A Leap of Faith - Foxleap X Ryefall fanfic

Chapter 8

Foxleap slipped out of camp just as the moon began its climb across the sky. Lightningtail had given him a bundle of herbs to teach Rye about them, just as he promised to. Though Lightningtail couldn't show up himself.

Rye was already sitting there, his gray and brown fur shining in the twilight. His amber eyes batted towards Foxleap, stealing his breath. Shaking himself out of it, Foxleap continued to troy towards the loner tom, dropping the bundles at his paws.

"What're these for?" He mewed, perking up his ears.

"Remember when you said you'd want to learn herbs?" Foxleap mewed. "Well, Lightningtail gave me these to teach you!" He purred. "He couldn't be here himself, but he gave me a summary of each herb for me to teach,"

With a nod, Rye sat down. "Alright, teacher. Teach away," He gave a warm smile. "Oh, and, thank you. For doing this."

"Of course!" Foxleap gave another smile before opening the herb bundle. "Let's see, this here is chamomile, but I'm sure you already knew that. It strengthens the heart and soothes the mind."

"Hm, I didn't know chamomile had healing properties." Rye mewed. The loner tom then eyed the juniper berries. "Juniper berries are for stomachaches, right?"

"Yep! They can also help with breathing, and to calm cats," Foxleap added, shifting his attention to the fennel. "Fennel helps with hip pain. And these leaves over here are mint, they're used to hide the scent of death."

"That reminds me," Rye interjected. "One time when I was a kit, my family and I ran into a group of traveling healers. Destiny dared me to eat all the mint leaves, and so I did!" He chuckled. "I got so sick, the healers gave me yarrow and banned me from their den," He purred, Foxleap laughing alongside him. "Okay, there's only one more. What does the pink tulip do?"

"Pink tulip?!" Foxleap yelped. His gaze quickly locked onto the pink tulip mixed in with the herbs. "Ack, I'm sorry! Lightningtail must have put it in by accident. He probably meant to give it to his mate. You see, pink tulips are a romantic gesture," Foxleap's ears heated up with embarrassment. The tom's green gaze adverted to the ground.

Rye's amusement grew as he watched Foxleap's embarrassed reaction. "A romantic gesture, huh? Well, I guess Lightningtail might be planning something special for his mate." Rye teased, a mischievous glint in his amber eyes.

Foxleap tried to recover from his embarrassment with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, that's probably it." He quickly mewed. Even in his embarrassed state, he couldn't help but appreciate the peacefulness of the night. The moon cast a gentle glow on the clearing, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. Despite the looming conflict between the Clans, for this brief moment, the world seemed serene.

Amused, Rye continued, "Well, thanks for the herb lesson. Maybe I could meet your medicine cat one day. What was his name again? Thundertail?"

"Lightningtail," Foxleap corrected.

"Close enough," Rye chuckled. The night enveloped them in peaceful silence, the moon casting a gentle glow. The night going almost silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the hums of the crickets and the occasional calls of an owl in the distance. It didn't stretch long before Rye spoke again. "If I were a clan cat, would I have a funny name too? Since I wasn't born in the clan?"

"Oh, yeah. Outsiders joining get their names changed." Foxleap answered. "I doubt Firestar or Bramblestar would let you keep a rogue name. They're rather strict like that." The ginger warrior paused for a moment. "Why? Were you considering joining?"

"Oh, no. I was just curious. Besides, I can't leave Destiny." He gave a small smile. "What do you think my name would be?"

"Hmm, let's see, if I was Foxstar and I was giving you a warrior name..." Foxleap mumbled to himself. "Well, even though you lost your parents, you still take care of your sister. You're strong, and resilient, like a tree in a windstorm. No matter how much you're rustled, you stay planted. You're kind. You were sweet to me even when I was throwing you out. You've taken many falls in life, but none have fallen more elegantly than you. When you fall, you fall with grace. You make falling look like a swan's flight. But instead of crashing, you land on your feet. You get right back up, as if you never fell. As if your fall was intentional. And for that, I would name you Ryefall."

Rye stood frozen, his jaw hanging open in sheer surprise. His ears burned with bashfulness, feeling as hot as the sun itself. 

"I- I'm sorry! I got carried away! But, yeah, I would name you Ryefall," Foxleap admitted, lowering his head, avoiding direct eye contact and keeping his gaze fixed on the grass beneath his paws.

A warm smile spread across Rye's face, and he purred, "I love it. Ryefall has a nice ring to it. It sounds so elegant, especially after what you said." The comment only intensified the blush creeping across Foxleap's fur. "Ryefall, Ryefall, Ryefall," Rye repeated to himself, savoring the sound. "I like it a lot. If you'd like, you can call me Ryefall from now on."

Foxleap's heart skipped a beat, and he managed a shy smile. "I'd like that," he replied, his embarrassment giving way to a newfound warmth. The moon above seemed to cast a gentle glow on the two cats, as if blessing the moment. In the stillness of the night, the awkwardness melted away, leaving behind a connection that felt as natural as the rustle of leaves in the breeze.