Author's note:
This chapter starts on PG 228 of Leopardstar's Honor, enjoy!
"I need to talk to you." His eyes glistened in the moonlight. He looked serious. She tensed. "About what?" Had something happened? He guided her away from the den. "This is the first time we've been alone since you became deputy," he mewed, stopping in the shadows beside the sedge. "I know," she mewed guiltily. "I'm sorry. I've just been so busy." She promised herself that she'd try to make time for him tomorrow. Perhaps she would assign them to a patrol together. They could go hunting upstream, maybe fish in the minnow pool like they used to when they were training Whiteclaw.
"You're going to be just as busy from now on, though, aren't you?" Frogleap's eyes sparked with hurt. She wished they didn't, although she knew what he'd said was at least part true. She wanted to comfort him. "There's so much I need to do." She moved closer. "But I promise, I'll try harder to make time for you." "I don't want you to have to make time for me," Frogleap murmured. "I shouldn't be one of your duties." "It's not like that." What did he expect? She had to put the Clan first. But that didn't mean he wasn't important. "I thought we had something special," he mewed. "We did!" Where was he going with this? She began to feel nervous. "We do!" "I imagined we'd become mates soon," he mewed. "And have kits together. Like Sunfish and Beetlenose."
"Kits?" Leopardfur couldn't hide her horror. "I can't have kits right now. I'm deputy. And one day I might be leader, although I hope nothing happens to Crookedstar. . . ." Her mew trailed away as her thoughts quickened. What if something did happen to him? What if he died? She'd have to travel to the Moonstone. She'd be given nine lives. Everything would change. "But if it did—" "If it did," Frogleap interrupted her, "there'd be no time for me at all." "I'd make time," she mewed. "Other leaders have mates. Why shouldn't I?" He was gazing at her, his eyes round. "I guess other cats are less selfish than me," he mewed. "They can put their Clan before their own needs. But I want kits, and a mate who has time for me. And I've come to realize that means I need a mate who's just a warrior, like me." "You're not just a warrior," Leopardfur mewed. "You're special. Like me. Together we can make RiverClan strong."
"That's your destiny," he mewed. "Not mine. I want to belong to RiverClan. You want to lead it. You want nine lives. I only want one, and I don't want to waste it waiting for the cat I love to make time for me." Pain tightened like brambles around her heart, piercing it until she could hardly breathe. "Would a life with me really be wasted?" she mewed hoarsely. "Not if it was our life to share," he mewed. "But you want to share your life with all of RiverClan. And I don't want to get in the way."
"Please Frogleap," Leopardfur mewed desperately, "Give me- give us a chance." Frogleap looked at her with a turmoil of feelings in his eyes, love, thoughtfulness, and longing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Frogleap's eyes hardened with love, determination, and protectiveness. He touch his muzzle to her's as he spoke "Leopardfur, you're the one cat I truly love, I couldn't bear to be apart from you." Leopardfur's eyes began to well up, she felt her insides swelling with hope and happiness. "I love you so much, I promise you, there will always be time for you."