Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 17

(Cat above is Firefur)

Did he just say...? Foxgaze stared into Leafshade's eyes. They reminded her more of the the green depths of the lake rather than leaves. She wanted to swim in those depths forever but she remembered what had just happened and knew she must say something.

"Leafshade I...." she began. One of his ears went back a little "Dont feel the same way?", he turned his back on her and got up "That's understandable. I mean, I am a medicine cat and it's kind of against the code".

"No I don't mean that!" Foxgaze whispered to him as loud as she could "Look, I dont care about the code right now I...". Leafshade paused, his tail swayed back and forth gently. Foxgaze looked around before sighing "-I think I might love you too". Leafshade turned around slowly. His eyes were as wide as the full moon that was rising. His soft mew was tinted with shock "You really mean that?"

Foxgaze smiled a tiny bit "I wouldn't lie to a medicine cat". The medicine cat and the deputy stared at each other in the moonlit den. Foxgaze suddenly realized how much she did love him. Everything from his nicked ear edge from a battle many moons ago to his white paws was perfectly made. As she began to drift off to sleep she heard him whisper in her ear "Meet me tomorrow night, moonhigh on the lakeshore if you really love me".

The dawn light woke Foxgaze up gently. She could see that Leafshade's nest was empty. He must be out gathering herbs or something she assured herself. What they had said last night slowly came back to her. Moonhigh and lakeshore kept repeating in her mind. Dawnstar padded past the opening to the den but she paused when she saw Foxgaze. She meowed "Ah Foxgaze, there you are. I've been looking for you".

"You found me" she said quietly. As Dawnstar stepped closer she picked her paw and brought it over her ear "So. What happened at the Gathering last night?"

"Nothing much. SeaClan got a few more warriors and MountainClan chased a dog out of their camp a few sunrises ago" Dawnstar said with a flick of her tail "Galaxystar whined about it and said we chased it into their territory. I told him that we chased a fox out and that was it but he wouldn't listen".

"Ah okay" Foxgaze meowed. At that moment her stomach rumbled. Dawnstar stepped a little to the side and let out a mrrow of laughter "Maybe you should go eat a mouse or something, you sound hungry". Foxgaze felt her ears get hot in embarrassment. She nodded and brushed past her leader to get to the freshkill pile. She saw Orangetail as also getting prey. The ginger tabby tom's eyes flicked to her stump of a tail to her gaze before he meowed "Nice to see you walking around Foxgaze".

Foxgaze was unable to reply with a skinny squirrel in her jaws. She set it down at her paws and replied " I like the sun on my fur". Orangetail nodded to Specklefrost who was talking to Darkclaw outside the warriors den "Your mother and I were worried about you. You've always been getting hurt, since you were a kit I remember".

She flinched as she thought of the scar on her neck "Yeah I know". Orangetail turned away, his cheery mew reminded Foxgaze that her father cared for her. Her happiness was dimmed as she remembered what had happened with Leafshade. I could get exiled just for loving somebody she thought darkly. Images of herself, humiliated and broken running away from camp with cats as screeching "Traitor!" behind her and Leafshade snarling "You mean nothing to me! I never loved you Foxgaze!" and herself dying, worthless and heartbroken by herself far from home. I won't let that happen Foxgaze told herself that will not be how I die.

Drama! I am really excited for the next chapter because this story is now starting to get good.

Maw ha ha- EvilKittypet