Jadewood's Jewel | a warriors fanfiction

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

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"They say that the sister of General Peachbranch is coming to live with us in StoneClan too!"

Jadewood's ears pricked in surprise. "Do you know her?" She asked.

"No, but everyone in StoneClan has heard of her... they say that she has beautiful eyes of amber, a long, soft tail and a sweet scent..." Brightspring meowed dreamily.

"That's the gossiping toms," Sweetcloud snorted. "They love to daydream about mollies they can't lay their paws on."

"I hope she's friendly," Warmspring mused. "I"ve been dying for a new friend ever since Primespring left."

"Primespring is boring," Rosespring scoffed.

"I agree," Sweetcloud meowed. "I have no idea how she got chosen to be the Emperor's concubine."

"They say that Emperor chooses dumb mollies because they would always forget about what he did to them," a bright ginger she-cat chortled.

"Nice, Gingerleaf!" Rosespring giggled.

Jadewood adverted her eyes. She liked Rosespring and Sweetcloud, but they were so outspoken. Jadewood liked to blend into the shadows (an impossible feat because of her white pelt) and listen.

"What do you think of the Emperor, Jadewood?" Brightspring chirped. Jadewood wanted to smack the calico she-cat.

The she-cats whirled around to face Jadewood. Even the mollies-in-waiting stopped chattering.

Jadewood chose her next words very carefully. "He is a good leader, I guess."

The orange she-cat, Gingerleaf, snorted. "He doesn't care about the poor and the loners."

Jadewood felt her pelt burn with shame. She had messed up! "I-I just thought-" she mumbled.

"We don't need to be all against the Emperor, Gingerleaf," Sweetcloud snapped. "We can have different political views."

Gingerleaf glared at Sweetcloud, who glared back. Why are you defending this newcomer? The ginger molly seemed to be saying.

Jadewood's white fur bristled.

Finally, Gingerleaf rolled her eyes. She beckoned with her tail to a white-and-ginger molly-in-waiting, and the she-cat immediately sprang away. Another maid followed.

"What is she doing?" Jadewood whispered to Warmspring.

"Tea leaves," Warmspring replied, as Gingerleaf fixed her burning green gaze on Jadewood.

The mollies-in-waiting returned with a bundle of green, crumbling leaves, a big lotus leaf and some moss soaked in water.

"Thanks, Falldapple, Sweetmoon," Gingerleaf meowed coldly to the maids as they set down the tea.

Falldapple started to squeeze the water out into the lotus leaf, while Sweetmoon started to rip the tea leaves in small pieces and chewing them up. Jadewood watched, fascinated, and Sweetmoon set the leaves into the water, and started to stir the mixture. Falldapple returned with some smaller wooden hollows, and started to soak dry moss in the tea. She then carefully squeezed the juice into the wood hollows, and Sweetmoon passed them around. After everyone had their hollow, they bowed their heads, and retreated into the shadows.

Sweetcloud sighed in delight when Falldapple set down a hollow in front of her. She winked at Jadewood.

Jadewood looked around at the she-cats, who were all lapping at the tea. She dipped her head, and got a face full of bitter tea-leaves. She spat them out, and saw Gingerleaf watching her, a smirk tugging at her lips. Burning with frustration, she saw that Warmspring had tipped the hollow sideways, and was lapping at the top. She tried to copy the brown molly, and got her paws wet with the dark drink. Jadewood tried again, gently tipping the hollow, and tasted the water. It was slightly bitter, but at the same time refreshing. She closed her eyes in bliss, and when she reopened them, she felt as if everything was clearer and brighter.

"You like that, huh?" Sweetcloud meowed. She had already finished her tea.

Jadewood nodded. "It's delicious!"

Sweetcloud's amber eyes softened. "I told you," she meowed.

"Jadewood! There you are!" A ginger she-cat was hurrying towards the mollies.

"I was looking for you! Tonight we're holding a feast in honour of you," Phoenixblaze meowed. She then turned her sharp gaze to her daughter. "Did you welcome our kin?"

Gingerleaf adverted her eyes, unable to meet her mother's stern gaze.

Phoenixblaze sighed. "I apologize for her behaviour," she meowed to Jadewood. "But having a newcomer is a pretty hard news for her."

Jadewood bit back a sharp reply, and nodded.

"I need to arrange the seatings." Phoenixblaze meowed. "And in the meantime, don't you go out for a walk with Gingerleaf, just to bond better?"

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