Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters—they are Warriors!
Prologue
Jaypaw curled up in his nest, after a long day of herb-searching with Leafpool. They had found a lot of useful herbs, and now the supply was well-stocked. Jaypaw'spawswere aching, and he was happy to finally be resting. Beside him, he could hear the steady breathing of Cinderpaw. Her leg was healing quickly, and it wouldn't be long before she left the medicine cat den and could finally go back to the Apprentice's den. Jaypaw was happy that he would finally be able to get some decent sleep, but there was a strange feeling inside of him, like a thorn tugging at his heart. But soon, he was lulled to sleep by Leafpool's breathing.
The next morning when Jaypaw woke up, an empty feeling overcame him. He padded slowly to where Cinderpaw had been sleeping the night before, to find that she was no longer there. Slight panic washing through him, he went to Leafpool's side. She was already awake and he could smell the herbs that she must be sorting.
"Good morning, Leafpool," he meowed, trying not to sound too worried.
"Oh, you're awake!" she meowed, happily. "Here, could you help me sort out some of these leafs?" The strong scent of dock hit Jaypaw's nose.
"Fine," he agreed, sitting down to help his mentor. For a few moments, they sat in silence, before the curiosity eventually overcame Jaypaw. "By the way… what happened to Cinderpaw?" He struggled to sound casual, and hoped that the concern didn't show in his voice.
"Oh, she moved back to the Appprentice's den," Leafpool informed him. "Why?"
"Well… I just didn't think he leg would heal that quick," Jaypaw lied. "That's good though."
"Yea," Leafpool sighed. "I'm so glad she's okay." Me too, Jaypaw thought.
Later that day, Hollypaw bounded up to Jaypaw, bringing Cinderpaw along with her. Jaypaw's paws tingled, but he didn't know why.
"Hi, Jaypaw," Hollypaw purred. "Wanna toss around a moss ball with us?" She glanced at Leafpool, who, by the sound of it, was still sorting herbs. "I mean… if you're not too busy," she added.
"Why?" Jaypaw asked, turning his body to face his sister.
"Well, if you don't want to then you don't have to," Hollypaw said quietly.
"No, no, I will," he meowed. "Okay, so where's the moss ball?"
"Actually, we also came to see if we could borrow some?" Hollypaw asked. Jaypaw's neck fur bristled. Was that the only reason she had asked him?
"Why don't you take some from the elder's bedding?" Jaypaw snapped. He knew Hollypaw had been punished half a moon and ago, and had to clean out the elder's bedding for a moon.
"C'mon, please?" Now it was Cinderpaw who spoke. Jaypaw could feel sadness drifting of Hollypaw's pelt.
"Sorry, I guess I didn't sleep too well," he apologized."I'll get some moss." He padded into the back of the medicine cat den to get a small wad of moss. Why did I give in? he wondered.
"Leafpool?" he meowed. "I'm going to borrow some moss, okay?"
"Not too much," she warned. Grabbing a small bit of the moss, he padded back to meet Hollypaw and Cinder, carrying the wad in his mouth.
"Here you go," he meowed out of the corner of his mouth. Then he put it down on the ground.
"You're still going to play, right?" Hollypaw asked.
"I think I should get back to Leafpool," Jaypaw said, loosing interest.
"But she seems fine," Cinderpaw mewed. A sensation of warmth spread through Jaypaw's body.
"Are you just saying that?" he meowed, harsher than he had intended to.
"No, we want you to!" Cinderpaw purred, pawing at the ground. Hollypaw picked up the moss.
"Besides," same her muffled mew, "you should learn how to have fun every once and a while." She softened up her comment with a giggle.
"Alright, fine," Jaypaw sighed.
"Yay!"Cinderpaw purred. Jaypaw's ears got slightly warmer. "C'mon, Hollypaw, toss it to me!" He heard the moss whisk through the air and land softly on the ground.
"Oh, I missed," Cinderpaw muttered. "Look out, Jaypaw!" As she threw the moss ball, he could feel waves of heat and embarrassment flowing off Cinderpaw's pelt. "S-sorry… I didn't mean…" Usually, Jaypaw snapped at others who made comment like, "Look out!" or "Watch where you're going", or anything about his blindness. But now, for some reason, he didn't mind.
"It's okay," he said, grabbing the moss between his front paws. Cinderpaw breathed a sigh of relief, which he was sure he wasn't suppose to hear. Trying to fill in the awkward silence, Jaypaw chucked the moss ball at Hollypaw without warning. She giggled and toppled over, trying to get hold on the ball of fluff. Jaypaw heard the wind as it got tossed back to Cinderpaw
"It feels so good to be out of the medicine cat den!" Cinderpaw purred, landing on the ground after, what Jaypaw guessed was, a jump. "I feel so free!"
"How does your leg feel?" Hollypaw asked.
"It doesn't hurt at all anymore, but it's kind of stiff," Cinderpaw mewed. She flicked the moss toward Jaypaw, who caught it with his teeth.
"Wow, nice catch!" Cinderpaw told him. Jaypaw brimmed with happiness and flung it over to his sister.
The three cats played the game for a while until Hollypaw was called to get more bedding for the elders. She grunted and walked away to do as she was told.Leafpool was speaking with Firestar under the Highrock, and when Jaypaw padded into the medicine cat den, he was greeted with silence. He let out a content sigh before running the herbs over in his head to practice memorizing them. His thoughts were shattered by soft paw steps coming into the den.
"What?" he snapped, turning around. Then, a sweet scent hit his nose—Cinderpaw. "Is… something wrong?" he asked.
"Since I left, I thought you might get lonely in here," she meowed. "I came to keep you company." Normally, Jaypaw would have hissed at whoever it was to go away and that he was fine on his own, but those word didn't come to his mouth. Instead, he replied:
"Sure." Cinderpaw made herself comfortable next to Jaypaw and he could smell her scent drifting over him like a soft and steady rain. What was he feeling?
"Hey," she said suddenly. "Mind telling me about a few herbs?"
"Why?" he meowed. "Are you interested in becoming a medicine cat?" Stupid, he thought.
"No," she giggled, making his ears hot. "I was just curious. Is it hard being a medicine cat? Well, apprentice?"
"Eh, not really," he told her.
"Not even when you know that someday your Clan will depend on more than anyone else?" she asked. Jaypaw had never thought of this before.
"I never thought of it that way," he meowed, keeping his head down; he could feel her gaze burning into his pelt.
"I think it takes a lot of courage to become a medicine cat," she purred softly. "It's just as brave as becoming a warrior." She rubbed her muzzle to his shoulder and Jaypaw felt as though he was flying. Soon, he heard more paw steps coming from the entrance of the den.
"Oh, Cinderpaw!"Leafpool mewed. "Is everything alright?" She spoke with worry in her voice. "Is your leg okay?"
"Yes, yes, it's great," she reassured. "Well, I guess I have to go now. See you around, Jaypaw." Jaypaw's pelt warmed when he heard her say his name.
"'Bye," he called after her. He heard her paws patter softly against the ground as she left the den. Again, a warm sensation filled his body. Why did he feel this way? Now, whenever he was with her, he felt happy, and not as grumpy as he usually was. Could it be that… no! But it had to be…
He was in love with Cinderpaw
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