Shadow Leaves stared at Ginger River in a confused way.

"What are you confused about now?" Ginger River asked.

"It's just," Shadow Leave began. "The medicine cat is next in line to become leader after the leader dies and the medicine cat's softpaw is next in line to become medicine cat... is the medicine cat's softpaw the second cat in line to become leader?"

"Yes."

"Also, the leader is allowed to have kits but the medicine cat can't have kits until they have a full trained apprentice."

"Yes, that is correct."

"Then when can I have kits?"

"When you have a full trained apprentice."

"That is confusing!"

"It may be confusing but those are the rules that Fallen Path and Holly Fall made when they founded TunnelClan."

"Okay..." Shadow Leaves replied. "I have one more question."

Ginger River rolled his eyes. "What is it?" he asked.

"Why wasn't Holly Fall made medicine cat?"

. . .

Shadow Leaves sorted the borage from the parsley, he didn't know why Ginger River had mixed them all up. The black-patched tom watched his sisters return from hunting – coming back from different tunnels. Autumn Leaves always looked moony and tired and always smelled like damp ferns every time she returned from hunting. Holly Leaves always returned smelling normally and always ready to moan about coming five nose-lengths from something but missed it.

"I can't wait to become a sharpclaw!" Holly Leaves mewed instead of moaning about how bad her hunting was.

"Me neither," Autumn Leaves agreed sleepily. "Three moons remaining."