Blossompaw padded through camp. Her ginger and white fur was glossy and shiny, and her green eyes sparkled. She ducked her head, hiding a blush, as Palefoot passed by. Blossompaw stared at his back.
She had had a crush on the cream and white tom since she became an apprentice. Unfortunately, though, he had obvious feelings for Cherryleaf.
Blossompaw watched with jealousy as Palefoot nervously greeted the tortoiseshell she-cat. Cherryleaf blinked her pale green eyes, then got to her paws and padded away.
Anger flared in Blossompaw's green eyes as she saw the distraught look on the blue-eyed tom's face. Cherryleaf pretended that she didn't like Palefoot, but Blossompaw knew better. The stupid tortoiseshell was playing hard to get.
Blossompaw looked up as Redstar called a Clan meeting. She hurriedly rushed over to the bottom of the high-pine and looked up with eager eyes.
The ginger tabby leader looked please to see his three kits.
Redstar began to speak, "I, Redstar, leader of RainClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Blossompaw, Nightpaw, Swiftpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
Blossompaw and her brothers nodded. "I do." They said in unison.
Redstar smiled, and spoke again, "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names, Swiftpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Swifttail. StarClan honors your bravery and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan." He paused, then continued again, "Nightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Nightfeather. StarClan honours your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."
Redstar turned his gaze to Blossompaw. "Blossompaw, from this moment on you will be known as Blossomcloud. StarClan honors your intelligence and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."
"Swifttail! Nightfeather! Blossomcloud!" The Clan chanted.
Blossomcloud was surrounded by the Clan. Redstar quickly chased them off, and smiled at his three kits. "You've done well, my kits." Her purred, then padded into his den. Blossomcloud sighed sadly. Ever since their mother had died, Redstar had become more distant from them.
Blossomcloud smiled as Palefoot padded up to her. "Hi, Palefoot." She greeted.
"Hey, Blossomp-cloud." He corrected himself, embarrassed. Blossomcloud purred in amusement.
"Uh, Palefoot." She started. "Perhaps you'd like to share a piece of prey with me?"
Palefoot shook his head. "Uh, sorry, Blossompa-cloud." He turned and scrambled away.
Blossomcloud frowned, upset.
Cherryleaf padded over to Blossomcloud. Blossomcloud smiled. "Hey, Cherry-"
"Enough with that innocent act, Blossomkit." Cherryleaf hissed quietly, interrupting the new warrior. Blossomcloud blinked, shocked.
Cherryleaf's fluffy tortoiseshell fur bristled slightly. "You think that now that you're a warrior, you can make Palefoot fall in love you?" She pushed past Blossomcloud, stopping to whisper in her ear. "Find your own mate, Blossomkit."
Blossomcloud excitedly rushed along with the group of RainClan cats chosen to go to the gathering. She sniffed the air. Her fur tingled with excitement. The scent of NightClan, SunClan, and BreezeClan intermingled.
RainClan intertwined with the other three Clans. Blossomcloud came face to face with a she-cat.
She was a white she-cat with silver patches. Her blue eyes had a certain fire to them. Her body was covered in scars and she wore a crooked smile.
The she-cat nodded curtly. "Your name?" She asked.
Blossomcloud gaped, then managed to say, "Blossomcloud."
The she-cat nodded, then padded away. Blossomcloud felt a bit confused, but lifted her head at the sound of Redstar starting the gathering.
Redstar glanced at the other leaders. "Shall I go first?" The other leaders nodded. Redstar got to his paws. His eyes swept over the clearing full of cats and then began to speak. "RainClan is doing well. Frostcloud has given birth to four kits; three toms and a she-cat. We have two new apprentices, Winterpaw and Shrewpaw, and three new warriors, Swifttail, Nightfeather, and Blossomcloud."
Once the four Clans had finished chanting their names, Redstar sat back down and Sorrelstar got to her paws. "BreezeClan is doing well, too." She announced. "We have no new warriors, but we do have three new apprentices, Featherpaw, Stripepaw, and Pinepaw. Darkpelt has given birth to two kits; a tom and a she-cat."
As Blossomcloud was preparing to leave, she was greeted by a golden tabby she-cat. "Hi." The cat greeted. "I'm Goldenstep. From SunClan. And you?"
Blossomcloud smiled at Goldenstep. "I'm Blossomcloud."
"Oh, right." Goldenstep mewed. "You're the new warrior of RainClan!"
"Yeah." Blossomcloud muttered, flattening her ears as she was aware of Cherryleaf's glare. She turned and scampered away from Goldenstep.
It had only been two moons since the first gathering that she had gone to as a warrior, but things had already gone downhill for poor Blossomcloud. Cherryleaf was expecting Palefoot's kits and had been moved to the nursery. And at such a young age.
Blossomcloud hid a snarl every time she saw Cherryleaf or the stupid tom. She hated Palefoot. Hated him.
Her crush was so obvious, and Cherryleaf didn't care about Palefoot at first. So, why did he choose her?
Blossomcloud had become good friends with Goldenstep and they met every night to chat.
It was the night of the gathering, and Blossomcloud hadn't been chosen to go, thankfully. Once all the cats had left the camp, she snuck out and padded to the border. Luckily, Goldenstep was waiting.
The golden she-cat jumped to her paws and padded over to Blossomcloud. They touched noses in a friendly manner. And, for some reason, Blossomcloud blushed. She ducked her head, but luckily it was dark enough for Goldenstep to be unable to see anyway.
They talked for hours. When they left to go to their own camps, a million thoughts were racing through Blossomcloud's mind. Why, why was Goldenstep suddenly so beautiful?
Blossomcloud couldn't sleep. She was too busy trying to figure out what she had been feeling around Goldenstep that night. Then she realized what it was. Love. The same love that she had felt for Palefoot once.
Blossomcloud's eyes were wide with horror. She was in love? With a cat from a different Clan? No, that wasn't just it. She was in love. With a she-cat.
It had been seven moons. Winterpaw was now Winterfoot, and Shrewpaw was now Shrewleaf. Frostcloud's kits were close to becoming apprentices, and Cherryleaf had given birth to two healthy toms: Thunderkit and Berrykit.
Although Goldenstep and her meetings weren't awkward, Blossomcloud felt awkward. She had finally come to terms with the fact that she was in love with a she-cat.
But, then, something happened. They were caught.
They foolishly met during the day and they were caught.
They ran. They ran for it. They ran until they had left the territories.
"We have to go!" Blossomcloud shouted. "We have to leave!"
Goldenstep shook her head. "Don't be foolish, Blossomcloud! Our Clans will forgive us! We are just friends. We have just been talking, but not giving our Clans' information away!"
Blossomcloud shook her head. She looked at Goldenstep, finding it hard to look her "friend" in the eye. She shook her head. "No, Goldenstep." She meowed. "We have not been meeting as friends. Because…I love you…"
Goldenstep and Blossomcloud stared at each other for a few moments. The two she-cats shifted uncomfortably.
"I love you, too, Blossomcloud." Blossomcloud looked up in surprise at Goldenstep's words.
"Y-you do?" Blossomcloud asked, shocked.
Goldenstep nodded. "But our Clans don't know. We are both she-cats and from different Clans, and it's wrong. But we shouldn't care. Our Clans don't know. They'll still forgive us."
Blossomcloud shook her head. Goldenstep sighed. "Tell me one thing, though." The golden tabby meowed. "Will you stay?"
Blossomcloud didn't respond. She began to back away slowly.
"Will you stay?" Goldenstep repeated, concerned. Blossomcloud continued to back away.
"Will you stay?" Goldenstep's tone was getting frantic. "Will you stay? Will you stay? WILL YOU STAY?" She screamed the last part.
Blossomcloud shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Staying is a hard thing to do." She murmured, then turned and raced away, leaving behind her Clans. But worst of all, leaving behind Goldenstep.