CotS #1: The Dark Path (currently being rewritten)

Glitter? The word from his mouth replayed over and over again in my head. The cat who loved Glitter, the cat whom she loved – it was Zealheart, the cat whom I loved. She loved him, and that dreamy look he gave her - he loved her too, and he loved her more than me.

Finally. I finally loved a cat enough to say I'd get to know him, and then whoosh, his childhood love turns up and she's not dead. Woo-hoo. How nice. Way to go, Glitter. Thank you so much. What a great sister she was.

"I'll leave you to it," I said bitterly. "Zealheart, you could at least have told me you had a dead love and would ditch me the moment she turned up."

"Wait, what?" asked Glitter. "You're with her?"

"Kind of," Zealheart said with a grimace. Yep, he grimaced. He was ashamed to be with me. I hated those kinds of toms. I hadn't seen many, but like Frogleap's abandonment of Ashenface, I could feel the pain and rejection in me now. It felt built-up, from all the rejections over the years of my life. Minnowpelt. Wheatpelt. And so many others ...

"I'll leave you to it," I practically spat out. "Thank you so much for playing with my heart, Zealheart. That was so helpful." Then I stalked off.

I saw an almost familiar white and gray shape following me.

"What do you want, Cloudysky?" I sighed. "I have nothing to say to you."

He stopped beside me, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't know what you have to say," I told him, turning away. "But I don't want to hear it. I've decided, and I knew this long ago from Peacewind's treatment. Love isn't worth it. It hurts more than the sharpest claw. I didn't love him that much yet. Maybe it's better. Maybe it's better I'm not like Ashenface and Frogleap." They had been happy, for a time. Was it wrong of me to say I didn't want to be like them? Ashenface was depressed now. She'd born his kits, and he'd still left her. Did that even matter? Cloudysky and Duskypelt had been trailing me for so long now, never giving up. But one day, they would.

"I'm going to organize patrols." I turned away and called to the rest. "Right. Duskypelt, have you finished patching the camp?" 

"Patching or expanding?" He asked, amused. "Yes, if you mean expanding." He had a she-cat at his side. Plumwhisker.

Wait, WHAT? From me, he went to PLUMWHISKER? There was no one worse than that cat! Okay, maybe Sunstreak had been worse. Or maybe Zealheart.

"Right, if you aren't too tired, Duskypelt, can you lead the evening patrol."

"Okay, who should I take?"

"Ummmm... Frogleap, Ashenface, Flametail and Stargleam."

Duskypelt raised his eyebrows.

"What?" I asked.

"You're sending me on a patrol with two mates, and two divorces?"

"Urm..." I muttered.

He sighed. "Fine. But can I take Plumwhisker instead of Frogleap?"

"Fine," I muttered. I didn't know why I'd put Frogleap and Ashenface together. Maybe I'd done it instinctively. I always put mates together on the same patrol. Like, well, Flametail and Stargleam.

Anyway, this way left Coriandermist and Frogleap to their moonlit stroll. Feh. Like anyone cared about love anymore!

For some reason, Icestar called me to her den.