Chapter 2

                The cool night air ruffled Silverstream’s fur as she scrambled across the slippery rocks. She knew she was early, she knew the sun hadn’t even disappeared completely. But instead of seeing an empty patch of grass, a gray tom sat in front of her. She’d forgotten that he was always early to everything. “Hi,” he meowed.

                “So give me this so-called logical explanation for why you took Millie as your mate despite your promise,” Silverstream demanded, getting straight to the point.

                Graystripe sighed and stared into the distance. “When I invited Millie to accompany me on my journey, I didn’t intend for her to take it as an offer to be my mate,” he started. “But she assumed that. I didn’t realize it until it was too late. She honestly in my opinion wasn’t really even pretty and she was way too overprotective of everyone she was fond of, especially her kits, as I later discovered. When she asked me to go hunting, should I have said no? What was the harm in going hunting together?”

                “You should’ve just told her you didn’t love her,” Silverstream whispered, but she was startled to realize she believed every word he said.

                He sighed again. “Perhaps,” he meowed. “But I wasn’t certain it was the right thing to do at the time. Anyhow, she came to me all excited one day and I asked what was going on. I was dismayed when she told me she was expecting my kits, but I managed to conceal my horror and act happy. But I was excited about the kits. I missed Feathertail and Stormfur. I thought, maybe this’ll be okay, I can have kits to play with again.”

                “Did you love Millie’s kits as much as Feathertail and Stormfur?” Silverstream asked, even though she knew the answer.

                “Yes,” he responded, meeting her gaze steadily. “Kits are always just as cute and lovable. It broke my heart when Briarlight was crippled almost as much as when Feathertail died. Perhaps death would’ve been a kinder fate for her instead of dragging herself around all day uselessly.”

                Silverstream decided now was not the time to mention she’d secretly been pleased at Briarlight’s injury because it was the best way to hurt Millie. “But Millie was way too overprotective of Briarlight, treating her like a kit again,” Graystripe continued. “When all she wanted was to be a warrior. And the way she ignored Bumblestripe and Blossomfall disgusted me. It was her fault Blossomfall started training in the Dark Forest. And I’ve hated her ever since.”

                “I love you, Silverstream,” he whispered. “Will you accept me again as your mate? We can have plenty of good seasons together here in StarClan, not caring what anyone thinks, not caring that everyone says Millie is “the right choice” for me.”

                “Of course,” she responded immediately, and she watched as his eyes lit up with joy.

                They laid down on the grassy ground together. Silverstream enjoyed his warmth against her fur for the first time in moons. She noticed that she drifted off, but when she opened her eyes again, rays of sunshine were descending from the sky, making their way through the leaves of the oak tree that were failing to shelter the two of them from the brightness.

                Graystripe rose to his paws and began to walk in the same direction that the Great River’s water was flowing. “So I’ll see you tonight?” she asked hopefully.

                He stopped in his tracks and spun around. “Tonight?” he asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. “You’re coming with me now, right?”

                “But won’t other cats see us?” Silverstream asked.

                “We don’t care what they think, remember?” he responded. “We only care about each other.”