Squirrelflight & Brambleclaw

Squirrelflight

             The moment she heard him speak, she felt like running away, tail tucked in between her legs, from his voice, his words, him. With all her might, she forced herself to stay, and talk- normally, "Hi Bramblestar." Silence was the only thing between them, other than the sound of droplets falling all around them, as well as on them. At this awkwardness, Bramblestar cleared his throat, it was probably the best thing to do to clear the agonizing tension and silence that stretched taut between them. "I uh.....I went after you," said Bramblestar in his most authoritative voice, or at least tried to, at this point. "Tell me something I don't know," Squirrelflight drawled. She knew she was crossing a dangerous line here, talking to her leader that way, but some angry, hurt part of her made her want to shame him, to destroy him just as he had destroyed her earlier. She saw a glimmer in his eyes, and knew that he was trying to hold back his own retort. He'd better, he had already said enough. She didn't need anymore.

           "We are going to find a way out of this, don't worry," she heard him say. She lifted her head to look at him in the eye, "I can find a way out here on my own. I don't need you to help me. In fact, why did you leave the clan? Now they are missing a deputy AND a leader!" Her voice was cold as she spat the first few words out but then it rose into a shriek of panic. She just realized that her clan was left without a leader and a deputy! What was going to happen? "Calm down Squirrelflight, we're going to get out of here soon. We just have to think," Bramblestar spoke calmly. His calmness unnerved her. He moved a step closer to her, and she moved a step back away from him, "Don't come any closer. As I said, I am fine here on my own." She thought she had caught a flash of hurt in his eyes before it disappeared, replaced by eyes as hard and cold as the ice on the frozen lake during winter. 

            "Fine, if you want it to be that way. But don't forget, you can't avoid me forever, you are still clan deputy and I am still your leader. No matter what, we are bound by duty to our clan," Bramblestar said through clenched teeth. Squirrelflight unsheathed her claws, how dare he questioned her loyalty to her duty and to her clan! But she knew he saw through her, saw through her words for what she meant it to be. She didn't want him around, didn't need him to be around. She turned her back on him, before throwing back a glance at him, her green eyes catching his amber ones, "You needn't worry. I will always serve my clan wholeheartedly, with or without you," she purred. She saw him stiffen, his fur bristling before she turned back to walk away from him. She was going to find a way out. 

               But just as she was walking out of this cavern, she heard a hiss of pain and stopped. It had come from Bramblestar. Curious, she turned and saw him limping away towards a boulder of rocks and her eyes widened in horror as she saw the blood trailing behind him when lightning flashed overhead, lighting the whole cavern in a ghostly silver hue. Debating whether or not to pretend she didn't hear anything or go to him, she shook her wet fur. She could get help once she found the way out but who knows whether he'll be infected by then or not. She had learnt a few medicine cat skills once from Leafpool, it could be helpful to him in this case. After all, he was still her leader. Sighing, she padded over to where he laid, feigning indifference, "are you hurt?" 

               Bramblestar looked up at her and looked genuinely surprised. Since Squirrelflight knew that he was struggling for words to say, she decided to save both of them the time and trouble. "Your paw," she murmured, her eyes glancing over to where blood was spilling out. "It......It's just a small cut," he muttered and pulled it close to him. He then looked up at her, "What do you want?" Taken aback, and very hurt, Squirrelflight curled her lip, "I don't know. Maybe I had decided to have a change of heart and not leave you lying here all alone with a bleeding cut that could be infected. But it seems like you deserve to be left all alone." Bramblestar replied, "I don't need you." Sparks of anger cracked between them and thunder boomed overhead. After glaring at each other for a few more minutes, Squirrelfight turned tail and made to walk away. She heard a hiss of anger and then, "Squirrelflight, stop. It's quite deep." It was as close to a plea of help she would get from him but she went back anyway. And as she turned, she had to remind herself it was because she was her deputy and he was her leader, and that was all that was left of their relationship.