Warriors: Mapleshade's Return.

Chapter Five

    -Dedicated to @downtotheriver-
Hi! I'm back and I found my journal! So... enjoy! :P
Jayfeather stood up and stretched. For a heartbeat he wondered why he was here, in this unfamiliar part of the forest, instead of back at camp in the medicine cat den. But then all of the previous night's memories came rushing back. Laying next to an unmoving Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, lost in grief, and Jayfeather's own anger at Starclan and the Dark Forest. And something else at the back of his mind, something that had happened just before he had fallen asleep. A scent, and a voice, perhaps? Jayfeather shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the confusing thoughts. They weren't important right now. What was important was was finding his way back to camp. And quickly. With a slight pang of guilt, he realized that Hollyleaf and the other fallen warriors would have been buried by now, and, more importantly, Brambleclaw would need to leave for the moonpool by sunhigh, or they would have to wait until the next day. Jayfeather sniffed the air. It was easy to tell which direction he had come from, partly because his blindness had made his other senses sharper, and partly because he had come crashing through the forest like a badger the night before. Jayfeather quickly followed his own scent, trying to retrace his steps, and just as quickly fell, head first, on his muzzle. Cursing, he stood up and stumbled forward, trying to be more careful. The journey was hard, and once he actually got caught in a tangle of brambles, but he pulled himself out, leaving a couple of clumps of fur behind, and struggled ahead.
Jayfeather finally reached Thunderclan territory, and from there on it was easier. He knew his territory inside out, and only tripped once or twice over a fallen branch or stray vine of bramble that had been disturbed during the Dark Forest battle. At last, just before sunhigh, Jayfeather reached the camp. He didn't need to be able to read minds to feel the stares burning into his pelt. Although, he thought with a pang, he couldn't read minds. As soon as the last Dark Forest warriors had fled the Thunderclan camp, Brambleclaw had instructed Dovewing to use her abilities to make sure the other clans were safe. But when Dovewing had tried, she had felt only silence. Dovewing had said that the same happened in every direction. She had looked devastated, saying that for the first time, she felt helpless. Jayfeather felt sure it would be hard for her to adjust. Jayfeather had tried as well, with no success. They had not tested Lionblaze's powers, not wanting anybody to get hurt. (A.N. I know this didn't happen in The Last Hope, but I forget exactly how they found out they had lost their powers, and whether it was in the Last Hope or Dovewing's Silence) Since nobody knew exactly how the three had received their powers in the first place, nobody could help them get their powers back. So, Jayfeather had no powers, nothing that made him special. And on top of that, he just had to have been born blind. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he met the stares as best he could, but he had no thoughts hinting at where the stares where coming from. By scent, though, he could tell that Leafpool was by the Medicine cat den, Squirrelflight was by the fresh-kill pile, Dovewing and Lionblaze were talking in low voices on the other side of the clearing, and Brambleclaw was at the entrance to the leader's den. Jayfeather was unsure of where to go first. He desperately wanted to find out what Lionblaze and Dovewing were talking about, and why they were using such low voices. But he knew he should tell Brambleclaw he was back, apologize, and get ready to leave. It was almost sunhigh. Finally he decided to go say hi to his brother and then go talk to Brambleclaw. It couldn't hurt to say hi, and he wouldn't get involved-not yet, anyways. So he walked over to the other side of the clearing. "Hi Lionblaze, Dovewing," he greeted. Lionblaze and Dovewing stopped talking.
"Uh, hi Jayfeather" Lionblaze meowed
"Yeah, Hi. Hey, where were you last night?" Dovewing asked.
"Uh, I was just, doing, stuff." Jayfeather answered. He could she was not satisfied, and neither was his brother. "I'll tell you later. I just wanted to say bye before I left. Oh, and I will be wanting to know what you were just talking about. When I get back."
"When you get back?" Dovewing asked, clearly wondering where he was going and why.
"Uh, I'm going with Brambleclaw to the moonpool." Didn't you know that? A small voice in his head asked.
"Oh" was all Dovewing had to say.
"Well, get going then!" Lionblaze meowed hurriedly.
"Fine, I'm going, I'm going. Sheesh! I didn't realize you two wanted me gone so badly." Jayfeather responded irritability.
"Oh, come on," Lionblaze apologized, giving him a friendly nudge with his shoulder.
"No, you're right. I should get going. It's almost sunhigh. See you when I get back!" Jayfeather tossed the last words over his shoulder, suddenly anxious to get going.
    "Bye!" Lionblaze and Dovewing called out in unison.
    Once he was about about two tail lengths away from Brambleclaw, Jayfeather started to get nervous. Would Brambleclaw be mad at him? Would he be upset that they weren't already on their way? What if he demanded to know where Jayfeather had been and why he had left camp? Suddenly he stopped, shaking his head. He would be fine. He would just apologize and they would leave and then he would carry on with life. His litter mates had never stressed so much about something this small, why should he? Taking a deep breath, Jayfeather continued on, silently cursing his cowardice. He stopped in front of Brambleclaw, imagining the dark, broad shouldered tabby sitting in front of him. Jayfeather bowed his head with deep respect, the nod of a medicine cat to their leader, and sat down. "Hello, Brambleclaw" he meowed, searching for the right words.
    "Greetings, Jayfeather," Brambleclaw replied, matching Jayfeather's grave tone. And there was something else... Amusment?! Was Brambleclaw mocking him? Either way, he had to finish what he had started. "We should get going." Jayfeather tried to use a brisk tone, but it came out as more of a sigh.
    "I thought the same. I was simply waiting for you." Again Brambleclaw used that voice, and this time Jayfeather was sure he was trying to hide his amusement. Resisting the urge to sigh, Jayfeather responded. "I... I ran into the forest last night, I went deeper than I meant to and I just got back. I--I'm sorry." He drew out the last sentence slowly, and was relieved when Brambleclaw replied. "It's fine. And I know you're probably angry with yourself for running out on Hollyleaf's vigil, and that you'll probably want to keep it to yourself."
    "So you'll know to stay out of it?" Jayfeather's voice came out in a growl, and he resisted the urge to claw himself. He was such a mouse brain! He couldn't go around picking fights with his leader!
    "Sorry," he said again. Brambleclaw sighed. "Let's get going."
Okay, kind of an abrupt ending, but oh well. With the A/N, it's 1268 words. Bye, and may Starclan light your path, may the force be with you, may the gods of Olympus watch over you, hail cloak, and all that jazz. : )