Diverging Paths (Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Chapter 32

Generally, Highwings' day after the Gathering had been different than others.

They said she had been acting..."off." While most were resting and recovering from staying up almost an entire night, she was antsy and jumpy, rarely staying in one place. However, even with this energy, she refused patrols whenever she could, citing some halfhearted reason that neither she nor the cat she was talking to believed. Everyone knew this was nothing like the real her. It was the complete opposite of her cold, patrol-loving personality.

Highwings paced the entrance. Far away, Moorsprint lay near the nursery, eyeing her uncomfortably. Juniperkit slept peacefully on her outstretched leg, while Jumbledworld and Deerspots sat close by. Lilacbloom would have been with them if she had not been pulled away on border patrol.

The three friends had originally been chattering about what went down at the emergency Gathering, but when the black-and-white warrior had begun pacing back and forth nonstop from afar, it had been so attention-drawing that their old conversation had faded into the mist.

"You think we should talk to her?" Moorsprint mewed uneasily, her amber eyes following Highwings' movements.

Jumbledworld gazed at Moorsprint, then at Highwings, not providing an answer. Deerspots was the one to speak up. "Honestly, I think it'd be too awkward."

"What's awkward about it?" Jumbledworld inquired to her brother.

The ginger, white-spotted tom shrugged. "She's not exactly great with words, if you get me."

Moorsprint narrowed her eyes at him. "We get you," she grunted, almost seeming to mock his choice of words, "but she still seems kind of off. I'm worried about her."

"Well, hey, I'm not stopping you from talking to her," Deerspots challenged her.

Moorsprint looked at him, then averted her eyes back to Archpounce, who happily played with her two other kits in the nursery. They had made an agreement that Moorsprint could look over Juniperkit if she wanted to, but always had to give him back to Archpounce otherwise. She was unsure if Archpounce would let her give Juniperkit to Deerspots and Jumbledworld, even if it was only for a while. And she did not want to risk anything, either; every time the blind kit was in the queen's care, she acted incredibly cruel and hostile to him. She never wanted to leave him with his mother longer than was necessary.

"Ugh. I can't. You know I have to look after Juniperkit," she told him, eyeing the sleepy silver, white-spotted kit.

Deerspots shrugged, then sighed. "You know, she wouldn't be like this if she got a mate."

Moorsprint blinked up at him, and even Jumbledworld raised an eyebrow at her brother. "Huh?" Moorsprint voiced.

"Just saying, a mate would be good for Highwings," Deerspots huffed. "He would keep her occupied, he would comfort her about whatever is bothering her right now...I don't know what's wrong with her, honestly, the way she's always rejecting it."

Moorsprint was taken aback and disgusted by the comments, but Jumbledworld took it a different way. "Are you saying you're into her?" his sister asked, a small smile forming on her face.

"What? No!" He stuck out his tongue. "I'm just saying, Bounceback is into her. She could take him as a mate and have kits and actually be happy for once. But she never does. Kind of frustrating to watch, really."

Jumbledworld shrugged and licked her paw a few times. "Hmm-hmm. Well, you know it's often a phase. She'll grow out of it at one point. Just give her time."

"She's been given moons. She's taking a while," Deerspots complained with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey, maybe you should shut up," Moorsprint snapped, making the two wheel their heads down to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Who said she had to take a mate?"