Mintfeather's Secret

Chapter 20:

"Mintfeather, I need you to bring back some thyme. We're running low." Speckledfern mewed. The light grey tom sighed and started padding out of the den. A moon had passed since Mintfeather had broken his friendship with Thrushwing, and now he was even more miserable than before. As he padded out of camp, he could hear a couple of voices nearby.

"What are you doing?!" His grey ears perked up when he heard Thrushwing's startled mew.

"I want to go with you!" Skypaw chirped.

"Skypaw, where's your mentor? Is Runningbreeze ok with this?" Darkriver's mew sounded.

"So what? I'm with a warrior, I can leave camp when I'm with one." Skypaw mewed indignantly. Thrushwing sighed.

"Skypaw, let's go back to camp." He mewed before padding back towards the camp. Mintfeather froze when the pawsteps came closer before slowing to a halt.

"Hey Mintfeather!" Darkriver's mew sounded in front of him. He ducked his head in greeting, the scent of Thrushwing flooding his nose and making his head dizzy and his heart ache. The pawsteps started up again and Thrushwing remained silent as he padded past Mintfeather, who closed his blind eyes and hung his head. As the pawsteps faded away, Mintfeather started to continue on his journey for more herbs, trying to ignore the pain he felt.

"This helped absolutely nothing. If anything, I think about him twice as much now." He muttered as he scented the familiar smell of thyme. Gently, he grabbed some of the precious herbs and started to head back with a wad of thyme in his jaws.

"Hey, Darkriver! Want to go hunting with me?" He stopped when he heard Antpelt's mew.

"No thanks! I'm hunting with Thrushwing." He heard the ginger tom growl.

"Why do you always hang out with him?!"

"Because unlike you, he's not a complete fox-heart!" Darkriver growled.

"What's going on?" Thrushwing's mew broke into the two warriors' fight.

"Nothing!" Darkriver mewed hastily. "Let's go."

"Ok?" Thrushwing muttered with confusion as he followed after the black and white warrior. Mintfeather ducked low to the ground, hoping something was in front of him so that the two warriors couldn't see him. "Antpelt's getting on your nerves again, isn't he?" Thrushwing mewed. Darkriver snorted.

"Yeah. How are things with Skypaw going?" She purred teasingly.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Thrushwing replied, shuddering. "I still find it creepy she has a crush on me. I don't even know why she likes me!" He mewed.

"Well that's simple. It's because you're such a wonderful tom." Darkriver answered thoughtfully. "You're intelligent, kind, strong, serious at times, and goofy at others, funny..." She trailed off and looked away from the light brown tom with embarrassment as he glanced at her. "I could list more but we should get back to hunting."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'm all that special to be honest." Thrushwing chuckled. Darkriver frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but let out a squeak of alarm as Thrushwing was suddenly tackled to the ground.

"THRUSHWING! You need to come see this!" Robinfeather mewed excitedly. Thrushwing got up and shook his head rapidly before glaring at his friend.

"What's gotten into you?!"

"The new kits! They've arrived!" Robinfeather mewed excitedly. "They're so cute! Come with me to look at them!" Thrushwing sighed and glanced at Darkriver.

"I guess I'll have to go back to camp now. I'll hunt with you later, ok?" He mewed before padding past the black and white she-cat, who frowned with disappointment. "So what're the kits' names?" Thrushwing asked Robinfeather.

"There's two. Mousekit and Nightkit." Robinfeather purred.

"I can't wait to see them then." Thrushwing chuckled. Mintfeather waited until they were far ahead of him before he sighed and started padding back to camp.

"I hate this." He grumbled to himself. He always felt like he had to hide or walk away when Thrushwing was around.

He just wanted things to go back to the way they used to be.