Jaywatcher's Love [Old, DISCONTINUED]

∆ chapter 23 ∆

Smokeflame looked half-disgusted and half-caring at Jaywatcher. The young ShadowClan she-cat had explained everything.

There was no use in hiding it now.

"I'm sorry, forgive me!" She begged.

Smokeflame sighed. "I'm dissapointed, Jaywatcher. But love makes cats do lots of unexplainable things."

Jaywatcher saw regret in Smokeflame's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I...I only took you in because I loved Pinewhisker. Not Wolfspirit and Blacktail's father." Smokeflame confessed.

Jaywatcher froze. "That's why? Not because I was a lonely kit with no one else to live with?"

Smokeflame sighed once more. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But it's the truth."

Jaywatcher's eyes became slits. "Who is my mother?" She asked.

"I...I don't know. You'll have to ask Pinewhisker that, if he'll talk about it." Smokeflame told her.

"What should I do?" Jaywatcher wondered.

"I don't know everything, Jaywatcher. Everything was so much simpler when you were a kit in the nursery." Smokeflame recalled.

Jaywatcher nodded to her foster mother. "I need to...reflect. You'll protect me if they attack, right?"

Smokeflame pondered. "I can't guarantee that." She finished.

"Thank you." Jaywatcher sniffled. "For everything."

She bounded to the other end of camp as ShadowClan cats filed into the camp, eyes wide and fur bristling as they caught sight of her.

Redstar silenced the growling warriors and padded forwards. "I thought I could trust you. You were a formidable warrior, Jaywatcher."

"What do you mean...were?" Jaywatcher asked quietly.

"It means you have committed treason against ShadowClan. It would be best execute you now." Redstar's fur bristled.

Jaywatcher's heart stopped. "I can't die! Not here, not now!"

"But traitors have to die!" Wolfspirit growled. Not even a moment ago, him and Jaywatcher were chatting like littermates.

"I didn't mean for you to find out!" Jaywatcher protested.

Smokeflame was nudging her way through the warriors. "I believe her, she did betray ShadowClan. But she also learned her lesson. Please. Don't kill her."

Jaywatcher's heart soared. But Smokeflame was only one warrior. There were many opposing her beliefs.

"Filthy traitor!" Rowantail spat.

"We have to kill her!" Newtspeckle growled.

"Wait, maybe-" Blacktail started.

Redstar cut them off with a yowl for silence. "Let me think."

The warriors were in silence as Redstar pondered.

"Ten moons of apprentice duties. You are forbidden from leaving camp, and cannot sneak out. There will be a guard at the dirtplace tunnel." Redstar decided.

"At least I'm not executed. I'll take your punishment, Redstar." Jaywatcher murmured the first part.

∆∆∆∆

It had been three moons since the... incident.

Jaywatcher's Clanmates barely talked to her, and when they did, they barked orders at her like an apprentice.

This is all my fault. Jaywatcher thought, hauling a chunk of moss away from Tawnyberry's nest as the elder slept.

She patted the new moss for the nest into place and padded out of the den silently.

She headed to the empty apprentice den she would be sleeping in. But soon, there would be more apprentices.

Ivyberry had given birth, and when those kits grew up, it would be a nightmare to be in the apprentices den.

But Jaywatcher knew she can't complain. She got herself into this mess.

The camp outside went silent as every cat went to their respective nests. Jaywatcher curled into her own, in the back corner of the apprentice's den.

"Jaywatcher?" A familiar voice hissed.

Jaywatcher's ears pricked. Was it a voice in her head? Or...maybe...

Leafsight!

She turned swiftly to see the ThunderClan she-cat wedged between the bushes that surrounded the ShadowClan camp.

"What are you doing?" Jaywatcher hissed.

"What are you doing?" Leafsight countered. Her ears flattened.

Jaywatcher stifled a purr. "You know you are very stubborn sometimes."

Leafsight's tail whisked. "Haha. Very funny. Now get out here! I need to talk!" She hissed.

"I can't!" Jaywatcher snarled gently. "Blacktail's on guard and I can't get through the Dirtplace tunnel!"

"Convince him you need to leave?" Leafsight suggested.

"I'll try." Jaywatcher promised, scurrying out of the apprentices den.

The camp was oddly quiet. The elders snored and there was the occasional late-night argument about who kicked who in their sleep in the warriors den.

Jaywatcher snuck past, and looked at Blacktail. He was guarding the camp. Blacktail's eyes widened.

"Jaywatcher? What are you doing up?" Blacktail asked.

"I need to use the dirtplace...?" Jaywatcher tried. She didn't expect it to sound like a question.

"I know where you want to go." Blacktail said, his voice serious. "You're lucky your my foster sister."

Blacktail waved his paw at the entrance to camp. "If you don't tattle on me, I won't on you."

Jaywatcher let out a grateful purr. "You big goofball. You'll never stop having the heart of a kit."

Blacktail returned the purr with a smile. "Now go, go. And be back before dawn!"

Jaywatcher pelted out of camp, skirting around bushes to meet Leafsight. "Hi!" She panted, halting infront of the ThunderClan she-cat.

"I'm sorry for lashing out." Leafsight apologized. "I really am. I love you, Jaywatcher."

Jaywatcher's heart soared and she raced to Leafsight's side and nuzzled her neck fur. "I love you too."

"I was thinking..." Leafsight began. "No. No. I can't say it."

"What is it?" Jaywatcher was curious.

"I was thinking if you would want to change Clans. Live in ThunderClan, with...with me." Leafsight shrank back, as if expecting Jaywatcher to attack her.

"No. Thanks." Jaywatcher was as nice as she could be. "I like ShadowClan. I have kin in ShadowClan."

"That's alright. It was only an idea." Leafsight's head ducked lower. "I'd better get back before Daisyfeather notices I'm gone."

"Same." Jaywatcher nodded. "I need to get back before someone wakes up and sees me missing."

"See you at the next Gathering?" Leafsight asked.

"See you at the next Gathering." Jaywatcher said, scrambling away in a different direction back to the ShadowClan camp.

Maybe in due time...the Clans will learn that love has no boundaries.