Chapter 20: Foxes and Jays
A/n Hey guys! I was editing my storeh earlier, and I kind of added a very, VERY important scene in Chapter 8: Determination might cause more harm. I know I should've done it here or something, but it was driving me crazy and I wanted to put it in earlier so it seems a bit more realistic as to why Jaypaw is so nice and kind to Featherpaw, even on the first day that they meet. Anyway, I decided to postpone the argument, because I think Fox and Jay need to really dislike each other before hand. Enjoi!
Jaypaw comes rushing from his den in a matter of seconds, but skids to a halt when he realizes Foxpaw is next to me. His nose scrunches slightly as he sniffs at the tom, before turning to me. "Hey, Featherpaw,"
"Hi, Jaypaw," I say, feeling the sudden tension from these two toms.
"Can we talk?" Jaypaw's tail flicks in annoyance, but Foxpaw doesn't move. His body is radiating enough heat to last all of Leaf-Bare.
"Sure." I nod.
"I'm going to ask where Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight went and report the WindClan patrol to Firestar." Foxpaw noses at my ear. "See you later, Featherpaw." He whispers.
Then he pulls away, his body being replaced by a cool breeze.
"Just friends?" Jaypaw raises an eyebrow.
I open my mouth slightly to inhale, realizing I'd been biting my lip. My blush deepens. "Yeah, problem?"
He shakes his head sighing. "No," Then he's leading me back out into the forest. "Come on."
"No." I say defiantly. "I'm not telling you who your real mother is. I didn't save you from Ashfur just so you could find out."
Jaypaw lets out a breath in frustration. "Then why did Yellowfang tell me? There's obviously a reason. And she must know that you're the only one who could tell us."
"I can't. You'll hate her for a long time. And we can't afford to lose her, either." We need as many medicine cats as we can get. I add to myself.
Just as Jaypaw is coming back to me, hanging his head low, I let myself relax. He's given up!
Then I'm knocked to the ground, rolling across the hard forest floor as I let out a yowl. Something pins me down, and I force my eyes open to see fiery jay blue eyes looking back at me.
I squirm, there's no point, because he's got me trapped against a tree for support. He leans down, there's no hostility, but there's annoyance. "Please Featherpaw. I need to know."
"No! It's for your own good!" I kick upwards, sending him to the other side of the forest clearing.
Jaypaw lands on his feet, looking at me. Then the annoyance and plea in his eyes are replaced with amusement. "I can't believe we actually did that."
I, however, am still annoys at him for pushing me over when I wasn't expecting it. "Well, you better believe it." I snap. "I could've hurt myself."
The amusement turns to something else that I can't identify. "I wouldn't let that happen." He murmurs.
I sigh and walk over to him, rubbing my head against his neck gently. "Oh Jaypaw…" Then I shake. When did I get so sappy and lovey-dovey? Jaypaw sighs as I pull myself away. I can tell his thoughts are landing on Foxpaw right now, by the grim expression on his face.
I decide to interrupt whatever is going on in his mind, and that's when I have an awesome idea.
"Hey." I meow.
He looks at me, his voice gentle. "Yes?"
I let my tail flick over his ear. "I beat you at that wrestle."
"You had the advantage of sight and training." He replies calmly.
"Oh really?" I ask him.
"Yes." He meows.
"I bet you're too scared for a rematch." I grin as his tail twitches.
"No." Jaypaw's mind is still elsewhere, and that frustrates me.
"Is that so? Then why won't you?" I taunt, poking my tail in his side.
He stares into the trees. "Because I don't feel like it."
"What if I do?" I growl playfully as I swipe a paw at his tail. He moves it away.
"I know you do. I don't want to. I want to know who my mother is." Jaypaw glares at me with accusation. "But you won't tell me, will you?"
My grin widens, I swear I must look like that Cheshire cat from 'Alice in Wonderland'. Wait, what is that? I try to grasp the thought but it vanishes in the back of my mind. "No, not until you do something for me."
Jaypaw's shoulders slouch. "What do you want?"
"Guess." I tease. His face scrunches up as he thinks, his tail flicking even more.
"You want me to wrestle you, don't you?"
"Yes, but there's something else." I grin.
"You want to watch me attempt to catch prey so you can tease me?" He asks me, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'm sure you'd like that."
My grin seems to be plasters on my face, because my cheeks are feeling sore but I can't help it. "I would, but that's not it either."
"How many guesses do I get?" Jaypaw tilts his head, taking a step closer to me.
"As many as you'd like." I reply. "We should probably go back to camp now." The sun is setting, and I'm already really tired. Jaypaw sighs. "Okay, let's go."
He walks by my side, our fur brushing as we go back to camp. When we squeeze into the clearing, me going first, I notice that most of the other cats are retreating back to their dens. Jaypaw flicks his tail at me. "Night Featherpaw, see you tomorrow."
"Good night." I meow back to him as I slide into the apprentices' den.
Foxpaw looks up at me from beside Icepaw, who's curled up, sleeping. "Hey Featherpaw." He meows as he gets up and sits beside my nest as I get in. The den seems awfully empty now that Hollyleaf, Cinderheart and Lionblaze are gone.
I yawn as I lie down. "Hey, Foxpaw," I look up at him.
"Close your eyes." Foxpaw flicks his tail over my face, and I obey.
He leans over and licks my head. "Good night."
"Night," I mew back.
His warm body is suddenly beside me, and he begins to lick me from my head to tail. Cleaning me. As cats do.
My eyelids get heavier and heavier until I'm on the verge of the dreaming world and the waking world. I look from the forest, to a dark night's sleep ahead of me that will be filled with the nightmares that travel from real life. Here, there will be all the things I fear. Losing people I love, being the last person on earth, death, darkness, tight spaces where I can't seem to breathe…
I'm in human form here; the last connection with my former life, where I'm facing the worst parts of it. It's like a timeline, a new terrible thing happening each night that seems to be more terrible than the first time it happened. And when I reach the end of that timeline? I go back to the beginning again.
Foxpaw's whisper is muffled, as I'm losing myself from the waking world. But I can see those words as through they're on paper as they flow with the wind, passing me into the dreaming side.
The words that say: I love you…