Chapter 3:
Love Knows, Love Grows

Bearstar was in the leader's den sleeping with his mate and kits. He tossed and turned as he relived one of his worst memories…

He awoke to a shadow. A large blue-gray tom with icy eyes, a scar on the right eye, looked at him with a murderous look on his face.

"Riversplash!" Bearstar hissed. But he soon realized that it wasn't him Riversplash wanted.

He looked beside him to see his father and predecessor, Brackenstar, a bracken-colored tom with amber eyes, alive and well, but terrified. Bearstar wanted to help him like he tried to all those moons ago, but he was frozen. He body simply wouldn't move. Neither he nor Brackenstar was able to move.

Bearstar could only watch in horror as Riversplash slashed Brackenstar's throat wide open, wiping out what was left of his nine lives in one swoop. The tom fell over dead. Bearstar shut his eyes, trying not to reopen his old wounds…

Riversplash laughed evilly as his laugh morph into the same one, but with a slightly more immature voice. Riversplash seemed to shrink slightly and his scar was gone. Before Bearstar was a golden tom with ice blue eyes.

Bearstar's eyes widened. "Goldenpelt!" Was all he had time to say before the young tom lunged at him, slitting his throat in the same manner as Riversplash, also whipping out all nine of Bearstar's lives.

Bearstar jolted awake in his den, panting and wild-eyed with fear. He calmed down when he saw he was in his den with Runningrain and his son and daughters, who were all still asleep. He sighed in relief, thinking, what a nightmare!

Bearstar stretched and padded out of the den, making his way to the river for a drink. He stopped for a moment to watch the sunrise.

When he reached the river, unbeknownst to him, Goldenpelt was watching him. The younger tom unsheathed his claws and prepared to pounce, but something or rather, someone, got in the way that forced Goldenpelt to abandon his initial plans.

Angelwing, who jumped in front of him and said, "Good morning! I'm ready for my first lesson!"

Goldenpelt gave her a stunned look, thinking, this was the she-cat who was nearly killed yesterday?

Angelwing giggled and said, "C'mon, let's go!"

Goldenpelt looked over to see Bearstar was now gone and led Angelwing to what he thought was good hunting ground. He may not like it, but Goldenpelt was a cat of his word.

Goldenpelt could easily hear Angelwing's loud breaths and she was snapping twigs with every step. Maybe he really should train her since she needed all the help she could get.

"Got ya!" She pounced. Goldenpelt ducked, making Angelwing leap full over his evasion. She tumbled on to the ground. Goldenpelt walked over to her head and looked down at her.

"You heard me, right?" She said, embarrassed.

"Only…a 're breathing too hard. Relax..." He said.

Angelwing got up and looked at him, her head tilted to one side. She nodded and said, "I guess that makes sense…"

They were unaware of Northwind coming up behind them until he said, "Hey."

Goldenpelt and Angelwing reacted with surprise. As they turned, their fur brushed for a brief moment, making both of them feel hot.

"Goldenpelt, I want to talk to Angelwing alone for a moment." Northwind said.

"Sure." Goldenpelt agreed and withdrew.

Northwind turned to Angelwing. "Hmm…If I didn't know better, I'd say you two are getting closer." He said amusedly.

This made Angelwing feel hot under her fur. Me? With Goldenpelt? "You mean, like you and Icegaze?" She said, naming the she-cat she knew her brother fancied.

"Yeah, like that." Northwind said, feeling his fur grow hot at the mention of Icegaze.

"Remember when you fell in the water when you were trying to impress her?" Angelwing teased.

Northwind's fur grew hotter. "Yeah. Boy was I embarrassed." They let out laughing purrs. As they stopped, he grew serious, saying, "Just be careful, okay? Dad still isn't sure about Goldenpelt. I don't want see your heart get broken."

He turned and left, leaving his little sister with much to think about…

That night, Angelwing and Goldenpelt headed to a clearing in the woods, unaware of Bearstar behind them. Angelwing wanted to stargaze, something Goldenpelt had never done before.

"So what do you do?" Goldenpelt asked, as they lay on their backs in the dried grass of the clearing.

"Look at the stars and see what they make. Like that one. It looks like a baby rabbit. See the fluffy tail?" Angelwing meowed. Goldenpelt squinted his eyes.

"Oh, I see it. Hey! That one looks like a tree." Goldenpelt said as he spied a tree shaped body of stars.

"You've got it! There's a flower!"

"And a river—" Goldenpelt suddenly stopped. Riverstar, his mission to kill Bearstar…What was he doing?

"What's wrong?" Angelwing asked.

"Nothing." Goldenpelt said quickly.

"Goldenpelt…" Angelwing rolled over to face him.

"It's just that…Nothing. I gotta go," Goldenpelt said as he got up and proceeded to walk away, then stopped to look back at Angelwing, who looked confused and hurt.

The young tom felt like a jerk. He emotionally hurt Angelwing. If this were yesterday, Goldenpelt would be fine with it, but there something about her now…He sighed heavily and walked farther from her.

Bearstar's amber eyes narrowed. Maybe…if Angelwing can trust him…I can too. He would never forgive Riverstar for his father's murder, but that blame wasn't Goldenpelt's…

The next morning, Bearstar made sure Runningrain didn't include his daughter on any patrols. Angelwing had cast a bewildered look in his direction. Her father winked at her, making a motion with his tail for her to shoo. She had grinned happily, and proceeded to find Goldenpelt.

They spent the whole day together. She convinced Goldenpelt that she needed more training, which was quite easy. The two spent hours training for real this time.

"OK, how's this?" Angelwing asked in a whisper as she silently crouched down again. She snuck up on a rabbit and pounced on it.

"Good. Now you're getting it." Goldenpelt meowed proudly. He felt weird, good weird. Angelwing did something to him. He loved being with her.

Bearstar spied on them without them knowing. He could see Angelwing's love for Goldenpelt. She was happy. I don't trust him, but for my daughter…I will try to…

That evening, Goldenpelt and Angelwing walked side by side to the camp, fur brushing with every pawstep they took.

"Night." Goldenpelt purred as he nuzzled Angelwing, her red flower tickling his nose.

"Night." Angelwing did the same. Neither of them had ever felt this way before.

Bearstar watched them inconspicuously from his den. Maybe he was changing…

After his daughter had gone into their den, he approached Goldenpelt, who looked startled at his appearance.

"Kinda chilly tonight. Come in." He said.

Goldenpelt smiled and followed him. Unbeknownst to them, Songflight was watching them and said, hushed, to herself, "Get him! What are you waiting for, Goldenpelt?"

When she saw that he wasn't going to attack Bearstar, she snarled and rushed to report to their father.

At the WaterClan camp, when Riverstar discovered that Goldenpelt hadn't killed Bearstar yet, he snarled angrily, "You're sure?"

Songflight flinched and stammered, "Y-y-yes, sir. I saw it with m-m-my own e-e-eyes."

Riverstar turned into his den and spat. He began to plan a new plot and he was going to force Goldenpelt's cooperation in it no matter how his son felt about it…