Chapter 3
"Are you even listening?" Hawkfrost turned a disinterested stare on his sister, who rolled her eyes. "Of course not. These days you don't even pay attention to what Leopardstar is saying to you. Honestly Hawkfrost, if you keep acting like this the entire Clan is going to figure out that you're mooning over some she-cat or another, and then what are you going to do?"
The dark tabby warrior watched a leaf tumbling in the breeze, immediately tuning Mothwing out again. Leafpool had seemed so exhausted when they last met that he told her they shouldn't meet again until the next Gathering. Now he was beginning to realize what a mistake that had been. He couldn't keep the pretty medicine cat out of his mind.
"And you're gone again. Great. Hawkfrost."
The RiverClan warrior narrowed his eyes at the golden tabby before him. "What, Mothwing? You've told me all of this before—I've got the entire speech memorized."
Mothwing's fur began to bristle, and with a soft hiss, she cuffed him heavily over the ear. "Then why won't you listen?"
"Because I love her," Hawkfrost muttered. "It's not something I can explain, Mothwing, I just can't stop seeing her."
The pretty golden tabby sighed. "I just can't help but to feel that it isn't going to end well—for either of you... Not if Leopardstar or Firestar find out."
"Then I'll make sure they don't find out." Hawkfrost sank his claws into the ground. "I will not stop seeing her," he growled. "If we have to leave the Clans then so be it."
Another sigh escaped Mothwing's lips. "You won't actually leave," she murmured. "Hasn't Leafpool already told you that she could never leave her Clan?"
Hawkfrost didn't answer, his tail lashing as he stood and stalked away. I won't stop seeing her, he reiterated silently. I can't...
"Hawkfrost, where are you off to?"
The dark tabby didn't even spare Mistyfoot a glance as he passed her, only flattening his ears and growling, "Hunting," before shouldering his way through the reeds that made the entrance of RiverClan's camp. It wasn't until he was almost at the edge of the lake that Hawkfrost began to calm down, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a heavy sigh as he sat by the water. Mothwing wasn't wrong. He had mentioned running away to Leafpool once before, and it ended much the way he had expected it to.
But there has to be something... He slid his wide front paws forward, lying on his stomach and resting his chin on his paws as he gazed into the water, lost in thought as he remembered that day.
Hawkfrost watched silently from his perch as Leafpool slipped through the undergrowth beneath him, stopping nearly directly under tree he had climbed and hiding in a thick juniper berry bush. She waited for a moment, and Hawkfrost knew that she was looking for him. He knew that she had caught his scent already, but the dark brown tabby couldn't help but the let her try to find him on her own for a few moments, his whiskers twitching in amusement.
"Hawkfrost...?" She finally called softly, her voice layered with uncertainty.
"I'm here," he mewed, tilting his head as she started and whirled around, glaring at him with those warm amber eyes of hers. He jumped down, landing heavily in front of the pretty tabby and touching his nose to hers. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he murmured, though he was unable to keep the laughter from his voice. "But I didn't want any ShadowClan cats to see me, so I thought hiding on the ThunderClan side of the border might be easier."
Leafpool sighed, shaking her head instead of answering and pressing close to the dark warrior. Hawkfrost felt his defenses melting as their pelts brushed, and he let the softest of purrs escape his throat. "I've missed you," he murmured.
"I've missed you, too," Leafpool whispered.
Hawkfrost sank his claws into the soft forest moss beneath his paws, feeling a helpless frustration bubbling in his chest. "It's just not fair," he finally spat, turning a frosty glare on the now-shredded moss. "I hardly get to see you, and when we're apart you're all that I can think about.. Just yesterday I let a huge rabbit run right across WindClan's border because all I had on my mind was the next time I could see you..."
"I've been having the same problem," Leafpool admitted. "Cinderpelt's been cross with me for days over how distracted I've been... I just can't focus..."
Hawkfrost shook his head, before pressing his muzzle against Leafpool's. "There's got to be a way to see you more often," he muttered.
"I wish there was," Leafpool sighed, her voice thick with melancholy.
"What if there was?" Hawkfrost stepped away suddenly, his eyes flashing. Would she agree...? Is this the answer we've been searching for...?
The lithe brown tabby looked confused, tilted her head at the dark warrior. "What.. do you mean?"
"I mean," Hawkfrost growled, his eyes filling with hope. "We could run away."
"Run away?" Leafpool's startled meow cracked, as if she were still kit.
Hawkfrost wrapped himself around her, taking note of the tremble in her snow white paws. "Yes," he insisted. "Can't you see, Leafpool? We'll never truly be together like this... We'll just keep catching glances of each other and stealing away moments together until the pain of being apart so often is too much to bear." He lashed his tail, his icy eyes burning with passion. "But if we could just get away from everything—if we could find a new home, without Clan boundaries.."
His voice trailed off as Leafpool stepped away, shaking her head. "Hawkfrost, do you even hear yourself?" Her meow was no more than a strained whisper, her eyes wide and darkened by fear and uncertainty. "We couldn't just leave... Our Clans need us..."
"I know it's a scary thought," the dark warrior touched his tail-tip to her shoulder, but the medicine cat shrugged his gesture away. "Leafpool..."
"I can't," she finally choked out. "Every cat knows that you're going to be RiverClan's leader someday, and I'm a medicine cat..."
Fox-dung! Hawkfrost sank his claws into the already torn earth. I'm scaring her away... "I know," he murmured, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Leafpool... I shouldn't have brought it up." He took a cautious step towards her, relief flooding his paws when she didn't shy away. "I know you couldn't leave your Clan right now... But I won't give up on seeing you."
The pretty she-cat let out a shaky purr of amusement. "Mouse-brain," she teased. "Just because I can't leave my Clan doesn't mean I'm going to stop seeing you." She pressed herself against him, and Hawkfrost entwined their tails. Leafpool... You don't understand... When I fell in love with you, you became my first priority... Leading RiverClan would be meaningless without you by my side, can't you see that...?
"It's past moonhigh," Leafpool sighed. "We should get going..."
"You're right..." Still, the dark brown tabby hesitated, keeping her as close as he could for as long as he could. "When can I see you again?" He reluctantly pried himself away, his paws growing heavier with every step he took away from her.
Leafpool stretched forward, touching her nose to his in a gentle farewell. "How about tomorrow, same time, same place?"
"I'll be here," Hawkfrost promised, waiting until the medicine cat had nodded and slipped away into ThunderClan's territory before turning towards his own home, padding slowly back around the lake. You may not realize it now, but it's the only answer, Leafpool...
She has to see it now... Hawkfrost stood stiffly, shaking the memory from his head. It's been two moons since I suggested it the first time, and we've gone from meeting up every few days to seeing each other nearly every night, and it's still not enough. Glancing up at the sun, the dark warrior realized that he needed to finish his hunting trip soon to make it back to camp in time for the evening patrol he was due to lead. As distracted as he was by his thoughts, it was only by the mercy of StarClan that he managed to catch a couple of fish before returning.
"Hawkfrost!" The dark tabby was met by Heavystep's eager apprentice as he entered the camp. "Are we leaving soon? Heavystep told me that we could go as soon as we got back."
Hawkfrost felt his whiskers twitch in amusement. "Yes," he chuckled, depositing his fish in the fresh-kill pile. "Where's Heavystep?"
"Here," the older tabby warrior joined them at the fresh-kill pile.
"Good, let's go then." Without another word, Hawkfrost turned and let the way back out of camp. "We'll go down the ShadowClan border."
The Gathering will be soon... His ice blue eyes sought out the moon as they trudged along the ShadowClan border. Leafpool... Maybe by then you'll understand...
Hey guys! Thanks for reading! I'm not sure if it was confusing, but I thought I should maybe mention that the present time is at the lake. I didn't feel like recounting the whole great journey through Hawkfrost and Leafpool's point of view, so I'll be telling the story of how they fell in love and starting seeing each other in flash-backs throughout this entire story, so I apologize if the former is what you were hoping for... Anyways, I hope you're enjoying it. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks again!
