Exile [A Warrior Cats AU fanfiction]

[11] Harespring

Apologies for another short chapter after a month of not updating! I've had a lot of work from schools since two weeks ago! But still, thank you so much for the support of this story!

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"Are you alright?" Harespring asked his clanmate.

Breezepelt had a faraway look in his yellow eyes, blood was still running down his ear from when Ivypool fought back.

"Yeah... Meeting Feathertail was just... weird."

"Breezepelt still looks off." Furzepelt flicked her tail.

"Definetely!" Mousewhisker nodded as he walked beside the grey and white she-cat.

Harespring gazed curiously at the Furzepelt. She and Mousewhisker seemed to be chatting more...

No. I shouldn't be sticking my nose in other cat's businesses.

He instead focused on the black tom who was walking beside him.

"She definitely wasn't a StarClan cat." The wiry tom continued. "With eagle wings like that, I reckon she came from the mountains."

"Did you hear about her before?" The white and brown tom asked.

"My father mentioned her a few times, she died saving him and he named himself after her," Breezepelt answered. "I've met and talked with Stormfur when Crowfeather took me to the mountains, he susp-, knew that they were more than friends. And Crowfeather talks in his sleep, I wish he talked about me and Nightcloud as fondly as he spoke of Feathertail and Nightcloud." His voice softened

There was an uncomfortable silence as the two sped up to avoid the gossiping of Furzepelt and Mousewhisker.

"Why... Why did you train to the Dark Forest?" The blue-eyed tom inquired.

"You first." The tom countered, by the look on Breezepelt's face, the black tom had put the invisible walls back up.

"It's simple. I wanted power and influence, Tigerstar offered it and I took it. My family weren't close to me, I didn't even know which tom was my father!" Harespring explained. "You?"

"Everything was falling apart. I needed an escape." He replied

"Was it the relationship between your parents? Or Heathertail? I know you loved her very much."

"Yes. All Nightcloud wanted was kits and Crowfeather... well he wanted either Leafpool or Feathertail." Breezepelt then hissed under his breath. "I thought Heathertail loved me but then Lionblaze came along!"

Harespring listened to the tom's angry rant and nodded when he finished. "Maybe Feathertail could give you closure?"

"Yeah, I'll ask if she appears again. I doubt it though. It's just a feeling though."

"I know we have different views on things but can we be friends again?.. Like when we were apprentices before the Dark Forest ruined everything?" Harespring asked.

"Alright." Breezepelt nodded. "I may as well be more friendly to everyone now that I'm travelling with them."

"You won't like this but you should try talking to Ivypool, you two seem to have a lot in common even though you might not want to believe it. You should apologise to her too."

Breezeelt looked outraged for a second before dipping his head. "Yeah... I'll head over now."

The two of them slowed down as everyone else caught up. Harespring slipped beside Furzepelt.

The grey and white she-cat looked embarrassed and ashamed but was blushing as she glanced over at Mousewhisker who was discussing something with Icewing. The ex-ThunderClan tom's face was serious for once but gazed back at her with the same warmth as the greenleaf sun.

"You've been up to anything?" Harespring asked her.

"Just walking... and talking with Mousewhisker." The grey and white cat looked worried.

"You look anxious... Are you okay?" He asked.

"It's just... "I'm still instinctively following the warrior code." She tried to explain. "It feels wrong talking to him like that, with that warmth.."

"It's okay." Harespring reassured her. "We're one small clan now, and anyway, most of us have probably broken the warrior code. Like trespassing on another cat's territory. It will take us a while to get used to it."

"Do you still think of Heathertail." Furzepelt blurted out.

Harespring sighed. Furzepelt had always been the one to stare and gossip. She must of noticed his longing looks towards the brown tabby she-cat while she was an apprentice.

"Nope. That was before the Dark Forest. Ever since I've not been really interested in mates, I'd rather be a good lea-... loving cat to everyone."

Furzepelt immediately looked suspicious and Harespring stared at her blankly.

Why did I say that?

"Look, Harespring, I appreciate your advice about Mousewhisker. I'll talk to him now." The blue-green eyed she-cat tried to sound cheerful but there was an uncomfortable atmosphere between them..

Harespring looked at his paws as Furzepelt bounded to catch up with Mousewhisker who was struggling to hide his happiness of seeing her, Icewing gave the two cats a smug look

The brown and white warrior instead watched Breezepelt and Ivypool. Both were in a civil discussion, but now and again lashing their tails in anger but weren't trying to kill each other.

Hello Harespring!

The tom stiffened up, almost stopping in his tracks. He could hear another voice too, this time much deeper and imitating

We have great plans for you and the exiled.