The Warrior's Return (A Shrouded Path book 3)

Chapter 15

 Apollo held Minnow's gaze as she padded up to him, and he shifted his paws on the ground. His eyes flitted away from her for a moment, and she saw him suck in a breath and hold it. "Apollo," she said softly, halting.

"Minnow," he meowed back, his tone stilted.

Minnow let out a long breath, struggling to find the courage to fix what she had done. "Can we take a walk?" she asked.

Apollo's head snapped up towards her, as if he were surprised by the invitation, and his whiskers twitched the slightest bit as he replied, "Sure."

The two walked about half a tail-length apart as they exited the camp. Minnow's pelt tingled, and secretly she worried that Apollo wouldn't accept her apology. He was generally an easy-going cat, but Minnow knew that she had crossed the line during their argument. As they walked, she could hear Falconpaw's excited voice far ahead as Tawnyclaw took the new apprentice on a tour of RiverClan territory. She vaguely remembered when Tawnyclaw had done the same with her, although her first day as an apprentice was so long ago, and so much had happened since then that it was like she'd never been a RiverClan apprentice at all. I've hardly been a warrior, she thought, then stopped herself.

I need to quit thinking like that, she said to herself as she and Apollo neared the training area. They veered around it, heading towards the spot that they had talked before. It doesn't do me any good. I'm in control of my own destiny, and I need to start acting like it. She knew that RiverClan needed her, and if StarClan was right, all the Clans did somehow. It was time to stop wallowing in self-pity and be the warrior she knew she was. And that started with making things right with Apollo.

Minnow stopped in her tracks, taking in a deep breath of forest air. Greenleaf was on the verge of melting away, and Minnow knew that the coming Trial was likely to plunge the Clans into a different kind of season. As much as those thoughts plagued her mind lately, she was content to push them to the back of her mind for a little while as she turned to look at Apollo.

"Do you ever regret coming to RiverClan?" Minnow asked.

Brow furrowed slightly, Apollo answered, "No. Not at all."

When Minnow didn't say anything else, he added, "Do you regret coming back?"

Minnow pulled her tail around her paws. It was hard to hold Apollo's gaze and she found herself looking away at the forest around them. "I've run so much that everything feels like a mistake after a while," she replied. "You were right when you said that I should be tired of running; I am."

"I shouldn't have said that," Apollo interrupted. "It wasn't helpful to battle your anger with an argument."

Minnow gave a small shrug. "I started the argument," she reasoned. "But I think it was necessary. We've been putting off some important conversations, and it's about time we had them." Apollo flicked his tail for her to go on. "I'm sorry for what I said to you. I'm glad you've settled into RiverClan; I was jealous of that, at first. I know that I belong in this Clan, but it's been so hard readjusting that I haven't been thinking straight. I shouldn't have lashed out at you, and I don't want to make you feel bad for fitting in and having friends."

Apollo's gaze softened and he said, "I'll never pretend to understand the burden you've been bearing, Minnow. But I promise that I'll always be here to help shoulder it, if you want. And..." he hesitated. "And if you feel like you can't make it work in RiverClan, then I'll follow you wherever you decide to go." A glimpse of pain flashed through his amber eyes, but he purred a little as he looked at Minnow.

Minnow couldn't believe her ears. As much as Apollo had grown to love RiverClan in his short stay there, he would still be willing to leave if she wanted to. At that moment, she knew she didn't deserve Apollo. "I would never ask you to do that," she murmured.

"But I would," Apollo replied firmly, leaning in a little closer. "I'd go with you anywhere. I love you."

Minnow's heart fluttered in her chest. "I love you, too," she whispered, feeling an enormous rush of fear and worry leave her body. "And I love RiverClan. I could never leave."

She saw relief pass over Apollo's face, and his whiskers twitched. "So we can stay?" he asked like an excited kit.

Purring, Minnow nodded. "No matter what, RiverClan is where I belong. My parents lived and died here, my friends and family are here. And..."

Apollo flicked an ear, eyes widening with anticipation. "And?" he prompted.

Minnow took a deep breath. "And," she said slowly, "And there's nowhere else I would like to someday raise kits."

Apollo nearly leaped to his paws. "You want kits?" He sounded as if he could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Of course," Minnow meowed softly. "I want kits, RiverClan kits, and I want them with you." She pressed her muzzle lightly against Apollo's, relishing the comforting sound of his deep, rumbling purr.

The two sat in the forest for a long while, until after sunhigh. Minnow's heart still ached with the loss of Ashflower, but being with the cat she loved was helping to ease her spirits. The broken pieces of her life were slowly falling back into place.

Eventually Apollo spoke. "Just another half moon until the Gathering."

Minnow nodded. "And then the Trial after," she added. "I wonder what will happen at the Gathering. Most of ThunderClan was either a prisoner or guarding a prisoner when we visited their camp."

"And I suspect WindClan is the same," meowed Apollo. "They'll have new deputies, that's for sure."

Minnow snorted. "I can't wait to see if Duskstar's next choice is evil and tyrannical, too," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She felt Apollo shrug beside her. "You and Copperfoot have quite the history, don't you?" he asked, and Minnow nodded slowly in reply. "Redblaze kind of filled me in on that. I've met my share of mean cats, but none like him."

Minnow opened her mouth to say something else, but was stopped by the memory of Nightwhisper's vision. She didn't doubt that Copperfoot was evil, but something told her that there was more to the story. She didn't know what, but she could only hope that it would be revealed at the Trial. A sudden breeze made her shiver, and she shook her pelt, her mind clearing. "We should get back to camp," she said. "Tawnyclaw might want us on a patrol soon."

Apollo dipped his head, a low purr rumbling in his throat. His amber eyes flashed with love, and he turned to lead the way back to camp, flicking his tail across Minnow's nose as he turned. Minnow bounded forward to catch up with him, and intertwined her tail with his. They walked close together as they went back home.