ShadowClan Camp

Longstripe shook his head. He had finally figured out what it was but he wasn't going to tell her, at least not yet. "Can't you just drop it?" He murmured, looking away. He felt queasy not telling his best friend what was on his mind but he felt it wasn't the right time yet.

Willowdance shrugged. "OK, suit yourself. Consider the topic dropped. If you ever want to tell me whats on your mind, you can find me in the warriors den. I'm dead tired." She gave him a friendly nod and trotted over to the warriors den. After curling up in her nest she sighed happily an d closed her eyes.

The tom now felt guilty because he'd made it obvious enough he didn't trust her enough to tell her. "I guess I'll see ya around then." He murmurd and curled up in his own nest, but he didn't exactly fall asleep.

Willow blinked open her eyes and stretched. "Time to rise and shine," she mewed sleepily, before slinking out of the den. Her eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the light, and she sat down with a yawn.

Longstripe blinked guiltily. "Well, yes but..." He trailed off and knew he shouldn't be thinking like that in his new Clan. "nevermind." He said and shrugged.

Willowdance watched Longstripe suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me, Longstripe? There is something on your mind. You have been very queer lately, and I would like you to spit it out. Please." She blinked at him sweetly. "Or else I will have to force the answer out of you. Your ruining yourelf, keeping it inside."

Longstripe took a step back. He knew Willowdance was right but he didn't say so. "I- I have no idea what you mean." He stuttered, taking another step back. He wanted to confined in his friend so much it hurt, but he knew he couldn't because it would be disloyal to his Clan. Helooked away as she blinked at him. "I don't know what you mean." He repeated quietly.

Willowdances eyes snapped with impatience. "Looks like I will have to force it out of you," she murmured sadly. " I wont tell anyone whats bothering you. I promise. And I know you know what I mean." She hung her head sadly. "But if you cant tell me, I guess we arent the friends I thought we were. Its not good to keep secrets from your friends. They might leave you." With that, Willow turned and padded away, laying down in her clump of ferns.

Longstripe gaped at Willowdance. "You've got to be kidding!" He said with a choked laugh. She's just trying to force it out of me! He thought to himself. "Yeah, your kidding, right?" The deputy stared at Willowdance with wide eyes.

Willow half closed her eyes. "No, I'm not kidding. Others may leave you. Were still friends, just not the friends I thought we were. Good friends tell eachother secrets because they know the other will keep them." She smiled at him. "But maybe you weren't ready to become good friends. I understand that."

Longstripe was feeling a mix of pain and sadness. "Willowdance no! It's not like that!" The tom said. "Of course your my good friend and of course I trust you but some things are needed to be left unsaid." He murmured. "But if it saves our friendship then I'll tell you..." He sighs and sits down.

Willows nose twitched. Then what was it like? She understood what he meant about things being left unsaid, however, and felt slightly guilty about pressing him. She didn't retract her unspoken request though. He needed to get it out of his system. Whatever was bothering him was tearing him up on the inside, and she could not watch him suffer in silence. "Go on," she murmured, her tone friendly.

Longstripe twitched his tail hesitantly back and forth for a moment. "It's just,there was the cat... and she was the only one who was nice to me from a kit to now...And I kind of miss her." He said, twitching his whiskers, trying to act as if it was normal and not a big deal.

Willowdance blinked. He was worked up over a she-cat? She was instantly suspicious. Why did he only start missing her now? She felt as if he was leaving something out, something that would put the puzzle together. She didn't want to seem heartless though, and tried to comfort him, albeit awkwardly. "I'm... sorry? Did she... what clan... what happened to her?" She was definitely not used to comforting others.

"Nothing happened to her. It was RiverClan, remember?" he said with a confused look at his friend. "Nevermind." He sighed and rose to his paws. He wondered where Lightstar was, considering she was the leader of ShadowClan. The deputy just twitched his whiskers once more and looked at Willowdance, feelings crackled like lightning off his fur,

"Was she the medicine cat?" Willow wouldn't let the topic go. She knew that he was trying to close it, but she wanted to know more. She seemed to remember him telling her once that the medicine cat had always been nice to him in Riverclan. Maybe it was her. He seemed to be a ball of emotions, and she didnt want it to explode, but she had to ask one more question. She promised herself that after her questions she would let it go. "What was her name?"

Longstripe looked ashamed of himself. "Yes... He muttered, no longer able to meet Willow's gaze. "Her name was Fernpool." He said with small hiss as he crouched down and flattened his ears. His fur was hot with shame and humiliation.

The she-cat narrowed her eyes, realized what she was doing, and forced them open. Longstripe was a wreak. His emotions had changed so quickly, from one extreme to the other. Her suspicions were confirmed. It was the medicine cat. But something was different about the way he reacted. Did he... like her? As in more then a clan-mate, or a friend? The questions sat on the tip of her tongue, but she refused to speak them. She had promised him and herself she wouldn't pry. "There is nothing wrong with missing somebody," she spoke softly.

"yes, yes, you're right. That's all, I miss her is it." Longstripe said, hoping that was the case. He smiled at Willowdance and flicked his tail from side to side, thinking. With a playful mrrow, he pounced on the feline and laughed, pinning her down with his greater size.

Willow felt the suspicion flit across her mind yet again. It almost hurt her physically to keep the questions inside. She was startled when he pinned her to the ground, using his size to an advantage. Startled, but not surprised. She knew him well enough to be able to foresee things like that. "Not fair," she complained, wriggling out from under his grip and swatting at his shoulder. "Your bigger than me and you know it. Try to fight fair. You do not need the element of surprise added to your attack."

Longstripe sniffed. "Why not? it's more fun that way." He teased wounding around his friend while he purred, amused by her complaints. The tom cat batted her shoulder playfully, as if daring her to make a move on him.

"More fun for you maybe." She watched as he stalked in a circle around her, ducking as he attempted a swipe at her shoulder. Sometimes she wondered if Longstripe was just a kit in a deputy's body. He sure loved to play fight. "Not so much for me." She stood and leaped out of his circle, heading for the fresh kill pile. It seemed she had just eaten, but she was starving. "So hungry," she muttered, as a couple of apprentices and a warrior made of with the rest of the fresh kill pile, no doubt bringing it to the elders, queens and their friends.

Longstripe twitched his ears as she walked away. Was she mad at him? He wondered but said nothing, only watching her movements for a moment before disappearing with a whisk of his tail into the warrior's den.

Turning towards the camp entrance she sighed. A hunting she would go. Making her way towards opening she paused at the warriors den, peering inside. "I'm going hunting, if you want to come with me." She wondered if she had perhaps hurt his feelings when she walked away. She hadn't given any explanation. Returning on her way her paused at the camp entrance, waiting to see if he would respond.

Longstripe lifted his head from his nest as Willowdance approached him and popped her head into the warrior's den. "Sure." he said casually, with a long stretch and yawn. He padded out of the den and waited to see where she wanted to go.