When I was a kit, I used to think my intrusive thoughts meant I was a psychopath. I would think terrible things about other cats. I would think terrible things about myself. I thought I'd grow up to be an evil murderer.
I told the medicine cat once. The medicine cat back then was Weaseltail. He was one of the oldest cats in the Clan. He told me that I was a demon and it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Forest cats possessed me. And I was terrified.
I told the leader, Rainstar, about my thoughts and what the medicine cat said. Rainstar was always a good friend to me. He told me Weaseltail was just paranoid, and my thoughts didn't mean anything.
And finally, I told my mother.
She sat me down in our nest in the nursery, laid down next to me, and spoke in a calm, sincere voice. I remember exactly what she said.
"My beautiful daughter, sometimes cats like you and me will have strange thoughts come into our head, and we can't stop them. But the very fact that you view these thoughts as evil means that you aren't a psychopath. You just have to recognize that these thoughts aren't you."
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Thornberry and Turtlestride trotted out of camp, still playfully nudging and batting at each other.
"Alright, alright! You're the smartest!" Turtlestride laughed- they had just been settling a silly dispute over which of them was smarter. "Okay- serious time. Where do you wanna hunt, you beebrain?"
"Somewhere easy. How about the flower clearing?" Thornberry suggested.
"Oooo, maybe you could pick some flowers for Larkstep!" Turtlestride teased in a sing-song voice.
"I've given him enough flowers. He can pick them himself!" Thornberry replied.
The bottom of the canyon where their Clan, CanyonClan, resided, was a beautiful, lush place. There was a huge forest, with thick canopies and sunlight-dappled undergrowth, overrun with squirrels, mice and birds. The cats learned to hunt both in this forest and on the canyon paths along the edges of the canyon walls.
Thornberry paused, turning her head, ears perked. "Hey, Turtle! Look, it's your mom and Rosellapaw!" She said, pointing to the Fern Stream.
Turtlestride's mother, Beespeckle and Beespeckle's apprentice, Rosellapaw, were sitting next to the Fern Stream. Beespeckle was talking to Rosellapaw- probably teaching him about the territories or the Warrior Code.
Turtlestride and her mother were very close. Turtlestride didn't have a father. Her mother had her when she was very young- only thirteen moons. And ever since Turtlestride was born, she and her mother had been best friends. Her mother was a rowdy, rambunctious cat- the opposite of Turtlestride.
"C'mon- let's go sneak up on her." Thornberry said, dropping immediately into a crouch.
"Ha. I thought we were going to hunt?" Turtlestride reminded her friend.
"Ahem, I prefer to see this as a form of hunting." Thornberry scoffed.
"Uh oh, we're not hunting my mom, are we?" Turtlestride gasped dramatically, crouching as well, and following Thornberry silently through the undergrowth.
"Shhh," Thornberry whispered, edging closer to Beespeckle, behind her now, Turtlestride close behind.
Rosellapaw leaned to the side, glancing behind Beespeckle.
"Turtlestride! Thornberry!" Rosellapaw exclaimed, glad to see the two. Ever since he became Beespeckle's apprentice (2 moons ago) Turtlestride and Thornberry were pretty much his role models.
Beespeckle turned, glancing at her daughter and Thornberry. "Ha! Sneaking up on me? Plan foiled, I see!" She said. "Get them, Rosellapaw!"
She pounced on Turtlestride, tackling her to the ground playfully. Rosellapaw did the same, leaping on Thornberry.
Doing something so simple as to play fight with her mother filled Turtlestride with joy. It gave her a momentary break from her thoughts. She wondered if Beespeckle felt the same- she had once mentioned having intrusive thoughts, too.
Beespeckle pinned Turtlestride to the ground with a proud "Ha!". No matter what, her mother always seemed to win their spars.
"Okay, okay, you win!" Turtlestride laughed, getting up and shaking dust off her pelt.
"Ack! You've got me, Rosellapaw!" Thornberry said, pinned down by the apprentice. It seemed Turtlestride and Thornberry had lost their battle today.
Rosellapaw stepped off of Thornberry, walking back to his mentor.
"That's right, Rosellapaw- we're the best cats in the Clan." Beespeckle joked, patting her apprentice's head with a paw.
"Hey, now!" Turtlestride protested.
Beespeckle laughed, then turned to Thornberry. "How's Larkstep?" She asked.
"Wh- how did you know? That we were together?" Thornberry asked, blushing, caught off guard.
"It's obvious, sweetie. You know..." Beespeckle sighed, glancing to the side. She opened her mouth twice as if to say something, but thought better of it, then after a moment continued speaking, picking her words carefully. "Wasn't... Didn't Larkstep and Cloudflight just end their relationship? You should-- You might-... You might be in a bit of rebound relationship."
Thornberry paused, frowning. "I appreciate your concern, but what we have is real."
"Yeah it is. I've seen proof." Turtlestride added, recalling walking in on the two cuddling in the warriors' den.
"Hey!" Thornberry exclaimed, immediately embarrassed by Turtlestride's words.
Beespeckle smiled, amused. "You two, skedaddle. You're a bad influence for Rosellapaw." She ordered jokingly.
"Oh, yeah. We'd better get back to hunting. See you, mom, Rosellapaw!" Turtlestride said, then hurried off towards the flower clearing, Thornberry close behind.
YOU ARE READING
. : Daisies in my Paws : . . : A warriors fanfiction : .
Fanfiction. : This story isn't about prophecies. It isn't about forbidden love. It isn't about evil leaders, epic adventures or revolutionary rebellions. It's about a cat who can't quite seem to get away from her thoughts. : . Beautiful cover by @Lightwaever2...
