Everlasting Love (Stormwind)

Silverwish gave Willowheart a sad smile before she disappeared completely, leaving the she-cat all alone once more.

Oakfoot licked at Emberleaf’s muzzle one more time before pulling away and looking around a bit.

(Silverwish?! *gasp*)

Willowheart barely held back the whine that wanted to escape when her former mentor started to once again disappear.

Emberleaf frowned, because it hadn't seemed like nothing, but let the matter drop.

(They’re hints as to who she’s going to discover some unpleasant secrets about. The feather is for Sterly, but the rock is silver... )

...”Nevermind.” Oakfoot Mewed quickly, giving his beautiful friend a lick between the ears. Clearly, she hadn’t understood him completely, but he wasn’t sure if he could accurately express what he’d really been asking without making a fool of himself. Besides, maybe she’d realize what he meant if they kept mating with one another.

Silverwish glanced around them. “I wish I could say more. I’m sorry.” With that, The she-cat began to fade from existence once more.

Emberleaf knee that she’d agreed to mate with him again some other times, but beyond that she wasn’t certain why he was acting the way he was.

Willowheart swallowed, pulling her ears back. “What?”

(What do the stone and the feather mean?)

Oakfoot froze, a bit of a blush on his cheeks as he looked over at Emberleaf again. “Uh...” Had she not understood what she’d said yes to?

Silverwish kept her gaze focused seriously on Willowheart. “As much as I wish I could tell you myself, Starclan has left the truth for you to discover on your own. The stone and the feather-keep then safe. And...” Silverwish took a breath, the slight pain in her gaze showing that she wished she could just tell her former apprentice everything, here and now.

Emberleaf blinked several times at the, to her, sudden topic change that had nothing to do with what they’d previously been talking about. “What?”

Willowheart stilled, her blue eyes widening slightly. She felt a sudden chill of apprehension.

(Poor Willowheart. This is going to strip away even more of her innocence)

Purring, Oakfoot only stepped back a few seconds and several licks later, smiling over at Emberleaf. “I’m not going to need to go back on patrol until sundown. Do you want me to move our nests together?”

Silverwish met Willowheart’s gaze seriously. “You’re going to learn some things about some of those closest to you that you may not want to. But you must be prepared.”

Emberleaf flushed a little, helplessly, at how much more attractive his smirk made him seem.

Willowheart lifted her head, looking up at her mentor and her suddenly serious face.

Oakfoot licked at her muzzle once Emberleaf raised her gaze to him, offering her his trademark smirk that made the already-handsome tom look that much more attractive.

After a moment, Silverwish mewled “I came to talk to you, Willowheart, about something dire.”

Emberleaf startled slightly, peeking up at Oakfoot.

Willowheart relaxed in her mentor’s embrace, closing her eyes.

Oakfoot stepped forward, nervously drawing his tongue over the fur between The she-cat’s ears.

Silverwish cooed softly, wrapping herself around her former apprentice as best she could. She sat silently like this for a moment, remembering how lost she’d felt when her mentor-and lover- had been ripped from her suddenly.

Emberleaf shuffled her paws uncomfortably.

Willowheart pushed her face into Silverwish’s fur much like a kit, nodding reluctantly.

Oakfoot was dumbstruck for a moment, the handsome tan tabby simply staring at the top of Emberleaf’s head as the beautiful she-cat ducked it.

Silverwish sighed, giving Willowheart a few licks between the ears. “Things always seem harder without your mentor around, no matter how much you’ve practiced, Don’t they?” It had been the same way for Silverwish once she lost her mentor.

Emberleaf nodded, ducking her head.

Willowheart closed her eyes briefly. “I know, but...” This had been her first time delivering kits on her own.

Silverwish pinned her ears back.  “I saw,” mewled the She-cat, looking down for a moment.  She used her tail, curling it around her former apprentice and pressing closer to her comfortingly.  “There is nothing you could have done better.  It was fate for The she-kit to die.” Smiling down at Willowheart, the silvery she-cat added  “And she still has two strong, healthy little toms that will start getting under your paws soon enough.”

Oakfoot purred softly, glancing up at Emberleaf with widened but excited eyes.  “Really?”

“Well enough, I suppose,” Willowheart sighed. “But Honeypelt...”

Emberleaf finally worked through his words and blushed bright enough for it to be seen through her fur. “..I would like that.”

Silverwish smiled softly. “How are you doing, Willowheart?”

Oakfoot looked nervously up at the startled Emberleaf, hoping she’d been able to decipher what he was trying to say to her.

Willowheart hurriedly stepped forward to rub against her old mentor with a happy purr.

Emberleaf blinked, looking startled.

Silverwish sat behind, her form ghostly. She offered a slight smile and a purr to Willowheart, sitting with her tail curled around her paws neatly.

Oakfoot looked down, quite embarrassed himself. “I was wondering, maybe you wanted to… do those kinds of things with me more?” Why can’t you just ask her the normal way, mousebrain?

Willowheart started, whirling around. “Silverwish!(?)” She exclaimed, eyes wide.

Emberleaf felt her cheeks burn at his abrupt words. “What do you mean?

Oakfoot thought for a moment, biting his tongue before finally blurting out “I was wondering what you thought of what we did during, you know, the orgy.” The Tom’s cheeks burned slightly as he fixed his green eyes on hers.

When Willowheart got close enough to the feather, a presence materialized behind her, the whispering ceasing suddenly. While it was eerie to suddenly feel the presence of a cat who hadn’t been there heartbeats ago, it was a comforting, familiar presence, one the medicine cat would know well.

Willowheart stares down at the feather warily, ears pricking despite herself and straining to hear the whispers.

Emberleaf waited patiently for his question.

As Willowheart padded closer to the feather, it seemed whispering could be heard, a distinctly feminine voice that went unnoticed by the other occupant of the medicine den.

Oakfoot sat beside Emberleaf, looking over at her with some amount of hesitation clear in his eyes as he regarded the beautiful red calico she-cat.

Willowheart sighed, warily padding up to the feather.

Emberleaf blinked at him. “Sure?”

The feather remained deathly still after that even in the face of a stronger gust that followed it, almost taunting Willowheart as she regarded it with the sideways glance.

Oakfoot swallowed nervously as he looked into Emberleaf’s eyes. “Could I ask you something, Emberleaf?”