A Gift

[Magicheart]

Laughingfox nimbly crossed the stones, his lithe form gliding over, his wide olive eyes scanning the riverbed for something....something....
"THERE!" he shouted, catching a flash of pink in the water. He pawed out at the water skeptically. As much as the tom loved snow, he wasn't the biggest fan of water....but for his mate?
"I must have it!" he hissed through gritted teeth as he slipped into the cool water. Retrieving his newfound treasure in his jaws, he made his way up to the bank to dry off. "she'll love this!" he meowed, setting down a glittering pink stone in the vibrant green grass.

[Night]

"Who will love what?" Asked Honeydrop, trying unsuccessfully to hide a laugh. She tried covering it up with a cough or a purr. Instead it came out sounding like a very unlady-like snort. She looked away, embarrassed. How could she do that in front of Laughingfox?

[Magicheart]

The tom eagerly picked up the pretty bauble and began to take a step forward when he heard his mate "Hey, Honeydro--"
As Laughingfox opened his mouth to greet her, he dropped the pebble, which inconveniently decided to roll back towards the shore. "Curses!" he muttered, flying after it, paws splayed out. He was too frantic in his own endeavor to notice any awkardness on Honeydrop's part.
Successfully pouncing on the rock and picking it up in his jaws, the pompous tom tried to compose himself and walked casually, yet proudly towards his mate. "I got you this" he mumbled through his teeth, setting down the pretty pink stone, which wasn't even visible underneath the leaf he also accidentally picked up with it.

[Night]

Honeydrop laughed. "Oh Laughingfox you're so thoughtful!" She said, moving the leaf to admire the stone. "You're also wet." She added, looking up to study the kind tom. He hated getting wet, and yet he had gotten this out of the stream to give to her? She felt a strange light-headedness, the true depth of her love for Laughingfox arising with such passion in her heart. She licked his forehead, rubbing the fur the wrong way to help it dry.

[Magicheart]

Laughingfox widened his eyes in slight surprise at how well recieved his gift was, and beamed at Honeydrop's sign of affection. At times, especially since he became deputy and had less time to spend with her, he felt as if he made her irritated more than happy. He sighed in contentment as she licked his fur, wishing he had more time like this to spend with Honeydrop.

[Night]

Honeydrop continued licking Laughingfox's fur until it was well on it's way to drying. "So Laughingfox, enjoying being deputy?" She asked in a nonchalant way.

[Magicheart]

The tom smiled, but it was a bit forced. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I was the best choice. I feel like the other cats expect me to be serious now that I have more responsibility to the clan, but it's just not in me to be so....so ....bland." he explained. "I feel like they tolerate me being deputy more than they look up to me." he fretted.

[Night]

"I don't think so Laughingfox. Don't tell Stormstar I said this but she's sorta... too serious sometimes. Your the comic relief you might say. Sure it annoys some warriors, but I think we all need to laugh once in awhile. As for being the best choice, do you doubt Stormstars powers of decision?" She asked. She gave a playful look, as if she was daring Laughingfox to say yes.

[Magicheart]

"Everyone is too serious lately, especially with Silenceclan around." he sighed. He turned to her and grinned as he picked up on her playful tone. With a purr of laughter he leapt towards Honeydrop, pinning her to the ground, his nose touching hers. "Should I doubt her powers of decision? After all, you said she was too serious. You know you can't trust cats that are too serious." he smirked.

[Brambleclaw]

"Trust is like a salmon, it feeds a cat a meal. But loyalty, on the other hand, is a river. Holds much salmon. You can trust one more easily than you can give out loyalty. So, I must ask, are you loyal towards her?" Foxtail asked, smiling as she padded through the reeds. She tried to focus on the two cats ahead, but it was hard. Ever since she had faced the wrath of that one SilenceClanner in the fight... She sighed. One eye was completely blind. The other was hazy, half-blind, she had decided. She saw the soft pink lump of the stone.
"How sweet of you, I just love young love." She smiled and flicked her tail toward the rock. "I hate to intrude, but it seems you two are playing on my favorite moss patch." She smiled lightly, trying to focus on the moss peeking out from under Honeydrop. She sighed.
"Actually, I have an important issue and I need to talk with someone. Someone not predictable in their answer." She tried to smile, but it faltered and came out distorted.

[Magicheart]

Laughingfox jumped in the air at the sound of a voice that wasn't Honeydrop's. He lowered his face, feeling a hot prickling sensation of embarassment creep over his face. He raised his eyes to meet Foxtail's. "Of course I am loyal to Stormstar and Riverclan!" he meowed with conviction.
He blushed again when she mentioned the young love. He flicked his tail in interest at her problem. "I would be glad to listen." he offered.

[Brambleclaw]

"I think I'm leaving. I need to know that I'm doing the right thing, however. So which do you think is a more reasonable excuse - that StarClan told me, which isn't necessarily true, or that my heart told me so?" She sat down, rubbing her eyes with some pulp she had brought. Being a Medicine Cat, everything was supposed to be about StarClan. But even sometimes following one's heart was necessary. But now it seemed that she would be doing something StarClan seemed to not care about, which scared her. Usually following one's heart was what StarClan wanted, or wasn't. But now, it seemed that they could care less. If they didn't care, what else did they not care about? And then again, did they care at all? And that, Foxtail believed, was a dangerous question. She shuddered at the thought, waiting for an answer.

[Magicheart]

Laughingfox flattened his ears in shock and dismay. "Leave?" he echoed. The Riverclan deputy sat down, trying to take in what he was hearing. "We can't survive without a medicine cat...." he mused aloud. "Are you....are you too, in love?" he asked boldly, digesting her statement about following her heart.

[Brambleclaw]

"No." Foxtail stated plainly. She had been, once, but he was long gone now. She sighed. "But what I need to do and what I should do are so unclear. Next gathering I shall decide. StarClan will help this Clan. I know the cat who will be the next apprentice. He is the right one. And Flamepaw is ready. But am I?"

[Magicheart]

Laughingfox angled his head. "I'm afraid I just don't understand." he admitted. "Will your apprentice be ready to take over if you leave? Won't you miss all of this?" he gestured his paw in a sweeping motion over the land. "Our clan, our leader, our existence, relies on your abilities to heal and to communicate with Starclan. How can you abandon that?" he asked in wonder.

[Brambleclaw]

"My apprentice is ready. And I know of another cat whom will help with the Clan. He will be Flamepaw's apprentice if I have any say in things. I cannot bear to leave, but what can I do." She suddenly let out a loud wail of sorrow. "It is like being torn between two halves of myself. One half, for StarClan, and one half for what is right. But which is more right? And which has more in it for me? I'll miss it all, but I will always miss everything. When this whole ordeal is over, I will return as a happy elder if everyone wishes. Unless I know differently of what is right." She tried to smile, but the pain of decision hung heavy on her chest. This was too much. "I wish I could just know, you know?"

[Night]

Honeydrop listened silently. She didn't want to answer. In truth, she had sometimes wished she could run away, avoid the stress of clan life. That had been back when she was an apprentice though. Now? She wouldn't leave the clan for anything. She promised she'd sacrifice her life for it, and she would. Foxtail's desire to leave was deeper than a desire to avoid the stress of clan life though, so Honeydrop didn't have an answer. She knew where she belonged- right here, with Laughingfox.

[Brambleclaw]

[[Foxtail's dead now! x.x She left, joined TrueClan, became Deputy, and then died... Should I reply or no?]]

[Night]

Is magic still around? If not, no, if yes... I'll ask if she wants to start a new one... though I may have to resort to the emails...

[Brambleclaw]

Nope, Magic vanished.