Jayfeather & Half Moon/Briarlight

9

  The days accompanying that came as a pleasant blur. Briarlight got to know more of Jayfeather as he opened up a soft side she never knew he had. She listened patiently to all his troubles, but also knew he was hiding something.

The sun shone bright, warming Briarlight's pelt as she lazed in the camp, watching Ivypool scold Twigpaw for what sounded like not following her orders. Twigpaw shuffled her paws and dipped her head in shame.

Briarlight switched her gaze to the elders den where Graystripe sat outside, staring into the distance like he was recalling back a memory. He blinked and sighed sadly, then returned back into the warm darkness of the den.

Her gaze lingered on the camp's entrance, waiting eagerly for Jayfeather's return from checking on his catmints. Her heart thudded fast as she heard footsteps outside, but when Larksong's black muzzle appeared, she lay back in disappointment again. She didn't know why she was so disappointed. Maybe it was because Jayfeather had turned out to be something like her best friend - and a good listener. He never judged her.

Briarlight dragged herself to her paws. Stemkit, Eaglekit, and Plumkit came tumbling towards her. Blossomfall purred from the nursery entrance. "Don't disturb Briarlight, young ones."

Briarlight shook her head. "No, it's alright Blossomfall. I enjoy their company." She bent her head, greeting each of them with a friendly lick. "Where's Shellkit?"

The kits shrugged. Plumkit's small voice spoke up, "She's been vomiting recently. I think she's still in the den."

This caused Briarlight some concern, but she recalled Jayfeather saying that everything was under control just this morning. She nodded understandingly down at the kits.

Eaglekit cocked her head, thinking. "I know what to play! Let's play attack! WindClan will attack ThunderClan. Stemkit, you'll be WindClan. Plumkit and I will be ThunderClan!"

Stemkit's ears drooped down sadly. "I don't want to be WindClan!"

Briarlight purred. Her claws scraped a ball of moss up and she threw it right in the middle of the squabbling kits. "Let's play catch. I'll throw it as high or far as I can. The first one who gets to it is the winner."

The kits bounced excitedly around her, waiting for her throw. Briarlight's eyes caught a small flicker of movement to her side. As she threw the moss up, a grey paw flicked it, and it soared upwards. The three kits ran off happily.

Briarlight turned to Jayfeather. "What do you want to do now?"

"Playing with the kits sounds fun."

Jayfeather could sense Briarlight's faint shock. Jayfeather... he didn't seem to be the type to play with kits. At all.

Briarlight scooped up the ball of moss the kits had rolled back towards her. She flung it upwards and once again Jayfeather shot it across the camp. The kits squealed and tumbled over each other to reach it first.

Jayfeather sat down next to Briarlight, fur brushing hers.

"I didn't know you liked playing with kits." Briarlight joked, purring.

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. Amusement made his blue eyes dance. He leaned closer to her and playfully flicked his tail over her ear. "I didn't know, either."

"What made you change?" Briarlight asked, her eyes following the playful kits' movements as they chased after the ball.

Jayfeather paused, and with one glance Briarlight saw the vulnerable Jayfeather again. The one who had many scars behind his rude, angry facade. The one who Briarlight begin to like...

She shook her head. What was she even thinking?

He stretched. "I don't know."

"Is it a certain someone?"

His eyes blinked and his head turned to face her sharply. "What?"

"Is it that she-cat?" Briarlight purred, meaning it as a friendly tease, but Jayfeather's hackles rose up in defense. A flicker of hurt and anger flashed through his eyes as he straightened. He gritted his teeth.

Turning around, he walked away rather stiffly.

Briarlight immediately knew she had touched a sensitive subject. Curiosity gnawed at her. Something had happened between them... but what? She tried taking her mind off his strange behaviour - or that she-cat. Jealousy rose in her in a hazy wave.

"Briarlight?" Eaglekit mewed, pawing the older she-cat's paw impatiently to catch her attention.

Briarlight turned to face the kits again, snagging the ball of moss with her claw, but for some reason the rest of the time that she played with the kits seemed empty without Jayfeather sitting beside her.