Diverging Paths (Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Chapter 27

"Please, Scatterstar, you must understand," Highwings begged.

The leader flicked her tail, clearly annoyed. Her furrowed yellow gaze frowned at Highwings. "I may have pardoned you, but that does not mean I'm willing to pardon others."

Highwings stepped a tad closer to her, making Scatterstar take a step back. "It's not pardoning," Highwings insisted. "Sprintquick and Moorpaw just want to go for a walk. They won't do any funny business, and if they do, then slice a claw through me."

"That won't be necessary," Scatterstar told her quickly with a flinch; she then composed herself and mewed forcefully, "Because my answer is no."

"Scatterstar, don't you understand what it's like to be in love?" Highwings pressed her.

The leader blinked her yellow eyes, breaking her eye contact with Highwings and surveying the rest of the camp briefly from where they sat in front of the leader's den. Highwings took this as an invitation to look at the Clan herself, and observe what was happening in camp. Not necessarily because she wanted to, but because it seemed the leader did.

Murmuringsoil was yelling at Deepeyes because he admitted to falling asleep on night watch several times. Spotkit and Mumblekit were chattering excitedly near the fresh-kill pile about their apprentice ceremony in half a moon, and how they were going to double the pile's size all by themselves. Tickkit and Humblekit, both now two moons old, were taking ten-day-old Tweetkit and Maykit out while Archpounce and Popbubble watched; Giovannikit and Juniperkit were both absent, likely in the nursery. Sunroar was having an argument with Bigpaw and Slicepaw. Trenchfall was crying, Nimblereach by his side, trying to comfort him, but seeming on the verge of tears himself. Nimblereach was helping Doublepelt take his first few soft steps out of the medicine den, with massive support, and with herbal bandages tightly bound around his torso.

"I did once," Scatterstar breathed, shifting her eyes back over to gaze at Highwings, prompting the warrior to meet her eyes too. "I may be alone now, but I still understand."

A small bit of pity sparked in Highwings' chest when she remembered how lonely the leader was. All of her siblings dead, and so too her parents, and mentor. One of her two apprentices dead, too. As leader, she had been able to outlive them all. That was probably one of the things Highwings most dreaded about becoming leader, even if it was her dream. She sighed, "Then surely you'll understand when I tell you they're in love and they want to have some time for each other."

Scatterstar let go of a hefty sigh, and instead of replying, she just examined Highwings for a while, with her eyes drifting up and down. There was no word for a time as the leader scanned Highwings with her yellow eyes, making the younger she-cat bristle uncomfortably. Why is she staring at me like that? At first she didn't say anything, out of hope that Scatterstar would continue, but as time dragged on, she couldn't help herself. "Is...Is there something wrong?" Highwings asked.

Scatterstar's eyes widened momentarily as though she had been caught breaking the code or something. She settled and told her, "No, not at all. And I see your point. I'll let them go out of camp alone, but they must return before sunset. I'm not willing to allow them to frolic out there all day."

Highwings was somewhat surprised that Scatterstar caved like this, but she wasn't about to object to it. "Thanks," she murmured. "I'll let them know. Thank you so much, Scatterstar."

"Don't mention it," the black she-cat responded in an unusually soft voice, as Highwings stood up and padded away. The warrior's fur rippled nervously, as she wondered what Scatterstar's issue was with her. Please tell me she stares at every cat like that. I don't want to be special to her. Special is too much work.