Northstar was sitting alone in the forest. Her tail was wrapped around her paws, and she was staring at the ground. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore masked the sound of pawsteps heading for her. "Hey, what are you doing out her?"
She whipped around to see Icecloud standing there. "Oh, hey. I'm hiding from Ozzy."
The white she-cat smiled and sat next to her. "I'm hiding from Ravencall. It seems they're brains operate at the same pace. He told me he loved me a couple sunrises ago."
Northstar looked at her. "I thought you like him."
"I do," Icecloud replied. "But I don't know if I'm ready. I don't want to mess up. Runningleap and Rabbitcatch are lucky, they're perfect for each other and they both know it. Why are you hiding from Ozzy? You're perfect! No offense to him, but I don't think you and Owleye would've worked out to well."
"Me niether," Northstar admitted. "But I'm confused about everything. I thought Wolfcall was perfect for me, but not as much as I thought. Owleye, he was a nice cat but...well, it wouldn't worked. I liked him as a friend. And Ozzy, I don't even know."
Icecoud sighed. "Toms just cause problems."
"Do you think I'm making a mistake? By not talking to Ozzy?"
The white she-cat nodded. "You should talk to him! Do you really not like him?"
Northstar thought it over. Well...I don't dislike him. "I think you need to talk to Ravencall. There's never going to be a time where you'll believe that you can do it. For cats like us, we just think of all the mistakes we make. Runningleap and Rabbitcatch were probably afraid, but they faced it. You should too."
Icecloud looked at her leader. "We should."
"Alright, alright." Northstar meowed.
"Deal?" Icecloud asked, getting to her paws.
Northstar nodded, smiling. "Deal,"
Northstar was trecking through the forest once more, but with Ozzy on her tail. She hadn't needed to ask Ozzy to hunt with her, Birdsong had organized the patrols so we'd be going on a border patrol alone. She knew Icecloud had asked, and it appeared that the deputy had wanted to anyway.
She could tell that Ozzy wasn't happy with being there. Pain stabbed her heart, knowing how much she hurt him. "Hey, Northstar?"
"Yes?" Northstar asked, her heart soaring.
"Is there a reason you are limping...and bleeding?"
"What!" The silver she-cat looked back at the path, and realized there was a small trail of blood. Then she realized the pain in her heart at faded, but the pain was in her paw. She sat down, and saw a thorn wedged deep in her pad. Her pads had been rubbed raw when she had run from Bless, and the thorn easily broke the skin.
"Here let me help," Ozzy offered. "Cleo had taught me how." Awkwardness of the moment pricked her pelt as he pulled the thorn out of her paw.
They sat in silence for a moment, until Ozzy began talking. "Look, Northstar, I know you don't like me..."
"I love you, Ozzy," The leader interupted.
But the former kittypet didn't realize it. "...but I want to know-"
"Ozzy!" Northstar yowled in his ear, realizing he hadn't paid attention.
"Ow, ow ow, what!" He demaned, though he was smiling.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Yeah, you yelled "Ozzy", in my ear!"
Northstar geussed he was drying to lighten up the moment, but there was no need. She didn't hate him. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.
"I think you yelled to loud, I thought you said you loved me. But I..." He trailed off, forcing an awkward smile.
"I did say that," She replied.
"Really?" Ozzy asked, perking up.
"Want me to scream again?" Northstar counted with a mischevious smile.
"No, no," He said, flattening his ears on his head, though he was still smiling. He licked her ear, and Northstar smiled.
"Maybe we should get Cinderpaw and Heatherfur to take care of your pad before we continue the patrol," Ozzy meowed.
He still thinks it was real? "Um, Ozzy," the silver she-cat mewed as they started heading back to camp.
"Yeah?"
"About the border patrol..." Northstar paused, then sighed. "...thing is, it wasn't really real. Icecloud asked Birdsong to organize the patrols so the two of us we be alone."
Ozzy nodded. "That's not unbelievable."