Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 19

"W-what? Dead?" Midnightpaw stuttered. "No. I won't believe it! I refuse to admit she's dead!" Without waiting for Silkfrost to reply, she dashed off into the medicine den, into her nest. She was alone there, Mintleaf had gone out.

Then she let the tears go down her face, buried in the moss of her nest. Leafdawn wasn't dead. She just wasn't.

"Bloodclaw took her," she murmured between sobs. "Why won't anyone believe it?"

She tried to dream, to see if StarClan could tell her anything, but she couldn't fall asleep. She just lay there, eyes closed, thinking about Leafdawn.

"Midnightpaw..."

Midnightpaw's eyes flew open. Leafdawn? No, it was Mintleaf.

"I can tell there's something wrong," the medicine cat meowed. "What is it?"

Midnightpaw slowly sat up. "Well... you know that Leafdawn's disappeared? The search party thinks she's dead."

Mintleaf nodded.

"She can't be dead!" Midnightpaw exclaimed. "I know she isn't. Bloodclaw's captured her as the rogues did for Wheatwing and me! Leafdawn's alive. But no one believes me... not even Silkfrost." She hung her head.

"I know how much you and Leafdawn are friends," Mintleaf meowed. "But you said that when you were escaping Bloodclaw almost killed Leafdawn...?"

"...He actually killed her," Midnightpaw admitted. "But...but Flowerpaw sacrificed herself to bring Leafdawn back to life..."

Mintleaf's eyes widened. "It's true that I hadn't seen her in a while... Midnightpaw, since Bloodclaw actually killed his own sister, how do you know he won't do it again?"

"Then where's her body?" Midnightpaw retorted.

"He probably buried it." Mintleaf looked away.

"So you don't believe me either?" Midnightpaw gaped.

"How do you think she would be alive?" Mintleaf asked. "Where would she go?"

"I-I don't know..." Midnightpaw wanted to believe Leafdawn was alive. But Mintleaf had a point. Bloodclaw was smart. He could have buried Leafdawn and hidden her scent.

But Leafdawn had to be alive. She had to...

Mintleaf seemed to sense her anxiety and he left the den.

Midnightpaw started to shake. She lay down again and tried to sleep. But Leafdawn occupied her mind.

My best friend can't be dead!

***

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Midnightpaw blinked open one eye sleepily at Flamestar's call. It had been a half moon since Leafdawn's supposed death, and she still refused to believe.

Sighing, she got out of her nest and padded to Highrock. Emberkit and Riverkit were being ecstatically groomed by Ashheart.

Of course, Midnightpaw thought. It's their apprentice ceremony.

It felt like forever since Ashheart had kitted those troublesome cats. Wavepelt's kits would be apprentices soon as well. And Goldenheart was even saying something about kits with Greeneyes... Goodness! Midnightpaw thought. Lots of kits.

"Cats of ThunderClan," Flamestar began, "we have a joyous event to make up for the sad ones of the past."

Midnightpaw rolled her eyes. They had even done a vigil for Leafdawn... Midnightpaw hadn't really put her mind to it.