Ice limped into camp, blood trickling from a gash in her shoulder. The battle had been won, the Clan cat's finally giving up after they lost many warriors. But BloodClan had lost cats, too. Fox and Snake had both died from their wounds, and Cinder had broken a paw. A pang of grief shook her as she remembered Fox's bravery and determination to fight in the battle, despite the wounds he already had before it. She remembered finding him, a huge white tom with black paws standing over his limp body. Blood had stained his ginger fur, flowing from a gash in his chest. Ice shivered as she remembered the fury that had flared in her own chest as she hurled herself at Fox's killer. She had slashed his throat open with a quick flick of her paw. As the white tom had laid dying at her paws, she had leaned down and whispered in his ear, "That was for Fox." Only after he was dead had Ice realized who the tom was. It had been Blackstar, leader of ShadowClan. A mew snapped her back to reality. "Can I check your wounds?" Ice glanced around and spotted Fang. She grunted in reply and let her deputy sniff at the gash in her shoulder. "Not as deep as it looks." He murmured to her. He licked it gently, and Ice flinched away as pain flamed in the bloody wound. "Sorry." He mewed. Ice turned to look at him. His black and white pelt had splashes of dark red blood all over. "I'm guessing that's not your blood?" She whispered, flicking her tail at a particularly dark splotch of blood. "Nope, not mine." He replied with a dip of his head. "Well, most of it isn't," he added, lifting a paw to show Ice a scratch that reached from his shoulder to his paw. "You know, we really should find a medicine cat. It wouldn't be a sign of weakness. It'd actually be really helpful, having some cat to help with wounds and sickness. Battles like this could wipe out the whole Clan." Fang said, sweeping his black tail around the blood-stained clearing. Ice nodded. "Maybe one of Hazel's or Dandelion's kits." She said quietly. Then, she turned to clean the wound on her shoulder. The tangy taste of blood flowed over her tongue, and she licked faster, hoping to get rid of it quickly. Once she finished, she padded over to the prey pile to choose something to eat. She grabbed a small squirrel and settled down nearby to eat it. Fang chose a mouse for himself and joined her. Ice noticed one of the kits dragging a leaf. She recognized the gray and black pelt of Clover, one of Hazel's daughters. She was dragging a dark green leaf towards the nursery, stumbling and tripping over her own paws. Ice stifled a purr of amusement and finished her squirrel quickly. She stood up and padded over to the small she kit. Clover dropped the leaf immediately and looked up at Ice, her blue eyes filled with surprise. "Hello." She squeaked. "Hi, Clover." She replied. The kit's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?" She asked, the surprise in her blue gaze sharpening. Ice couldn't hold in a purr any longer. "I'm your leader. I know every cat's name." She meowed to the little kit. Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the nursery entrance. "Watch out, Tiger!" A squeaky voice hissed. "No, you move!" A deeper voice snapped back. Squeals of defiance broke out until finally, their mother called to them. "Tiger, Honey! Quit it!" She yowled to her kits. They stopped instantly. Then, a golden and white head popped out and glanced around the camp. It was Honey, Clover's sister. She caught sight of Clover and Ice together and gasped in shock. "Tiger! Come look at this!" She called to her brother. "If you would watch out, I could see!" He squeaked to her. Honey rolled her pretty green eyes and backed into the nursery again. A dark brown tabby head poked out in her place. Ice purred in amusement at the bickering littermates. Tiger raced over to join his sister. Honey bundled out after him, her paws skidding on the sandy floor. "Hi, Ice!" Tiger squeaked. "Hello, Tiger. Hi, Honey." She replied as the kits stopped beside their sister. "Why are you talking to Clover? Did she get in trouble? I mean, I can see why. She's always bringing leaves back to the nest to show our mother. Warriors are supposed to hunt prey, not leaves!" Honey squeaked, bouncing up and down on her white paws. Clover glared at her sister. "I'm not in trouble, you stupid furball! And it's not my fault leaves have interesting smells!" She snapped at her sister. Then, she hurled herself at her littermate, knocking the golden and white she kit off her paws. Honey yelped in surprise and shook her sister off. Clover lashed out and caught Honey on the cheek. "Ow!" Honey squealed. "That hurts! Keep your claws sheathed!" Ice looked from Clover to Honey and back again. "Now, now, kits. Be nice to each other. No, Honey, Clover wasn't in trouble. I was just wondering why she likes leaves so much. This is the fourth time I've seen her dragging one across the clearing." Ice said, glancing at the dark green leaf Clover had at her paws. "They smell good! And they look funny." Clover answered, sniffing at her leaf and pulling it closer. "And besides, it doesn't matter. What's so bad about me bringing leaves to the nursery?" She asked, casting a defiant glare at her brother and sister. Tiger sniffed and stuck his nose in the air. "Warriors hunt prey, not leaves!" He repeated his sister's words, and stomped back to the nursery. Honey glanced over her shoulder at him. Then, she turned back to her sister. She leaned down and took in a deep breath to smell the leaf. "It does smell weird, I guess. What does it do?" She questioned Clover. Clover only shrugged. "I don't know yet. I've never used it for anything. What could a leaf do anyways?" She replied. Ice listened, her gaze fixed intently on the leaf at Clover's paws. "Okay, kits, I should be going now. See you later." She said as she padded off to her den. "Bye, Ice!" They called after her. Thoughts whirled in Ice's head. Could Clover be a medicine cat? She thought of the Clan's medicine cats. They knew so much about leaves and seeds and berries. They called them herbs. They could also read things in the stars. They called those omens. Suddenly, an idea popped into Ice's head. She smirked as the plan started to form. It would be so easy! Ice reached her mossy den and curled up in her nest. She rested her paw over her nose and let sleep wash over her. She would need lots of sleep for tomorrow.