Book 3: Lepordstripe's Heart

Chapter 2

Leopardstripe winced in pain as she tried to stretch. She felt something warm pressed against her. The pale gray she-cat slowly opened her lush green eyes and found herself in the ThunderClan medicine cat's den. Brambleclaw was curled up next to her, cobwebs all around him. We're alive? Oh thank StarClan! I don't know what I would do to myself if I left Brambleclaw alone. But I bet that arrogant she-cat would do something!

She glanced at her pelt and sighed as she saw it covered in many cobwebs.

"You're up." A gently voice meowed. Leopardstripe turned her head to see Leafpaw, the young beautiful pale brown-and-white tabby she-cat medicine cat apprentice, gazing at her with soft amber eyes.

She nodded to the apprentice and rested her head next to Brambleclaw's, listening to his calm breathing. "How did we get here?" Leopardstripe meowed hoarsely. She lifted her head and started to cough roughly.

Leafpaw instructed her to lay down on her side, and she did what she was told. The young she-cat apprentice placed a paw on the warrior's chest and throat. Leopardstripe winced as she lightly placed her paw on her chest.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Leafpaw murmured to herself.

Leopardstripe silently scolded herself for letting fear get the best of her. If I hadn't been such a scared little kit, I would have been able to help Brambleclaw. He won't have been this severely injured . . . if it hadn't been for . . . me. But we survived; that tom . . . who was he?

She could feel heat start to rise to her cheeks as she remembered the tom's piercing ice-blue eyes. Leopardstripe's lush green eyes widen with disbelief. What am doing? I don't even know him and I'm blushing? Have I seen him before? She shook her head to dismiss her thoughts about the mysterious tom and concentrated what Leafpaw was about to say.

"To answer your question: Firestar's patrol found you and you two had RiverClan scent on you. Many assumed that they were the ones who did this, but Firestar and Graystripe new that it was the fox." Leafpaw explained.

What? RiverClan scent? Was that tom from RiverClan? Why would he help a rival Clan? Leopardstripe sat up, wincing as she sat on her haunches. Brambleclaw stirred next to her, he yawned and opened his amber eyes. He grunted as he sat up next to Leopardstripe.

"Your alright?" Brambleclaw grunted. Leopardstripe sighed and leaned against his shoulder.

"Yeah." She rasped. Brambleclaw licked her forehead and sighed. Leafpaw checked the tom's injury and padded to the back of the den. Blizzardtail, the black she-cat with a white tail, came in with a bundle of tansy herbs.

"How're you feeling?" Blizzardtail asked. She padded up to them and set down the herbs and started to check both warriors.

"Um, Blizzardtail? I need to tell you something." Leafpaw meowed quietly.

"What is it?" The medicine cat asked, her blue eyes filled with interest. Just then Cinderpelt and Longtail padded in with worry in their eyes.

"You also need to know this, Cinderpelt and Longtail." Leafpaw meowed.

They all nodded and exited the den, leaving the two young warriors alone. "What do you think Leafpaw is going to say out there?" Brambleclaw wondered.

Leopardstripe looked into his amber eyes and felt guilt stab at her chest. She lowered her head in shame and could feel her eyes start to water. Brambleclaw lowered his head to and nudged her cheek. "What's wrong?" He whispered in her ear.

"I-I just feel . . . guilty for n-not helping you. You p-pushed me out of the way because I . . . I was scared. I acted like a kit not a warrior." Leopardstripe meowed sadly.