blood feud .;finished;.

{

Step back a few long, terrible moons and the bicolor she-cat would have been visiting this clearing along with her fish-eating kin. They would have energetically bounded into the space with the hope of some good gossip and some hot tail-ends to watch. Looking never hurt, just as long as they didn't promise anything more. All in all it was full of fun and a memorable occasion. 

Being back in the familiar space no longer held the same feeling of companionship and excitement. She was alone in a foreign clan, not quite one of them yet no longer truly Riverclan either. She watched some of the other cats race off with eager faces and couldn't stop the feeling of loss that spike up. 

But the young molly put on a bright smile, masking her inner turmoil perfectly. Still, she couldn't face talking with a happy group, not just yet. The delicate little wallflower would have gone to stand alone instead if she hadn't spotted the admittedly handsome deputy lurking darkly. Well, at least she wouldn't look upset compared to him!

She slipped through the crowd with precision and ease until Honeyflower drew to his side as if she naturally belonged there. Although Stormhawk was a little intimidating she tried her best to push that aside. "You better be staying warm! Burr! It's not even Leafbare and already it's cold."

{

"Are you always such a terribly smooth talker?" Honeyflower giggled, cocking her head in mock question. "My lady! I haven't heard language like that for ages. Let's see, I think it was a kittypet who first explained to me what it meant. Such a silly way to say she-cat." Again she laughed, a chiming sound that was ethereal.

Despite her teasing the bicolor she-cat delicately rose to her little paws and bounced a playful pace closer to Stormhawk. There she circled twice, sat, and carefully curled her plush tail over her paws.

Bright, blue eyes were half-lidded as she blinked, provocatively, up at the tom. "Now that you've got me in your reach, what terribly sinister things do you have planned next? Oh do be careful! I'm only a wee little 'lady'" 

She lifted a white paw and began to clean her fluffy cheeks with it, plumping the fur and making sure she looked her absolute best. This wasn't done for the tom's sake, although she did think the timing was right to continue her teasing joke. She had been right to come bother him, this was much funner than sulking alone! 

{

She paused her grooming making her her small, snow-colored paw hang in the chilly night air. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or scoff at the silly, romantic fool. Was he for serious? But one look at those big, green eyes, and Honeyflower decided to think better of him. However, the femme wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? Adorable, but silly with words. I’m sure you get away treating every she-cat like that.” Honeyflower sniffed her nose as if in disdain and turned her back to him. Then she coyly looked over her shoulder with lids partly fallen to cover big, blue eyes. “If you weren’t so much fun to tease I’d tell you to go find someone else to bother.”

The bicolor she-cat stuck her tongue out at the deputy but kept her back facing him. Then she resumed her grooming, licking her paw and drawing it over her head. She hoped, secretly, that he wouldn’t be put-off with her somewhat harsh words, and instead take the bait.

{

A light, fluttering smile danced across her lips as Stormhawk continued to play their little game. She had been fearful he would turn away, but now she was convinced he was there to stay. Honeyflower delighted in his reaction. The femme was forced to even giggle at his silly little bow. A warm sensation reached her cheeks, but was hidden by her fur.

“You are right to think thusly, my lowly toy,” she said mockingly, trying to mimic his oddly formal way of talking. “I am pleased that you accept, but you must realize you had no choice in the matter.” She couldn’t finish saying this last part without bursting into another fit of giggles. The deputy made her feel like a kitten again!

All too suddenly his mood seemed to turn dark. She tried to follow his gaze and found his eyes locked on the Great Rock. Had one of the leaders upset him? The she-cat wasn’t certain it was her place to pry. She didn’t want him to stay upset so she tried to get his attention back. “Now, toy, I command you to do something silly. Something small won’t please me. It has to be extremely silly. Do my bidding, or be banished from the moors!”

{

The light femme blinked slowly. She was pleased that she could so easily distract him from whatever had haunted his heart. He was resisting her demand though and Honeyflower could not let such insolence stand. Even if it was just a game. 

Honeyflower whisked effortlessly to her tiny, delicate paws. With utter grace she slipped under the tom’s tall body as if to walk to the opposite side of him. While doing so the thick plume of her banner teasingly passed underneath his jaw. It would rub the sensitive skin there if he didn’t move away. Then she circled a spot to his side quickly before sitting down gingerly on the cold ground.

“Your word? Tisk. Tisk. What about your promise to serve? My, what shall I do?” She licked her white paw and ran it over an ear. “I don’t have any other choice, do I? You’ll have to be banished. Yes. It’s the only way.”

{

A trail of white hairs lifted along the she-cat’s delicate lower spine. The mood surrounding the large male had drastically darkened within a short couple of heartbeats. It was impossible for Honeyflower to say why, he had changed his mood before in their conversion for unexplained reasons, but she refused to believe it was her doing. The femme was just teasing him. It wasn’t like she actually had any power to hold over him.

Honeyflower pushed aside her internal concerns and instead focused on continuing their little game. If he wanted it to stop he could walk away, or order her. She did hope he’d stay, though. Maybe he just needed to lighten up.

“What a silly question, ha! Such a trifle. Bothersome, almost.” A white, petite paw waved in the air to dismiss his words and his threat. “I would replace you. My darling, don’t you see? As much as I would detest all the attention, it must be done.”

{

The delicate femme was instantly made wary by the disbelieving tone in the deputy’s deep mew. It almost sounded as if he didn’t think she could be deputy material. He better not even be considering that very idea, she thought. Although Honeyflower had never considered being a deputy herself it didn’t mean she couldn’t be a great one. She was smart, agile, swift, and talented in other ways.

Even his teasing didn’t manage to smooth her ruffled fur. Honeyflower’s lids fell part-way, and her daring blue eyes glowered at a distant point. She turned her head away from him and gave a dainty little “huff.” Meanwhile the cascading end of her banner flicked in clear irritation. She even considered getting up and walking away.

“My first decree? Oh, I’m such a silly-headed female. I’d only order everyone to gather pretty things for my nest. I’d simply forget to order patrols, and why would I ever mess with battles? Then I’d have the senior warriors weave lavender in your pelt so you’d smell divine.” The femme flipped a small paw in the air in a shallow way, but suddenly her lilting voice grew serious and deadly, sharper than any knife. “Then I’d have you chased off the falls. Silly me.”