Dawn was Ivypool's favourite time of day. Here, the sun was filtering through the leaves, dyeing them golden. The prey was either just waking up or just going to sleep, so they weren't near as careful as usual. Birds started their songs, but usually it didn't wake up any of the older warriors.
She'd caught a bird just as the sun came up as well, so it was time to bring it in.
When she got into the camp, the sandy earth was wet with last night's rain. Surprisingly, nobody but Squirrelflight, the deputy was awake. She waited on top of the Highledge in front of Bramblestar's cave.
Squirrelflight turned and met eyes with Ivypool. Her green eyes lit as she walked down. "Hunting early, I see?" she asked.
Ivypool felt her cheeks warm up. "I was just getting something for Sandstorm. She's looking kind of sad."
Squirrelflight's grin faded as she looked at the sparrow in Ivypool's jaws. "It's definitely not easy to lose your mate."
Ivypool dropped the sparrow to her paws and looked down at it. "Yeah…"
"You should just leave it in the fresh kill pile, see if she picks it up when she wakes up," Squirrelflight said, lashing her tail. "Maybe Cinderheart would want it when she comes back from the patrol."
Ivypool nodded, noticing that the snores from the Warriors den were quieter than usual. That explained. "Who else is on it?"
"Just her and Blossomfall. I mean, WindClan's being quite calm, so there shouldn't be any trouble."
Ivypool smiled fakely. There were a few WindClan cats that had been particularly antagonistic lately, including Dark Forest cats that had 'reformed,' but she wouldn't tell Squirrelflight that. "Is it alright if I go anyways? There's probably a few rabbits on the border." The last sentence was a lie, but one that would probably get her protecting Blossomfall.
"Why not? You're already having good luck." Squirrelflight leaned in and licked Ivypool between the ears. "Go on, then."
"Yes, Squirrelflight. Thank you!" She turned and bolted out of the hollow, kicking up mud behind her. Trees dashed by beside her. Soon enough, they thinned out until she was at the top of a hill. The WindClan border. She took a sniff. Sure enough, the scents of both cats were there. Blossomfall liked to mark down to the lake and then turn back to camp there.
She looked down the hill, and sure enough, two silhouettes stalked among the undergrowth.
Ivypool looked behind her to double-check the borders, and followed behind the two cats. She got to a close distance between them in a patch of daisies that went above her head.
"I don't understand what's with Lionblaze, these days," Cinderheart said. "I mean, he's always acting like he owns me or something just because I'm his mate." She picked up a falsely gruff voice. "You should be sleeping in the nursery now. No, you can't talk to Foxleap anymore. Rest, I'll take your patrol over for you." She lashed her tail. "Does he think he's being nice or something?"
This definitely wasn't the time to intrude on the conversation. So she stayed behind, close enough that she could keep an eye on the two.
"He probably does," Blossomfall said. "He just wants to protect you now. It's like… a really close friendship."
Ivypool watched as Cinderheart sat down and licked her chest fur. "Well, that's understandable. But I still don't like when he does it."
"So just say so. If he loves you, he'll stop. If he doesn't, just bug him like he does. See how fast he stops then!" Blossomfall giggled, a squeaky sound that ended up in her hiccuping. Of course, that made her laugh more.
Cinderheart laughed beside her, her long grey fur puffing up and back down with the mrowrs. "You act like you've got mate experience!"
"You're too kind — What? No!" The flush in her voice was clear.
"Aw come on!" Cinderheart got up and padded around Blossomfall.
Ivypool's fur spiked. Blossomfall shouldn't be interrogated like that. She didn't move though, in case she was being overprotective.
"You've got to have someone. You're a pretty young she-cat."
Ivypool took a paw out of the daisies but stopped as Blossomfall spoke up. "Well, I guess there's someone I like…"
"Is it Thornclaw?"
Ivypool's skin crawled at the sound of that.
"Ew, no!" Blossomfall jumped back, landing against a tree.
"Well, describe them."
"Well… They've got really pretty eyes. They sort of… glimmer in the starlight. Their fur's so soft. The stripes?" she sighed. "Their stripes remind me of those little waterfalls in creeks."
"You can't fall in love with medicine cats, hun." Cinderheart licked her fur. "You know what happened with Leafpool."
Ivypool crawled back in, her fur bristling, but her cheeks also warming. There were only a few tabbies in ThunderClan. Both eligible toms were ruled out…
"I know that!" she spat. "Can you just leave me alone about it?"
"Fine," Cinderheart said. "You've got to tell me who later, though!"
Blossomfall got out of her state and followed along. "Sure, fine."
Cinderheart bounced along the border, rubbing her fur on every tree to mark it. "Let's finish up this patrol, I'm hungry."
Blossomfall shook dew off her fur. "We're nearly done, you can just go if you want."
Cinderheart purred. "Are you sure?"
Blossomfall's tortoiseshell pelt flattened completely. "I insist. You've got kits. Go on!"
Cinderheart looked squeamish for a moment, then nodded. She padded through the bush loudly, crushing sticks beneath her paws.
Blossomfall kept going for a while until she was out of Ivypool's sight. She grabbed a few daisies quickly and started to follow behind, hiding behind every other thicket and bush. She told herself the daisies were for the kits.
When Blossomfall got to the end of the border, two fox-lengths away from the lake, she stopped and sat down. "Ivypool, I know you're there," she said softly. Her eyes were warm and glittering. "You can come out."
She didn't seem mad, so Ivypool slunk out of the bush. Thorns stuck to her pelt and a few were dangerously close to her paws. She cocked her head, daisies still in her mouth.
"Hunting daisies?" she asked, putting her tail in front of her paws.
Ivypool laughed, running closer to Blossomfall. She sat down beside her.
"No, I was going to join the patrol and then I heard your conversation."
"Yeah." Blossomfall looked at her paws and started kneading her tail. "So you heard?"
Ivypool nodded. All the tabbies from this clan were listed off already. Was it someone from… "Is he from another Clan?"
Blossomfall grinned and leaped on Ivypool. Taken by surprised, they tussled. Ivypool tried to be extra careful not to unsheathe her claws, but it was hard given her Dark Forest Training. Blossomfall might've been doing the same.
Soon, they lay on the ground. Blossomfall won the tackle, now playfully pinning Ivypool to the ground. She laughed, licking the tip of Ivypool's muzzle. "No, silly," she said. "It's you."
Ivypool blushed. So Blossomfall liked her back? Her breath caught as Blossomfall rolled off of her.
The daisies on the ground were now crushed and missing a few petals. Ivypool got up and scooped the nicest-looking one in her paws. "Well, I like you too," she said, taking it and putting it between her ears.
Blossomfall sat back, surprised. "We can't have kits though. I thought this was just something wrong with me. Like… I was wrong."
"No, silly! You're perfect just the way you are," Ivypool said. "And do you really want kits?"
Blossomfall tilted her head. "After hearing what was up with Cinderheart and Lionblaze, and what's been going on with Millie… I think not."
"Then it's settled," Ivypool said. "Would you like to be my mate?" she asked.
Blossomfall smiled. "Of course."