Falconstar's Hope

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Whiteleap walked back and forth. Squirrelflow and Mumbleheart were not back yet. Quietly he looked over to Stonepaw who was anxiously staring at the entrance of camp. Maybe I should tell Falconstar. No, they just need more time. He thought as he quietly got up to tell Falconstar.

"Whiteleap?" Stonepaw mewed

"Yes." He responded trying to keep the quakeness out of his voice, but failing

"Do you think that they will come back?"

"Yes."

"Are you positive?"

"N... Yes."

"That's not very convincing."

"I know."

Suddenly Falconstar came padding up. "What are you guys doing staring at the entrance for?"

At that moment Mumbleheart burst through the entrance. He was sobbing, but between sobs he managed to say, "Its Squirelflow! She fell while hunting and I don't know how to get her back!"

Racing Whiteleap got up and went to comfort his brother while Falconstar got Moonsong, Snowfall, Barknose, Jayflight, and Honeywind. Falconstar seemed to take forever to the others. That when Falconstar got back Stonepaw and Whiteleap insisted on going.

"Fine, lead the way Mumbleheart." Falconstar yeowled

"This way." Mumbleheart mewed and then raced off away from the forest part of the mountain.

Once they got there it was a mess. At the bottom of the cliff that Mumbleheart had lead them to was a pile of rocks with the orange-red cat laying on top of it with some boulders nearby and she was covered in rocks. Clearly Mumbleheart had not known the way down so without the help of Honeywind they would not have known the way down to the bottom of this secret cliff. Once they were down there Mumbleheart raced over and sobbed. Watching his brother bury his head in Squiralflow's fur was miserable. It was clear that Mumbleheart had loved Squirrelflow.

"Step aside Mumbleheart for a moment please." Jayflight's soft mew comforted yet commanded.

"Only if I have to." Mumbleheart quietly mewed.

Slowly Whiteleap walked up to his brother and even more slowly inched him away from Squirelflow. When Jayflight looked up he did not have to say anything his eyes were full of urgency and Mumbleheart and Barknose raced up and gently picked her up. Whiteleap kept an eye on the sky as they raced back to camp.

Right before they entered camp he stopped and quietly mewed to no one in particular, "This is my fault. I convinced them to go hunting together. I'm the one who should be blamed."

It seemed that no one heard so Whiteleap was about to leave when he heard Honeywind mew "Littlewind will miss you if you left and blamed yourself for Squirrelflow's accident."

Slowly he turned around to see the cream and gray tom walk away. Curiously Whiteleap slowly walked after him.

As he headed into the camp Littlewind bombarded him purring, "I thought that you would not return!" Then as if she did not realize that the whole clan was watching she blushed and got off him.

"Hey Littlewind." He whispered in her ear.

"What?" She asked exited

"Do you want to go hunting?"

Clearly she wanted to but after what had happened to Squirrelflow she was frightened and Whiteleap could see that.

"Not now." Littlewind sadly mewed

"Do you want to share a mouse?" he asked hoping that he would get a chance to ask the black and dark gray cat

"I would be more than happy to."

As they padded over to the prey pile. Whiteleap quietly stepped closer to Littlewind until their fur was brushing.

Once they were there he asked it "Littlewind, will you be my mate?"

"Yes." Littlewind slightly squealed.

He did not know what had happened. Just when Littlewind jumped on him purring he had fallen in love and would not want to be without her in his life.