Kittypet Clanborn - Tales Unleashed

Star-Crossed Lovers

Read on to see two medicine cats turned lovers, divided by life and death, reunite after moons and moons of struggle, confusion, and grief...

Jayfeather's POV

Chapter 1

The strong and sweet scent of marigold flooded through my nose, nearly knocking off my concentration as I intently spread a poultice across one of several... several wounds that I'd had to treat that day.

"There you go," I muttered to Squirrelflight, who I had felt flinch when I'd touched my paw to her flank. I then cleared my throat before licking the remains off of my paws. "Take it easy for a little while so that it can set. If the pain still persists tonight, let me know." The amount of times I've had to say that recently... if I were someone else having to hear me say that over and over, I'd strangle myself with my own tail!

"Thank you, Jayfeather," Squirrelflight then purred, and although I couldn't see it, I could practically feel Squirrelflight's green gaze burning into my fur. I was tempted to continue licking my paw just so I wouldn't have to acknowledge it.

But nevertheless, I let out an almost inaudible sigh and glanced in the dark ginger she-cat's direction as she spoke again. However, I had to keep myself from shifting uncomfortably. "I hope you know how proud I am of you," Squirrelflight, the she-cat that I had once known to be my mother, went on. "I don't know where ThunderClan would be without you and your brilliance."

I simply gave the she-cat a small nod in response, flashing her a grateful look that she probably couldn't see, or recognize. And I'm fine with that.

I then nearly let out a sigh of relief as I heard Squirrelflight finally get up to her paws. "So, where is your mother?" The older she-cat then cleared her throat, and she seemed to shake her head quickly when I flicked my ears in surprise. "Sorry - where is Leafpool?"

For some reason, I felt a small wave of guilt at the thought of Squirrelflight having to correct herself in that way. I hesitated for several heartbeats before replying to her. "Leaf..."

I then closed my eyes, letting out a sigh before flicking my tail towards the entrance to the medicine den. "...My mother is over by the camp entrance," I finally forced out. "Don't go over there and waste her time; she's helping Briarlight with her exercises."

Although I didn't want to take back what I had said, and how I had said it, I couldn't help but look away again as I felt a huge rush of affection and pride come from Squirrelflight's direction. "Will do," she then nearly whispered before beginning to pad out of the den. "Thank you, Jayfeather."

I only grunted in response, but turned back towards the den entrance as Squirrelflight made her way out. I ruthlessly was trying to push down the affectionate and warmth that was threatening to grow in my heart. How differently this encounter would have gone just a half moon ago...

Then, once I was sure that Squirrelflight's dark ginger tail had disappeared through the bramble screen of the medicine den entrance, I let out a long, frustrated sigh as I turned to pad towards the back of my den. I was filled with so much more anger, and so much more resentment at what Squirrelflight and Leafpool had done to deceive Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and me... I reflected. But after all that has happened since the secret came out about our real parents... I've learned to move past that grudge that we held against them for so long. It brought more bad than good in a lot of ways.

I then nearly had to hold back a hiss as I came to a stop right in front of my herb stock. That whole thing has become the least of my worries anyway, and not necessarily by choice...