"Thank StarClan!" Shadowheart exclaimed as Birchleg hightailed it out of camp. "It's about time he left. He was driving me crazy." She looked at Bramblestripe. "And what are you still doing here? Don't you have anything better to do than stand around?"
"Thistletail didn't assign me to a patrol so..." Bramblestripe shrugged. "I was gonna go hunting but with Birchleg loose in the meadow, now I'm not so sure."
Shadowheart huffed. "Wanna trade then? Thistletail keeps putting me on elder duty. Like I actually enjoy it or something."
"Maybe he's waiting for you to actually do it instead of leaving it to everyone else."
"I'm caring for them right now, aren't I?" Shadowheart snapped, dried grass and feathers at her paws.
Bramblestripe gave Shadowheart a knowing look. "Only because Hawkstar is here to keep an eye on you."
Shadowheart glared at him but was there a glitter of amusement in her amber eyes?
"Fine, continue being useless then."
"Maybe we could do something later?"
"Are you asking me to go hunting with you?"
"Well, we make a pretty good team. Why not?"
"I'll think about it," Shadowheart meowed, scooping up the clean bedding and heading for the elder's den.
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"Let's try the woodland," Shadowheart suggested.
Bramblestripe paused, unease tightening his chest. "What? Why?"
Shadowheart leveled him with a look. "Why not? The undergrowth has been slowly growing back and prey may be starting to come back too."
"Maybe but why risk it?"
Shadowheart narrowed her eyes. "Why are you afraid to go back to the woodland?"
Bramblestripe straightened his shoulders and met Shadowheart's gaze without flinching. "I'm not afraid."
Shadowheart shrugged. "Maybe you're right. We'll just hunt in the meadow."
Surprised that Shadowheart wasn't going to push the issue but deciding not to question it, Bramblestripe followed the black she-cat as they traveled through the tall greenleaf grass. While he was making an effort to trust Shadowheart and she was doing the same in return, he hoped that meant that he didn't have to reveal anything about his past. He could do without the reminders of everything he had left behind. He was determined to make the best of his life here. That was all he wanted.
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Rising from the Ashes
FanfictionThe four Clans-GrassClan, OakClan, PineClan and WillowClan-have lived in relative balance since the Clans began. They kept separate, save for their Gathering every full moon. While they had their disagreements, they kept a relatively harmonious exis...
