Uh-oh... looks like our protagonist has been found out! But by who?
"Come here often?"
Redwhisker's blood froze as he heard the voice behind him. Drat my poor sense of smell! His thoughts were true, he had a bad scenting ability, and thus another warrior was able to approach him without the dark red tom noticing. Redwhisker decided to try and turn around, as well as avoid any unnecessary fighting with the warrior who had found him. Slowly, he turned around, his shoulders slouched in a non-threatening manner.
Whitestar looked at Redwhisker with a confused but casual look. Redwhisker's jaw went slack as he realized that the leader of Streamclan had caught him on his territory, and his already iced veins seemed to shatter. Whitestar merely padded up to the shore and sat on his haunches, licking his paw and smoothing back his head fur. He looked to his side at the red tom, and in a tone with a hint of sarcasm, he asked, "Well? Do you talk?"
"I-I'm so sorry for disturbing Streamclan territory, Whitestar! I'll take whatever punishment you see fit for trespassing on you- I mean, your clan!" Redwhisker's loud wobbly voice begged forgiveness, but it was met rather coolly.
"Don't talk so loud," Whitestar said, his tiredness clear in his tone, "You might scare the fish. But you're not disturbing the territory. And you're most certainly not disturbing me. In fact, why don't you stay a while?"
Redwhisker's shock was apparent. Did the leader of Streamclan just give me the clear to chill in his territory? He opened his mouth to say something, but ended up simply staring at Whitestar, a tightness in his throat stopping him from speaking.
Redwhisker's vision focused on Whitestar, the tall white Streamclan leader. He had put his paw down, and was silently staring out at the glimmering lake. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and Whitestar's smooth fur seemed to glow under the combined moon and starlight. Whitestar has really nice fur. I've never seen him this close, and now he's only a tail-length away from me. And he's tall, not big like Greenclan cats, but… maybe if his fur was fluffy and messier, he'd resemble Lionstar's mass.
After what seemed like forever in a comfortable silence, Redwhisker asked slowly, "So, ah, Whitestar. I mean no disrespect, but what's a clan leader doing out this late?"
"Your curiosity is fair, Greenclanner. To be truthful, I don't know how I found my paws at these shores. Perhaps I was seeking an answer from Starclan," he pondered to himself. He turned his head, staring Redwhisker straight in the eyes. His eyes, smoky yellow as they were, seemed to be clear and without obscurity.
Those eyes are smiling at me, Redwhisker thought, completely getting over his shock at meeting the leader alone. After a moment of hesitation, the dark red cat's shiny green eyes picked up a faint aura from Whitestar. Where his sense of smell was inconsistent, Redwhisker had keen eyes, and was an avid reader of body language. Looking past the aura of leadership he had originally seen from the white cat, he saw the same tiredness, slightly drooping long ears, a weary curl in his lip, and an unkempt tail, a sign that he had been dragging it around.
"Whitestar," he started, making a risky move. He'd attempt to talk to the leader like he would with any other warrior, there was something clearly off about Whitestar. "Why are you really here?"
The Streamclan leader's whiskers twitched in surprise as he heard the informal tone in Redwhisker's voice. There was a short period of silence before Whitestar bowed his head shamefully, murmuring in a low voice, "I'm a selfish cat."
Redwhisker shifted closer to the slightly distraught leader, laying his tail on his shoulder sympathetically.
Whitestar looked out at the sparkling lake with old pain in his eyes. He breathed, "I came out to the lake to see how deep the water goes, how many of my lives would it claim. And perhaps Starclan would let it all happen, knowing they chose the wrong cat to lead the clan."
Redwhisker figured out immediately what Whitestar was implying about what he would've done, and took on a look of horror. "B-But…" He stammered, trying to comprehend why a leader would want to take their lives. "But you're still youthful! And the clans are more peaceful than ever, it's Greenleaf, and you've got cats who care for you!"
Whitestar only sighed grimly, and replied, "I miss being a warrior. Perhaps I miss it too much. Being leader changed everything. When I first stepped into the leader's den, it was terribly lonely. I was no longer sleeping close with my friends, and no cat would come visit me. And soon enough, my friends began distancing themselves from me. I was their leader, and a good one at that. But that meant I never got to be the playful cat I once was."
Redwhisker sat, listening to Whitestar's sad story. I don't think I could imagine being in his paws, seeing my friends edge away from me in my position as leader. He stayed silent, letting the tall white cat gather his thoughts.
"I'd train them, the way we used to train together as warriors. But there wouldn't ever be laughing or playing around like we had done moons before. It hurt me, seeing them like that to me," Whitestar said, standing up on all fours, briefly shaking his pelt. He stepped forward briefly, approaching the wet sand. "I suppose if a leader can only lead and fight well, but not maintain friendships and love throughout his days, he isn't suited to be a leader at all."
"Don't be like that, Whitestar," Redwhisker mewed, stretching out his emotions and trying his best to console the white cat. His gaze then picked up on where the leader was standing, the light tide lapping at his paws. "Also, come back over here."
Whitestar looked over his shoulder, a sad smile on his face. "Thanks Greenclanner. You're the first cat in moons who's talked to me like a normal cat. It was nice having one last decent conversation." With that, Whitestar plodded slowly into the shallow sandy water.
Redwhisker felt a sudden surge of energy enveloping his limbs. He had never been excellent at tackling or pouncing in his battle training, but the sudden rush of energy seemed to give him enough of a boost as he pelted forward. Whitestar turned his head back at the noise of Redwhisker, only to see the smaller cat flying through the air in a huge pounce at himself. The Streamclan leader had no time to react as the dark red cat bowled him over. Thankfully, they were still in a somewhat shallow area.
Whitestar looked mildly dazed from the powerful tackle the smaller cat had performed on him, then shook his head as he gazed upward. He was on his back in the shallow water, the lake up to his belly fur. Redwhisker was above him, pinning him down despite his size, which was a minor surprise to both of them. The dark red cat's face was plastered with a look of ridiculous determination and fear, and he leaned closer, solemnly saying, "I will be your mentor. And I will teach you how to be friends with other cats again. But you can't come back to the lake and try to take your lives."
The Streamclan leader narrowed his eyes, sighing, "That's awfully kind of you, Redwhisker. Why?"
"Because I know how cats feel," he answered promptly. "Because of my size, I was forever the odd cat out in training, no one wanted to be with me. I thought it would be the end of the world, until I noticed one tom, Lionstar who was Lionpaw at the time, who looked at me like any other cat. He didn't care that he was a senior apprentice and wanted to be friends with the one cat who was excluded by everyone else. He saw me for who I was, and I saw him for who he was. No boundaries of respect or hierarchy. And now you need to keep looking at cats like they are your friends, not your subjects."
Whitestar listened quietly, with neutral eyes. After a pause, he commented, "It looks like we've both been through roughness in life."
"Yes," Redwhisker nodded, "We have. I need you to know something, Whitestar. You'll be happier joining Starclan long from now with peace on your conscious brought on my returning to your old friends than you will be dying this moment, and living out the rest of time in the stars, sad, alone, and without peace."
"You speak like a leader."
Redwhisker whipped his head around at the ominous voice that seemed to be coming from behind him, but there wasn't another cat in sight.
"You speak like a leader," Whitestar spoke, sending chills down Redwhisker's spine. "You've changed my mind, Greenclanner. I think I would be pleased if you taught me to 'be a warrior' again. And you have my word, I will not try to drown myself again. Now, would you please get off me?"
Redwhisker noticed at that moment how close up against Whitestar he was, the toms were pressed up against each other belly to belly and their noses were almost touching. Redwhisker hopped off the Streamclan leader in embarrassment, his body heating up. "W-We should meet here again," he said without thinking.
Whitestar's dismal energy seemed to fade at the dark red tom's words, and he got to his feet, striding out of the water. "I'd like that," he responded, taking to the shore and shaking himself off. Redwhisker followed suit as he suggested, "How about at half moon? And perhaps that event at new moon."
"Sounds like a plan. The new moon night will be a good time to make new friends, and be equal to others," Redwhisker added insightfully. He looked up at the moon, and seeing it had shifted significantly from when he was at the gathering, he hurriedly said, "I've got to go before someone notices I'm missing."
The dark red tom brushed up against Whitestar briefly, then turned and began trotting off, up the shore towards Greenclan territory. "Wait," Whitestar said suddenly, calling out after the retreating red tom.
Redwhisker halted in his tracks, stiffening slightly from the white tom's tone. He eased up after a moment, turned around, and asked, "Yes?"
Whitestar called out again, "You know I'm Whitestar. But who are you? I'm getting tired of calling you Greenclanner"
Redwhisker immediately felt embarrassed that he hadn't told Whitestar his name. He shook off the mild frustration, and answered, "Redwhisker, my name's Redwhisker."
"Cute name for a cute tom," Whitestar said slyly, then dashed off before Redwhisker could get in a response. Not that he was able to, for the last few words from the Streamclan leader seemed to leave him speechless.
Redwhisker trotted away, his head spinning. The leader of Streamclan thinks I'm cute? That's crazy… I'd better get back quick to catch a few winks before morning comes, he thought, and scampered off through the Mooreclan shore and into his territory. Through the time he took to get back to camp, Redwhisker had never felt lighter on his feet.
Introducing: Whitestar! What kind of relationship will pan out with these two? Leave your thoughts in the review section, it really helps me out!
