I DO NOT OWN WARRIOR CATS! (Rewritten!)
Third Person – Squirrelflight
It took Firestar five years to finally give into Leafpool's wishes and give Cinderpelt the "okay". Squirrelflight been ecstatic at the thought of her sister pursuing her dream, but she quickly realized that the more time Leafpool spent studying, the less time she had for everything else. The brunette seemed to stop drawing and Squirrelflight began to reminisce about the days where Leafpool would linger outside of their father's study to ask for a new sketchbook. In addition to this, the amber-eyed girl had less and less time to actually eat with the rest of her family. Squirrelflight had been a little unnerved when she saw Leafpool's chair empty at dinnertime, but balked when she realized her sister stopped attending family meals altogether.
Whenever the redhead tried to get ahold of the brunette, Leafpool would often apologize and mutter something about how she had back-to-back classes with her tutors. Now, it seemed as if Leafpool didn't have time to check up with her sister—or even just give her a hug. No, Leafpool was too busy pushing past her limits, pursuing her dreams, and finding who she really was. As much as Squirrelflight resented how her sister didn't even have time for her, she couldn't take any of that away from Leafpool. Instead, she did whatever she could to help the brunette.
It was ritual for Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt to seek out Leafpool whenever they visited, but Squirrelflight would drag them around the manor until they were too tuckered out to care. Whenever it seemed that her sister was hitting a slump in her studies, Squirrelflight would bring up a cup of milk and honey to soothe her mind. When Leafpool passed out at her desk, the redhead would carefully wrap a blanket around her sister and blow out the candles.
In the meantime, Squirrelflight took to strengthening her body and sharpening her skills. At the end of every week, she spent would spend an entire day with her father—either hunting or sparring. In her free time, she would help the stablemen with the horses and help the maids carry laundry around the manor. She practiced archery with her mother, shooting with her dad, wrestling with Graystripe, and cooking from the kitchen staff. She did everything she could to fill up the empty, lonely spot that Leafpool once inhabited in her heart.
In the midst of her chaotic life, Squirrelflight found herself noticing all the little things she never considered when she was younger. Firestar kept more to himself and she often saw butlers bringing empty bottles down from the master bedroom. He seemed to grow more and more distracted during her practices and just yesterday, he snapped at Graystripe for commenting about the weather. The heritage aristocrat took to staring out the windows, muttering to himself, and pacing while Squirrelflight took in the reactions of the staff and her family.
Cinderpelt often shielded Leafpool from noticing anything about her father, and while Squirrelflight was thankful that her sister was being spared, a part of her was furious that her sister was kept oblivious. Graystripe began to plaster fake smiles on his face and spent more time out in the fields than in the den. The maids chirped worriedly to themselves, casting sympathetic looks to the various aristocrats that walked by. The tutors became even more stiff than usual, although they all seemed to sag whenever they were in the safety of the library or Squirrelflight's room.
Out of everyone, Squirrelflight's mother was taking to her husband's actions the hardest. The lively, charismatic woman turned ashen and dazed. The smallest thing could set her temper off, but it took only a few seconds before she was stuttering her apologies and staring off in horror. There were a few times that Squirrelflight had walked into the den to see Graystripe kneeling before a sobbing Sandstorm. The gray-haired man often pressed a finger to his lips and gently held the crying woman's hands within his own. In those moments, Squirrelflight could only stare at the husk of the aristocrat who used to be her mother and it wasn't long before she pieced the pieces together. The only problem was to get Leafpool to see how exactly their family was falling apart.
She had waited months already. Squirrelflight could almost see her mother snap in half like a dry twig. Clearing her throat, she knocked determinedly on her sister's door and called out to her. "Leafpool? Can we talk for a few minutes?" The furious sound of scribbling stopped and a few long seconds passed before the brunette was at the door. Squirrelflight took in her sister's appearance, feeling a bitter lump grow in her throat as the bags under Leafpool's eyes and how frazzled her hair was.
"Squirrelflight?" The brunette blinked twice, as if she wasn't sure if her sister was really before her. "Of course! Come on in." She stepped aside and Squirrelflight entered the room, feeling a flicker of hope run through her at the sight of the sketches that decorated the walls. Flowers, faces, and scenes took the place of the medical notes that Squirrelflight imagined her sister would have everywhere. Momentarily forgetting her original purpose for coming, the redhead stroked a sketch of two people splashing one another. Scrawled below the image were the names "Squirrelflight" and "Brambleclaw". The redhead felt a smile touch her lips as she turned to face her sister.
"You put up your sketches," she murmured thoughtfully. Leafpool frowned at her, cocking her head to the side slightly.
"Of course," the brunette replied uncertainly. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I thought you'd have medical notes and pictures of the human body up instead…" Squirrelflight snorted at the sheer absurdity of her own thoughts. Leafpool shot her a bemused grin before raising her eyes and scanning her walls.
"I miss you all," she admitted, crossing her arms. "I'd come down more often if I could, but for the past few weeks, I've been staring at my sketches in place of your faces."
"Well, at least they look like us. Guess I don't have to worry about being forgotten by my sister anymore," Squirrelflight chuckled. A tender smile crossed Leafpool's face and she gazed at her sister lovingly.
"I could never forget you, Squirrelflight," she whispered. The two of them shared a warm smile before Squirrelflight quickly remembered why she dropped by.
"Leafa, there's something wrong in our family." Immediately, the peaceful expression on Leafpool's face was replaced with seriousness. The redhead fidgeted with her hands before blurting out, "I think papa's tearing us apart. I don't know why he's doing it, but—"
"Father tearing us apart? How?"
"He yelled at Graystripe for talking about the weather, the butlers keep on bringing empty wine bottles from his room…" She trailed off, gazing helplessly at her sister. "Mama's been fading, Leafa. Fading and crying like a shadow."
"Mother? Leafpool's eyes flew open in shock. "I—oh Starreign—how did I not notice?"
Cinderpelt's been keeping secrets to keep up your morale, Squirrelflight thought ruefully. She would've done the same had she been in the tutor's shoes. "You've been busy studying," the redhead offered, crossing her legs.
"Studying isn't a good enough excuse to be oblivious to the fact that our family's breaking into pieces!" Leafpool snapped, her eyebrows furrowing in distress. She bit her lip out of nervous habit. "What do we do?" Squirrelflight squeezed her eyes tightly before meeting her sister's anxious amber eyes.
"I don't know, Leafa."
Third Person - Leafpool
Leafpool flicked her tail back and forth as she lifted her eyes to the starry sky. When sleep failed to find her, Leafpool had stepped out of her den to listen to the sound of the clan at night. Firestar and Sandstorm were most likely curled up together in his den while Squirrelflight rested with the others in the warrior's den. I should try to get some sleep again, she thought to herself as she turned to pad into her den again.
Just as she turned her head, a small, glowing light caught the corner of her eye. Freezing, Leafpool watched as the orb drifted by her nose and fluttered away, pausing a few feet away. When she stared after it, it floated closer to her before drifting back to its earlier location. Glancing around her nervously, Leafpool decided to follow the orb, carefully making her way through the camp without causing too much noise. Trailing a tail-length behind the orb, Leafpool allowed it to lead her to moonpool. The brown she-cat's ears flattened in confusion as she made her way to the sacred body of water. The entire expanse of sky was reflected on its waters, glittering and shimmering as its surface rippled.
Starclan, why have you called me here? Was there a message for her to bring to Mothwing again? Or a solution to Squirrelflight's tangled relationship with Ashfur and Brambleclaw? Maybe…Was she summoned to address her sentiments on—
"Leafpool." The she-cat jumped at her name and whirled around to see a beautiful tortoiseshell cat pad toward her. Immediately, she relaxed, her tail sweeping in an arc before resting at her side.
"Spottedleaf. Did you wish to speak to me?" The newcomer's ears twitched and she shook her head.
"No, it seems that it was your own heart that brought you here. It was also your troubled heart that drew me here." Spottedleaf cocked her head and gazed thoughtfully at Leafpool. "What is it you wish to know, Leafpool?" The brown she-cat's fur prickled uncomfortably at her elder's question. There was so much she wanted to ask; so much to know about everything. But there was one answer that she needed to know more than anything else.
"Are you in love with my father?" She blurted out, claws unintentionally unsheathing in her haste. Graystripe, the beloved storyteller of their manor, had once told her that Firestar had fallen in love with a woman from Necrasung. It seemed that he had loved her so much that he had intended to marry her, but disaster struck before he could propose.
"It was a strange time," she remembered Graystripe saying. "He courted her for three months before he wanted to marry her. I was a bit surprised, but hey, it only took me five months to decide I wanted to marry Silverstream." A thoughtful, wistful expression crossed the man's face. "I think he really loved her. He wasn't the same after she died. Even though Sandstorm did bring some of him back," he had added quickly. "I think he still hasn't gotten over her death yet. I think some part of him still loves her dearly." Even more than he loves mother? That had been the question that Leafpool sealed in her throat, hoping that it would never come to the surface. But now, faced with the threat of her family falling apart at the seams, it seemed like the best time to find her answer.
Spottedleaf seemed completely taken aback by Leafpool's question. The tortoiseshell cat stared at her for a few minutes before her figure relaxed. "Leafpool, that's not of importance. All you need to know is that your father loves your mother very much—"
"No, it is," Leafpool insisted, cutting the she-cat off. Something was gnawing uncomfortably at her heart when she saw a wary lock flicker through Spottedleaf's eyes. "Are you in love with my father?"
"Leafpool. "Spottedleaf sounded exhausted, fear more apparent in her voice.
"Are. You. In. Love. With. My. Father?" Leafpool grit out.
"Yes. I have and I always will be." An icy dagger pierced her heart at Spottedleaf's words—the eternal love proclamation only seemed to increase the distance between her parents right now. "But Leafpool, please understand—"
"If you were alive right now, would you be standing by his side?" When the medicine cat failed to answer her, Leafpool bristled angrily. "Well?" She demanded.
"Yes."
"Did you love him when courted you?"
"At the very end, yes." Spottedleaf's eyes gazed beseechingly into Leafpool's. "Your father is an amazing man," she whispered. "His love made me remember how I felt for him in a past life. At the end of our courtship…I loved him far more than I ever have before." A tender look crossed her face. "The way he looks at me when I visit his dreams…I am still in love with your father, Leafpool. Truly, and deeply in love."
Her words made Leafpool feel as if someone had raked their claws down the side of her face. Betrayal. Anger. Disbelief. She couldn't believe Spottedleaf still visited her father. She couldn't believe how her father was treating her mother. Fear. Every hair on Leafpool's pelt stood up suddenly and Spottedleaf's eyes quickly flickered back to her surprise. This couldn't be. Leafpool couldn't even imagine how broken their family would ever be if Firestar were to fall back in love with Spottedleaf. How do you know he's not in love with her right now? A small voice challenged her.
"Leafpool, do not fear for your family." The she-cat turned her eyes on the tortoiseshell in disbelief. How could she say that? Spottedleaf's eyes glittered bitterly. "I was never meant to fall in love—and neither are you." Leafpool's blood chilled as the medicine cat gazed at her with bitter humor. "Romance is an illusion for medicine cats like us," Spottedleaf whispered, stalking toward her. "Take your feelings…" Her amber eyes cut into Leafpool like a knife. "…and destroy them." The brown she-cat opened her mouth to reply, but before she could do anything, Spottedleaf's jaws closed around her neck.
Leafpool awoke with a jolt, breathing heavily as she gathered her bearings. Her hands flew up to her neck, probing for tender spots or open wounds. It was a dream, she thought dazedly, staring at her spotless hands. Then time caught up to her and her dream crashed over her like a wave. Great Starreign, she thought, throwing off her covers. I have to talk to Squirrelflight!
Squirrelflight had all but stormed out of her room when she heard what had happened last night. The redhead growled something about "letting off some steam" before disappearing from the manor. Leafpool, who stood in the same place for at least five minutes in shock, finally collected her thoughts and drifted to the dining room. After informing the servants of what she wanted, she settled down in her usual spot, frowning when the chair felt different.
I haven't sit here for a long time, Leafpool thought, suddenly wondering just how many dinnertime conversations that she missed. If she had eaten here with everyone else…would she have been able to see exactly what Squirrelflight had seen all along? I can't study for the rest of my life, she thought irritably. I need to start organizing my life. I can't study all day and I can't spend all day with my family. Her temples throbbed and she rubbed at them absentmindedly, throwing a brief smile over her shoulder when a servant placed her breakfast before her. I'll just have to compromise, then.
Taking a small bite of her eggs, a smile graced her lips when its flavors exploded in her mouth. It had been a long time since she was able to enjoy any meal like this. She usually ate and worked at the same time, often oblivious to what she was putting in her mouth. There was even one time where Cinderpelt had stopped her from putting a buttered sock into her mouth. "Wouldn't want to forget your favorite, would we?" Leafpool nearly jumped at the sudden voice, but relaxed when she saw one of the servants wink at her as he set a glass of orange juice next to her plate. "Freshly squeezed in a manner of seconds—the chef nearly had a dancing fit when he saw you come in."
"It has been a while," she agreed.
"Well then, welcome back," he replied, giving her one last grin before heading back into the kitchen. Leafpool blinked after him gratefully before turning back to her food. The head chef had certainly gone out of his way for her, she thought as she poked at the tomato slices on her plate. Sausages, scrambled eggs, tomato slices, jam with bread—all of her breakfast favorites. She giggled as she took another sip of orange juice, tasting the small sugar lumps that didn't melt properly in the beverage. How sweet, she thought fondly, and quite literally as well. It's been a long time since I've had sweetened orange juice.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Leafpool looked up to see Graystripe grinning at her from the doorway. "Did you notice how much dust was collecting on your chair? I swear that the staff wasn't wiping down your chair just to show you how long you haven't eaten with us!" The brunette ran her finger over the edge of her chair and snorted when she saw the layer of dust on her skin. "Of course, I managed to convince them to give it a wipe every two weeks. You should've seen the fight that Squirrely put up against me!" Leafpool giggled and Graystripe pressed a kiss to her temple before sitting down to her left.
"You're looking a bit pale," he murmured softly. "Feeling alright?"
"Sleepy," Leafpool replied, taking another bite of her eggs. She glanced at the clock and raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't expect you to be up this early."
"Early? Leafy, it's already six thirty." Amusement twinkled in his amber eyes. "If anything, this is late for me."
"But father always said you had a hard time waking up in the morning."
"Having kids can change you, Leafy. If my kids wanted me to wake up at four every morning just to say good night, I'd do it in a second." Graystripe smiled gratefully over his shoulder when a servant gently set his dinner before him. "Anyway, it seems that Firestar hasn't changed his habits yet. Lazy aristocrat," he snorted fondly, shaking his head. "Where's Squirrely? She's been keeping me company in these early mornings…"
"She's…frustrated with something," Leafpool replied, suddenly losing her appetite. "I think she went out to relieve some stress." Graystripe cocked an eyebrow at her and she hesitated before spilling out the thoughts that were accumulating in her mind. "Squirrelflight told me that father's been hurting mother lately. I've been so busy that I haven't noticed, and…" she paused before choking out, "I think it's because of Spottedleaf." At her name, Graystripe stiffened visibly and a dark look crossed his face.
"What?" he hissed. His amber eyes blazed with a mixture of shock and anger. "Wh—wha—how—her?" When Leafpool gave him a small nod, he stared down at his plate in disgust. "That's it," he growled, pushing away from the table. "I'm going to have a talk with him." Noticing the worried expression on Leafpool's face, he gave her a quick smile and ruffled her hair. "Just a talk, Leafy. I'll see if I can kn—talk some sense into him." Shaking his head, Graystripe left the dining room and a very anxious Leafpool behind. Starreign help us, she thought helplessly.
When Graystripe promised to talk to Firestar, Leafpool had been expecting the worst. It seemed to come true the next morning, when both men appeared at the dining table roughed up and wary. One of Graystripe's eyes was swollen and black and there was a hard bruise on his cheek. Firestar, on the hand, came to breakfast with a cut lip and bruises on his cheekbone and jaw. Squirrelflight, who walked in for the meal a little later than usual, had stared at both men throughout breakfast, alternating between the two. Sandstorm kept her head down the entire time, nibbling at her food before deciding that she couldn't even pretend to eat. Firestar pointedly ignored his wife the entire time, keeping his eyes firmly planted on his plate.
Graystripe smiled apologetically at Leafpool when he caught her eye and winced when he chewed on his toast. Squirrelflight looked absolutely livid, all but ripping her meal apart with her forks. Gathering up her courage, Leafpool picked up her plate and excused herself. She walked into the kitchen and apologized to the chef for not finishing her meal. When she returned, the anger in her sister's eyes had faded significantly and Squirrelflight gazed at her dazedly. The aura around the redhead seemed to scream defeat. Not yet, Leafpool thought.
She walked over to her mother and pressed a kiss to the older woman's cheek. Sandstorm looked up, startled, and even Firestar tore his eyes away from his plate to see what was happening. "Good morning, mother," Leafpool greeted, a broad smile crossing her face. From the corner of her eye, she saw Squirrelflight and Graystripe glance at each other before calling out their own greeting. Sandstorm looked stunned for a few seconds, but her face quickly split into a tender smile as she gazed at her friend and her two daughters.
Now that she was standing close by, Leafpool felt her heart seize up as she took in her mother's appearance. Sandstorm's cheekbones were sunken in and her eyes seemed glassy. Although the aristocrat continued to hold herself proudly, there was an aura of exhaustion floating around her. There were heavy bags resting underneath the green-eyed woman's eyes and her magnificent auburn hair seemed dull and dry. Feeling guilty for not noticing earlier, Leafpool leaned into her mother, resting her cheek gently against her mother's temple.
"What are you thinking of doing today?" Sandstorm asked, pressing a kiss to her daughter's jaw.
"Mmmm…it's been a while since I've taken a break from my studies," Leafpool mused. "I think I'll work on my art for a little bit." A smile touched the corner of her lips when she saw Squirrelflight's face brighten up. "Thirteen year olds need to have some freedom and relaxation in their lives."
"Of course," Sandstorm snorted, her eyes twinkling with a familiar green spark. "I didn't raise you to be a hermit!" Leafpool laughed and hesitantly threw a glance in her father's direction. Her heart plummeted when she saw the lost, confused expression on his face as he gazed at his wife. He blinked rapidly a few times before leaving the dining room without drawing any attention to himself. However, Leafpool felt the subtle tilt of her mother's head as the auburn-haired woman watched her husband exit the room.
Third Person – Crowfeather
After arriving at the Zephyra manor for a visit, he was quickly greeted by a somber-eyed Brambleclaw, who quickly filled him in on the situation at hand. Supposedly, there was some sort of conflict between the head of the Zephyra house and his wife and their two daughters were sandwiched right in the middle. "It turns out that Graystripe strictly forbid Stormfur and Feathertail from coming over," Brambleclaw told him as the two of them walked into the manor house. "I guess he didn't want to get them involved."
And he didn't bother to keep us out of it as well? Crowfeather raised an eyebrow at Brambleclaw's words, but choice not to voice his thoughts. The Herobexy aristocrat was most likely here for moral support, and Crowfeather couldn't think of a good enough reason to why he shouldn't be supporting Squirrelflight in a time of difficulty. I've seen my parents fight for months, he thought bitterly. I can easily guess how Squirrelflight and Leafpool are holding up. At least they have each other, he thought begrudgingly. Being an only child, he only could depend on himself to stay strong.
Speaking of which, it's been forever since I've seen Leafpool. During his visits in the past five years, he had rarely caught sight of the brunette. On the rare occasions that he did see her, she was always busy with something—talking to a golden-haired girl, lounging around in the library, or grabbing a snack from the kitchen. According to her sister, Leafpool had submerged herself in research and studying in pursuit of her dream to become a doctor. In addition to grueling hours with a mathematics tutor, literature tutor, foreign language tutor, history tutor, and Cinderpelt's science courses, she had to conduct experiments on her own and catalog the results of every dissection she made in copious amounts of detail.
If anything, it sounds as she's just trying to overwork herself. Squirrelflight had admitted that if she were subjected to the same, rigorous course, she would've broken down and run for her life. "If I had even a fraction of Leafpool's persistence," the redhead had mumbled enviously. "Maybe I'd be a much better student." Despite the fact that Leafpool was really dedicated to her dreams of becoming a doctor, Crowfeather couldn't help but feel as if Leafpool was purposely avoiding him. A small piece of him was silently unnerved by her absence.
Everything seemed to be falling down all around him. Squirrelflight was struggling with her family, Leafpool was drowning herself in her studies, Feathertail was beginning to receive marriage proposals, and Tallstar's body grew frailer and frailer with each day. Growing up was supposed to make everything better, Crowfeather thought irritably as he stepped into the main hallway. Glad to know it's doing the exact opposite. Any more of this and I swear I'll end up bald by the end of the day.
Crowfeather flinched when something brushed up against him and he looked up to see Leafpool climbing up the staircase. She's probably going to drown herself in her studies again. I shouldn't bother— "Hey, Leafpool!" —shut up, stupid mouth. Ignore me, Leafpool. Pretend that you didn't hear me. Deep inside, however, he knew that she was too well-mannered not to answer. When Leafpool turned her amber gaze onto him warily, he felt as if he were submerged in a pit of golden lava, the air around him clinging to him like molasses.
"Yes?" She inquired softly. As the two of them continued to stare at each other, the tension between them grew until it was almost unbearable. Just as the brunette turned her head away, Crowfeather found his voice.
"Did you finish the wood carving?" Leafpool blinked at him in surprise before giving him a cautious nod. "Can I see it?" Uncertainty crossed her face, but she gave him another small nod before gesturing to the stairs. Crowfeather followed her eyes before climbing up after her, his mind scrambling to comprehend the situation at hand. He hadn't spoken to her in five years, and suddenly the first thing he asks about is the art piece that he screwed up? I always think of the best things to say, don't I? He asked himself irritably. That earned me a death threat from her five years ago. Why don't I something else and actually have Squirrelflight act on her warning? The silence was unnerving, but he had a feeling that if he spoke first, it would be a long time before Leafpool would ever speak to him again.
"How have you been these last few years?" Crowfeather's head shot up in surprise at Leafpool's hesitant question. She glanced at him shyly, her amber eyes passing on her silent plea for friendship. The blue-eyed boy gazed at her thoughtfully, suddenly noticing the physical differences between the Leafpool he saw before him and the Leafpool he knew five years ago. She had lost a majority of her baby-fat and her honey brown hair spilled across her shoulders like molten copper. Five years can change a person, he thought, taking in her shy smile with one of his own.
"I've been doing fairly well," he replied amicably. A warmth spread through his chest at the delighted gleam in her amber eyes at his response. "I've been learning from Tallstar about politics and I've had to attend quite a few boring social gatherings, but I seem to be a little more agreeable than my father on terms of socializing." Leafpool chuckled and a genuine smile crossed his face. "And you?"
"I've been studying hard," the brunette replied easily, but the haunted look in her eyes informed Crowfeather that she was aware of her family's compromising situation. "I think I'm a bit early in the career planning area, but I know that I want to be a doctor when I'm older." A smile settled on her lips. "Cinderpelt's been giving me a head start with her lessons." Crowfeather blinked when she stopped in front of a door and gently pushed it open. They were already at her room? Leafpool stepped aside and Crowfeather entered the room first, staring in awe at the drawings that decorated the walls. There were sketches of him and his friends at the river, pictures of the servants of the manor, and portraits of Leafpool's family pinned against the wood. Drawings of wildflowers fill the spaces in between and there was a beautiful landscape painted the wall connected to her door.
He turned back to Leafpool, who had been watching him curiously. She flushed when he caught her staring, but didn't turn her face away. The old Leafpool most likely would have, Crowfeather thought. She certainly had come a long way. "It's over here," she said softly, lifting the carving from a stand on her bureau. He ran his fingers over it as she passed it over to him and he reveled at how slick the surface was. Crowfeather was no expert in art, but he knew a well-polished piece when he saw one. After all, his mother always lectured new maids whenever they didn't polish her furniture well.
Two figures sat side by side on a fallen tree trunk, both presenting their backs to Crowfeather. The cat and the crow had their heads inclined to one another, as if discussing something of relative importance. To his amazement, his roughly carved leaf mixed into the piece perfectly, almost bringing a sense of reality in what would've been a picture-perfect fantasy. Leafpool was truly a master artist to be able to integrate his carving so well into the rest of her piece.
"I have to thank you again for the leaf." Crowfeather glanced at Leafpool, who gave him a small smile. "I wasn't sure what I was going to put in place of the jagged line."
"I'm just amazed that it works with the rest of the piece," he replied dazedly. "You really are a professional artist."
"Hardly," Leafpool snorted, crossing her arms. It seemed almost surrealistic to Crowfeather at how relaxed she was. "It was lucky that our work complimented each other. All I did was finish the rest of the piece and everything fitted together in the end."
"It's amazing," Crowfeather informed her, running his fingers over the wood again. Her cheeks reddened slightly at the praise and she looked down at her interlaced hands. He brought his eyes to the rest of the room, taking in the detailed sketches of his friends. Although they were drawn as realistically as possible, there was still a stylized layer to Leafpool's portraits. An idealism of sorts, he thought. "You're amazing." He glanced at Leafpool and saw her face flush in embarrassment and shyness. "Is this everything you've ever worked on?"
"No, I have other sketchbooks," she admitted. "I just took out some of my favorite pieces and pinned them up."
"Can I see the others?" Crowfeather thought he saw a flash of fear and uncertainty that flickered through Leafpool's eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. Either way, her body language told him that she was extremely uncomfortable with sharing her sketchbooks with him. He frowned, suddenly unnerved by the idea that Leafpool needed to hide her drawings. It didn't seem like the brunette to harbor secrets, especially ones that seemed to make her this uncomfortable. But Crowfeather quickly recognized that he was making her extremely nervous and he opened his mouth to reassure her. "It's alright if you don't want to—"
"No, no, it's fine," Leafpool cut him off quickly, walking over to a small section of her bookshelf. "I was just…surprised." She began to reach for one, but pulled back just before she touched its spine. "The ones near the bottom are my older sketches and the ones closer to the top are more my more recently finished books." She gestured toward them and stepped back. "Feel free to look at any one of them.
You were obviously reaching for one toward the top…The thought that she would attempt to pick out a sketchbook for him to see and then give him permission to choose his own only increased Crowfeather's suspicions. She was definitely hiding something…and it had something to do with those sketchbooks. Either way, he plucked a book from the lower shelves and began to flip through it. There were roughly drawn figures and multiple portraits of Squirrelflight making crazy expressions. Suddenly, Leafpool's nervous movements made a little more sense. She probably wanted to save her sister's reputation, he thought, and her own. The sketches before him were beautiful, but weren't nearly as aesthetically pleasing as the pieces posted on her walls. After finishing the book, he slipped it back in its place before taking another from a higher shelf. This time, he noticed Leafpool stiffen slightly.
Choosing to ignore her, Crowfeather flipped to the first page and was met with a beautiful sight. It was a drawing of Feathertail dozing in the parlor, cushioned by pillows and leaning against a window. He could almost picture her sitting before him as his eyes independently filled the colors into the piece. It was breathtaking. Flipping through the next few pages, he saw stunning sketches of Tawnypelt and Cinderpelt, flipping through a cookbook and rummaging through the library, respectively. He was a little hurt when he didn't see any sketches of himself, but quickly brushed off the thought. Why would Leafpool go out of her way to draw him? For all he knew, the two of them were not on good terms—or at least not on friendly ones.
To his surprise, however, the entire last quarter of the sketchbook was filled with his face. Various expressions—indifference, annoyance, anger, exasperation, amusement—everything was recorded on the pages of Leafpool's sketchbook. As he examined his pages more carefully, he felt warmth spread through his chest. In Leafpool's eyes, he was beautiful and mysterious. It warmed his heart to know that she thought so highly of him—or at least, that was what he could gather from the attentiveness of the sketches.
A part of him argued that he should feel slightly unnerved by how detailed and accurate the drawings were, but he quickly pushed that small voice aside. These pieces were too beautiful to be seen as antagonistic. When he reached the last page of the sketchbook, he felt fulfilled and cared for. Closing it gently, he looked over at Leafpool. The brunette had averted her eyes and wrung her hands nervously as he examined her drawings. She probably thought that he was angry at her for drawing him and the others. "Thank you," he whispered. Her head shot up in surprise and she stared at him for a few moments before tearing her eyes away.
"I'm sorry for drawing all of you without asking first," she blurted out, her cheeks turning crimson. Crowfeather furrowed his eyebrows at her words—why did she feel obligated to apologize for something so beautiful? "You all were great models and I just…"
"Don't apologize, Leafpool." Her eyes flickered back to his in uncertainty. He gave her a half-hearted smirk as he gently returned the sketchbook to its spot. "I've always seen you as someone who didn't really care too much about the others and I—which is completely understandable since you probably don't see us as friends—and someone who just tagged along for the heck of it, but…" he trailed off, realizing just how rude he was being to the girl who drew him as if he were a deity. "What I want to say is thank you. You make us all look so…beautiful."
Leafpool gazed at him with an unreadable emotion on her face. "It's not hard to draw people who are beautiful," she murmured softly. Crowfeather started at her words and she turned her face away from him. "Feel free to look through the others," she said calmly. "I have to talk to Cinderpelt for a little bit." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "If it's not too much trouble," she mumbled, "please close the door when you're done." With that, she slipped out of the room, leaving a speechless Crowfeather to stare after her.
Third Person – Leafpool
Leafpool's cheeks blazed as she walked briskly away from her room and climbed the stairs to reach the third floor of the manor house. I can't believe I said that to him, she wailed inwardly. I made myself sound like a freak. Despite her thoughts, Leafpool felt herself slowing down and she couldn't resist glancing behind her. The way that Crowfeather had looked at her after he was finished with her sketchbook…
Immediately, Leafpool's skin prickled and burned, as if there were thousands of fire ants marching all over her body. Shivering, she quickly made her way to Cinderpelt's door. A small, bitter part of herself had laughed and shook its head when it saw how long Crowfeather had lingered on the first page of her sketchbook. Of course he stared at Feathertail, it had scorned, crossing its arms. He's obsessed with her. When he looked through the other pages, Leafpool had felt increasingly uncomfortable as he got close to the sketches she had drawn of him. And who knew he would pick the sketchbook with the most drawings of him?
She had planned on picking a book to show him herself, but she quickly found herself trapped in a predicament. Her sketches toward the bottom of the shelf were amateur and crude to her own eyes and the sketchbooks at the top held copious sketches of Crowfeather's face. Toward the middle, there was more of a balance, but they contained mainly sketches of wildlife and plants. There was no "right" book to show Crowfeather without embarrassing herself in the process.
Leafpool stared at Cinderpelt's door before leaning against it in defeat. Why was she even here? She had lied about needing to talk to her mentor—she just had to get out of her room after her embarrassing confession. It would've been too rude and suspicious if she had thrown Crowfeather out and it would've been awkward if the two of them continued to stand there and stare at each other. If she walked out, she needed an excuse or else their next meeting would be even more uncomfortable. Squirrelflight had popped up in her head first, but seeing as how the redhead had a knack for getting tangled in other people's relationships and conflicts, she would undoubtedly get curious and bother Leafpool to no end about it.
Did I just call it a relationship? Heat rushed to her face and she brought her weight down even more on Cinderpelt's door. Calling it a relationship implied that they were romantically involved…although relationships referred to a lot more than romance. Either way, the thought of being with Crowfeather in that way…the pit of her stomach burned uncomfortably.
Cinderpelt was the first safe person that popped up in her head. The gray-haired woman and Crowfeather were practically strangers, so she could depend on the fact that he wouldn't go out of his way to seek out her mentor. But now that she was here, in front of Cinderpelt's room, she wasn't sure when Crowfeather would actually leave hers. She could've stared down the railing and waited until he started descending the staircase, but there was a large chance that he would've noticed her and that would only make her feel even more uncomfortable. And I can't just walk downstairs and see him there, she thought in frustration. What would I say? "Oh hey, Crowfeather, turns out Cinderpelt wasn't in her room and…"
What were the chances of Cinderpelt not being in her room? Or the chances that Crowfeather would see her when he passed the library? Leafpool fell into a crouch, holding her head in her hands as she let out a helpless whimper. She was overreacting. Most definitely overreacting. Get a hold of yourself, Leafpool, she growled angrily, toughen up. Get your act together. Think of a stupid question to ask Cinderpelt but not too stupid because then she'll think something is wrong. Ask her about upcoming dissections. Ask her about medicine. Steeling herself, Leafpool stood and let out a puff of air. Here goes nothing, she thought, rapping on Cinderpelt's door.
She waited a few moments before trying again, this time calling out a hesitant, "Cinderpelt?" Pressing her ear to the door, Leafpool frowned when she couldn't hear any snoring or signs of sleep. Oh for Starreign's sake—
It seemed like today was one of those rare days when Cinderpelt wasn't in her room.
A/n: Haha, this is probably the first time that I've ever ended a chapter with humor. If you guys haven't noticed, I'm not the funniest person out there...
...I'm horrible at telling jokes.
Anyway, this chapter is drastically different from its original. I was reading it over yesterday and I couldn't believe how...ridiculously the chapter had started. I nearly slammed my head into the wall at how horrible it was. Anyway, in this chapter, I started it with Squirrelflight's PoV (one of the very few times that anything is written from a perspective that isn't from Leafpool's or Crowfeather's) when the original actually had Leafpool opening up the chapter. I've also added a lot more depth into Squirrelflight's character...she was just there in my original chapters...
Anyway, I've also cut out a lot of repetitive "I love your father" crap from Leafpool's dream with Spottedleaf and I decided that Leafpool was just getting too much like a Mary Sue character with her amazing artistic skills and pursuit of medicine and being a talented fighter. As a form of compromise, Leafpool never takes part in the self-defense lessons that Squirrelflight has with her parents, I've cut out the characters that acted as fighting teachers, and Leafpool will just have to defend herself with her knowledge of the human body. I also took out an angsty scene toward the very end of the chapter where Crowfeather has this ridiculous "you should draw a book full Feathertail for me" moment and Leafpool inwardly cries "why you no love me?"
...okay. I've also changed Crowfeather's character a little bit from his original "outcome". He's not nearly as blinded by love his love for Feathertail and to this point, he's not even sure if what he feels for Feathertail is love. He just knows that he wants to have her attention on him and that he thinks she's beautiful.
Anyway, it looks like I'm not doing a good job keeping to a "small A/n" because I do want to point out the things I did change. Sorry about that, everyone!
Please read & review! Your opinions and thoughts are all very important to me!
