Two in a day! Here's another treat! XD


Chapter 11: Sparrow

After speaking to Gold, Sparrow went out in search of that odd tom. He'd helped her, and she needed to know why. Goldenfur would be fine for the time being, she knew, because she made sure he was stable before she left, even though the gray tom had told her not to help him. That in itself was definitely a mystery worth solving.

I wonder if he knew because he's an alien! Sparrow thought as she peered around the cavern, looking for the queer cat of interest. Or maybe Mister Chunky Squirrel told him I'm a medicine cat apprentice! OOOH! Mister Chunky Squirrel is always so fun! He tastes good too…. She licked her lips as she thought this, remembering how she hadn't eaten in a while, but her thoughts were cut short as a gray form was shoved out of the dark tunnel that Goldenfur had come out of.

"And stay out, you she-cat lover! You're weaker than a mouse!" a voice yowled, and Sparrow identified it as Zadimus'.

I wonder why he's saying such mean things. Oh well! I forgive him! He doesn't really mean it!

She bounced over to the gray and white tom as he left the area, humming a, "La la la la," as she did so. "Hello!" she mewed from behind him, causing him to start in surprise and whirl around with wide auburn eyes.

"Great Scourge! You scared the blood-meat out of me!" he exclaimed, licking his chest in embarrassment as he regained his composure.

Sparrow cocked her head to the side, green eyes twinkling. "Why? Am I scary? Did I sound like a thunderpath monster? OOOOH! DID I SOUND LIKE AN ALIEN?"

She watched as he tried to contain his rising emotions, but the laughter bubbled over and he was soon chuckling.

"N—no," he coughed out through the fit, breathing heavily to catch his breath—Sparrowpaw noticed his side was bruised and he was favoring his right paw—as the laughter subsided, "You just surprised me, is all."

"I'm surprising," the petite spotted she-cat asked with wide, adorable eyes.

He smiled at her and nodded deeply. "Yes. I didn't hear you behind me."

"Why did you tell me not to heal Goldenfur?"

Her sudden question obviously caught him off guard—she had already asked him a million questions in her mind, so it seemed perfectly normal to her—and he did a double-take. "B—because they would hurt you if you did, Bloodclan. They don't like helping, or kindness, or happiness. It's eat or be eaten, survive or die, only the strongest genes are passed on."

"Well that's weird," Sparrow mewed, sitting down. She had to look straight up to see his face now. "Why do they do that?"

"Well … um … because," he paused again, sitting down and then reaching a paw up to scratch his fur-tipped ear, "It's just the way we've always done it."

"Hmm….." Sparrow considered this and then said brightly, "Okay!"

He smiled at her, his face lighting up as happiness pushed through the wall of blue gloom. "Thank you," he mewed softly.

"Why?"

"You showed me some joy in this life." He gave her a sad smile and got to his paws. "Be careful. You can't trust these cats," he informed her, and then he was gone.

Sparrow remained sitting, her mind—for the first time—struggling to grasp a concept.


Chapter 10: Goldenfur

Goldenfur ached. Every part of his body felt like it was on fire, and his muscles screamed in protest when he tried to move. It was agony … but it was worth it.

"Are you feeling okay?" Greyleaf's worried voice floated softly into his ears, and he smiled in response, opening his blue eyes to look at her beautiful face.

"Yeah," he replied, trying to be strong, "They're only flesh wounds; I'll be fine."

She didn't look too convinced, and he knew she was feeling unhelpful and unneeded. It pained him to see her unhappy, so he cringed a little and said, "Though they do sting a little, and this blood in my fur is driving me nuts."

"I can fix that!" she offered immediately, darting closer to lick the wounds clean.

Goldenfur sighed in relief as the densely caked clots in his fur were slowly and carefully removed by her gentle tongue, and he was secretly glad that he'd been beaten so badly—anything to get Greyleaf's love and attention. She seemed so worried nowadays, even though her condition had gotten better since they left the clans; he was glad that his momentary problem was getting her mind off of things. Well, that and it gave him time to be with her. Alone. Without that fox-hearted Pinestar around.

Just when Goldenfur thought the tom was okay, he'd gone and turned on them, and for what? Some power! It was ridiculous! Why would anyone give up Greyleaf and her kits for—for this!? With every passing moment, Goldenfur's hatred for the dark brown tom grew. If he even dared come near Greyleaf, Goldenfur would give him the thrashing of his life!

As if sensing his anger and tenseness, Greyleaf asked, "Goldenfur, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he murmured, shoving away his fury. All it would do was ruin his time with Greyleaf.

She settled down beside him, her silvery grey pelt against his. "You're thinking about Pinestar, aren't you." It was more of a statement that a question.

His head whipped up to look at her—pain sprung up because of the movement, but what was done was done—incredulousness in his eyes. "How did you—"

She sighed, cutting him off, and mewed, "We're in here because of him, aren't we?"

Goldenfur bit back a quick response. This topic was thin ice. One wrong move, and she might fall to pieces again. He didn't trust himself to say the right thing, so he just nodded instead.

Greyleaf closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Then is it bad that I still love him."

Ouch, Goldenfur thought, cringing inside, friend zone. "I—I," he said before he paused, trying to think of what to say that wouldn't change her mind about anything one way or the other. That was her choice, not his. "I really don't know."

She laid her head down on her lighter grey paws with a sigh. "Neither do I. I don't know anything anymore."

Desperate to console her, knowing the promises he was about to make were probably not going to come true, he mewed, "That's not true. You know lots of things."

"Like what?" She didn't open her eyes.

"Like …. Like that Goldenpaw is as stubborn as a badger, and that Sparrowpaw is as sweet as honey, and that the Gathering happens on full moons and that—"

"Goldenfur, just stop," she said, her ears down, "That was back home, not here. Everything's different."

"Maybe," he meowed quietly, "But not us. Have hope, we'll find a way out of this, I promise."

She gave him a small smile and nuzzled her head into his neck. "Have I ever told you how much I love that optimism of yours?"

Goldenfur felt his heart skip a beat and a warm feeling flow through him. "No," he answered, "But I'd like to hear more of it."

She laughed against him, pulling away with brighter eyes and a more hopeful countenance. "Then keep it up, Goldenfur. Be the sun."


Awww! Now there's a sweet Greyleaf and Goldenfur moment!

Question Of The Day: What do you think Greyleaf was referencing to when she told Goldenfur to "Be the sun." ?