Jayfeather & Half Moon/Briarlight

1

  Jayfeather pawed the pile of herbs, his mind wandering far away from where he really was.

  Her familiar scent washed over him, brilliant emerald-green eyes blinking up at him, embedded in his memory forever. Jayfeather could almost see, almost sense her right beside him, sitting alongside him. Once before, he had fallen in love with this cat...

  "I will wait for you forever, Jay's Wing!"

  He could still remember it. Still remember her. Still remember everything...

  "Jayfeather? Are you alright?"

  The blind medicine cat snapped his head up, startled out of his thoughts. "Yes, I'm quite alright Briarlight," he snapped. Standing up, he stretched, trying to shake away the memory that made his heart ache with longing. "I would appreciate it if you didn't ask me that question every few seconds."

  He could feel Briarlight's sadness. Pity almost made him apologise - but he didn't. Jayfeather found the corner where he stored his catmint. He scooped a small pawful. "Sorry, Jayfeather. It's just that you've been so..." Her voice trailed off, and Jayfeather could tell that she was hesitating.

  "So?" He prompted, rather impatiently. He padded towards the entrance to the den, about to leave.

  Claws scraped against the bare ground. Briarlight's familiar scent wafted closer as she came to stand beside him. "So lost." She completed in a soft voice. Jayfeather blinked.

  Jay's Wing...

  "I am not lost, Briarlight. I'm here." Jayfeather said, walking out of the den with a false facade of his usual curtness on. Deep within, his heart accelerated faster at just the thought of Half Moon...

  Briarlight caught up beside him, breaking his thoughts once again. "Physically you are, but I was talking about... mentally," Briarlight replied back in a cheerful manner, unperturbed by his curt attitude towards her. "Who are you taking the catmint to?" She asked after he didn't say anything.

  "Millie. Her bad cough is starting to worry me. It may be greencough."

  Briarlight kept quiet after that. Worry for her mother, probably. Jayfeather moved his head so that his sightless eyes seemed to be looking at her. Briarlight playfully flicked her paw over his ear. "What are you looking at?"

  "Nothing. Just that you seem much nosier than before." Jayfeather could almost purr, imagining the offended look on her gentle but somewhat pretty face.

  Briarlight pushed him. "You're a horrible cat."

  "You do know that what I said could be in a literal way?"

  Briarlight stopped walking. "What are you trying to get at?"

  "I'm trying to get at don't go nosing about in my business." Jayfeather replied, then continued walking to the elders den with his head held high. "And also about how you look." Briarlight muttered something behind him, then caught up with him again.

  "You can't shake me off, you know. I'm going to be stuck in the medicine den for seasons to come."

  Jayfeather rolled his eyes. "And how I dread tha-"

  "What are you two squabbling about?" Millie's calm voice broke Jayfeather's reply. He spun his head to face where he sensed Millie was standing.

  Jayfeather nodded to Millie in greeting. "I'm here to check on your cough." He could tell Millie was looking at the catmint in his paw in resentment.