Ravenpaw sat by the apprentice den, grooming. It was a week after Darkflight had received his warrior name. It was just before sunset, the sky clear and cloudless. The leaves were now falling in numbers, leaf-fall well under way. The chill in the air and the frost on the ground in the morning spoke of the coming of the colder seasons.
A pang went through Ravenpaw when she thought of wi- leaf-bare. As a human, that had been one of the few happy months of her life. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. She would miss those, even though there were no gifts she could receive as a cat, nothing she could dress up as, no candy she looked forward to eating. No turkey, no biscuits, no pumpkin pie, oh how much she loved pumpkin pie! She sighed softly.
Looking up, she caught sight of Darkflight padding through the entrance. Excitement tore through her, which she attempted to push away. Glancing around, she looked for Lionpaw or Snowpelt. Then she remembered. Both were on hunting patrol.
For the past week, both had kept Ravenpaw from Darkflight and vice versa in any way possible. After a couple days, she just started avoiding him, knowing it was useless. But she couldn't get him out of her head. It was truly beginning to drive her nuts.
She couldn't keep herself from staring at him, then, an idea popped into her head. Getting to her paws, she padded over to him nonchalantly, on the pretense of finding a bit of prey for Barktail, which she needed to do anyway.
Drawing near, she kept her gaze averted from his, focusing on the prey pile. She flicked her tail at him as she passed. Getting the hint, he followed slowly, looking carefully casual. They sat near each other, pelts not quite touching, while Ravenpaw scanned the prey.
"Sunningrocks, midnight," she whispered, finally choosing a vole. Darkflight nodded, then chose a mouse for himself. Ravenpaw felt a thrill go through her, fighting to keep a casual expression. He said yes!
Ravenpaw slipped out of camp, silent as a shadow. She nodded to Oakshadow, who stood guard. He nodded back, though his eyes were curious. Ravenpaw didn't pause to explain she was going night hunting, which was her excuse.
Once out of camp, she lengthened her stride until she was sprinting. Exhilaration filled her as she ran. She was as silent, quick, and graceful as the wind, black as a shadow, one with the night. Her muscles pounded beneath her sleek fur, and her paws were hardened to the rocks and thorns. The moon shone down upon her, making her jet black fur gleam.
When she caught sight of Sunningrocks, she slowed to a jog, panting now. Quickly, she stopped to check she was presentable, then she slipped from the undergrowth.
Noiselessly, she padded to the biggest boulder. She curled her tail around her paws and sat down to wait, illuminated by the moonlight.
Darkflight POV
When Ravenpaw asked him to join her at Sunningrocks, his heart stopped. As he padded through the dark forest, he wondered what he would say to her. He had known since that day…that one moment. He loved her, so much, it hurt.
He finally slipped from the undergrowth and caught sight of her, waiting for him. She was so beautiful, it took his breath away.
Her sleek black fur lay smooth and gleamed in the moonlight. Her one white paw peeked out from under her long tail, which lay curled over her paws. Her amazing, dark green eyes glowed softly, and her ears were pricked.
He padded towards her noiselessly, wishing to StarClan that everything went right, even when he didn't deserve her. She was so perfectly beautiful, so sweetly innocent, so amazingly caring. So lovingly strong. He couldn't help but love her.
When she turned towards him, her eyes shone with happiness and joy…and something else. Darkflight felt his heart stop beating. She was…she just was. Ravenpaw was everything he ever wanted, everything he would ever need. She was his.
Ravenpaw POV
Ravenapw turned at a slight noise, and there he was. Her heart leaped. His dark fur gleamed in the moonlight. His well muscled body moved fluidly, gracefully even. He held himself with dignity and independence, eyes burning with an indescribable emotion. Nothing had ever been more beautiful to her.
He stopped just in front of her. For a few moments, neither spoke. Time froze when their eyes met, just like in the medicine cat den. Slowly, he moved his head forward until his head and nose touched hers.
Their closeness took her breath away. His strength made her weak in the legs. He was enough to stop her heart. Yes, she knew it now. It had never been Lionpaw, and never could be. It had always been, and always would be him. Darkflight.
It was right. She could feel it, an indescribable feeling of belonging that tugged at her heart when she saw him. The strength of it frightened her, and she wondered if he felt it too, if he could hear her heart pounding, her breath quickening when he pressed his fur to hers. Love. This was love, the purest, most devoted kind. Something that nothing could break, no matter who or what tried. Ravenpaw, for once in her short life, felt safe and secure. And it was all because of Darkflight.
He drew back and gazed at her. Their eyes met in perfect understanding, holding a silent but meaningful conversation that repeated the same phrase. I love you. It was a moment that was, in all worlds, perfect.
"Ravenpaw," he sighed, her name sounding wonderful when he said it. Like music, perfect and wild.
"Darkflight," she murmured back, leaning against him. He looked at her happily.
"Ravenpaw, I love you. More than you think. It hurts, I love you so much. For you, I would die. I would scale mountains, swim rivers, just so I could hear you, feel you, see you. Ravenpaw, I love you," he meowed, eyes glowing with hope. Ravenpaw gazed at him, joy bursting from her heart.
"Darkflight. I love you, too," she mewed back, pushing her nose into his neck fur. He bowed his head over hers, and they sat like that for the longest time, watching the moon complete its circle in the night sky, looking at the star's reflection in the river.
When the moon was beginning its descent, Darkflight stirred. Ravenpaw looked up at him.
"We should head back," he murmured regretfully, eyes shining as he gazed at her. Ravenpaw nodded and stood, stretching.
On the way back, they hunted, and they returned to camp just as the sun began to rise. Dropping their prey off, Darkflight gave her a gentle lick on the cheek before padding to his den to sleep.
Ravenpaw watched him go, happiness she had never known radiating from her heart. Suddenly, a sound came from behind her. Whirling, she was confronted by a very angry Lionpaw.
His brown fur was fluffed up, his teeth bared, his tail lashing, ears flat. His blue eyes gleamed with fury and hurt. He glared at her hotly, waiting for her to say something. She could only gape. She had never seen him like this, never, not even when Stormclaw had died.
"So," he finally growled, the word sounding like a death toll.
"Lionpaw," she began. She had never imagined she would be afraid of him. But she was.
"Don't say anything. I know. You choose him, that piece of mouse dung. Even though I was the one who was always there. When you were almost killed, I was there! When Stormclaw died, I was there! When you were hurting, I was there! Where was he? Where was he Ravenpaw?" he yowled, waking a few cats up. Ravenpaw didn't care. His words rang in her ears, exciting her anger.
"Don't call him that! You don't know what he has done for me! He saved my life too, or had you forgotten? If you loved me, truly loved me, you would wish me to be happy, Lionpaw! You act like a kit whose lost his favorite play-thing. Is that all I was, a play-thing?" she screeched back, hackled rising. Her tail lashed furiously, her eyes blazing with fury. Lionpaw spat at her.
"I do not! Your making a big mistake, don't you forget it! When your hurting, after he's broken your heart, don't come wailing to me, got it? You meant more to me than anything! What don't you understand about that? But I don't know why, when your nothing but a pathetic, sniveling, loner!" he howled at her.
Ravenpaw gaped at him, her anger being replaced by unbelievable hurt. She had thought that Lionpaw, of all cats, had forgotten her roots and had seen her as her, Ravenpaw. Her heart broke. Tears welled in her big eyes, and she lowered her tail.
"How could you?" she choked out, fur flattening. She was vaguely aware of Darkflight's gaze on her, Stonpelt standing warily behind her, Fernstep's worry as she watched the two young cats quarrel. Her vision went fuzzy with tears.
"You don't love me," she whispered, ears flattening. "And I don't love you." Lionpaw glared at her, fur still fluffed out.
"Good-bye, Lionpaw. You go your way, and I'll go mine. You've shown me you don't care for me, that I'm below you. So, this is bye, forever," she finished, straightning up. She ignored Lionpaw's shocked look, Fernstep's surprise, Stonepelt's worry, and Darkflight's burning gaze.
Shouldering past everyone, she raced into the forest, her only refuge from all this pain.
Tears poured from her eyes as she sprinted through the forest, alone, directionless, and completely vulnerable. Everything seemed to be glaring at her, and she spun around trying to find somewhere to hide. She crashed through brambles and thorns, the pain welcome.
After wandering for what seemed like hours, she finally stopped by a large oak tree. Collapsing at its roots, she screamed and howled, crying her grief and pain out.
"Streampelt, I'm done! I'm not the cat! You got the wrong person! I'm just a stupid human, remember?" she screamed to the darkening sky. As she looked up, rain began to pour from the heavens, cleansing her. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the wind howled all around her, like her own personal hurricane.
"Robin! Why did you leave? Why did you leave me?" she caterwauled, collapsing to her side.
She lay there for hours, the rain beating her pelt, the wind howling in her ears. She closed her eyes to it all, letting it hit her. She felt herself, slowly, healing. The rain seemed to wash her pain and grief away, the wind whispering words of comfort to her. When the rain began to abate, she made her way home.
It was nearly sunset when she got back, a mouse clamped in her jaws. Her pelt was soaked through, and her tail dragged behind her, but her eyes glowed softly. She was healed.
Darkflight rushed forward, his pelt also dripping wet. He had been waiting for her. His eyes shone with relief.
"Stonepelt forbade me from looking for you. He said it was something you had to figure out," he murmured, licking her ears. Ravenpaw purred. They padded into camp side-by-side, wet pelts touching as the sun burned fire across the sky.