TCL, Book Two

Chapter Three

-October 10th-
-Daisypaw is 8 moons old-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daisypaw knew something was up. Nightpaw had been hanging out with Cloudpaw yesterday; now that wasn't a problem, they were all friends, but he also seemed to be ignoring her, Daisypaw. She had been in her own head lately but she had certainly noticed that.

   She had had a reality check at the last gathering. The thought of cats from other Clans had excited her, to her it had meant new faces that she could definitely be friendly towards, and they would be friendly towards her. It was a gathering! Where each Clan joined together in peace for one night only, even after countless hostilities between them in the past. Even RiverClan would be nice, right? Even after the fights and the injuries and wrongdoings between River and Thunder recently, it would all be erased at the gathering, that's what the truce was for!

   She let out a long sigh in her nest, remembering how niave she had been. She could still hear those horrible WindClan apprentices words.

   "Petalfern huh?" the black and white tom, who had introduced himself as Blazepaw, had said after Daisypaw had mentioned her training. "I heard from my mentor that Petalfern has bees in her brain," he had sneered.

   What? What did he mean? Why would he say that? Petalfern was a great mentor! A hopelessness had washed through her, she was so stunned that she could not reply. This cat was saying something that wasn't true, and yet she only stood helplessly, trying the grip onto the dwindling belief that any cat could be a friend. It had started with Duckpaw's behavior, then there was the ShadowClan apprentices, they were nice enough, but there seemed to still be a strange hesitancy.

   "I guess if a cat with her head in the clouds is teaching you, it must rub off on you. Look, she doesn't even know what to say."

   Daisypaw had felt the hopelessness for only a moment more, before she found her emotions taking the best of her.

   "H-how do you know how Petalfern is like? You don't know her! And she doesn't have bees in her brain," she had insisted, narrowing her eyes and twitching her tail, though her voice was uneven and flustered, and she grew hot with embarrassment from the memory.

   "Must be more mousebrained than I thought," the other apprentice had said. "To not see it; I know she has bees in her brain more than you do, my mentor told me so," she sneered.

   How does your mentor know? Do they know Petalfern? Do they live in the same camp and Clan as her? Daisypaw thought now. It always is after confrontation when you think of the good comebacks, it seems.

   Then Daisypaw had turned to look at Nightpaw, maybe catch his eye and silently let him know she was struggling. He was play-fighting with Turtlepaw, the same way they usually played, and he was so caught up that he hadn't even noticed her predicament. At least she wished she could say that he hadn't noticed; but there had been one moment where he had looked in her direction, golden eyes going quizical. . . before Turtlepaw had distracted him again.

   What was it about that tortoiseshell? She seemed completely enraptured in listening to him, even going so far as to have a mock battle. Well, Goosepaw and Ivypaw had been caught up with him too, but there was just something about Turtlepaw specifically, that didn't sit well with her.

   Who was she to play with Nightpaw? Who was she to hang onto his every word? Who was she to try and console Daisypaw after Duckpaw had left? She didn't even know her and she certainly didn't know Nightpaw.

   And Nightpaw. . . why did he talk to those three so freely? He had only met them once before, he didn't know them just as much as they didn't know him. Why had he agreed to a mock battle with Turtlepaw? What does she have that I don't? Daisypaw thought now. Am I. . .not a good friend? She widened her eyes, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. What, do I not listen enough? Should I hang onto his every word and be more exciting? I guess I am kinda cautious compared to him. But someone has to be right?