CHAPTER 2

"I'm fine."

❦

Though the day was perfect - grass swaying, gentle breezes, warm weather - Furzestripe couldn't focus on anything but her own fear.

   She had already missed two mice and an old blackbird, and was now watching a rabbit.

   The soft-furred creature nibbled away at the fronds. Furzestripe's pelt rippled and she ducked low, prowling forward. But while she approached her mind began to wander.

   What if somebody knows? What if they're telling Adderstar right now, and I'll be thrown out for lying and being responsible for a Clanmate's death?

   The horrific image of Birdrunner's split skull distracted the she-cat, and she crunched a dead bit of plant beneath her paw. Realizing it was being followed, the rabbit flicked its ears around then tore away through the grass, soon lost among the arching growth.

   Furzestripe muttered a curse and padded on. She had to catch something. If she went back to camp empty-pawed, the Clan would be disappointed beyond repair.

   She couldn't disappoint them. Cats who disappointed the Clan... they were useless. If someone was unable to hunt, to fight, to protect everyone else properly, then they'd get thrown out.

   They'd become a vagabond.

   Furzestripe only jolted from her thoughts when she caught the smell of Sheeptail and Grassfoot.

   She looked up from the ground to see the two toms lounging around in the sun and grooming. The she-cat was about to turn away when Sheeptail looked up and saw her.

   "Hello Furzestripe!" He greeted with a friendly trill, "How're you doing?"

   Realizing she couldn't leave, the golden warrior took a deep breath and settled onto her belly to face the two.

   "I'm fine."

   "Were you hunting?" Asked Sheeptail, eyes warm and tail flicking on the ground.

   Furzestripe nodded, "But I guess the prey wasn't running well today, couldn't catch anything."

   Grassfoot paused his lapping at the base of his tail and tilted his head up to look at her, ears twitching at the slight breeze.

   "Really? Everything seemed just fine to me." He blinked.

   Furzestripe felt her blood run cold and quickly replied, "I don't know, maybe it was just where I was hunting." She then rose to her paws, "If you don't mind, I must go." Before quickly padding away through the tall fronds.

   The golden feline, once out of sight from her Clanmates, changed her slow pace to a lopsided run. She cared little for her paw placement and tumbled over the slopes and grasses, breath heavy.

   Furzestripe had to run. They know I was lying. They know the prey's fine. They know. They know. They know.

   Panting and mottled, she soon found herself standing in the thicker part of the groves.

   The she-cat whipped her tail back-and-forth, pacing around in circles in a tiny hollow within the coniferous grove.

   She closed her eyes to try and calm herself, but she was met by the morbid image of Birdrunner's corpse in all its gory detail. Furzestripe's breath caught in her throat and she blinked again, but the memory was there every time.

   Furzestripe whined, shaking her head so hard she almost toppled over.

   Please, please, let me forget that... please... "Please StarClan, please, I don't want to see it, please..." Her mental begging soon turned to jumbled dialogue as she continued her pacing and shaking.

   "Furzestripe?"

   She froze in place when she heard her name be called. Head snapping up, she met Dewfoot's gaze. He appeared concerned, a robin held tightly in his jaws.

   "Are you alright..?" The tom's eyes slowly travelled from her face to the rest of her body, where her fur was a spiky mess.

   Furzestripe nodded vigorously. The two continued to stare at each other for a few moments before Dewfoot backed away and left through the bushes.

   Immediately the golden she-cat ducked her head and released a shaky sigh. Nobody knows, birdbrain. Nobody knows. Nobody will know. You're fine. Fine. Fine.

   Furzestripe took a few deep breaths then shakily left the grove, making sure she wouldn't run into Dewfoot again, and padded up into the grassy hills once more.

   She grumbled incoherent words to herself, loosely forming one sentence over and over again.

   "I'm fine."

- ☆ -

right, i know that was short. i meant to publish this yesterday but i was out for a while.