MagiStream

Leafpool- brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws and amber eyes

Crowfeather- dark gray tom with blue eyes

“Crowfeather!”

The brown tabby purred happily as the dark gray tomcat spun around, his deep blue eyes wide with surprise. The tabby she-cat splashed across the stream toward him and pressed her nose to his shoulder.

“I’ve thought about what you said,” she mewed. “About leaving.”

“You have?”

“I’ve been so scared, Crowfeather - scared about leaving my Clan and my kin. But I went to the Moonpool, and Spottedleaf came to speak to me.” Seeing Crowfeather’s puzzled look, she added, “She was ThunderClan’s medicine cat once, but now she walks with StarClan. She often visits me in dreams.”

Crowfeather still seemed bewildered; the tabby was not sure if he believed her, or if he thought that her encounters with Spottedleaf were nothing more than dreams.

“What did she say?” he asked.

“She told me to follow my heart.”

Crowfeather’s eyes widened. “You’re a medicine cat, Leafpool. Isn’t that where your heart has led you?”

“Once it was.” Leafpool’s heart thumped as she realized that Crowfeather thought she was about to reject him. “But ThunderClan has a medicine cat. Cinderpelt is young and strong, and she’ll serve the Clans for seasons yet. And Brightheart will help out for now. Cinderpelt can train another apprentice when I’ve gone.”

Crowfeather drew in a painful breath. “When you’ve gone? Leafpool, does that mean...?”

“Yes. I’ll come with you.”

Leafpool could hardly bear to look at the blaze of happiness in Crowfeather’s eyes. Did he really love her this much? Her belly twisted with fear. She couldn’t let him down now. She had to go through with this.

“I’ve been scared too,” Crowfeather admitted. “I don’t want to leave my Clan or my friends. I even hoped that I might be leader one day. But more than that, I don’t want to lose you, Leafpool. And there’s no way for us to be together if we stay here.”

Leafpool pressed her side against his, the warmth of his pelt comforting her as she stared into a future that was suddenly dark and terrifying. “Where should we go?”

“Not back toward the forest,” Crowfeather decided. “We’d end up in the mountains, or places where there are too many Twolegs. There are hills beyond WindClan where we can look for a place to live. I’ll take care of you, Leafpool.” For a moment, his gaze darkened and drifted away from her, filled with memories. “I promise I’ll take care of you,” he repeated more strongly. “Are you ready?”

“You mean, we’re leaving now?” Leafpool gasped.

“Don’t you think we should?”

But I want to say good-bye! Leafpool almost wailed out loud, but she knew that it would be impossible. Saying good-bye would cause anger and pain and confusion, and maybe their Clans would prevent them from going at all.

“You’re right.” She tried to sound brave and optimistic. “I’m ready.”

Crowfeather touched his nose to the top of her head. “Thank you. I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure you won’t regret this.”

They turned their backs on the lake and padded side by side up the hill. Ahead of them, the rising sun filled the sky with streaks of flame as they left their Clans and everything they had ever known.