Chapter 8

"So… where have you been all night?"

Leafpool had padded into her den, tired, worn and upset from her night with Crowfeather to find Squirrelflight. Her emerald eyes were flashing and her dark ginger pelt bristled—thought Leafpool couldn't tell whether if it was from anger, annoyance or worry.

"Why are you here?" she managed to mumble at last, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Brambleclaw's face was bleeding again. He asked me to go get you and I did—only to find you not here!" Her green eyes narrowed." I answered you question, so now answer mine—where were you tonight?"

"I don't have to tell you!" she spat at her sister, amber eyes smouldering in the pale light of dawn.

Squirrelflight's face was surprisingly calm, "Yes you do," she replied, her voice carefully neutral.

Leafpool broke down and let out a desperate wail, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Oh, then what were you doing right?" Squirrelflight meowed letting her anger and suspicion show. "Meeting Crowfeather?"

"Yes," Leafpool didn't bother protesting, Squirrelflight was just too persistent. "But he came to me! He said he wanted to see me—needed to see me! How could I say no?"

"Do you need to see him?"

Leafpool was silent. Do I?

"Yes," she replied, almost to herself. "Yes, I do."

Squirrelflight's eyes burned into Leafpool's, making her shrink away with fright while her pelt began to tingle with unease. "And do you know who you're all betraying by doing this?" Squirrelflight hissed, cornering Leafpool against the wall. Her eyes shone with no sympathy like they had before. "ThunderClan, StarClan, Cinderpelt, me? I expected more from you, Leafpool."

"I'm sorry, " Leafpool whispered, guilt flooding through her. "I'm so sorry—but I only saw him tonight and I told him that I wouldn't do it again…"

Squirrelflight cut her off by flicking her nose gently with her tail, "I believe you, Leafpool."

"Do you trust me?" Leafpool gazed up at the ginger she-cat with hope desperate in the golden eyes.

"No, Leafpool. Not any longer. But I'll stay with you no matter what. You are my sister."

"Thank you…" Leafpool felt relief pass through all her limbs hearing her sister say that but there was grief too for hearing that Squirrelflight no longer had trust for her. Changing the subject she meowed, "Now what does Brambleclaw need?"

"Cobwebs," Squirrelflight replied promptly.

"Right," Leafpool muttered, knowing that as a medicine cat she should have known that already. Turning around she scuffled among her stores of herbs until she found a wab of sticky, gray cobwebs.

"Here," she meowed. "Tell him I'll check on it later."

Squirrelflight dipped her head in the formal respect of warrior to medicine cat, "Of course."

Then she left the den without looking back.

Brambleclaw lay in the warrior's den, shifting from side to side, waiting impatiently for Squirrelflight to return as the blood began to trickle down his cheek. She had left hours ago, saying she'd return quickly but she still hadn't come back. A few taillengths away Ashfur shot Brambleclaw a gaze that contained both anger and jealousy. Brambleclaw knew why. Last night Squirrelflight had abandoned her sleeping spot near Ashfur to come sleep beside him. His pelt still tingled with the mere thought of it.

Raising his eyes he saw a dark ginger figure enter the den and make it's way around the bodies of sleeping cats until it could sit down beside him. Breathing in Squirrelflight's sweet, familiar scent he murmured a greeting.

"Here," she meowed, applying the cobwebs to the claw marks on his face. "Sorry it took so long."

Brambleclaw shrugged his broad shoulders, "It's fine."

Silence.

"How did you get these marks anyways?" She asked curiously.

"Fighting with Ashfur?" Brambleclaw joked quietly, not wanting to tell her the real reason.

Squirrelflight glared at him, the hair along her back starting to rise, "That's not funny, Brambleclaw." Brambleclaw only just realised the concern and worry that shone in her eyes as she glanced at Ashfur then back at him. Could she really be worried about them fighting?

"What's the real reason anyways?" she continued.

Brambleclaw's tabby fur bristled with tension. Should he really tell her? Tell her that he had been visiting Tigerstar in dreams and that the dark tabby had lashed out at him? To tell her that he awoke to find those claws were really scraping against his face?

"I don't know," he lied. "They were just there when I awoke."

"But you do," Squirrelflight retorted angrily, "Don't try lying, Brambleclaw because I know when you do."

"But…" Brambleclaw tried protesting, his tailtip beginning to twitch back and forth while Squirrelflight emitted a low growl.

"Fine! Don't tell me!" she snarled, the gentle light from her eyes gone—only to be replaced by rage. "See if I care!"

"I already did," Brambleclaw meowed softly.

Squirrelflight's anger only increased by his soft-spoken retort, she whipped around shooting him a last glare as she padded over to Ashfur. The gray tom had been watching their fight through narrowed blue eyes—eyes that shone with content. He smirked at Brambleclaw before meowing something under his breath to Squirrelflight. She responded with a lash of her tail and the exasperated twitch of her whiskers.

Brambleclaw felt his pelt begin to burn with anger. He ruined it again. He ruined his chance of getting closer to Squirrelflight. He lost her.

But you didn't lose me, Tigerstar's voice whispered at the back of his mind. You still have my ambition.

I know, Brambleclaw responded, but is that what I really want?