Chapter 10

"Oh?" Smoky questioned, a mocking pitch in his voice. "Is it someone I know?" He glared accusingly at Cloudtail who was staring unblinkingly at Daisy. Brambleclaw thought for sure that the air was crackling with lightning with all the high tension.

"I'm… I'm sure Daisy meant someone else…" He began, struggling for words. "How do you know it meant Cl-"

"Leave it, Brambleclaw," Cloudtail growled at him, eyes narrowed with an intensity Brambleclaw just couldn't understand. "This isn't your problem."

Brambleclaw dipped his head in obedience to the older warrior, his pelt bristling with embarrassment and indignation as he left the den. Sorreltail followed him after a last glance at her sleeping litter. She leapt forward with quick, dainty pawsteps to catch up with Brambleclaw. She gave him a sympathetic glance and opened her mouth to give some comfort.

"You're bleeding," she meowed, her amber eyes blinking in surprise. "How'd that happen?"

"Oh, that," Brambleclaw meowed, just remembering it for himself. "I got into a tussle with Smoky near the WindClan border."

Sorreltail sniffed the gash in his neck, "You should get Leafpool to look at it. It looks bad."

Brambleclaw grunted with agreement and padded over to the quiet corner of the hollow where Leafpool made her den. She was there, sorting through some berries and leaves with Brightheart. The patched ginger warrior raised her head and raked her gaze over Brambleclaw's pelt.

"Fighting again?" she purred with amusement. "Just wait, I'll get some cobwebs for you."

"Good morning, Sorreltail," Leafpool meowed quietly to Sorreltail, who was hovering at Brambleclaw's side. She turned her head his way. "Brambleclaw."

He returned her greeting politely as Brightheart came back, a few measly cobwebs hanging from her mouth. Brambleclaw waited in patience as the warrior pressed the mottled gray wad against his neck then on his cheek. Brambleclaw was surprised how gentle and calm she was even after Sorreltail explained Daisy's confession.

"I always knew she had feelings for Cloudtail—it wasn't that hard to tell." Brightheart meowed softly, after she had finished with the cobwebs and began to apply juice from a marigold flower.

"You know he still loves you and Whiteshadow, right?" Leafpool asked. "He's just helping her out."

"Oh of course!" Brightheart laughed uneasily. "Nothing could ever tear him away from his daughter."

"And you." Sorreltail put in.

Brightheart shot the young queen a glance but said nothing more as she and Leafpool finished Brambleclaw's treatment.

"There you go, Brambleclaw," Leafpool purred after they were done. "Just come back if you need anything else, ok?"

"Of course," he meowed, dipping his head in respect.

Just as he and Sorreltail were about to pad away out of the den the white head of Cloudtail popped in. "There you are, Sorreltail!" he meowed as soon as he saw the tortoiseshell. "Your kits are hungry and crying for milk, I think you should go tend to them."

Sorreltail's eyes were shocked and after a final lick on Brambleclaw's ears she raced off to the nursery to hush her litter. Brambleclaw sat in the silence as Brightheart stared at Cloudtail through her pale yellow eyes. The white tomcat seemed to shrink away at the sight of her calm gaze but finally he stood up tall again.

"I'm sorry, Brightheart," he apologized curtly. "Would you like to come hunting with me and Whiteshadow?"

Brightheart blinked once, "Ok as long as your friend, Daisy doesn't come along too."

"She's not," he replied, eyes desperate to get his mate to come with him. "She's getting ready to go back to the horseplace with Smoky."

"She's going back?" Brambleclaw broke the silence with his stupid question. "I thought she said that she couldn't…"

Cloudtail took a swipe at him but Brambleclaw ducked just in time. Why was every cat so intent on attacking him today?

"Will you come?" Cloudtail repeated in a firmer voice.

"Of course," she meowed back and only when Cloudtail's back was turned did she let her excitement show.

The pair left the den together with their tails entwined together as if they had already forgiven each other. Brambleclaw stared after them enviously. Why couldn't Squirrelflight be that forgiving too?

"Because," Leafpool whispered in his ear, almost as if she was reading his mind. "The time isn't right just yet."

Well hope you guys had fun with this chapter. I didn't like it except for the very ending what Leafpool sad. Oh yes and i forgot to say, i'll be continuing this story even after Sunset's released. It's my version so it can keep on being written.

Edit: Nevermind it won't still be written. So you guys can all read the real Sunset.