Hostile

18

"He finally told you?" Mosspool all but yelled.

It was half-past sunhigh and the sky was a clear, crisp blue. Frostcloud and Mosspool had trekked towards Sun Stones and, currently, basked in the heat. The smaller warrior had practically begged her friend to come out with her- she had to tell someone about Buckheart.

Surprised, Frostcloud shook her head, "You knew?"

"Well, not till recently." Mosspool confessed, "Do you remember that day you asked if I could go hunting with you two? He asked me not to come with just before you asked me to go- he wanted to tell you that day but the moment never came up."

There was a pause, and Mosspool went on, "What did you say when he told you?"

"Er- I didn't know what to say." Frostcloud groaned. Guilt made her ears hot as she relived the moment, "I've never thought about having a mate before. I just told him he's a great tom and can find a she-cat good for him. Then when the Gathering finished I walked back to camp with Doeface."

Frostcloud paused. She had thought about having mate before... with Smudge. She still missed him, but the best thing she could do was pretend like he didn't exist.

"Ouch." Mosspool murmured.

"How did you know you had feelings for Slatethorn?" Frostcloud asked.

Mosspool sighed and rolled onto her back, then kneading the sky softly she said, "You just know, Frostcloud. I knew I loved spending time with him, I knew he was handsome, I admire him..."

Frostcloud shifted the weight on her feet awkwardly. Of course she loved spending time with Buckheart, of course she admired him. And a cat would need to be blind to not see how handsome Buckheart was but... where was his passion? Smudge lived his life with an intense spirit Frostcloud could never detect in Buckheart.

Maybe she just hadn't been paying enough attention. Frostcloud collapsed to her side and groaned loudly. "What do I do, Mosspool?"

"You'll know." The fluffier she-cat purred lightly.