Cinderheart and Hollyleaf both went on an evening stroll in the forest. Cinderheart felt very free now ever since she got to leave the medicine cat den. I really don't get why Leafpool was so worried about me. Cinderheart thought. She then scented a mouse; she quietly padded to it, leaving her friend in the distance. Just when she was going to pounce on the little creature, a pair of black paws landed in front of her. "Hollyleaf, you scared away my dinner!" Cinderheart spat.
"Hah," Hollyleaf awkwardly mewed, "sorry," she apologized.
Cinderheart smiled. "It's fine," Cinderheart mewed. Then she looked at the lake. "We're closer to the lake than I imagined," Cinderheart mewed, mainly to herself. "I'm thinking about going for a swim," Cinderheart mewed to Hollyleaf. "Wanna join?" she asked.
Hollyleaf shook her head very fast. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "The water me be freezing at this time of night," Hollyleaf mewed. "It's probably best if you don't go swimming either," Hollyleaf suggested. "You'll get greencough and will have to be cooped up in the medicine cat den again," Hollyleaf mewed.
Cinderheart shrugged. "I don't know," Cinderheart mewed, looking at the water. "I really want to go swimming," Cinderheart mewed.
"Well," Hollyleaf mewed, "ok, just be careful, alright?" Hollyleaf fretted. "I don't want my friend to get sick again," Hollyleaf mewed, rubbing Cinderheart's shoulder with her head.
"You're sounding like my mother everyday Hollyleaf," Cinderheart mewed. "Of course I'll be fine, but are you going to stay with me?" Cinderheart asked.
"Jaypaw did say did say that he needed help collecting herbs with Leafpool," Hollyleaf mewed, "but, I guess he wouldn't mind if I was a little late," she mewed.
"Ok!" Cinderheart mewed, running to the lake. "I bet I could beat you to the lake!" she yelled.
"Hey," Hollyleaf playfully mewed. "No fair! You got a head start!" Hollyleaf mewed, pelting her way to where Cinderheart was at.
"You can't catch me-" Cinderheart stopped dead in her tracks. Her mate, Lionblaze, was standing right in front of her.
"Hello love," he mewed, nuzzling her with his muzzle. "What took you so long?" he asked.
"W-what do you mean?" Cinderheart mewed.
"Remember you wanted to go for an evening stroll around the lake?" Lionblaze asked.
Cinderheart then remembered that a couple of days before she had promised Lionblaze that they could go for a walk around the lake. Oh great StarClan! Cinderheart thought. I can't ditch Lionblaze for Hollyleaf! Cinderheart fretted. "Nor can I ditch Hollyleaf for Lionblaze," Cinderheart mumbled.
"Did you say something?" Lionblaze asked. Cinderheart quickly shook her head. Then she heard a noise from the bushes.
"Hollyleaf," Cinderheart fretted.
"Wha-?" the golden tom mewed, before being dragged by his scruff to a further bush. Lionblaze's pelt then ruffled with annoyance. "Cinderheart?" he asked. "What's going on?" he growled.
"Uh…I…" Cinderheart mewed, trying to think of a thing to say. "I needed to make dirt," she mewed.
Lionblaze blinked in confusion. "Then why did you take me with you?" he asked.
"Umm…" Cinderheart mewed, and then she got any idea. "Well, I just got out of the medicine cat den, ya know," she stated. "We don't want any predators getting me now do we?" she asked.
"Well," Lionblaze mewed, "no."
"Then let me do my business and you guard me, ok?" she asked.
"Ok?" he mewed, slowly. Cinderheart nodded, and then went in the bush a little more, so that Lionblaze didn't see her. Once she knew she was out of eye sight, she padded very quietly to the forest. She saw Hollyleaf already there at the lake. Cinderheart prayed to StarClan that Hollyleaf wouldn't call out Cinderheart's name, thankfully she didn't. Cinderheart then padded over to Hollyleaf.
"Cinderheart!" the tall black she-cat exclaimed. "Where were you?" she asked.
"I was…making dirt!" Cinderheart mewed, smiling. Hollyleaf had a confused look, but nodded anyway. "I'm going to swim, ok?" Cinderheart asked
"Sure," Hollyleaf mewed, still a little confused. Cinderheart just nodded, and then went into the water.
The water felt good underneath Cinderheart's paws.
"So, what do you wanna talk about?" Hollyleaf asked.
"Umm," Cinderheart mewed, thinking of something. "How about toms?" she asked.
Hollyleaf nodded. "Good, because I have some news on Spiderleg and Daisy," she mewed. Cinderheart could tell Hollyleaf had inpatient twitch in her tail.
"What?" the gray tabby she-cat asked.
"I think Spiderleg is breaking up with Daisy!" Hollyleaf exclaimed.
Cinderheart gapped. "He has two kits!" she mewed. "Why in StarClan's name would a mate do that?" she asked.
Hollyleaf shrugged. "I don't know," she murmured. "Toadkit and Rosekit will not be happy," she mewed.
"When did you hear about this?" Cinderheart asked.
"I overheard him and Birchfall talking about it," Hollyleaf murmured.
Cinderheart shuddered. She could never imagine her and Lionblaze ever breaking up.
"Horrible, isn't it?" Hollyleaf mewed. Cinderheart nodded. "That's why I'll never ever get a mate!" Hollyleaf mewed.
"Never?" the gray tabby she-cat mewed. She couldn't believe a cat wouldn't have a mate either.
"Never ever," Hollyleaf repeated. "I also hope Lionblaze won't get a mate too," Hollyleaf mewed. Cinderheart gapped. Hollyleaf cocked her head. "Everything ok?" the black she-cat asked.
"Uh…" Cinderheart then straighten herself. "I'm fine," she lied, "but why don't you want your brother to have a mate?" Cinderheart asked.
"It's because…" Hollyleaf started, but Cinderheart froze. She saw Lionblaze walking out of the bush she dragged him in.
"Hollyleaf!" the gray tabby she-cat whispered loudly.
"What?" Hollyleaf whispered back.
"I think I found a fish!" Cinderheart mewed, pretending to find a fish in the water.
"Really?" the black she-cat questioned. Cinderheart nodded.
"Can you help your friend, please?" Cinderheart fake pleaded.
"But I don't like the-" Hollyleaf started to say, but Cinderheart grabbed Hollyleaf with her mouth, and put Hollyleaf in the water, underneath her. Lionblaze then finally came over.
"Cinderheart?" the golden tabby tom asked. "I thought you were making dirt," he mewed. Cinderheart opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it. "Why are you in the water, and what's underneath you?" he asked.
"Well, today I was helping Leafpool with the elders, and I got mouse bile on my paws, so I came here to wash them," Cinderheart mewed, struggling to keep Hollyleaf down. "I also think I caught a fish," she mewed.
"Really?" the tom asked. "Where?" he asked, looking in the water.
"No!" Cinderheart yelled, pushing her mate away.
"Ok," Lionblaze growled. "What's going on Cinderheart?" he asked his mate.
"Um," Cinderheart mewed, and then she felt Hollyleaf stop struggling a little. Oh great StarClan! Cinderheart thought. I'm going to kill my friend! Cinderheart then got an idea. "Lionblaze!" she yelled.
"I'm right here, ya know!" Lionblaze yelled back. "What?" he growled.
"There's a colorful bird in that tree right there!" she mewed.
Lionblaze whipped his head around. Cinderheart then pulled up Hollyleaf, who gasped with breath. Hollyleaf then gave out some really deep coughs. Lionblaze whipped his head back around, but Cinderheart was quicker and put Hollyleaf back in the water. "What was that?" he asked.
"Um," Cinderheart said, while fake coughing. "These bugs ya know," she mewed. "Getting down everyone's throats," she mewed, still fake coughing.
"Ok…" Lionblaze's voice trailed off. "Whatcha wanna do?" he asked.
"Go and get that bird!" she exclaimed, nearly tumbling over because of Hollyleaf underneath her. "I'm really craving a bird!" she mewed, quickly.
"I thought this was a border patrol," Lionblaze mewed. "Not a hunting patrol."
"But Lionblaze," Cinderheart begged, in a kit voice. Lionblaze heaved a big sigh.
"Fine," he muttered. Then he padded to the forest, pelt ruffled with annoyance.
Cinderheart sighed. She then looked down, forgetting her friend was drowning underneath her. Cinderheart then quickly jumped off of Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf coughed up water, and gasped for air.
"You stupid mouse-" a series of coughs, interrupted Hollyleaf's sentence.
"You find any fish?" Cinderheart replied with a smile.
"I couldn't," Hollyleaf growled, "because I was being drowned by my friend!" Hollyleaf hissed.
"Sorry," Cinderheart apologized. "Let's go hunting," Cinderheart suggested.
"Ok," Hollyleaf mewed, confused from the change of topic. "How about the abandon Twoleg Nest?" the black she-cat suggested. Cinderheart nodded, and then shook her head very fast.
That's the direction Lionblaze went. Cinderheart thought.
"Then where?" Hollyleaf asked.
"Sky Oak," Cinderheart mewed. "I'm totally craving squirrel," Cinderheart mewed.
"You told me you were craving bird," a voice said the shadows.
Cinderheart jumped, but Hollyleaf stood there.
"Lionblaze?" the black she-cat asked. The golden tabby tom came from the shadows. His amber gaze bore into Cinderheart's blue eyes.
"What's going on here Cinderheart?" Lionblaze mewed in a calm, yet stern voice.
"I…um…" Cinderheart didn't know what to say. Both of the cats looked at Cinderheart. She wanted to run away with all her might, but was frozen to the ground. Cinderheart then sighed. She then looked at Hollyleaf. "I made plans with your brother this very night also," she murmured. "I totally forgot about it, until I saw him here at the lake," she mewed. "I was afraid that you would get mad at me if I canceled plans because I knew you've been waiting to do this with me," she mewed. "But I couldn't do it to your brother either," Cinderheart mewed, looking at Lionblaze now. "I couldn't do it because…because…I'm his mate." Cinderheart heard Hollyleaf gasp.
"You're his mate?" Hollyleaf asked. Cinderheart slowly nodded. "Yes!" Hollyleaf exclaimed. Cinderheart lifted her head up in confusion.
"I thought you didn't want him to have a mate," Cinderheart mewed.
"What?" Lionblaze exclaimed, but both of the she-cats ignored him.
"Uh, Cinderheart?" the black she-cat asked. "Did you not hear me? I said I didn't want anyone to be his mate, but you," Hollyleaf said with a smile.
Cinderheart was taken aback. That was a very nice thing her friend said.
"Now," Hollyleaf mewed. "You two have fun," she murmured.
"You don't wanna do our night out?" Cinderheart asked.
"We just did our night out," Hollyleaf mewed. "It was great, except the part when you drowned me," she mewed, shaking water from her pelt.
"Oh, so that's what was underneath you in the water," Lionblaze mewed. Both she-cats laughed for a moment. Then Hollyleaf froze.
"What's wrong?" Cinderheart asked.
"I totally forgot about Jaypaw!" Hollyleaf exclaimed, and then she bounded away into the forest.
"What's wrong with Jaypaw?" Lionblaze asked.
"I'll tell you, after our walk around the lake," she mewed. Lionblaze nodded. The two then started to walk away, with both of their tails, tied with each other…
A/N
This is for Swiftstar1's contest. It was really fun writing this Swifty :)!
May the powerful connection light your way…