Mintfeather's Secret

Chapter 13:

Mintpaw's blind eyes widened with shock.

"W-what do you mean?" He asked, startled.

"Mintpaw, do you like Thrushpaw?" Speckledfern mewed, his tone of voice serious. Mintpaw nervously shuffled his paws.

"O-of course! He's my friend!" He stuttered.

"I meant do you like him as more than a friend? Do you see him as a possible mate?" Speckledfern pressed. Mintpaw was starting to grow uncomfortable. How did Speckledfern know all of this?!

"Why?" He asked. Speckledfern sighed and turned away from his apprentice.

"Because it's forbidden. You understand that. You're a medicine cat. There's no room for love and mates for medicine cats." He mewed. Mintpaw felt his heart fall.

"Why not?" He asked again. Speckledfern shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand. It just can't happen." He mewed.

"H-how did you know all of this?" Mintpaw asked again, feeling tears come to his blind mint-green eyes.

"Because I know what it looks like when you're in love. I also know how it feels like to fall in love with someone and knowing that you never had a chance with them. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you Mintpaw. If you continue to fall for Thrushpaw, you'll only get hurt." He mewed. Mintpaw could feel a slight anger build up in his chest.

"You don't know that! You're just saying you know how I feel so that I'll believe you!" He hissed accusingly.

"I'm telling the truth. I loved her, but I had to choose my duty as a medicine cat over her. And now she has a mate and a kit and the only thing I can do is watch over him and make sure he doesn't end up like me." Speckledfern hissed. Mintpaw flinched and let all the pieces fall together.

"Y-you... you love Larkpool?" He mewed with shock. The older tom let out a deep, ragged sigh.

"I do. But it doesn't matter. We can't be together. I'm a medicine cat and she's a warrior. She has a mate and he can give her what she wants." He mewed. He glanced over at Mintpaw, who was frowning. "A family and kits." Speckledfern studied Mintpaw closer. "Do you think you can give that to Thrushpaw?" Mintpaw immediately burst out of the den in tears. He ran out of the camp, passing by the group of apprentices outside their den. Thrushpaw watched Mintpaw leave with wide emerald eyes before turning to look at the medicine den to see Speckledfern standing at the mouth of the den, staring after his apprentice. He spotted the guilt in the older tom's eyes and immediately stood to his paws. Darkpaw glanced at Thrushpaw before standing in front of him, blocking his way out of camp.

"Thrushpaw, no! You're too weak! Don't push yourself!" She mewed, her green eyes serious and filled with concern. Thrushpaw growled and lashed his tail.

"I don't care! Move out of the way!" He hissed before shoving past Darkpaw, wincing at the pain in his shoulder and limping as fast as he could out of camp in pursuit of Mintpaw. "MINTPAW!" He yowled, sniffing the air to try and see where the tom had gone. He didn't get far, hearing a slight sniffling sound nearby stopped him in his tracks. He pricked his ears up and went closer to the noise, spotting Mintpaw curled up in the hiding spot Thrushpaw found in the old tree. He could see the tears leaking from the small tom's eyes, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. "Mintpaw?" He called softly, limping closer. Mintpaw's head snapped up and he backed away until his back hit the tree.

"D-don't!" He stuttered. Hurt flashed through Thrushpaw's eyes, but he shook it away and kept limping closer.

"What's wrong?" The light brown tom asked. He was now standing in front of Mintpaw, so close that the grey tom could feel the warmth that radiated from the other tom. Mintpaw let out a whimper. He couldn't take it anymore. The small grey tom buried his head into Thrushpaw's chest and started crying. Thrushpaw nuzzled the top of his head affectionately, his warmth slightly soothing the medicine cat apprentice. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to, but I'll always be here for you, regardless of whatever happens." Thrushpaw murmured into his fur, and Mintpaw sniffled before nuzzling his head into the tom's fluffy chest. "Ok?"

"O-ok." Mintpaw mewed. "C-can you just-" he sniffled and paused uncertainly "-can y-you just stay here w-with me?" He whimpered. Thrushpaw purred and licked up one of the grey tom's tears.

"Of course." He mewed gently. Both toms stayed under that tree until sundown, not saying a word to each other, just huddled together as Mintpaw slowly drifted off to sleep. "Good night, Mintpaw." Thrushpaw murmured as the grey tom yawned and closed his eyes, letting sleep overcome him.

"Good night, Thrushpaw." He murmured before drifting off to sleep. I love you, he thought before everything turned black.