As the Leaf Shined

A story about the character Leafshine, who was in the Warriors Super Edition, Tallstar's Revenge.

/Allegiances/

CHAPTER ONE
Leafshine padded into camp, her weariness forgotten at the thought of the gathering tonight. The rest of her patrol followed through the tunnel after her, their fur stained with the mud from underground, some of the best cats of the Clan followed her, Dustheart, Hollowslip, Stonepaw, and her apprentice, Lilypaw, she knew these cats and trusted them with her life every day in the tunnels.

The harsh sunlight stung her eyes, she didn’t know how tunnelers did it and she envied her brother and sister, Heatherstalk and Antwhisker, survived up here, the only good part was the feel of the wind in your fur, besides that, Leafshine loved the underground and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

After blinking to get used to the sun, she looked around camp and headed to the fresh-kill pile, carefully choosing a plump hare to eat.

“Hey Songlark!” Leafshine called to the small she-cat who was laying down in the shade of the camp walls, “Wanna share this with me?”

Songlark opened one eyelid and after a few seconds she replied, “Sure, but you’ll have to bring it over here.”

Leafshine nodded, dragging the heavy piece of prey to the nicely shaded area where Songlark lied, and after setting down the juicy piece in between them, she started taking swift, neat, hungry bites. Soon, the scent was too tempting and Songlark rose into a crouch, eating in silence.

After a while Songlark broke the silence, “So how’s the gorge tunnel going?”

“Pretty good, we won’t break through for seasons though, it seems,” Leafshine replied after swallowing the last bite of hare.

Songlark nodded thoughtfully, “That’s what Kinkpelt’s been saying, too. I have to go down with Flailfoot, Kestrelfeather, Hickorypaw, and Woollypaw tonight, after you guys leave for the Gathering and I was hoping that after we finish patrolling our area, we might get a bit deeper.”

“Sounds good,” Leafshine replied, “Who’ll be patrolling the other half of the territory?”

“Flamepelt, Sandpaw, and Rabbitstep,” Songlark answered with a sigh, “I would ask them to help, but you know how Flamepelt is, stupid toms.”

“Did you two have another fight?” Leafstar asked, swallowing a purr. Everyone in the Clan knew that Songlark and Flamepelt were practically mates.

“Ugh,” Songlark grunted in reply, “he can be such a rabbit-brain at times.”

Leafshine purred, “You two are the craziest pair I’ve ever seen one minute you adore each other, the next, you’re cursing at each other.”

“You’ll see one day, when you find a tom that loves you and that you love back, Cedarfoot has been paying extra attention to you recently,” Songlark retaliated.

“Hush!” Leafshine exclaimed, “I don’t know if I could ever fall for a moor-runner, they’re too full of themselves, now Flailfoot, he’s more my type.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh come on!” Songlark mewed, “Cedarfoot is sweet and nice, he’s not that bad, you should talk to him.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think I can wait on that,” Leafshine purred, “I’d better go get some sleep before the Gathering.”

<p class="MsoNormal">She got up and walked towards the warrior’s den, hearing Songlark purr behind her.

CHAPTER TWO
<p class="MsoNormal">Leafshine woke up to a paw prodding her side, she looked up and saw the dark brown tom, Cedarfoot, prodding her awake.

<p class="MsoNormal">She leapt up and blinked the sleep and weariness out of her eyes, “Did I miss it?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Cedarfoot purred, amusement in his eyes, “Of course not, but everyone’s almost ready to go.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leafshine gave the tom a nod, thankful for his thoughtfulness, then walked out of the den. She quickly looked over the Gathering patrol and took a spot next to the other tunnelers that were going, Kinkpelt, Hollowslip, Stonepaw, and her apprentice, Lilypaw. She realized that Lilypaw was almost as big as the warriors and realized that this was the last gathering the she-cat would go to as an apprentice.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Ready?” Leafshine looked up to see their leader, Petalstar, had joined them.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Everyone’s here,” Blizzardtail called back after a quick check.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Good, then let’s go.”

<p class="MsoNormal">The patrol raced from the camp haring over the moor, their paws barely touching the ground. As they neared the hollow where the Gathering took place, Petalstar slowed, before signaling with her tail to go, the cats went thundering down the hill into the clearing.

<p class="MsoNormal">WindClan was the last to get there, and the other leaders were already sitting on the Great Rock. She recognized Rainsweptstar, from RiverClan, Deerstar, from ThunderClan, and Lakestar, from ShadowClan, Petalstar leapt up the rock and joined the other great leaders as the Gathering started.

<p class="MsoNormal">Leafshine sat down between Lilypaw and Hollowslip, the tunnelers usually didn’t socialize with the other Clans.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Let the Gathering begin!” Lakestar yowled, his blue-gray mottled pelt almost hidden in the shadows, he stepped aside and nodded for the oldest leader, Deerstar, to go ahead and speak.

<p class="MsoNormal">“ThunderClan has grown this moon, with two new additions to the Clan!” the speckled she-cat announced with pride, “Mistleleaf has had two kits, Moonkit and Goosekit!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Moonkit, Goosekit!” the clearing yowled.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Finally,” Hollowslip leaned over and whispered in Leafshine’s ear, “Hickoryleap is the father, and he can finally shut up and stop worrying for Mistleleaf.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Leafshine purred, “You were the same when Duskpetal had Harepaw and Lilypaw.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t think I was that bad, though,” he replied.

<p class="MsoNormal">Leafshine looked up again, purring, Hollowslip was worse!

<p class="MsoNormal">Petalstar stepped up, “We are proud to announce that WindClan has a new warrior,!”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hawkheart!” the cats cheered. Leafshine looked over at the tom, and saw that his eyes were filled with pleasure.

<p class="MsoNormal">Lakestar came next, announcing that ShadowClan had three new apprentices, Dewpaw, Jumppaw, and Gustypaw.

<p class="MsoNormal">Then, Rainsweptstar came announcing that Shellkit, Fallowkit, and Cedarkit had been born to Fenneltail, she also announced that Raintail had moved to the elder’s den. Many cats were dismayed at that, Raintail was still a relatively young cat.

<p class="MsoNormal">But the excitement of the Gathering soon wore off, and one-by-one the Clans went home.

<p class="MsoNormal">As Leafshine padded into camp and fell into her nest she was thankful for the nests that WindClan had.