anything, they'll tell there prophecies and omens to full medicine cats."

Tired of the argument, Leafsong turned and padded out of the den with Jaypaw yowling after her, "Don't know enough?  You know nothing about herbs!  You'll listen to me one day-you'll see!"