A Twisted Fate (Warrior Cats)

Chapter 23

I promised that I'd update by the end of June, didn't I? (: Enjoy. <3 

When Birdpaw woke up, night had already fallen. Scattered beams of moonlight shone gently through the shadowed treetops, lighting up patches of ground with their silvery sheen. It was quiet, and the atmosphere felt almost tranquil, aside from the fact that this was the Rogues' camp, of course.

Birdpaw sat up slowly in her nest. Ever since she arrived here, she had been sharing a den with Hazelpaw and a few other young she-cats. The den was made from strange Twoleg material, unlike Shadeclan's dens, and the similarly foreign bedding sometimes made her sneeze. 

Careful not to wake up her denmates, Birdpaw crept quietly past their sleeping forms and poked her head out of the den entrance. There was no one in sight, but a small part of Birdpaw clung stubbornly onto the hope that Blaze was out there somewhere, waiting for her.

Birdpaw stepped outside into the chilly night air, and gave her pelt a slight shake to rid herself of the bits of feathers that clung to her fur. She then looked around, wondering if the ginger tom was anywhere nearby. It was eerily quiet, and Birdpaw couldn't help but feel her limbs tremble. From caution, or from the cold, she wasn't too sure herself.

Birdpaw jumped slightly when she felt a tail-tip touch her shoulder. Spinning around with her fur bristling, she only relaxed when she realized that it was Blaze. He always had a way with approaching her without being noticed, and while it was fun to play hide-and-seek with him, it was also slightly unnerving, especially in situations like this. "Blaze!" she swiped a sheathed paw at him in mock annoyance.

He ducked easily, and butted her shoulder with his head lightly. "Sorry, I didn't want to attract unwanted attention." The ginger tom's tone of voice was cheerful, but Birdpaw thought that she could detect a glint of something darker in his green eyes. Was it worry? 

"Well, okay." Birdpaw looked away.

The ginger tom frowned, and tried sticking his head in her face, to which she avoided by turning in the other direction even further. "What's wrong, Birdpaw?" he asked, voice suddenly laced with concern.

"I don't know."

Blaze stepped back and sighed. "Come on, let's talk somewhere that we won't risk getting overheard or caught." He then began padding in the direction towards the entrance, and Birdpaw, not knowing what else to do, reluctantly followed.

                                                                                            ~*~

"Okay, it's safe to talk here," Blaze announced.

They were in unfamiliar terrain. Well, at least in Birdpaw's eyes. She had never been in this area of the Rogues' territory before, and she felt slightly worried. But....Blaze could be trusted, right?

She simply gave him a brisk nod, but said nothing.

The ginger tom frowned. "Look, Birdpaw. I know that there are probably many questions swimming through your mind right now, but trust me when I say that we don't have much time left. So, if you trust me and view me as your ally, then let's be honest with each other and forget our circumstances, at least for tonight."

"And if I don't view you as an ally?" Birdpaw looked up at him, searching his green eyes for any clues.

Blaze snorted, and flicked Birdpaw's ear with his tail-tip. "Silly. If you really did view me as your enemy, you wouldn't have followed me out here. Or at least, you would've gotten a couple of your friends to keep an eye on us. But you came alone, no?"