Shattered Roots #1: The Last Leaf

Chapter 17

Leafpaw woke up to the sound of water sputtering. She jolted up, jerking her head to see where it came from. The ceiling cracked as drips of water poured out of it. Frantic, her paws gripped onto the stony wall. She began to trek on the grated, cold surface.

Climbing up the wall, she noticed the water rising beneath her. The liquid sloshed around the cave like a dog without its leash. Soon, she felt a small opening near the top. With her unsheathed claws, she scratched the area, her motion becoming increasingly violent as she felt the water reach the tip of her tail.

Finally, her hard work paid off. The opening grew larger, big enough for her to pass through it. She wriggled out of the tiny hole.

After she sat down, she panted, "Great LightClan, that was treacherous! I nearly died!"

"Yet you survived," a mysterious voice added.

Leafpaw turned around to see a tom with white and brown patches. Her heart soared once she recognized who he was.

"Father! Why have you summoned me to, er, wherever I'm supposed to be right now? I'm dreaming, right?"

"I still meet you with the same energy as the last time we talked. Was escaping that cave difficult?"

"Yes, very."

"Say, has FrostClan encountered any problems lately?"

"There's a mysterious cat who's been attacking my Clanmates! I suspect that Birchpaw is behind them, but Pebblestar won't believe a word I say. The theory does sound far-fetched but I'm certain it's true!"

The tom blinked thoughtfully. "Well, let's go back to what happened in the cave. You didn't know that opening was there. However, you managed to feel it and use it to your advantage, did you?"

Leafpaw nodded. He continued, "Sometimes the answer to your problem - including this one - may not be obvious to most. You need to dig deeper and find other solutions no cat can think of."

"Are you saying that Birchpaw really is behind these attacks?" Leafpaw asked with hope.

The tom simply smiled. "I fear I do not have the answer to that question. However, if you do manage to prove it, then everyone will listen to you, including Pebblestar."

"But how do I gather more evidence? I can't just-"

Before her sentence was finished, everything went dark. Her mind was still left with a million questions. She opened her tired eyes, letting the sun flood her vision. Her nimble legs stretched out as she let out a yawn. 'If what my father said was true, I need to work harder to expose Birchpaw!' Leafpaw decided.

————

"Can you help me grab some catmint?" Robinpaw requested. "Those darn kits ate the whole stock again."

"Where can I find them?"

"Somewhere near SparkClan's border," Robinpaw explained.

Leafpaw traveled out of camp. Her eyes scanned the area as she tried to locate the herbs. She spotted a purple, tall plant underneath a large pile of snow. 'It's the catmint!' she thought. Quickly, she grabbed it off the ground.

However, before she could return to camp, something in the distance caught her eye - Birchpaw and Swiftstrike were walking in the snow. Leafpaw knew that she had to gather more evidence to convince Pebblestar that her theory was correct so she decided to follow the two cats silently.

She kept her body close to the ground and her paws carefully stepped into the soft snow. Birchpaw and Swiftstrike seemed to be having a conversation. All of the sudden, Birchpaw looked mad and he bared his teeth. The two cats disappeared behind some trees. Leafpaw could feel her heart beat faster as she watched in anticipation.