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Description
Mothwing

"No, Icewing." Mothwing sighed half exhausted, half annoyed. "Your kit will be perfectly fine. He's only got a slight chill."
After what felt like the longest gathering ever to exist, Mothwing was tired, hungry and worried sick about the possibilties of war. She'd been looking foward to settle on to her bedding and close her eyes for at least a moment. But as soon as she got back, a queen was fussing over her perfectly healthy kit who only felt a chill.

Her injured shoulder was sore from sitting like a stone through out the gathering while her clanmates challenged Windclan and Onestar declared war on Riverclan. Her medicine supplies wouldnt even last half the leaf bare if Windclan really did attack her clan. And to add another problem to her list, what about Leafpool? What if Shadowclan suddenly came bursting into her camp and destroyed her herbs? What if they killed her? What if-
"Mothwing!" Icewing's yowl snapped her back to reality.
"Y-yes?" The Riverclan medicine cat realized that she was suddenly glared at by the white queen.
"Finally! that was the fourth time I called you. Get your head from the clouds and do a check up on Beetlekit once more."
Mothwing nodded and bent over the kit, sniffing his pelt for any signs of serious symptons and gently asking the tom questions about his health. She scolded herself silently for thinking about Leafpool and tried hard to concentrate on the kit.
"Do you feel feverish, Beetlekit?"
"No."
Mothwing recalled the moment when Onestar screamed at her clan from above. Scared and tense from fear of wars, Mothwing had sat there bewildered as Riverclan rose to their paws, one by one, and denied the accusations. While the uproars turned into chaos, Leafpool had pressed against her comfortingly, her jasmine-like scent drifting towards Mothwing and embracing her in its warm arms...
"Do you feel tired or weak from simple exercises?"
"No."
Before they parted, Leafpool had given her a lick on the cheek for luck. Then the Thunderclan medicine cat slowly dissapeared among her clanmates, her amber eyes still locked with her azure eyes and she had the expression of a queen who was leaving her kit to travel somewhere else.
"Do you think Leafpool is the most beautiful she-cat you'd ever seen?" Mothwing asked, her mind still racing with thoughts about leafpool.
"Do I think what?" The kit narrowed his eyes, puzzled at her question.
Without waiting for his answer, she unconsciously answered her own question. "Of course." A purr rumbled in her throaght. Then she stopped, realizing her mistake. Beetlekit stared at her as if she had just announced she was about to sprout another head. Icewing looked at Mothwing like she did sprout an extra head.
"Leafpool? Isnt she Thunderclan's medicine cat?" Icewing questioned her.
Mothwing suddenly felt like her face was basking in Green leaf sunlight. Inwardly cursing at herself, Mothwing nodded, her throaght suddenly dry and swollen. Why is it that she couldnt stop herself from thinking about her? Why? Because she was in love?
"What does she have to do with Beetlekit's health?" The white queen demanded but Mothwing just shrugged and feigned sudden interest on her paws.
"I-it was just a j-joke." Backing away, Mothwing blurted out the first excuses she could think of. "Uhh... I need to go back to my medicine den. Maybe there might be herbs to help Beetlekit."
Before Icewing could question her further, Mothwing hurriedly turned and retreated back to her den, slightly limping from her shoulder ache as she went.
Making sure that noone was within hearing range, she sat and stared down at her reflection on a nearby puddle. A golden tabby face and blue eyes stared back from the pale brown surface. Her reflection rippled slightly from the breeze but she could still see her facial features clearly.
"Mouse-brain!" Mothwing fumed at herself. "Call yourself a medicine cat? I've seen better!"
"You mean by Leafpool?" a voice whispered into her ear.
A very familiar voice.
Icy droplets ran down her spine.
Without warning, she was suddenly knocked off her paws and her face was pushed into the puddle where her reflection was moments ago. Gasping for breath and coughing up the filthy water from her mouth, she struggled to free herself from her attacker's clutches. But however much she tried to shake him off, she was only shoved deeper into the grimy water. Thinking quickly, she positioned her hindlegs underneath her and launched herself up, throwing him off and landing clumsily on three paws due to her agonizing shoulder. Whipping around to face him with unsheathed claws, Mothwing growled as the faint figure of a dark brown tabby picked himself up and faced her with eyes identical to hers.
"Hawkfrost!" she hissed and crouched, ready to spring at her brother if he dared to make another move. "What are you doing here?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to visit my own sister anymore?" He chuckled mockingly at her.
The massive tom locked his artic eyes into a glaring contest with his sister, both siblings tense and only a brink away from leaping at each other, claws outstretched and fangs bared.
"So what is it between you and Leafpool? Why is it that everytime I look at my dear sister, you're always either staring at her or smiling in your daze?"
Every part of Mothwing seemed to freeze. How long has it been since he noticed? Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She stood there like a stunt mouse, mouth half way open to feed upon an invisible nut. Head spinning with countless lies racing each other, each one even more ridiculous than the lie before.
What was she suppose to say?
That her medicine skills were just so admirable, she couldnt help but goggle at her? That makes her sound like an idiot and the lie itself is just... ridiculous. No, lets try something else. Oh wait, how about the whole time Mothwing was staring at her, she was actually trying to trick her into false belief that she had skills greater than any medicine cat so she could... she could... She could what? Leafpool never thinks of such things that includes thinking of her own status higher than anyone else. Even Hawkfrost, who never actually got to know her, wouldnt fall for that! Then how about... ?
Racking her brain for ideas, Mothwing failed to answer his question on time and soon her brother let out an impatient snort and said, "On second thoughts, I'll rather you keep your jaws shut. I'll tell you whats going on between you two."
She gulped and waited for his next words with baited breath.
Hawkfrost was in no hurry to say what he thought was going on. Oh, how he loved to paralyze her in fear. He was silent for several more heartbeats to savour the moment.
"You love her, dont you?"
Mothwing reeled back in horror. So he DID know about her secret. But since when?
As if she had said the question out loud, Hawkfrost suddenly broke into a taunting purr. "What? Did you really think I havent noticed the look on your face on the night you first met her?" Then in a serious tone, he continued, "I'm not blind, Mothwing. I can tell what my sister is feeling just by looking at her."
The Riverclan medicine cat gathered up what remained of her courage and spoke as calmly as she could. "You're here to blackmail me, arent you? You're going to somehow spill this to everyone and kill Leafpool if I dont agree to help Tigerstar gain control on all four clans, right?"
"What a clever medicine cat!" Her brother dramatically exclaimed in fake surprise. "You're almost as good as Ashfur!"
Mothwing felt her insides freeze and burn with guilt, distress and love at the same time.
"Well?" Hawkfrost pressed on impatiently.
What choice did she have?
She was cornered like a mouse among cats. There was no escape and it was either she played their games or risk losing everything that meant so much to her.
"I..." Deep breath. "I will help him."

===============================================

Leafpool

Leafpool was the first to reach their camp. Respectively bowing to the Riverclan warriors standing guard outside the entrance, she was escorted to the camp's clearing where the warriors had already emerged from their dens and gathered about a few tail lengths away from her. Almost as if she might jump up and bite them. The rest of her thunderclan clanmates came next and crowded around Leafpool, serrounding her in a sea of multicolored pelts. Pushing her way past, she spotted Mothwing among the Riverclan warriors. Their eyes connected. Amber and blue. In that moment, everything around her dissapeared. It was just the two of them. One who couldnt help but stare and the other who could hypnotize anyone with her blue gaze. Then Leafpool finally tore her gaze away, her face coloring a bit.
Firestar stepped foward to greet Leopardstar.
'Leopardstar." He began. "As you can see, we were turned away during our journey back to our camp. I was wondering if my warriors could spend the night in the Gathering place with your permission."
The spotted leader dipped her head. "Of course. But only for one night and a day. Please remind your warriors that fish must not be taken from the lake."
From nearby, Leafpool overheard Spiderleg muttering under his breath, "As if Thunderclan can fish!"
While Firestar thanked her with Brambleclaw bowing in gratitude by hy his side, Leafpool scanned the crowd of riverclan warriors once more. Where was Mothwing?
"Leafpool." Leafpool jumped as she realized the Riverclan medicine cat was right next to her.
"Mothwing, why are you-?"
"Come with me. I need to talk with you." Interrupting her mid-sentence, Mothwing nodded towards where the medicine den lay. Leafpool looked around but thankfully her clanmates were too busy trying to keep themselves from collapsing in exhaustion to notice them. Making sure once more that noone was watching, she sneaked away silently with Mothwing in the lead.
When they were finally away from the clearing and inside Mothwing's den, Leafpool turned to her friend and asked her what was it she wanted to talk about.
Pause.
"There is someone I love more than any cat ever to exist."
Leafpool looked at her blank faced, convinced she'd heard her wrong. "What?"
Mothwing, however, ignored her and pressed on. "I love this cat too much, Leafpool. Too much that it cant be guaranteed that I might become a successful medicine cat. Let alone a loyal one."
Leafpool couldnt help but feel as if her heart was suddenly clutched by an iron fist. It pained her to hear those words. It made her jealous to think that there was someone out there that Mothwing had feelings for instead of her.
"So?" Leafpool snapped at her, surprised by the harshness in her tone. "What do you want me to do? Find a cure for your love-sickness?"
A brief silence anwered her.
"The cat I love, Leafpool, happened to be Thunderclan's medicine cat."
For a heartbeat, Leafpool tried to remember who in starclan was the medicine cat of Thunderclan before realization struck her.
Flustered and flushed, she tried to object against it for the sake of the warriors code, for the sake of their duties as medicine cats and their clans but her voice would not work and her mouth would not open.
Mothwing brushed her muzzle against her cheek and finally Leafpool was able to move once again.
Gently pushing her away, Leafpool shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mothwing. I can't be like this!"
Mothwing looked up, agony and distress flashing in her eyes. "But Leafpool..." There was a tremble in her voice. Leafpool did not dare to look at her anymore and turned her head away.
Suddenly, Leafpool wished that Mothwing had loved someone else. She couldnt bear the sight of her in pain.
"Mothwing, I once thought that running away with Crowfeather was the best choice that I had. But it wasn't and I lost Cinderpelt because of it. I'm sorry, Mothwing, but I will not make the same mistake ever again. Even if it means..." She broke away, aware of the sudden tightness on her throaght as she fought back a sob. Without glancing back, Leafpool left her and ran, joining her clanmates just in time to leave the Riverclan camp.
The last thing Mothwing saw of her before she left were silver droplets running down her cheeks.

Description
Mothwing

"No, Icewing." Mothwing sighed half exhausted, half annoyed. "Your kit will be perfectly fine. He's only got a slight chill."
After what felt like the longest gathering ever to exist, Mothwing was tired, hungry and worried sick about the possibilties of war. She'd been looking foward to settle on to her bedding and close her eyes for at least a moment. But as soon as she got back, a queen was fussing over her perfectly healthy kit who only felt a chill.

Her injured shoulder was sore from sitting like a stone through out the gathering while her clanmates challenged Windclan and Onestar declared war on Riverclan. Her medicine supplies wouldnt even last half the leaf bare if Windclan really did attack her clan. And to add another problem to her list, what about Leafpool? What if Shadowclan suddenly came bursting into her camp and destroyed her herbs? What if they killed her? What if-
"Mothwing!" Icewing's yowl snapped her back to reality.
"Y-yes?" The Riverclan medicine cat realized that she was suddenly glared at by the white queen.
"Finally! that was the fourth time I called you. Get your head from the clouds and do a check up on Beetlekit once more."
Mothwing nodded and bent over the kit, sniffing his pelt for any signs of serious symptons and gently asking the tom questions about his health. She scolded herself silently for thinking about Leafpool and tried hard to concentrate on the kit.
"Do you feel feverish, Beetlekit?"
"No."
Mothwing recalled the moment when Onestar screamed at her clan from above. Scared and tense from fear of wars, Mothwing had sat there bewildered as Riverclan rose to their paws, one by one, and denied the accusations. While the uproars turned into chaos, Leafpool had pressed against her comfortingly, her jasmine-like scent drifting towards Mothwing and embracing her in its warm arms...
"Do you feel tired or weak from simple exercises?"
"No."
Before they parted, Leafpool had given her a lick on the cheek for luck. Then the Thunderclan medicine cat slowly dissapeared among her clanmates, her amber eyes still locked with her azure eyes and she had the expression of a queen who was leaving her kit to travel somewhere else.
"Do you think Leafpool is the most beautiful she-cat you'd ever seen?" Mothwing asked, her mind still racing with thoughts about leafpool.
"Do I think what?" The kit narrowed his eyes, puzzled at her question.
Without waiting for his answer, she unconsciously answered her own question. "Of course." A purr rumbled in her throaght. Then she stopped, realizing her mistake. Beetlekit stared at her as if she had just announced she was about to sprout another head. Icewing looked at Mothwing like she did sprout an extra head.
"Leafpool? Isnt she Thunderclan's medicine cat?" Icewing questioned her.
Mothwing suddenly felt like her face was basking in Green leaf sunlight. Inwardly cursing at herself, Mothwing nodded, her throaght suddenly dry and swollen. Why is it that she couldnt stop herself from thinking about her? Why? Because she was in love?
"What does she have to do with Beetlekit's health?" The white queen demanded but Mothwing just shrugged and feigned sudden interest on her paws.
"I-it was just a j-joke." Backing away, Mothwing blurted out the first excuses she could think of. "Uhh... I need to go back to my medicine den. Maybe there might be herbs to help Beetlekit."
Before Icewing could question her further, Mothwing hurriedly turned and retreated back to her den, slightly limping from her shoulder ache as she went.
Making sure that noone was within hearing range, she sat and stared down at her reflection on a nearby puddle. A golden tabby face and blue eyes stared back from the pale brown surface. Her reflection rippled slightly from the breeze but she could still see her facial features clearly.
"Mouse-brain!" Mothwing fumed at herself. "Call yourself a medicine cat? I've seen better!"
"You mean by Leafpool?" a voice whispered into her ear.
A very familiar voice.
Icy droplets ran down her spine.
Without warning, she was suddenly knocked off her paws and her face was pushed into the puddle where her reflection was moments ago. Gasping for breath and coughing up the filthy water from her mouth, she struggled to free herself from her attacker's clutches. But however much she tried to shake him off, she was only shoved deeper into the grimy water. Thinking quickly, she positioned her hindlegs underneath her and launched herself up, throwing him off and landing clumsily on three paws due to her agonizing shoulder. Whipping around to face him with unsheathed claws, Mothwing growled as the faint figure of a dark brown tabby picked himself up and faced her with eyes identical to hers.
"Hawkfrost!" she hissed and crouched, ready to spring at her brother if he dared to make another move. "What are you doing here?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to visit my own sister anymore?" He chuckled mockingly at her.
The massive tom locked his artic eyes into a glaring contest with his sister, both siblings tense and only a brink away from leaping at each other, claws outstretched and fangs bared.
"So what is it between you and Leafpool? Why is it that everytime I look at my dear sister, you're always either staring at her or smiling in your daze?"
Every part of Mothwing seemed to freeze. How long has it been since he noticed? Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She stood there like a stunt mouse, mouth half way open to feed upon an invisible nut. Head spinning with countless lies racing each other, each one even more ridiculous than the lie before.
What was she suppose to say?
That her medicine skills were just so admirable, she couldnt help but goggle at her? That makes her sound like an idiot and the lie itself is just... ridiculous. No, lets try something else. Oh wait, how about the whole time Mothwing was staring at her, she was actually trying to trick her into false belief that she had skills greater than any medicine cat so she could... she could... She could what? Leafpool never thinks of such things that includes thinking of her own status higher than anyone else. Even Hawkfrost, who never actually got to know her, wouldnt fall for that! Then how about... ?
Racking her brain for ideas, Mothwing failed to answer his question on time and soon her brother let out an impatient snort and said, "On second thoughts, I'll rather you keep your jaws shut. I'll tell you whats going on between you two."
She gulped and waited for his next words with baited breath.
Hawkfrost was in no hurry to say what he thought was going on. Oh, how he loved to paralyze her in fear. He was silent for several more heartbeats to savour the moment.
"You love her, dont you?"
Mothwing reeled back in horror. So he DID know about her secret. But since when?
As if she had said the question out loud, Hawkfrost suddenly broke into a taunting purr. "What? Did you really think I havent noticed the look on your face on the night you first met her?" Then in a serious tone, he continued, "I'm not blind, Mothwing. I can tell what my sister is feeling just by looking at her."
The Riverclan medicine cat gathered up what remained of her courage and spoke as calmly as she could. "You're here to blackmail me, arent you? You're going to somehow spill this to everyone and kill Leafpool if I dont agree to help Tigerstar gain control on all four clans, right?"
"What a clever medicine cat!" Her brother dramatically exclaimed in fake surprise. "You're almost as good as Ashfur!"
Mothwing felt her insides freeze and burn with guilt, distress and love at the same time.
"Well?" Hawkfrost pressed on impatiently.
What choice did she have?
She was cornered like a mouse among cats. There was no escape and it was either she played their games or risk losing everything that meant so much to her.
"I..." Deep breath. "I will help him."

===============================================

Leafpool

Leafpool was the first to reach their camp. Respectively bowing to the Riverclan warriors standing guard outside the entrance, she was escorted to the camp's clearing where the warriors had already emerged from their dens and gathered about a few tail lengths away from her. Almost as if she might jump up and bite them. The rest of her thunderclan clanmates came next and crowded around Leafpool, serrounding her in a sea of multicolored pelts. Pushing her way past, she spotted Mothwing among the Riverclan warriors. Their eyes connected. Amber and blue. In that moment, everything around her dissapeared. It was just the two of them. One who couldnt help but stare and the other who could hypnotize anyone with her blue gaze. Then Leafpool finally tore her gaze away, her face coloring a bit.
Firestar stepped foward to greet Leopardstar.
'Leopardstar." He began. "As you can see, we were turned away during our journey back to our camp. I was wondering if my warriors could spend the night in the Gathering place with your permission."
The spotted leader dipped her head. "Of course. But only for one night and a day. Please remind your warriors that fish must not be taken from the lake."
From nearby, Leafpool overheard Spiderleg muttering under his breath, "As if Thunderclan can fish!"
While Firestar thanked her with Brambleclaw bowing in gratitude by hy his side, Leafpool scanned the crowd of riverclan warriors once more. Where was Mothwing?
"Leafpool." Leafpool jumped as she realized the Riverclan medicine cat was right next to her.
"Mothwing, why are you-?"
"Come with me. I need to talk with you." Interrupting her mid-sentence, Mothwing nodded towards where the medicine den lay. Leafpool looked around but thankfully her clanmates were too busy trying to keep themselves from collapsing in exhaustion to notice them. Making sure once more that noone was watching, she sneaked away silently with Mothwing in the lead.
When they were finally away from the clearing and inside Mothwing's den, Leafpool turned to her friend and asked her what was it she wanted to talk about.
Pause.
"There is someone I love more than any cat ever to exist."
Leafpool looked at her blank faced, convinced she'd heard her wrong. "What?"
Mothwing, however, ignored her and pressed on. "I love this cat too much, Leafpool. Too much that it cant be guaranteed that I might become a successful medicine cat. Let alone a loyal one."
Leafpool couldnt help but feel as if her heart was suddenly clutched by an iron fist. It pained her to hear those words. It made her jealous to think that there was someone out there that Mothwing had feelings for instead of her.
"So?" Leafpool snapped at her, surprised by the harshness in her tone. "What do you want me to do? Find a cure for your love-sickness?"
A brief silence anwered her.
"The cat I love, Leafpool, happened to be Thunderclan's medicine cat."
For a heartbeat, Leafpool tried to remember who in starclan was the medicine cat of Thunderclan before realization struck her.
Flustered and flushed, she tried to object against it for the sake of the warriors code, for the sake of their duties as medicine cats and their clans but her voice would not work and her mouth would not open.
Mothwing brushed her muzzle against her cheek and finally Leafpool was able to move once again.
Gently pushing her away, Leafpool shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mothwing. I can't be like this!"
Mothwing looked up, agony and distress flashing in her eyes. "But Leafpool..." There was a tremble in her voice. Leafpool did not dare to look at her anymore and turned her head away.
Suddenly, Leafpool wished that Mothwing had loved someone else. She couldnt bear the sight of her in pain.
"Mothwing, I once thought that running away with Crowfeather was the best choice that I had. But it wasn't and I lost Cinderpelt because of it. I'm sorry, Mothwing, but I will not make the same mistake ever again. Even if it means..." She broke away, aware of the sudden tightness on her throaght as she fought back a sob. Without glancing back, Leafpool left her and ran, joining her clanmates just in time to leave the Riverclan camp.
The last thing Mothwing saw of her before she left were silver droplets running down her cheeks.