SlPOV
I quietly walked through the lush green trees and underbrush of the pine forest I called my home carefully avoiding stepping on any sticks or other objects which might alert potential prey of my sister Hollycloud's, or Stonestreak's presence. Though we were on patrol, a daily part of clan life, taking home any extra fresh-kill would be more than appreciated by the rest of the clan. I kept my eyes and ears open to make sure we didn't happen upon intruders trespassing on Thunderclan territory, this included cat from the other clans; Shadowclan, Windclan, and Riverclan as well as rouges. We reached the small clearing bordered by trees that marked the Shadowclan border and noticed the scent markers were starting to fade and needed replacing.
"Stonestreak, help me remark the scent line," I ordered the gray tabby tom.
"No problem," he said in his overly cheerful way his blue eyes bouncing with the same cheer in his voice. I didn't see how he could be so cheery all the time, it really grated my nerves how he could seem happy in the most distressing situations. He bounced away from my sister momentarily ceasing his flirting with her and walked to the line of trees that separated our territory from Shadowclan's. He quickly made his way to the far side of the stretch of trees separating us from Shadowclan territory and started on that side while I started on the other and we walked along the tree line spraying it with our scent and rubbing against the trees to make it stronger. Once we each reached the opposite side in which we started and I was satisfied that we had done our job well enough we walked back to Hollycloud who was sitting there waiting patiently for us to finish so we could head back to camp since we had already checked the Windclan border and it was almost sun down.
"Tell me if you think that's good enough," I told my sister nodding to the trees we had just marked. She nodded and made her way to the border bent down and gently sniffed it.
"Wow that's strong," she said wrinkling her nose slightly at the intensity of our scent and straightening back up and heading back to us.
"Good," I replied, "come let's head back to camp." I turned and started making my way back through the trees and bushes I had just come through the others following suit and again flirting with each other. Those two were starting to irk me; couldn't they keep that to themselves? Besides, Hollycloud was too young to take a mate in my opinion even though she was the same age as me.
"Hello Shadowleaf, Hollycloud," a she-cat's voice said stopping us in our tracks. I turned around to see the sleek black pelt of Nightcloud, my grandmother, sitting on the other side of the border as she was a Shadowclan cat her amber eyes staring at me with a look that clearly stated she knew I was the leader of this patrol.
"Greetings Nightcloud," I replied curtly wanting to avoid the situation I knew was bound to happen if I didn't answer.
"I haven't seen you or your siblings in a while," she said referring to Hollycloud and Tigerfrost, my other sister, saying it as if she should see us every day even though different clans hardly associated outside of the gatherings held every full moon.
"Yes not since the last gathering," Hollycloud said matter-of-factly. Nightcloud may be our grandmother but she was still a Shadowclan cat, an enemy and didn't require pleasant attitudes. Though I wished that Hollycloud wasn't so frank with her attitude I shared her feelings about Nightcloud.
"Yes, tell me how is Iceheart?" she asked ignoring Hollycloud's obvious attitude and really just dismissing what Hollycloud said entirely.
"Our father is fine not that it's really any of your business," Hollycloud hissed her black and white pelt beginning to stand on end. I should have known something like this would've happened Nightcloud didn't like me or my sisters much, especially Hollycloud, since we were sort of the reason her son and our father, Iceheart left Shadowclan to join Thunderclan. When our mother Moonstorm and our father met they were in different clans, he in Shadowclan and she in Thunderclan. Despite this and the fact that their clans were at war at the time didn't stop them from falling in love and leave our mother expecting us. When our father found out that our mother was expecting he asked to switch clans to be with her and to this day Nightcloud still held a grudge against us and our mother.
"He may be in Thunderclan now but he is still my son," Nightcloud hissed back her black pelt bristling and her amber eyes glistening with anger as she caught on to Hollycloud's mood.
"Well as nice as this conversation is I think we should head back to camp," Stonestreak said calming things over before it turned into a border skirmish which I could sense was close to happening.
"Agreed," I said grateful for the chance to escape, "come on let's go Hollycloud." She then gave a threating hiss and stalked off head held high and tail tossed defiantly in the air behind her heading towards the camp. Stonestreak followed, then me with one last look towards Nightcloud to see her heading towards her own camp. When we got back to Thunderclan camp I told Bramblestar of the encounter with Nightcloud and that we remarked the borders for both Shadowclan and Windclan as well as there being no signs of any intruders.
"Good," Bramblestar said, "go get you a piece of fresh-kill off the fresh-kill pile and rest," his tone appreciative. I'm sure he was pleased to know that there were no signs of potential threats within the borders. Though that didn't mean that there weren't going to be any difficulties any time soon with leaf-fall looming in the distance and the ever looming possibility of the other clans or rouges deciding to attack.
I dipped my head in acknowledgement and went to the fresh-kill pile. There I saw Lakeshine pawing through the pile making my heart jump into overdrive. I stared briefly; amazed that she always seemed to look so beautiful even while doing something as simple as looking for her a piece of fresh-kill. I snapped out of my momentary daze and began to look through the fresh- kill pile as well. I soon spotted a thrush and gently picked it up with my teeth making sure not to bite down to hard as to not tear into it. Then I padded the short distance to Lakeshine and dropped it at her paws. "There you go," I said shyly, hoping she couldn't tell how embarrassed I was to have known her favorite kind of prey.
"How did you know I was looking for one?" she asked her silver tortoiseshell fur contracting a light shade of pink around her muzzle in her embarrassment that made her look that much more beautiful.
"I-It was just a guess," I stuttered a little relieved that my blush couldn't be seen through my black coat, "I mean you usually get a thrush." I decided then to shut up afraid she'd figure out that sometimes I would just sit and watch her as she pawed through the fresh-kill pile or as the sun was shining in her lovely silver fur and when we were hunting how she moved with deadly grace and precision or noticed how she would stop and stare curiously at herbs for a minute or two while we were on patrol before padding away a sad longing look in her aqua blue eyes.
"Well it's nice to know someone is interested in me," she said a small, sad smile on her muzzle. 'If only she knew,' I thought all the more embarrassed. The masked pain in her aqua eyes was unmistakable and looking into them I wondered briefly if she really thought that no one was interested in her. I guessed she didn't notice how every tom in the clans stopped to stare as she walked by or how every queen young and old sighed with envy as she sat to clean her tail before the start of every gathering.
"Do you really think that no one is interested in you?" I asked softly.
She laughed a laugh that sounded like bells in Starclan and gave me a smile that squeezed my heart. I decided I should get some fresh-kill before I looked like an idiot standing there. I picked up the first thing I saw which happened to be a vole. I turned to go find a spot to sit and eat alone as usual when she tapped me on the shoulder with her tail. "Would you like to sit with me?" she asked.
"Um sure," I said taken aback by the offer but delighted in it nonetheless. We then walked to a small spot in front of the fallen tree that made up the warriors den and lay down opposite each other but still close, with our fresh-kill. For a while we said nothing and just ate. I watched her in between bites admiring how gracefully she bit into the vole and chewed with an elegance that was simply amazing. She suddenly looked up and caught me staring at her. I blushed and looked away hoping to Starclan that she wouldn't think me weird. After we finished eating we scooted closer to each other and began sharing tongues. I relished in how great it was to gently scrape my tongue along her sleek silver tortoiseshell pelt while she did the same for my rough black pelt.
"So how am I interesting?" she asked with a curious playful tint in her voice after we were finished and sitting just enjoying each other's company. It had been a long time since I just sat with another cat and enjoyed their company so when she spoke I jumped a little surprised to have the peaceful silence broken. She looked at me expectantly and I knew I was going to have to answer her.
"W-well you just are," I stammered embarrassed, quickly sitting up to duck my head. I knew she was asking for a more in-depth answer than that but I was too embarrassed and I didn't want to make my crush on her obvious by telling her. I sat there for a moment trying to think of a way to dodge the question when her voice startled me again and I realized I had been staring at her the whole time.
"Come on tell me," she begged sitting up as well. She had such a beautiful pleading look in her eyes that I couldn't fight. It was like she was trying to look into my heart and soul for the answers that I didn't know I could give her. It's not like I didn't have the answers, I knew exactly why I found her intriguing I just didn't know if I could find the courage to open up to her and tell her. I always found it hard to be open with other cats except my siblings and even then I was still a little closed.
"I don't know if I could," I said honestly looking away to hide my shame. I felt like crying because she was asking me to do something I was too much of a coward to do. I wanted so much to be open with her but I just didn't know how or even if I should. I didn't trust anyone but myself with my heart and feelings and I knew eventually I was going to have to make the choice to either trust her or not.
"You're not very open are you?" she noted studying me for a minute or two. When she looked me in the eye I again felt like she was trying to look straight into my heart and soul. I sat watching as she looked at me with such and honest intensity that there was no way I couldn't be open with her. It was in that moment that I decided to trust her with the thing most precious and sacred to me never for one moment wondering if I was making a mistake.
"No I'm not," I said lifting my head because I realized I had no reason to be ashamed. I was never very open because I had never found the right cat to open up to. Now I had that cat sitting in front of me looking at me with nothing but concern in her eyes.
"You shouldn't be ashamed about it," she said softly not realizing I had this very epiphany only moments before, "not everyone can be open with everyone, some are closed simply because they're afraid of being hurt and they use the walls as a defense around their heart and soul." She looked at me gently, "it's not something you should be ashamed of."
I looked at her startled because she had explained and understood it so clearly like no other cat ever could. "You almost sound like a medicine cat," I said trying to compliment the wisdom of her words. I was unprepared for her reaction and was shocked when her aqua eyes which only moments before were swimming with concern turned hard with what looked like anger and longing.
"Yes well I'm not one," she snapped a bit harshly. I sat there stunned not knowing what to do and how to make the wistful look in her eyes go away. My heart cried out to give her anything she wanted to make her happy but I was unaware of what to do to make that happen.
"Did you ever want to be one?" I asked hoping that talking would make the cold hard look in her eyes go away. Though I was genuinely curious I was also a bit stung by the harshness in her voice and was afraid of what bringing up the very topic that had made her snap would do.
"I did at one point but Bramblestar made me a warrior instead," she said sadly. I hated to hear that sadness in her voice. It made me want to lick the fur between her ears and go take a swipe at Bramblestar. I wondered about Bramblestar's reason for making Lakeshine a warrior and decided to ask him one day. I rose to my paws and stretched to lick the fur between her ears in comfort. She gave a little jolt the sighed obviously glad to have my comfort.
"Why did you never ask him to make you Jayfeather's apprentice?" I knew Bramblestar well and knew that if she had just asked he more than likely would've done it. Bramblestar wasn't harsh and he would never just cast a clan member's wishes aside without very good reason.
"I figured Bramblestar knew best," she replied casting her eyes downward. I realized then that she was probably too scared to face the clan leader alone no matter how much she had wanted to be a medicine cat. I wondered briefly if she ever would have talked to Bramblestar if she had had somebody to support and back her up.
"Do you ever regret it?" I asked softly wishing I could've been there for her and helped her muster up the courage to talk to Bramblestar. I deeply wanted to be there to do anything she wanted and needed. I wanted to be everything and anything for her and I knew I would if she asked me to.
Her blue eyes looked in my leaf green ones and I saw a deep sadness buried deep in her eyes, "sometimes yes," she said, "but why should I dwell on the past when I can make the most of my future?" I admired her optimistic attitude and gave her a small smile.
"If you could change the past would you?"
"I don't know maybe," she said thoughtfully, "but if I was one I'd never be able to take a mate." She looked at me and shyly smiled as she said the last part making my heart pounded with hope. I wanted so much to know that I was her reason for saying that and wanting to take a mate. I saw all my hopes, dreams, and fantasies coming alive in my mind and wanted lean forward and close the distance between her muzzle and mine.
"And that matters to you?" I said deciding to not act so rashly. I wanted and needed to hear the words leave her mouth before I did anything that could cost me everything. I was well aware we had just entered dangerous territory and one wrong move could end the delicate relationship we had now.
"Well yes," she said blushing, "perhaps you'd find it would matter to you one day as well."
"It matters very much to me, "I said my voice husky with all the emotions and thoughts raging inside my heart and head. I knew what I was about to say next would change everything but if I didn't say it now I knew I never would.
I timidly put my paw on hers and looked her deep in the eyes knowing that as she looked in my eyes she would see all my love and affection reflected in them. "Lakeshine," I started as nervous as a Shadowclan warrior in the sunlight, "I think I'm in love with you."