"Flamestar!"
With that simple, seemingly innocent call, Flamestar's plans for part of the day were unknowingly cast aside for another time. Swiftly the dark ginger-furred tabby she-cat turned to where the voice was coming from, and as she looked down, a blue-eyed, mottled brown and white tabby she-kit caught her eye. The leader recognized the cat as Brindlekit, one of the youngest members of WindClan.
"Yes, Brindlekit?" she asked. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Besides go away and leave me in peace? She had been busy all morning and now was the first time this morning the ginger tabby had gotten a rest from her duties since waking..
"What's a soulmate?" asked Brindlekit. She bounced a little on her paws.
Flamestar shifted, surprised. "Where did you learn that word?" she asked instead, having quickly forgotten her irritation.
"Swiftleap told me," was Brindlekit's reply.
Flamestar sighed. "I see. Well, is there anything else you'd like?"
"Yes," Brindlekit said. "What's a soulmate?" Seeing she would not get out of answering the tabby, Flamestar sighed again.
"All right," she said. "This might take a while, so make yourself comfortable."
"Okay," the kit responded, and Brindlekit did what Flamestar had suggested, resting on her belly in the trampled grass.
"A soulmate," started Flamestar. She sighed once again, musing over what she would say. "A soulmate, where do I begin?" And unwillingly, she is plunged into a sea of memories. Memories of her life before she was crowned leader, some before she had even been given the name Flamewind.
'Whitescar, when did you meet your soulmate?" she asked her uncle.
The larger white tom did not answer hastily, but after a moment of thought, he responded and his response was sure and firm. He glanced at his mate Morningclaw. "I met Morningclaw hen we were just new warriors," he said. "We had seen each other around, of course, but this was the first time we actually knew something about the other." He paused. "I felt a special connection with her as soon as she spoke. That was when I knew were soulmates."
Flamepaw blinked at him. "When do you think I'll meet my soulmate?" she asked.
"It'll happen soon enough, Flamepaw," Whitescar said, his green eyes twinkling. "You'll know when you do, I'm sure of it."
"What brings this question to your mind this lovely afternoon, Flamepaw?" asked her mentor, whiskers twitching in amusement as he gazed at her.
The younger Flamepaw just gave a small shrug. "I don't know, Adderclaw," she said.
"All right," said the golden-furred tom, "I'll tell you. From my own experiences, a soulmate is - well, a soulmate is someone you just know you're destined to be with." For a moment he looked entirely wistful, and Flamepaw longed to ask him more about what a soulmate was and what he meant, but then he continued on over the grassy moors. "Now, let's go work on your rabbit-hunting technique."
"Let's," Flamepaw echoed, and though silence fell between them once more, thoughts of romance and her future soulmate filled her mind for the rest of the afternoon.
"Rosebreeze, who do you think a soulmate is?" asked Flamewind to her older littermate just before their vigil. Her normally-gossipy sister rolled her eyes at Flamewind.
"I don't know," the pale ginger tabby said with a nonchalant shrug. "It's not like I have a soulmate of my own." Flamewind rolled her eyes.
"Rosebreeze, why are you the way you are?" she grumbled teasingly. Then louder, she said, "Please?" Rosebreeze paused.
"Fine," she drawled. "Just wait until after I get a nap in the morning."
Flamewind glared. "I need your input!" she protested.
Her sister didn't answer, not looking directly at her. Rosebreeze actually looked vigilant and responsible, which amused Flamewind. Rosebreeze. Serious. Ha. But just as Vixenstar was about to start their vigil, she could have sworn that Rosebreeze said something akin to, "A soulmate is someone who would be happy to spend their entire live with you." Flamewind was pretty sure that she had imagined it.
"Flamewind, I think you're my soulmate." The ginger tabby glanced at her new mate, Firheart, nose crinkling with a mixture of amusement and adoration at his solemn words.
"And why's that, Firheart?" she challenged him teasingly, eyes shining.
A comfortable silence fell between them. Firheart gazed at her for a long moment, not saying anything. Then the chestnut-furred tom spoke, completely serious as he spoke. His brilliantly green eyes were as bright as the full glowing orb of light hanging above them. "I love you more than I could ever say, Flamewind. I love you more than you could ever know, and a soulmate is someone you love more than everything."
Back in the present, Flamestar found herself in the middle of parroting the bits of advice she had been given as a younger cat to Brindlekit, who actually looked fairly interested in what all the leader was telling her. "A soulmate," she said softly, for the third time in a row, "is someone you have a special connection with, Brindlekit. A soulmate is someone who you just know you're destined to be with, someone who would be happy to spend their entire life with you. And most of all..." She trailed off for a moment, remembering Firheart with his forest green eyes and his gorgeous chestnut fur. "And most of all, a soulmate is someone will love you more than you could ever know."
This kind of goes off topic from the prompt, but well, that's what I came up with so that's what gets published. But I think it works because Flamestar is reliving the memories of asking others what a soulmate was and then answering the question for another...well, actually, I have no idea.
Anyways, my hopes are that this gets reviewed and that I'm given some constructive criticism, because I have not really written anything since November.
'Till next time,
~Ice