Cinderpelt snorted at her paws and muttered something incoherent as she put off answering Firestar.

"Well?" he demanded again, twitching his whiskers in amusement.

A few days after the battle with BloodClan, Cinderpelt had called ThunderClan's young leader-and her close friend- to her den to check his injuries.

"No, you oaf, you can't go hunting right now," she repsonded, flicking her tail at the fiery tom.

"I want to, though, and besides, I'm not badly hurt."

"I'm your medicine cat and I say you are, so no mouse chasing for now, Firestar."

He scowled and sent an impatient look towards the entrance tunnel. 

She followed his gaze and to where Dustpelt, Graystripe, and Bramblepaw were going hunting, and then gave a mrrow of laughter when Graystripe slyly remarked on how his best friend had tangled up with a rabbit.

Cinderpelt was watching Firestar shift his paws in embarrassment before shooting her a pleading glance.

"No," she said automatically, diving in her herb stores to look for some marigold.

Firestar had unwisely decided to pursue a rabbit down a tunnel, and in the scrambling chase, he had gotten kicked in the shoulder by it, and so Cinderpelt had declared no hunting for a quarter moon for the leader of ThunderClan.

"I'm the leader of the Clan, though," he had protested.

"Yes, and?" the gray she-cat replied.

"And it's stupid that I have to rest because of a StarClan forsaken rabbit, Cinderpelt!" he retorted, though he had winced when he tried to demonstrate his 'totally awesome' jumping skills.

So she had told him no hunting for a quarter moon, since he had gone and reopened the wound, and now he was sulking while he waited for more treatment.

"It's unfair," he grumbled.

With a sudden pang, Cinderpelt thought, Yes, it is.

It was unfair that Silverstream and Yellowfang had died-it was unfair that Whitestorm, the loved deputy of ThunderClan, had been killed by Bone in the battle.

And it was unfair that Cinderpelt was stuck as a medicine cat while she was in love with her leader.