West Woods: Sliverstone's Destiny

7 -- I'm Okay

The clan was speechless as Bramblestar stormed away into his den. Sliverstone was relieved the attention was finally off her, but she felt pity for her cream-colored friend. She was glad Nightwhisper had become a warrior, but she felt like they left Breezepaw behind.

"Breezepaw?" Sliverstone started.

Breezepaw held a smile though her amber eyes were filled with sadness and regret. "I'm okay, don't worry." She laughs awkwardly. "I'll be an apprentice forever! No warrior duties for me, ho no!" Her eyes began to tear up and her smile began to fade.

"Breezepaw..." Sliverstone began again, but was cut short as Breezepaw rushed past her with a sniffle.

Nightwhisper rested her head on the silver warrior's shoulder. "Why is Bramblestar so hard on her?"

Sliverstone felt a hole in her heart. She felt like she had cheated; she had lied her way to be a warrior. She tried to reply with a flat voice, but she couldn't help but spit out the words regretfully, "She's lesbian."

Nightwhisper lifted her head to look into her friend's eyes, but Sliverstone didn't want to look at her. I shouldn't love her. If Bramblestar had known, I wouldn't be a warrior. I'd be stuck an apprentice like Breezepaw... The new warrior felt a knot in her throat, and felt her eyes begin to water.

Slowly, trying to sound casual, Sliverstone excused herself, "I have to talk to Milkywillow. See you later, Nightwhisper." Head down, the she-cat padded slowly to the warriors' den where the medicine cat would be found.

Peeking her head into the den, Sliverstone asked Milkywillow to talk by the deserted herbal grounds. She agreed mainly because of the need to refill low herb storage.

"The ceremony was odd. Since when has a leader refused to make such a worthy apprentice a warrior?" The new warrior started.

Focused on an herbal shrub, the medicine cat replied slowly, "A long time, sweetie."

Sliverstone tilted her head in confusion. "When? BrambleClan isn't that old."

"When I wasn't in the clan yet."

"You're from ThunderClan?" Sliverstone asked in awe and wonder.

"You understand now?" Milkywillow muffled through a bundle of herbs she stashed in her mouth.

"What?"

"Good!"

"I feel like you're not listening," Sliverstone meowed sternly. The medicine cat paused her herbalism and glanced at her, dumbfounded.

Milkywillow sighed heavily, "Oh, I'm sorry, dearie. BrambleClan was built upon anarchy, and sometimes, not even the medicine cat can understand what's going on in her leader's head."

Thinking about her isolation from her family in order to help apprentice Nightpaw and Breezepaw learn, Sliverstone sighed in the stress of it all. No other warrior had worked like I did, yet Bramblestar didn't hear me through when I stated I wanted all the apprentices to have a ceremony. "Sometimes I feel I don't belong here."

"What do you mean?" Milkywillow asked.

"I believe in fairness, equality." Nightwhisper came to mind, but Sliverstone rid of it angrily.

Milkywillow lowered her voice to a soft, seriousness, "So you're going to... leave?"

Sliverstone shrugged, thinking of her family and best friends. "I'm not sure."

"Don't," the medicine cat said firmly. "You're a very special cat. You just don't know it yet."

The silver warrior puffed deep in thought. "Very well."