"Nice catch!" Jayfeather exclaimed as Ginger dropped down to them from a pine tree.
"How do you know? I thought you were blind." Ginger sounded not mocking, but confused.
"I could hear where you went. And smell." he replied, feeling amused with Ginger's confusion.
The three cats bit into the squirrel, thankful for how plump it was at this time of winter. When they had finished, they continued walking towards the cave in the distance, behind a beautiful waterfall. The sun had finally come out, making the snow so bright they could barely look at it. It wasn't very warm, but it was still melting the snow gradually. Jayfeather hissed as a big pile of snow dropped onto him from a tree and the others tried to hide their laughter. Finally, they reached the cave where two cats were guarding the entrance.
"Who are you?" asked one of the cats, eyes slitted suspiciously.
"We're clan cats." Jayfeather explained, "We've come to visit the tribe."
Both of the cats' eyes sparked immediately with excitement.
"We've heard about you. Follow us." said the other cat.
They followed the cave guards behind the rushing waterfall and into the dark cave. It was much warmer in the cave and when they entered, whispers broke out among the tribe cats.
"Jayfeather? Is that you?" a voice called above the crowd.
A thin brown cat pushed his way through the tribe and stood in front of the clan cats.
"Crag Where Eagles Nest." Jayfeather recognized him.
"I'm Teller Of The Pointed Stones now." Stoneteller reminded him, dipping his head, "Why have you come here?"
"One of the ancient cats has told me to come to the Cave Of Pointed Stones." Jayfeather replied.
Stoneteller padded off, and Jayfeather guessed that meant to follow him. He padded into a dark tunnel, his light paw steps echoing.
Stoneteller stopped and Jayfeather stood beside him.
"What do you need to do?" he asked.
"Is there a stick in here?" Jayfeather asked eagerly.
Stoneteller paused. "Yes, actually. Night Of No Stars found it and thought it was special, so he brought it to me. I kept it here in this cave to keep it safe, though I'm not sure what's special about it."
Stoneteller dropped a stick at Jayfeather's paws and Jayfeather picked it up in his teeth immediately.
"Thank you, Stoneteller." he meowed gratefully, "Does the tribe need any help?"
"No." Stoneteller replied, "It has been a cold winter, but nothing has put us in danger."
Stoneteller led Jayfeather out of the Cave Of Pointed Stones, and they said their goodbyes to the tribe cats. They began to head back through the snow- blanketed mountains. The snow was now only a thin sheet of slush under their paws now, and the sun was finally warming the woods.
"That was a really short trip." Briarlight commented, eyeing the stick between Jayfeather's jaws, "What's that stick for?"
"I can visit the tribe's ancestors through it." Jayfeather decided to tell them the truth.
"That's what we traveled all this way for?" Dawnpelt's meow was unbelieving, "Just for a stick? Why did Starclan want me to come, then?"
Jayfeather was deep in thought, and guessed it was so that Dawnpelt would realize he wasn't a murderer. But he didn't mention that out loud.
"Never question Starclan." He said instead, "Everything that happens is for a reason."
Dawnpelt stopped complaining and went quiet, then she fell in step with Jayfeather.
"I guess since your not a murderer you shouldn't be exiled from Thunderclan." she meowed, "So to make it up to you, I'm going to go straight to Rowanstar, and tell him your not a murderer, after all."
Jayfeather's eyes widened with amazement and hope surged through him.
"I'll even tell Bramblestar if I have too." she continued, "You proved to me that you're not a murderer. You saved my life."
"Hey, guys!" Ginger bounded up to them. He had been bringing up the rear, but he caught up to the others.
"I'm going to stay here, and live in the mountains." he said, his golden eyes glittering, "It's where I belong. I've always thought being a loner in the mountains would be great! Thank you guys for letting me come on this journey with you, but I must be going now."
"Thank you for helping us." Jayfeather replied, dipping his head to the rogue, "We wouldn't of made it through twolegplace without your help."
They all said goodbye to Ginger and continued walking. Jayfeather hoped that Bramblestar would let him rejoin, but wasn't so sure. What if Graystripe or Millie accused him of stealing Briarlight?
She chose to come, though. He thought, but remembered how stubborn Millie was.
Days passed and when they finally reached the clans, Dawnpelt brought Jayfeather and Briarlight to Shadowclan camp first. When they entered the camp, cats burst from their dens, talking to each other loud with excitement or anger.
"Dawnpelt's back!"
"What's Jayfeather doing here?"
"Where have you been, Dawnpelt?"
Rowanstar bounded up to them, his black tail streaming behind him.
"Dawnpelt, where have you been?" Rowanstar growled, though concern shone in his eyes, "Tawnypelt and I have been searching! We thought you were dead- just like Tigerheart and Flametail." his voice faltered a little, but then he regained his anger,"And what are these Thunderclan cats doing here?"
"I went on a journey to the mountains." Dawnpelt explained to her father,"Starclan told me to."
Murmurs broke out through the hollow, and a large crowd of cats had now formed around them.
"And what is Jayfeather, the very cat who murdered my two sons, doing here exactly?" he asked accusingly, his fur spiking.
"He came because I have something to tell you." Dawnpelt spoke clearly so that all of Shadowclan could hear, "He did not murder my brothers at all. It was a misunderstanding."
Rowanstar curled his lip. "It's too late to let him rejoin Thunderclan if that's what you're asking!"
Dawnpelt looked straight at Rowanstar. "I almost fell off a cliff on the journey to the mountains, and he saved my life."
The clan was silent, staring at Rowanstar and Dawnpelt.
"In fact, I was trying to kill him before he saved me." she added to Jayfeather's surprise.
Cats whispered quietly now. Rowanstar looked a little alarmed that Dawnpelt had tried to murder, and seemed to be searching for words. Finally a cat spoke out.
"If he saved Dawnpelt, that means he couldn't be a murderer." came Tawnypelt's voice, "He would of let her fall, too, wouldn't he? She caused him to be exiled from Thunderclan, and she tried to kill him, yet he still saved her."
Rowanstar looked at Jayfeather, now thoughtful. Jayfeather kneaded the ground with anxiety. It was all in Rowanstar's and Bramblestar's paws to allow him to rejoin. He didn't feel too hopeful, since Rowanstar was the father of the two cats he had "murdered". The hollow was silent, all eyes on the Thunderclan cats, Dawnpelt, and Rowanstar.
Rowanstar sighed. "I guess Jayfeather is not guilty of murder.", then his voice sharpened, "But next time any death of my cats involves Jayfeather, he will be exiled permanently!"
Jayfeather was wondering if he meant killed by permanently, but wasn't positive.
"Owlclaw, Redwillow. Escort these cats to the border." Rowanstar ordered.
The two Shadowclan cats got on either side of Jayfeather and Briarlight and started leading them back to the border. They stopped at the border, turned, and walked back to their camp as the two Thunderclan cats headed to theirs.
"I wonder if I'll be made medicine cat again." Jayfeather wondered aloud, then felt unsure. "Probably not."
"It's strange. Dewpaw said he had always wanted to be a medicine cat, but Starclan has shown no omen to him at all. Maybe he got one after I left." Briarlight thought, "And I wonder if he got a medicine cat name. And if you rejoin Thunderclan, will you be made his apprentice?"
Jayfeather wrinkled his nose at the thought of being called Jaypaw again.
Berrynose would tease me the rest of my life about it! And probably many other cats, too!
He then shrugged. "I guess it would be worth it if I get to rejoin."
When they entered camp, Graystripe was immediately in front of them.
"Where where you?" he demanded, roughly licking Briarlight's fur.
Millie bounded up to them, also covering Briarlight in licks. "You're in so much trouble!" she growled, "We thought Shadowclan was holding you hostage!"
"I had to go to the mountains." Briarlight meowed.
Graystripe suddenly stopped licking and stared at her. "Does the tribe need help?"
"No." Briarlight replied, "We just had to go. Starclan wanted us to."
Graystripe nodded with understanding, but Millie on the other hand, was boiling with anger.
"You could of been easily killed!" Millie hissed, "Never run out like that on your own ever again! I don't care if Starclan has something to do with it! Tell us first!"
"Sorry..." Briarlight mumbled.
"Jayfeather!" a yowl suddenly interrupted Millie's fussing.
Jayfeather was caught of guard as a cat slammed into him and they went rolling in the grass.
"Lionblaze!" Jayfeather hissed, though he felt happiness flow through him, " Get off!"
Lionblaze hopped off of Jayfeather and exclaimed, "Are you back to visit?"
"No. First, Dawnpelt has admitted that I've never murdered a cat before." he began, but Lionblaze interrupted.
"You're rejoining?" Lionblaze sounded excited.
"Maybe." Jayfeather replied.
Suddenly another cat bounded up to them.
"What are you doing here?" Bramblestar's stern meow came, "Your supposed to be exiled."
Jayfeather explained to him the whole story of going to the mountains with Briarlight, Dawnpelt, and Ginger because Starclan (and the ancients) told them too. When he got to the part where Dawnpelt had told Rowanstar that he had never killed any cats, Bramblestar's ears perked up.
"Did Rowanstar agree with you rejoining?" he asked.
Jayfeather nodded, and Bramblestar shot up onto the high ledge.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled.
Cats appeared from their dens, many gasping at the sight of Briarlight and Jayfeather's return. Jayfeather noticed that Lionblaze and Squirrelflight had come to sit beside him.
Bramblestar informed the clan on what had happened with the journey to the mountains. Jayfeather clasped his new stick between his jaws tightly, hoping no one would disagree with him rejoining. When Bramblestar finished the story, he told the clan that Jayfeather was rejoining. Many cats yowled with surprise, but no one protested.
"Since Starclan has shown no omen of Dewpaw becoming the next medicine cat, Jayfeather has the right to resume his position." Bramblestar announced. "If Jayfeather finds that Dewpaw is the right cat, he will become his apprentice."
Cats murmured with agreement.
Jayfeather suddenly caught sight of brown fur at the corner of his eyes. He looked quickly toward the brown fur and saw Briarlight sitting in the crowd of cats, but she was the only one he could see. Everything else was black in his vision, but he could see Briarlight clearly.
Is this an sign? He wondered.
Suddenly the vision faded.
Jayfeather stood up. "Bramblestar?"
"What is it, Jayfeather?" Bramblestar inquired.
"I know who my apprentice will be. Starclan has shown me, and I have made my decision." Jayfeather meowed, "Briarlight, we will be going to the moonpool tonight for you to receive your apprentice name."
Cats cheered and Millie suddenly looked very proud, not as angry anymore. Briarlight was surprised, but happy, and Dewpaw didn't mind stepping down as apprentice.
Suddenly Jayfeather had another vision, this time seeing Half Moon.
"You did the right thing, Jay's Wing." she purred, "I'll see you tonight."