Chapter 16
Do I really mean nothing to him? But I thought… no, Honeywing. You two could never be. Besides, you don't like him. You're friends and that's that. But… I wish he thought of me as at least someone… a friend that he cares deeply about. What am I saying, why do I even care? You don't like him! Honeywing thought to herself. She was looking down and wasn't paying attention where she was going and suddenly collapsed. She looked behind her and saw that she had tripped over a large root of a tree. She sighed and stood.
"Need any help?" asked a large gray tom.
Honeywing looked up to see Rainstorm. "Hello," she mewed, quickly standing up and quickly giving her fur a groom. "I'm okay," she told him.
"Where's Lionpaw?" Rainstorm asked.
Honeywing looked away. "He's back at camp," she said quietly.
"Are you okay? Did he… do anything?" Rainstorm quarried.
Honeywing shook her head. "No," she mewed. "And again, I'm okay," she told him. "I just needed to get out a camp for a while… you know, take a walk," she mewed. She saw Rainstorm nod. "I'll see you later then," she meowed.
He nodded and she walked deeper into the forest. She scented the air and smelled squirrel. It had been a while since she had been hunting. She stalked the squirrel and a couple minuets later, she had brought it down. She buried it and then later brought down two starlings and a vole. Sighing, she walked over to a small pond and looked inside. She stared at her reflection.
I wonder what's wrong with me, Honeywing thought. I'm not… ugly am I? I know I shouldn't even care, but… Her thoughts trailed off as she turned and saw Lionpaw standing there.
"Hey, Honeywing," he mewed. A while after talking with Cinderheart, he decided he needed to go and find her to tell her that he was really sorry.
"Hey," she mewed. She looked back into the pond and tilted her head to one side. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not looking at him.
"Honeywing, I need you to know, I didn't mean what I said back there with Jaypaw," he mewed, coming up beside her. He saw her look at him with a look that was challenging and kind of angry, but filled with amusement.
"No," she murmured. "I know you weren't joking," she said, laughing a little, but it came out filled with emotion and a little hurt.
"Honeywing, I swear I didn't mean it. Jaypaw was telling me that he thought that I liked you… more than a friend. I just wanted him off my case so I told him things that I didn't really mean. I mean, I didn't mean to say those things, but they just came out," he said. He saw her give a small laugh and shake her head, saying that she didn't believe him.
"Honeywing, you're smart, you're kind, you're beautiful," he said. He suddenly froze. He didn't mean for it to come out like that. Honeywing froze too.
He could tell they were both uneasy. But he could hear a tiny purr escape from her throat. He looked down at his paws, obviously embarrassed.
"I just… wanted you to know that you're my best friend and I wouldn't change you for anything. You mean a lot to me," he meowed, his voice trembling. He felt something stir inside him. He felt something… the thing that he had felt when they had discovered the prophecy and when he had pressed against her.
"Thanks," he heard her mew quietly. She looked up at him. "But… why would Jaypaw think that… you and me…" she trailed off.
Lionpaw shook his head. "I don't know, but I know that we're just friends. I mean… it would be too weird if we were anything more," he meowed, laughing kind of uneasily. He saw her nod.
He gulped. Why do I feel so… so… weird? Lionpaw thought to himself.
There was silence between them for a long time…
He thinks I'm beautiful, and smart and kind. Why do I feel so weird? I can't be falling in love with Lionpaw. Like he said, it would be too weird. I still can't believe he thinks I'm beautiful. Oh no, please StarClan, don't let me fall in love with him… Honeywing thought to herself.
"What are you thinking about?" Lionpaw asked.
"What? Oh, nothing," she said. Whew, that was close! She thought to herself.
Great StarClan, I can't believe how stupid I sounded! Why did I tell her she was beautiful? That probably made her feel so weird… but, she is pretty. I can't believe I just realized that now. Wait, stop it! Lionpaw, get a grip! He told himself.
"Why did you run out of camp?" he asked Honeywing suddenly.
Honeywing looked at him. "Well, I just needed a walk," she mewed to him. "I ran into Rainstorm, so he gave me some company for a little while," she said.
Lionpaw looked away. Why does she like Rainstorm so much? He thought. He shook his head and said, "He's… really mysterious. Do you think we should trust him?" Lionpaw asked her. He saw her give him another pleading look.
"Lionpaw, please. Just trust me, he's a good cat. I can feel it. He can help us understand the prophecy," she told him.
"I just don't want him to hurt anyone, particularly you because you're the only other cat that knows about the prophecy," he meowed.
"I can take care of myself, thanks," she mewed, cuffing his ear with a sheathed paw. "And don't worry about it," she told him.
Lionpaw suddenly remembered about the Moonpool. "We can't go to the Moonpool tomorrow night," he told Honeywing.
"Why not?" she asked him, tilting her head to one side.
"Because Jaypaw and Leafpool are heading up there the same time we're supposed to be going there," he told her. "Jaypaw says he's going to receive his medicine cat name," he said to her.
"That's great," she mewed, happy for his brother.
"Yeah, but how are we going to get to the Moonpool?" he asked her.
"We could follow them," she said. "And when they leave, we could go into to the pool that way, if any cat catches us, we can say that we're with Leafpool and Jaypaw," she mewed.
"Great idea," Lionpaw meowed to her, giving her ears a friendly lick.
She looked at him as though he were stupid not to think of any. "Anyone could have thought of that," she mewed.
"Have you been thinking of Heathertail too much?" she said teasingly.
Lionpaw suddenly remembered that he was supposed to meet Heathertail the other night. He gasped. "I was supposed to meet her yesterday," he meowed. "Oh no, she probably hates me now," he murmured, looking down in frustration.
"How can you feel bad about not seeing her? You're not even supposed to be seeing her," Honeywing reminded him. Her eyes were filled with concern and a warning.
"I know, but… I have to go to the border," Lionpaw told Honeywing.
"But-" she broke off as Lionpaw dashed off into the forest. She sighed and padded after him, but really in a hurry, but just to make sure he wasn't to be caught.