Cherrystorm's Choice

Cherrystorm's Choice: Chapter Four

Tomorrow comes quickly and I find myself restless, shuffling my paws, as I wait for twilight. Rushtail is way beyond my wildest dreams, he’s amazing. Yet we’re from different Clans. How can something so wrong feel so right?

          “Cherrystorm, are you okay?” Molepelt, my brother, asks as he emerges from the warriors’ den. He must have been napping because sunhigh is turning into evening. I turn on my heels to find myself face-to-face with him. He’s a brown tabby, unlike my tortoiseshell patterns, but we share a pair of green eyes.

          My heart speeds up. What if he knows? Then I scold myself for thinking this way. Of course he doesn’t know. It’s only been a night, for StarClan’s sake!

          “You don’t look too good,” he mews. He examines me closely and do I imagine it? Or is there really a flash of suspicion in his gaze? His tail flicks my shoulder and I sigh raggedly. “Cherrystorm, I think you’re sick,” he informs me. “Maybe you should go see Jayfeather. Tonight’s half-moon, so you’d better go quickly, unless you want to miss them. He told me he’s naming Amberpaw.”

          “Nah, I’m fine.” Then I purr. “Amberpaw deserves it, she’s worked quite hard. Aren’t Snowpaw and Dewpaw due to become warriors soon?”

          I glance at the sky. Night is beginning to fall. The sun is setting.

          “I think Squirrelflight and Whitewing have coordinated their final assessments for quarter-moon,” he replies. “Wow, is StarClan out already? I just woke up!”

          “You’re the latest sleeper ever,” I tease.

          He yawns. “You coming?” Again, he studies me, concerned. “You’ve had a long day.”

          It’s obvious that Molepelt expects me to follow him, and he’d be stupid to not be just a teensy bit alarmed if I don’t. So my blood begins to pound as I wildly invent, “Sorry, I’m on the moonhigh patrol.”

          Squirrelflight passes me. “No you’re not.”

          Oh, fox dung! What do I do now? Because they’re both staring quizzically at me like a strange bit of prey. “Uhm, yeah, I’ll go see Jayfeather,” I mumble. Molepelt narrows his eyes. “Bye.”

          As I walk away, I hear Molepelt ask Squirrelflight, “Is she alright?”

I am unable to tear my gaze away from the stars the instant they show their shining faces. I simply sit, in an almost entranced state, while time slowly draws closer to twilight.

          As soon as the moon completely clears the horizon, I jump up and tell the newly-appointed deputy, Mosspelt, that I am going for a late-night hunt. She says yes, I can go, and my paws carry me across the camp and into the reed beds, tingling happily.

          I swim over, unwilling to leave my scent on WindClan territory, and slip out onto a stretch of sand. It clings to my furry feet and lodges in between my claws. However, the discomfort it brings vanishes as I reach the middle and see Cherrystorm’s calico pelt glowing in the slight moonlight.

          “You came.” She sounds relieved.

          I answer, “Did you think I would not?”

          “Maybe.” Cherrystorm shuffles her paws. “I almost didn’t get away.”

          “How come?” I inquire.

          She shrugs. “My brother told me to go visit Jayfeather because I looked ill. Then I told him I was on the moonhigh patrol, then Squirrelflight came and said I wasn’t. So kind of an awkward situation…”

          She looks at me. “It’s chilly.”

          “Yeah,” I agree. “Do you swim?”

          The expression on her face is a mixture of outrage and disgust. “Of course not! I’d drown, you mouse-brain!” She ends with an angry sort of purr. “And it’s so slimy!”

          I lead her down to the shoreline and show her a basic paddle. She catches on quickly and by midnight swims as gracefully as any RiverClan cat. Her only complaint is how cold the water is, and I tell her to get out. It’s late, and if we stay out here in full view, WindClan’s moonhigh patrol will see us.

          She’s shivering from the swim. I curl myself around her and we twine our tails together. I breathe in her sweet scent and fall deeply asleep.