A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
"Huskypaw, sometimes you talk too soft for your size," Lilypaw teased, watching as he shyly glanced away. He'd just complimented her eyes, making her feel as if she were glowing. No one ever expected Huskypaw to be sweet and kind because of his huskiness. That was one of the things that she often mentioned when he got all shy and cute around her. It was also what made him a loyal friend. She could never ask anything more of him.
The two of them were hunting on their own. Lilypaw's mentor, Ashflank, had agreed to let them hunt for once without supervision. They were nearing their warrior ceremony time. It wasn't like Lilypaw was prone to goofing off when she had something to get done. She'd worked hard to earn Ashflank's trust and she wasn't about to throw that away by doing something incredibly stupid.
"Lilypaw, anything sounds pathetic when you put it that way," he whispered, his gaze holding steady with hers. "I was just telling a fact: you have lovely eyes."
Lilypaw turned away, her cheeks feeling warm with embarrassment. "We're hunting, Huskypaw," she reminded him. "We better catch something before Ashflank or Willowclaw comes checking on us."
Huskypaw nodded solemnly. "I suppose we should."
The two split in different directions, Lilypaw toward the Sheer Drop and Huskypaw toward Eagle's Perch. The Sheer Drop was a dangerous cliffside that bordered the edge of WildClan. Off the drop was a ways down into the tormenting river with harsh rapids. Cats of all kinds had died from the edge, so it had become an unspoken law that there are to be no battles there.
That didn't make it unsafe for hunting, as long as she was careful enough.
As Lilypaw emerged into the open clearing before the Sheer Drop, she heard the tumbling waters below. WildClan had tried naming the river, but nothing fit. The river was always changing, always making new paths. Torment River sounded too cruel a name, despite the fact that it was true.
The clearing would have been the perfect battlegrounds. On a biased viewpoint, as long as the WildClan warriors remained wary of the edge, they'd have the advantage. The Sheer Drop bordered their territory all the way to StoneClan's. If StoneClan ever attacked, WildClan could pin them against the edge. It was a dangerous plan, but it could work.
Lilypaw padded slowly over to the edge, daring herself to look over. It wasn't the first time she'd done this. When she was hardly an apprentice she hadn't been allowed to. Even when she asked, Ashflank strictly told her no. Since then, she has become more secretive of her glances over. It became her personal mission to peer over the drop whenever she was nearby, as long as no one was watching.
The sharp rocks below promised a painful death, making Lilypaw wince for the cats who had died before. As long as she didn't jump, she was safe. The river beat heartlessly against those rocks, waiting with hungry currents. Though the water was evil, it was beautiful. If for nothing other than beauty, one would almost jump willingly.
A stick snapped behind her, catching her attention. She turned, carefully edging away from the drop. She flattened her ears. Ashflank, she gushed, of course he was watching! Anger washed over her, hating that her mentor had caught her in her personal moment, peering over Sheer Drop and leaning a little too far.
Ashflank said nothing, only his eyes held disappointment. Lilypaw could tell that this was the last time—until her ceremony, at least—that she would get to hunt without supervision. It had also been an unspoken law that no one gets too near the edge. Looking over it was very dangerous.
To her surprise, it was neither herself nor Ashflank who finally broke the silence. "Don't be hard on her." It was Huskypaw. "I dared her to do it."
From the way her mentor's eyes were full of uncertainty, she knew he hadn't been watching the whole time. Ashflank didn't know if what Huskypaw said was valid.
Lilypaw glanced at her friend, having never been more grateful for having such a loyal Clanmate. Huskypaw held her gaze, his eyes full of questioning. 'Why were you doing that?' she could picture the thought crossing his mind.
"Well, collect your prey and we'll head back to camp," Ashflank meowed, finally voicing the concern that molded his expression. "You two should know better than to joke around about Sheer Drop. Apprentices have died doing stupid things like that."
It struck Lilypaw as odd how fiercely Ashflank was to announce his hatred against Sheer Drop. After some thought for the first time did it occur to her that it had been his apprentice who'd died. She had barely been a kit when Crowpaw joined StarClan. She didn't remember how he fell—or if he jumped—but he had died all the same: from Sheer Drop. His body had been too broken to even hold a vigil. Lilypaw remembered well now that her mother had spoken to her littermates gently, explaining how important being cautious was.
Crowpaw had been almost become a warrior, much like herself. His tragic death had reopened WildClan's eyes on the trench. It had always been a precaution, but nothing taken too seriously. If someone wanted a look over, they did so as they pleased. Since then, times have changed; WildClan was much more careful when it came to Sheer Drop.
These are all reasons why the drop was such an importance. Ashflank must feel it was his responsibility to make sure her death didn't come next. That explained a lot about him.
Lilypaw sighed, joining Huskypaw as Ashflank took place behind her. She had so many things she wanted to tell him—about how grateful she was for him, how sorry she was that he'd had to get involved in the first place. But she knew that after that little slip-up Ashflank would never give them a moment alone until they reached camp.
"Where's your prey?" Ashflank asked as they entered the sheltering of the forest. The tension had lessened, but Lilypaw could still sense his caution.
"Not far," she assured him. "Just over by the Silverpelt Tree, mostly." The Silverpelt Tree was dangerously high, so tall WildClan named after supposedly reaching the stars of Silverpelt. It was a common place for prey to be found, as the owls preferred trees that were closer to the ground where they could easily watch for rodents.
Ashflank regarded her with pride. "Go collect it. Be back to camp soon. If I have to come get you, there'll be some chores to do for the next few days. Your assessments will have to wait if that's the case."
Huskypaw let out a mrrow of amusement. "We'll behave. It was just that once."
Lilypaw's mentor nodded. "It won't happen again." He gave her a sharp look.
"I promise," Lilypaw vowed, though a horrifying thought crossed her mind. She mentally pushed the images away.
Ashflank disappeared into the thick undergrowth of WildClan's territory. Lilypaw and Huskypaw were sure to wait for their conversation for the sound of Ashflank leaving. They headed toward Silverpelt Tree, keeping alert for hints of either of their mentors.
"Lilypaw, has anyone ever told you how fearless you are?" Huskypaw asked, his voice once again holding that sweet warmth. "I would've never thought that you'd be the one to show me how to be strong."
A feeling fluttered in Lilypaw's stomach. He always knew how to speak in a way that make her cheeks feel warm and a hammering in her heart. She didn't say anything as she dug up the rabbit she'd buried, knowing whatever she'd say would ruin the moment.
"You are so beautiful, so strong," Huskypaw whispered, his eyes full of longing. "I don't care why you looked over Sheer Drop. I wouldn't care if you wanted to get a drink from the Blue Shards. As long as you do those things . . . with me." Blue Shards was another name for the tormenting river below Sheer Drop.
Lilypaw couldn't say anything.
Huskypaw took a step closer to her, his fur brushing hers. "I love you, Lilypaw."
Just like ice, her enchantment shattered. Hearing him say those words was something her ears didn't want to hear. It pained her to think about it, but she could never think of Huskypaw as anything more than a friend. He was her best friend.
The breath was knocked out of her. Lilypaw couldn't bring herself to hurt her friend. Claws were ripping out her heart. The jittery feeling she had felt earlier vanished.
She took a step away from Huskypaw. "I'm sorry, Huskypaw. You are the greatest friend a Clanmate could ask for, always there for me, always kind and understanding. But I don't think of you . . . romantically."
Huskypaw's eyes mirrored the hurt she felt for telling him that. They were full of sadness. "I'm sorry my news has hurt you," he vowed. "But I will always love you."
There was that word again—love—the word describing a feeling Lilypaw didn't feel for Huskypaw. He felt more like her littermate, a brother who was always at her side.
~.~
Lilyshine hunted near Sheer Drop, enjoying the comforts of not being watched like quarry. She'd been named a warrior just last night along with Huskywind. He hadn't kept to himself despite the fact that she knew he loved her. Huskywind was always by her side, acting like a best friend but still complimenting her beauty. He teased her in a way that was both friendly and flirty. Lilyshine liked to think of it as playful. The love he felt for her she still didn't return.
She dropped down to a crouch, carefully watching the mouse ahead of her. Lilyshine pounced and killed it efficiently. Her skills were significantly better than when she had been a new apprentice. It always brought her pride when she improved. She buried the fresh-kill, moving away to site her next target.
As she neared the clearing before Sheer Drop, she was called by the fierce tumbling rush of the river. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. Huskywind.
"I don't care that you look over Sheer Drop. I wouldn't care if you wanted to get a drink from the Blue Shards. As long as you did all those things with me . . . as friends," Lilyshine meowed warily, knowing that when a cat like him looked over Sheer Drop that it was because they were feeling depressed.
Huskywind looked up, her voice startling him. "I-I wasn't—"
Lilyshine shushed him. "Just because I don't want to be your lover doesn't mean I don't care about you."
"I know that, Lilyshine," he assured her. "We're friends."
She shook her head. "We're true friends. I will only get in your way if you are going down."
Huskywind nodded. "A promise, then. I promise to be your true friend and not try to be your lover."
"I promise to be your true friend," Lilyshine agreed. "Now, let's back away from Sheer Drop, take a deep breath, and begin to be the best of friends like we used to be."