I sit outside the den, droopy eyes half closed, purring. The first warm days of new-leaf are finally here, something I'm eager to enjoy.I purr eagerly, stretching out in the bright sun. Slowly edging my way into some warm ferns, I'm stretching out across the leafy green plants when someone jumps on top of me.
"HELLO!"
I jump up, smashing into her face and we both stumble backwards. Dawnpaw, no longer as happy, stands over me, a bit of blood leaking from her nose. I smile at her, and laugh, "Dawnpaw, you silly cat. Don't scare me like that! What'd you want?"
"Well, I finally got healed from that battle... but NOW, my nose is beat up and I think I may have to get Volcanoheart to check this out." She smiles at me, flicking her tail back and forth.
I scoff at her, rolling my eyes as if she's being absolutely ridiculous, even though I can tell she's joking. She always flicks her tail like that when she's joking.
"You wouldn't do that." I say, "You wouldn't want to jeopardize your final break for freedom after being cooped up in the medicine den for half a moon."
"I've actually been very helpful. Nightsky and I have been laughing it up together in the medicine den."
My heart pangs with remorse and regret upon hearing the name. I haven't talked to her since she became the medicine cat apprentice, nor do I have any contact with her. One part of my mind instantly commands me to walk over there, to talk to my old friend, and the other wants me to see if I can use the old bond between the two of us to exploit some information on the prophecy weaving in and out of my mind.
Lately, that combined with my nightmare have provided me a lot to think about. Unfortunately, I have other things in my life besides fur-raising dreams and terrifying nightmares. I have to hunt, to train Dawnpaw, to think of ways to tell Firepool I love him.
I can't believe I still haven't told him my feelings. It's so pathetic, so stupid that I'm holding it back, yet still our conversations go like this-
"Hey, Icestorm, how are you?"
"Firepool, I want to tell you something..."
"Oh."
"The prey pile is empty."
This is usually followed up with me running the other way. Of course, I'm absolutely going to tell him today, unless it ends up like yesterday. Something will happen eventually, right? I can't just be stuck like this forever, this cycle of paranoia and fear.
I slink past Firepool as he comes by again.
Today's a decent day- and possibly the day- all the apprentices and their mentors are all going hunting together.
Cobrapaw, who looks nothing like his tortoiseshell siblings, looks around carefully, but Flintfang nudges him forwards, smiling. Firepool is with Foxpaw, but he's focusing on me. I smile, trying to look relaxed, but that just makes my heart race faster.
Dawnpaw, who gives me a satisfied look, says to the group, "Where do you want to go hunting?"
"I don't know, where do you want to go?" says Foxpaw, nudging his sister as the small brigade leaves camp.
"Anywhere, as long as it's not near FrostClan!" The group shares a good-natured laugh and Dawnpaw laughs along, but Cobrapaw is looking down at his paws sullenly.
"Cobrapaw, are you alright?" I say, but Flintfang butts me gently aside.
"I've got this." He whispers.
As we continue through the forest, the group gets quieter and quieter, scanning the forest for some kind of noise. Flintfang suddenly dashes out and jumps a tree, a chaffinch resting in his jaws.
After a good round or two of scouring the nearby forest, I've caught a squirrel, Firepool has a mouse, and Foxpaw and Dawnpaw have managed to catch one small, indistinguishable bird between the two of them. Cobrapaw is ignoring us all, looking off into the distance like something in the shadows is waiting for him.
I realize with a jolt that Firepool is brushing up against me. My racing heart pumps into a dead sprint, my eyes wide.
Flintfang is staring at me, a smile across his face.
I look back at him, chuckling silently.
He pulls up on my other side. "Sister dear, this is for your own good."
I barely have time to register what's going on before he whispers, "Oops!" and slams me into Firepool.
I knock him over, and we land in a heap of limbs and fur, and then I'm standing over him. "Do you have anything you'd like to say?" Flintfang says, right on time.
"Firepool... do you want... to be my mate?"
"I was going to ask you at the gathering in... greenleaf, I believe... but yes. I will be your mate." He gets up, brushing himself off, and then licks my ear. "I think that's a good haul. We should get back before the apprentices get any ideas."
My eyes tingling, my whole body buzzing like I swallowed a bee, I follow, dumbstruck. He said yes. He really, really said yes!
"Told you so." Flintpaw whispers, and then he's gone too.
I consider myself very lucky to have such a great brother.
Now hopefully, I can find someone to push him into.
