Run Away Bravely (Stormwind)

Crowfeather pinned his ears back initially, but the Tom’s blue eyes soon narrowed in slight anger as well. “Forgive me,” The tom muttered, on the edge of a growl, “If me treating you so well, only to be discarded And abandoned on the very day you could have chosen to run away with me and love me forever...” The tom had to recover for a second, though he spat at the end of the last word, “...Left a bitter taste in my muzzle, Leafpool.”

Leafpool remembered back to when she had tried to tell him and bristled slightly. “I tried, a moon or so after they were born,” she said, a little bitterly. “You wouldn’t let me, making sure to inform me of your lovely new mate Nightcloud and the fact that she had borne your kit the moon before, at around the time I gave birth. Which meant you took her as a mate immediately after we broke up.” This time the bitterness was more palpable. “Before I could interrupt you and shout it at you, patrols from each of our Clans came along. I decided it wasn’t worth it to try again, as you clearly wanted to forget ever getting together with me.”

“Leafpool, you never told me we were going to have kits…” Crowfeather sighed softly, glancing off to the side as he remembered the first time he’d met the three kits, his kits, as apprentices at a gathering.

Leafpool flattened her ears, reluctantly sitting down. She stayed silent though, watching the tom with still-wide amber eyes, fur ruffling uncomfortably.

Crowfeather sat down, interrupting their walk, his icy gaze resting on Leafpool. He had no intent of continuing on for now, and he expressed this by mewing “Talk to me. Let’s get this out of the way so we can try and enjoy the rest of the walk.”

Leafpool flinched in both surprise and fear, tripping over a tree root. She barely managed to keep from falling and whirled around to face the tom once she regained her balance, amber eyes wide.

Crowfeather looked down at his paws. As the silence dragged on, the tom finally decided he’d had enough. Stopping in his tracks, he lifted his head and mewed evenly “Leafpool, I was on a hunting patrol. I heard Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw’s argument.” Sighing softly, The tom added “I know everything.”

Leafpool quickly looked away when he met her gaze, trying to hide how uncomfortable she was. With the tension between the former mates, the walk was turning out to be stressful instead of enjoyable. The small medicine cat desperately tried to ignore it, looking around the forest. Maybe she’d find some herbs.

Crowfeather was made slightly nervous being surrounded by the forests, but he did his best not to show it. He took patrols in the former Windclan territory as much as possible. Not only was it home, and what he was accustomed to, but it was also much easier to spot approaching threats on the moor. Here, one of the infected could be less than a foxlength away and you would t know if the wind was blowing in the right way. When Leafpool looked at him he did his best to hide his nerves, matching her gaze but not breaking the long silence between them.

(WindClan is next to RiverClan so it’s not quite in the opposite direction. Not counting RiverClan, the island is actually closest to WindClan according to the map)

Leafpool avoided the wet marshes, heading towards the higher grounds so the two of them wouldn’t have to trudge through mud. It would definitely put a damper on the walk. She relaxed once they were underneath the trees again, though glanced slightly guiltily at Crowfeather. She knew how much he hated being in forests and not being able to see the sky.

Crowfeather followed, noting with slight disdain that she choose to pad in the opposite direction of his home. Selfishly The tom had hoped she’d pick Windclan’s former territory for her walk so that he could see home. That also would have given him something to think about besides the awkward silence that stretched on between the former lovers.

Leafpool leaped down beside him and looked around before heading into the RiverClan territory, which was both the closest and the closest to ThunderClan’s territory she could get without going all the way to the other side of the lake.

(Happy Thanksgiving!)

Crowfeather easily traversed the bridge with little trouble, looking back at Leafpool after leaping onto the opposite bank.

Leafpool padded after the tom, leaping up onto the log bridge behind him. She held her tail high as she crossed the bridge, her claws out slightly to help her better grip it.

Crowfeather nodded, understanding now why Leafpool had sought him out. “Sure,” The tom mewed casually, giving no hint of their past as he stood and padded towards the log bridge. There was a question or two lingering at the back of his mind, but he’d wait to ask until they were well out of the camp.

Leafpool dipped her head in greeting. “Hello, Crowfeather.” She hesitated briefly before forging on ahead. “I wanted to go on a walk, and you’re the only warrior currently unoccupied.”

Crowfeather couldn’t help but let a glimmer of surprise cross his face when Leafpool approached him, though he quickly steadied himself to mewl an even “Hello again, Leafpool.”

Leafpool winced when she figured out that her only option was Crowfeather. She hesitated and glanced at the medicine cat den. Maybe I don’t need a walk... No! She shook herself and berated herself. You’re not a coward. You can do this. Just be professional with him and you’ll be fine. Nodding to herself, she hesitantly approached the dark-furred tom.

Lionblaze was technically available to the medicine cat, but that was pretty unlikely to happen. Similarly, most of the others seemed pretty busy. The one warrior by themselves in the clearing with seemingly nothing else going on was Crowfeather.

Leafpool flattened her ears and looked away from the dark brown tabby. She knew he blamed her but she didn’t know why; it had been his decision to break up with Squirrelflight. Granted, she had lied to him… maybe he blamed her? But it hadn’t been her idea to not tell him; it had been Squirrelflight’s. With a sigh, the pale brown tabby rose to her paws and looked around for a Warrior. She wanted to take a walk, and medicine cats had to have a Warrior with them when they left the island as they couldn’t defend themselves.

The Tom glowered at the medicine cat for a few heartbeats before Firestar demanded his attention once more, turning towards the leader and away from his daughter with an irritated flick of his tail.

Leafpool felt the older tom’s gaze and turned to look at him.

Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes at Leafpool, believing the she-cat to be half responsible for his misery over the past half-Moon as well.

Leafpool tore her gaze away and ruffled her fur uncomfortably when the gray tabby turned in her direction as if he could see her. While he was talking to her again, it was only about their medicine cat duties and she mourned their previous relationship.

Brambleclaw padded past, walking with Firestar as the pair discussed what had been voted on earlier. The two toms seemed at first as if they’d ignore Leafpool, but after passing Brambleclaw followed Leafpool’s gaze to Jayfeather, and felt a painful pant of sadness tear through his chest.