For the first time in a quarter moon; the sun actually shown through the tall oak trees. The beams of golden light pierced through the thick white clouds, like hope in a battle field. Brightlight had splayed herself across a warm sunned area in hope of warming herself enough to make her hunting patrol pleasurable. Out of her half-closed eyes, she saw Miststar jump onto the side of the meeting den and practically collapse on the comfortable wood.
She peered over at the gray and white tom, stifling a good natured laugh at her clanmate. “Out late, Miststar? In search of new gossip?” Brightlight teased prodding Daisydust the cream colored she-cat with the tip of her paw.
“Don’t even talk about gossip!” Miststar explained, his eyes blazing like blue fire. His tail lashed swiftly back and forth, annoyance sparkling in his blue eyes.
Daisydust narrowed her amber colored eyes she looked to Miststar to Brightlight then back at Miststar. “You shouldn’t gossip about your leader.”
Miststar looked at Daisydust “nobody believes the Brightlight and Ratwhisker story,” a growl to his voice. “I can’t believe a Pondclan warrior would say that?”
Brightlight looked at her paws and the Pondclan warrior was right. “Sorry Miststar and that Pondclan warrior was mousebrained to say that,” she said, knowing she was lying.
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The white and ginger she-cat looked out nervously, a hidden fear shining in her amber eyes. “I… I have to go.” Brightlight murmured, whipping around she ran out of camp, her fur bristling with anxiety. She ran to the pond, elder berry bushes stroking her spine. Her breath picked up a pace, and she gasped for it.
But before her wild thoughts could get ahead of her, she leaped into the cat tail where she and Ratwhisker met last night. She knew she had to wait for Ratwhisker to come because he had a long way to swim. She imagined swimming in the warm water fish nibbling at his feet and tail.
“Brightlight?” The voice pierced her thoughts and she jerked to attention, Ratwhisker looked at her with welcoming eyes. He gave her check a soft lick, “Was there something you wanted tell me?”
She blinked at him, uncertain of what to say for a terrifying moment. She bundled up her courage and blurted out. “I’m expecting kits.” She choked, nervous and uncertain under the gaze of her mate.
His expression didn’t change; it continued to be a straight, scrunched up expression as it was taking a long time for this to complete. Brightlight looked at him with wide, watering eyes. She wanted his acceptance, his love, something other than this stony silence that she was receiving. “Please say something,” she cried. Had she made him mad? She couldn’t stand his disappointment.
Ratwhisker began to turn away from her. Brightlight let out a tiny gasp; tears were running freely down her face as they never done before. “Ratwhisker….” But her voice fell short she took a step away from him, eyes wide with disdain. He hated her. She knew that was it. The Mistclan warrior let out a choked sob, gazing at him longingly.
The skinny, Waterclan warrior put his front paws in the water, a growl rising from his throat. “This isn’t the time to bring kits into the forest. This is time for war.” His last words were a hiss; he plunged into the black waters, swimming strongly across not even pausing to look over his shoulder. As he exited on the other side, he shook himself once and disappeared into the woods around him.
Brightlight sat there staring where he had disappeared; she was stung by his words. She no longer noticed the steady stream of tears running down her face. It was too much to take; she threw her head back and let out a loud wail that displayed her grief and sorrow at the rejection. She gazed down at her belly whimpering before she stood up. The shining in her eyes was now gone.
She peered over at the gray and white tom, stifling a good natured laugh at her clanmate. “Out late, Miststar? In search of new gossip?” Brightlight teased prodding Daisydust the cream colored she-cat with the tip of her paw.
“Don’t even talk about gossip!” Miststar explained, his eyes blazing like blue fire. His tail lashed swiftly back and forth, annoyance sparkling in his blue eyes.
Daisydust narrowed her amber colored eyes she looked to Miststar to Brightlight then back at Miststar. “You shouldn’t gossip about your leader.”
Miststar looked at Daisydust “nobody believes the Brightlight and Ratwhisker story,” a growl to his voice. “I can’t believe a Pondclan warrior would say that?”
Brightlight looked at her paws and the Pondclan warrior was right. “Sorry Miststar and that Pondclan warrior was mousebrained to say that,” she said, knowing she was lying.
__________
The white and ginger she-cat looked out nervously, a hidden fear shining in her amber eyes. “I… I have to go.” Brightlight murmured, whipping around she ran out of camp, her fur bristling with anxiety. She ran to the pond, elder berry bushes stroking her spine. Her breath picked up a pace, and she gasped for it.
But before her wild thoughts could get ahead of her, she leaped into the cat tail where she and Ratwhisker met last night. She knew she had to wait for Ratwhisker to come because he had a long way to swim. She imagined swimming in the warm water fish nibbling at his feet and tail.
“Brightlight?” The voice pierced her thoughts and she jerked to attention, Ratwhisker looked at her with welcoming eyes. He gave her check a soft lick, “Was there something you wanted tell me?”
She blinked at him, uncertain of what to say for a terrifying moment. She bundled up her courage and blurted out. “I’m expecting kits.” She choked, nervous and uncertain under the gaze of her mate.
His expression didn’t change; it continued to be a straight, scrunched up expression as it was taking a long time for this to complete. Brightlight looked at him with wide, watering eyes. She wanted his acceptance, his love, something other than this stony silence that she was receiving. “Please say something,” she cried. Had she made him mad? She couldn’t stand his disappointment.
Ratwhisker began to turn away from her. Brightlight let out a tiny gasp; tears were running freely down her face as they never done before. “Ratwhisker….” But her voice fell short she took a step away from him, eyes wide with disdain. He hated her. She knew that was it. The Mistclan warrior let out a choked sob, gazing at him longingly.
The skinny, Waterclan warrior put his front paws in the water, a growl rising from his throat. “This isn’t the time to bring kits into the forest. This is time for war.” His last words were a hiss; he plunged into the black waters, swimming strongly across not even pausing to look over his shoulder. As he exited on the other side, he shook himself once and disappeared into the woods around him.
Brightlight sat there staring where he had disappeared; she was stung by his words. She no longer noticed the steady stream of tears running down her face. It was too much to take; she threw her head back and let out a loud wail that displayed her grief and sorrow at the rejection. She gazed down at her belly whimpering before she stood up. The shining in her eyes was now gone.