Working hard...

Chapter four coming up! I'm running slow on ideas, but it's slowly coming together!

Home Improvements

Template change! XD It looks more Warriors like now! Or does it? Wonder what leaf fall is like for ThunderClan? Do you think it looks like this? Its fun to visualize Warriors...

Post-chapter Statement

Has anyone noticed that Briarleaf eats a lot?

-Shimmercloud

Chapter 3

Finally, the long awaited, Chapter 3!

“Briarleaf!” cried Raincloud. “The kits are coming!” Briarleaf dropped her mouse and rushed off to the nursery. Shiningpelt wailed in agony as a spasm passed through her body. Briarleaf knelt over her, awaiting the arrival of the first kit. Please StarClan let her be okay, she thought.

“The first one is coming!” she meowed. “I can see it!” A tiny white kit rolled out onto the bracken and Briarleaf licked it fiercely to keep it warm and get it breathing. “It’s a she-cat!” she declared. Shiningpelt yowled again as another kit came out, a tiny tortoiseshell tom. Briarleaf licked the little kit and then passed it too Raincloud as the last kit was coming. Finally, a little grey kit tumbled out. “A tom!” she meowed. “That’s the last one!” Shiningpelt breathed a sigh of relief as the kits started to suckle. “They’re beautiful,” said Lightfrost as she nuzzled Shiningpelt happily. “You still have to name them,” meowed Raincloud. Shiningpelt purred and tapped each kit on the head. “This one is Mistkit,” she said, tapping the white kit. “This one is Whisperkit, and this one is Sunkit,” she said, tapping the grey kit and the tortoiseshell kit.

Sunkit, thought Briarleaf. Could this little kit have anything to do with the ominous prophecy? I’ll have to keep an eye on him, she thought.

“Congratulations!” said Lightfrost as the other kits bounded in from outside.

“I want to see!” cried Icekit.

“Shhh!” scolded Raincloud. “Shiningpelt is tired and her kits are far too young to play with.”

“We know,” said Bubblekit. “We just wanted to see them.” Shiningpelt purred.

“I’m fine, Raincloud,” she said. But Briarleaf could see her trembling with exhaustion.

“Maybe you kits should play outside,” she meowed. As she stepped aside to let the kits exit, she turned to Shiningpelt. “I’ll fetch you some borage to help your milk flow.” Shiningpelt looked up at her gratefully. “Thank you, Briarleaf.” Briarleaf nodded and stepped out of the nursery.

After giving Shiningpelt the borage, Briarleaf decided to go for a walk to find some watermint. They were short of it and it was getting close to leaf-bare. Out in the training hollow, Silverheart was standing with her apprentice, Almondpaw.

“Now, Almondpaw, when I leap at you, you have to dodge out of the way and take advantage of the time it takes for me to recover.” Almondpaw’s ears pricked as Silverheart leaped at her. She stumbled clumsily to the side and Silverheart landed neatly on the ground. Almondpaw sat down and hung her head while Silverheart attempted to comfort her. Briarleaf shook her head. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought there was something wrong with the young apprentice. But she wasn’t an apprentice expert. They’re all the same to me, she thought.

Out in the forest, Briarleaf tasted the air for the scent of watermint. The mouth-watering smell of squirrel wafted over. Briarleaf froze. Shalepaw was stalking a large squirrel through the trees. Briarleaf remembered that the apprentice was being assessed today. Better not bother him, she thought, as she backed silently away.

That night Briarleaf slept soundly. She dreamt she was in a grassy field full of mice. She stalked one fat mouse, crouched down, and leaped. The mouse fell dead under her paws. She bent down to eat it and another cat rushed up to her. Briarleaf didn’t recognize him but he shoved her out of the way and sniffed the mouse frantically. “Hey!” Briarleaf hissed. “That’s mine!” The cat stared at her, a wild, ghostly look in his eyes. “I wasn’t going to eat it,” he meowed. His voice sounded weary and aged. “I was just making sure it wasn’t tainted with evil, like the other prey was.” Briarleaf looked at him strangely. “What other prey?” Was there sickness in another clan? “Are you a StarClan cat?” she asked. The other cat just shook his head. “Not even StarClan is safe anymore,” he hissed. As he ran off, Briarleaf could hear him crying, “Oh, it’s gone, it’s all gone!” Confused and suspicious, Briarleaf padded off.

The next morning, Briarleaf woke with a start. What a vivid dream that was! She could still remember the cat, with matted fur and wide eyes. What evils could he have been talking about? Briarleaf remembered the prophecy. Could they have been talking about Sunkit? Or maybe another cat? It may have had nothing to do with the prophecy at all. Briarleaf was puzzling over what was spooking the old cat as she padded over to the nursery with to check on Shiningpelt. The she-cat was lying in her nest with her three sleeping kits. Briarleaf eyed Sunkit warily but broke her gaze away immediately. “Here’s some more borage,” she meowed, giving Shiningpelt the herbs.

“Thanks, Briarleaf,” Shiningpelt mewed. She winced as she chewed the leaves. Briarleaf looked around. The nursery was quiet.

“Where are all the kits?” she asked. Shiningpelt shrugged.

“I think Raincloud took them out. It’s such a beautiful day and the kits were itching to get outside.” Briarleaf nodded. She could imagine the kits, bouncing around the nursery, threatening to trample Shiningpelt’s kits. She would have been surprised if Raincloud didn’t take them out. Briarleaf stepped out of the nursery and tasted the air. The hunting patrol was returning with fresh kill. Briarleaf blinked. It was time to go meet the other medicine cats at the Moonpool.

As Briarleaf trekked up the path to the Moonpool, she was joined by Eagleheart and Branchpaw, ShadowClan’s medicine cats. Exchanging warm greetings, the three cats traveled to the Moonpool together. Bending down at the water, Briarleaf lapped from the shimmering pool. Ripples spread across the water and StarClan sent Briarleaf to sleep.

Briarleaf woke up on StarClan’s hunting grounds. Stardust stood before her looking down at her with her bright green eyes. Briarleaf purred as she greeted her friend.

“Stardust,” she mewed. “I met a strange cat yesterday. Do you know who he was?” Stardust gazed at her, anxiety filling her stare. “He was a friend,” she said. “He is as worried as we are for what is coming.” Briarleaf pawed the ground.

“But what is coming?” she cried. Stardust shook her head. “Something horrible, Briarleaf,” she meowed. “Something not even StarClan can control.”

“But what?” Briarleaf meowed wearily. She could tell her visit to StarClan was coming to an end.

“I’m sorry Briarleaf,” Stardust whispered as Briarleaf’s legs buckled under her. “I fear for you, and the rest of the clans too, but not even StarClan knows everything.”

More...news?

Hello Warriors fans! (I sound like the Erins, don't I)
I'm working on Chapter 3 right now! You might have noticed that my chapters are really short. That's because I haven't got much time to write them. So chapter 3 will be longer, and I am making good progress on it, but I'm not sure when it will be done. So..I'm sorry, but keep waiting.