Warriors: A New Beginning #1: The Beginning

Chapter 25

Wavepelt padded slowly into camp, with Flamefur and the two apprentices. Ashpaw and Smokepaw ran to greet their brother, who was staring at a vole in front of him.

Wavepelt looked around. Where's Tussledstorm? The dark gray she-cat was nowhere in sight.

Cloverwing went up to them. The deputy's belly was getting rounder each day.

I still don't know who the father is, Wavepelt realized. I haven't really seen Cloverwing mooning over anyone...and surely Reedstar wouldn't betray Dawnpool like that, would he?

"So, how did your first day of mentoring go?" asked the white she-cat.

"Ashpaw is full of questions...but she's fun to train," Wavepelt mewed.

"Smokepaw isn't as full of questions," Flamefur replied, "but he's eager to learn and will obey orders pretty easily."

Cloverwing nodded. "They will become fine warriors."

"I will too!" Whitepaw cried from the fresh-kill pile.

Cloverwing's whiskers twitched. "Yes, you will too."

Wavepelt dipped her head to the deputy, and headed to the medicine den. I hope Bearfur will be okay. Wheatwing had survived, but Mintleaf had made it sound like Bearfur wouldn't.

"Hello, Mintleaf," she meowed as she entered the den. Hoping for the best, she continued: "How's Bearfur?"

Mintleaf turned around, dropping whatever herb he was carrying. His gaze lowered.

"He's still pretty bad," he murmured. "It might be getting worse. Prepare yourself, Wavepelt. He might be on his way to join StarClan."

"No!" Wavepelt cried. "He can't die!"

"He's not dead yet," Mintleaf reminded her gently. "There is still hope."

Wavepelt was silent. I feel like Mintleaf is lying just to make be feel better.

"Okay," she said softly, then slowly left the den.

Flamefur was at her side as soon as Wavepelt was outside.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Mintleaf thinks that Bearfur won't get better," Wavepelt mewed. She kept her faze fixed on the ground as she spoke.

"Well, there's always hope." Flamefur nuzzled her.

"But he can't die! He can't!" Wavepelt lifted her head and looked Flamefur in the eye. "Not after Wolfpaw."

Flamefur gazed at her. "I can't control StarClan," he meowed, "and I'm not a medicine cat. But look on the positive! Wheatwing survived and got her warrior name. Who says Bearfur can't recover either?"

StarClan, Wavepelt thought. But she didn't say it out loud. She decided to change the conversation. "Flamefur...do you know who's the father of Cloverwing's kits?"

Flamefur paused. "No," he finally replied. "Who do you think it is? Reedstar?"

"Not Reedstar!" Wavepelt gasped. "Dawnpool would be outraged."

"Who is it then? Spottedstripe?"

"He's replacing her as deputy. I don't think she'd want to mate with him."

"Treetail?"

"He'd never take a mate."

"Barkstripe?"

"Probably not."

"What about...Splotchpelt?" Flamefur's eyes twinkled.

"Hmm...their personality is pretty similar," Wavepelt mused. "He's probably the most likely."