iceflower_by_magic_pistachio_dcx5bhv-pre

~Everlight and Redleaf~

Everlight settled into his nest, wondering where Redleaf was. The sky was growing darker, and he was beginning to worry. He wondered if something he said had driven her off… he had been questioning Thistlestar a lot lately, and Redleaf was very loyal to her. He may have upset her. When she came back, he’d have to apologize… he didn’t want this to ruin their relationship. “Maybe I should go find her,” he murmured. He stood and left the warriors’ den, walking out into the camp. The moon was rising, casting a pale light on the hollow. Everlight saw his mate sitting under the ferns where they usually shared prey. “Redleaf?” He padded closer. “Hey, can we talk?” He asked gently.

Redleaf curled her tail around her paws. “Sure,” she muttered, not meeting his eyes. He sat down next to her, his tail twitching like it did when he was nervous. “Well? Spit it out,” she demanded. Maybe it was harsh, but he needed to know she was angry. She loved Everlight, but his blatant disloyalty was getting on her nerves. Why did it seem like he was incapable of trusting Thistlestar? This never happened with Graystar… but when the older leader had died, they’d just barely become warriors. Maybe he’d always been like this, and she’d just never seen it before.

Everlight sighed. Yep, she was angry. He’d figured. And he knew exactly why. “Listen, Redleaf… I…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been acting disloyal lately, and I know how much loyalty means to you. I just– I wanted to apologize. I haven’t been thinking before I speak. Yeah, a lot of Thistlestar’s decisions have seemed strange to me, but that doesn’t mean she’d not a good leader. I– I guess sometimes I wonder if everything would be easier if we made decisions as a clan, like we did with Gorserunner.” He chuckled at a sudden memory. “You know I’ve never been good at following orders. Remember the lake incident?” It had been the middle of leafbare, during the first few moons of their apprenticeships. Everlight– Everpaw, then– had decided to sneak out of camp in the middle of the night to go play on the ice-covered lake (something his mentor had explicitly told him NOT to do), and Redleaf– Redpaw– had followed him. Good thing, too– the ice cracked and he’d fallen in. He probably would’ve died, but Redpaw had told their mentors that he’d gone out, and they got there just in time to fish him out. He’d been on tick duty for a moon.

Redleaf remembered the incident as well, and couldn’t help but smile. “One would think you’d learn to follow the rules after that,” she teased, feeling her anger fade. She knew he meant every word he’d said. “I accept your apology,” she meowed formally. Then, smiling, she twined her tail with his. “And– maybe you’re right, sometimes. I mean, we’ve all heard stories about Brokenstar and the first Tigerstar… the leader isn’t always right. But Thistlestar isn’t like them. She’s a good leader.”

“I know she is,” Everlight agreed. He added, tentatively, “and it’s fine if you agree with her decisions… I just want to make sure you’re not so dependent on her that you forget you’re your own cat.”

Redleaf dipped her head in acknowledgement. “I can see how that could end up a problem. Don’t worry. I may agree with her a lot, but I still make my own choices. Just because I’m loyal doesn’t mean I’m a brainless warrior.” On the last sentence, she changed her tone so Everlight knew she was making a joke.

Everlight purred with laughter. “I’m glad we got that cleared up. Now…” he glanced up at the sky, where the moon was climbing fast. “We should probably get some sleep.” Redleaf nodded in agreement, and the two walked off to the warriors’ den, tails still intertwined.