Rootspring was slumped under a juniper bush on the edges of the camp, his position uncomfortable. He woke up every two moments, glanced at the medicine den, glared at his paws when she wasn't awake, and then restarted the whole process after falling asleep.
He had desperately yearned to see Bristlefrost after she had sacrificed herself. He had finally, after so many moons without her, given up hope.
And then he had been chatting to Sunbeam, one of the cats from the journey to find catmint, and he had caught a sliver of her scent, and then she had just appeared.
He had followed the ThunderClan cats straight home, throwing a frantic, "Sorry, Leafstar!" over his shoulder before dashing across the tree bridge.
Soft pawsteps alerted him.
He snapped his head up to see Thriftear, Bristlefrost's sister with dark fur, padding towards him.
"Rootspring," she said in a choaked voice. Joy glared in her eyes.
"Is she-is she awake?" Rootspring asked, leaping up clumsily, tripping over his tail.
"Yes. She wants to see you now," Thriftear replied, twitching an ear and gesturing towards the medicine den.
The yellow tom wasted no time in dashing across camp-earning a few chuckles from the elder warriors-and then screeching to a halt and poking his head in softly.
"Bristlefrost?" he breathed, gaze darting until he finally found her.
Someone had groomed her fur. She looked as beautiful as she always had. Her blueish eyes gleamed with happiness.
"Rootspring," she murmured, stretching out her neck towards him as if making certain he was real.
He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. His amazing, brave, stunning Bristlefrost was here. She was alive.
Rootspring took a weak step in her direction, his whole body trembling. He eventually made his way to her nest after what seemed like decades and buried his muzzle in her neck fur, breathing in her scent.
"Bristlefrost?" he murmured as he took Ivypool's space in the nest.
"Hm?" she asked as she settled into his side.
"I love you."
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What Could Have Been One
FanfictionWhat if Bristlefrost came back? What if she was fine, and completely alive? Would she and Rootspring have kits? And would she get the life of a hero that she deserved? Book One of the What Could Have Been series.
