Falling Star [1]

Chapter 10

       "Try aiming in between the shoulders instead," Nightfrost explained. Ashpaw nodded, repeating the exercise and aiming for the upper spine and finishing by landing next to him. He nodded. "Good," he said.
"Now what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
   "Well, first I have to ask.. Can I keep my friends?"
"No."
Ashpaw's ears went back, but she didn't protest.
"There was one more, wasn't there?" He asked.
She hesitated. "It isn't important."
He shrugged. "Well, it's time for you to wake up. Work on that last bit."
She nodded until she found herself blinking sunlight from her eyes. She stood up, weaving through the nests and through the exit.
Moonpaw and Birchpaw were still asleep, reminding Ashpaw of the task she dreaded so much. She had to push them out of her life. Simple? No. She had become too attached to them. The thought of losing her first and probably last friends..
"Ashpaw!" Rainleap called out. "How are you?"
She nodded shakily.
"Great! So do you think you'll be fine if you go on a quick border patrol?" He asked. She nodded again, following her mentor out of camp and smelling the familiar forest air, a bird singing somewhere to her right. She breathed the morning air in, feeling more able to handle the situation that was still on her mind. She hoped that this patrol would give her time to think about what Nightfrost had said.
The came to a gap in the trees on the border, an unexpected LakeClan patrol a few fox lengths away. The head cat spotted them, signaling the others and trotting over to meet them.
"Greetings, Rainleap," she said, dipping her head.
"Fernpelt," he said stiffly. "Glad to see you're doing well." She tilted her head. "Why so cold? You should be nicer to-"
"So who's this?" He cut her off fast. "This is Fogpaw, Badgertail's apprentice.You know Badgertail, don't you?" She said with an evil grin.
His eyes glinted with hurt. "And you two are happy, no doubt."
Something was obviously bothering him, and Ashpaw wanted to know what.
Fogpaw noticed it too, but instead of confusion his face held satisfaction. The same look was found in Fernpelt's deep blue eyes. She turned to Badgertail. "Let's go," she said. "And don't forget to bring our kit."
Hearing this made Rainleap almost die. His soul certainly did. Ashpaw could almost hear his heart skipping several beats as the three stalked away.
Ashpaw knew better than to ask why. In fact, she was afraid to say anything because it was clear that at this point her mentor just wanted to be left alone. So she just quietly suggested that they should go back to camp. After realizing that Froststar would want a report, she offerered to tell their leader about it as well so that he could go eat something and take a few minutes to rest.

Once they were back,
   Ashpaw and Rainleap went their seperate ways to do their different things. She scrambled up the rockslide ramp, sliding through the vines hanging over the entrance to Froststar's little cave. She found her leader resting in her nest, getting up when she noticed the apprentice. "What brings you to see me, Ashpaw?" She asked.
"I just came to give a report on our border patrol. Both me and Rainleap were present."
She nodded. "And? I can't imagine what would need to be reported."
"We ran into a LakeClan patrol. They stayed on their side of the border, but something happened. Rainleap went into some kind of emotional rejection, and now I think the only thing he can do is eat and sleep."
"Hmm, well believe it or not this has happened before. Who exactly was on this patrol?"
"One apprentice and two warriors. Their names were Fogpaw, Badgertail and Fernpelt."
Froststar nodded. "Yes, it's what I thought. Sadly I cannot tell you why he's like this. I don't know if he'd be ok with me telling you."
"And why is that, if you don't mind I asking?"
"Because I believe he wants you to look up to him like a kit does to their father."
Ashpaw was taken aback by this.
"A.. Father?"
"Yes. You see he's always wanted kits. And I think he likes you enough to think of you as his own."
This meant that she could finally have a proper father. "A proper father.."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. That's all I wanted to say."