Chapter 4
Moons passed and Dovepaw became a warrior. But Dovewing always avoided Blossomfall and even ended up becoming mates with Bumblestripe. Blossomfall suspected that she had only done this to annoy her as Dovewing really only chatted to Purdue as if to avoid Bumblestripe at all costs.
But even in the few moments Dovewing and Bumblestripe were together, Blossomfall hated watching them share tongues, watching them sleeping together, just all round watching them be mates. It caused her to lose focus to the point where on hunting patrols she missed the simplest of catches almost every time, and cats were beginning to notice.
But Blossomfall didn’t care about how much prey she caught or how well she fought; all she cared about was at least being friends with Dovewing again.
And then the day came, the final battle against the dark forest. Blossomfall was kept to fight in Thunderclan.
Then she heard a familiar voice cry out into the air, “They’re coming!”
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Firestar’s body lay in the centre of the clearing as Thunderclan shared tongues with him one final time. His body was one of many in the clearing, Ferncloud, Sorreltail, Mousefur, Hollyleaf and many others bodies lay cold in the clearing as new stars began to form in the night sky above.
Suddenly Blossomfall’s ears pricked and she turned to see Bumblestripe and Dovewing leaving camp. For some inane reason her paws moved without thought and followed the two through the tunnel.
She watched the two arrive at the sky oak and she expected them to keep walking but suddenly Dovewing turned to Bumblestripe a look of sadness plastering her face.
”I’m sorry Bumblestripe, this isn’t fair to you, I can’t be with you.” Dovewing confessed to a shocked Bumblestripe.
”But I love you Dovewing!”
”And I thought I loved you too but… something in the fight caused me to realise, I’ve made mistakes, and my biggest mistake, I can’t fix if I’m with you.”
“I can help you with your mistakes Dovewing! Please that’s what a mates supposed to do! What is the mistake you made.” Bumblestripe voice was desperate now.
”You’ll find out soon enough, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, you’ll hate me for it.”
”Is this about that Tigerheart weirdo you met while stopping those beavers!”
”No! It’s not about him, it was never about him, I pushed someone who was just trying to protect me away, and I only just realised that they were telling the truth in the fight.”
Bumblestripe looked as if he was about to reply but Dovewing cut him off, “Please we need to get back to camp.”
Bumblestripe grumbled and turned around and Blossomfall realised they were coming towards her. Quickly she ran back to camp, only slowing down in the tunnel to not scare anybody in camp. Soon she found herself curled up in her nest just waiting for sleep to come.
Not long after she arrived Bumblestripe came in to the den and sat in the nest he and Dovewing shared. Or used to share.
A while later, Dovewing entered and unexpectedly came over to Blossomfall. “I’m sorry.” Was all she said before curling up next to Blossomfall. Blossomfall was too tired to speak but not too tired to let out a faint purr as she let sleep carry her away.
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The sun was just up when Dovewing pulled Blossomfall out of camp to apologise.
”I’m sorry, I pushed away a good friend, no strike that, I pushed away my best friend, no strike that, I pushed away… I pushed away my first and only love. For what? Because it hurt my self pride that my sister avoided me?
”Dovewing I-“
”Please just let me finish, I hurt you, Bumblestripe and myself just to try and keep my pride. I never liked Bumblestripe, I’m pretty sure you knew that, but I led him on and I hurt him just to try and hurt you. And why did I want to hurt you? Because I’m a fox-hearted mouse-brain!”
“No! You’re the best person I ever met, everyone makes mistakes!”
“But I hurt you and your brother why aren’t you annoyed?”
”Why?! Isn’t it obvious! I love you Dovewing, I always have, and I never stopped.”
Dovewings eyes lit up and she pressed her tearful muzzle into Blossomfall’s fur. Blossomfall could only just hear the words she had longed to hear her whole life.
”I love you too Blossomfall!”