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The RigidClan warrior noticed was how Freckleface's diamond-shaped head was buried in Fawnleap's back. She turned to see the freckled she-cat practically cuddling next to her.

"Freckleface." Fawnleap gently purred, lapping her tongue across her companion's forehead. Freckleface hummed with a mix of a groan as she picked herself up, eyes glistening as she stared at Fawnleap for a longing moment.

"Oh, sorry." Freckleface apologized hoarsely as she backed up, heavy eye-bags peeling at her skin. "Don't apologize." Fawnleap murmured, earning a gentle stare from Freckleface. "Pearlwhisker wanted me to go on a walk with her." She grumbled in a complaint.

"And is that a bad thing?" Of course it was. My sister is a maniac.

"All she talks about it my posture. How I'm pretty. And about how ..." She glanced at Fawnleap, clearly hesitating. Her tongue swirled in her mouth, in the flat shape of words that didn't speak.

".. how you're a- uh." "A what?" Fawnleap's voice broke. What was her sister saying to Freckleface about?

"an embarrassment." She finished solemnly, her gaze averting around the den. Anywhere but at Fawnleap's eyes.

A small "oh" peeked out of Fawnleap's mouth. She was surprised. Why was she so surprised? She always felt so embarrassed that she was the prettiest, most perfect cat in the Clan's bad-omen sister.

"Fawnleap," Freckleface began, but the words were more of a muffle, as if she was underwater. As if everyone was underwater, and Fawnleap was drowning. It was hard to breathe.

"I don't think that at all. That's why I'm going to ditch her." Freckleface informed, a small hurt in her tone, but that was probably because Pearlwhisker has been her best-friend since they were kits.

"Yeah, and for who?" Fawnleap yapped, turning her head away as she neatly placed her chin on her paws.

"You." Freckleface whistled, moving over Fawnleap's shoulder.

"... Why?"
"You're fun to talk to. If you want... I'd like to go on a walk with you instead."
Fawnleap felt herself grow a bit flustered by the offer. She was mad at Freckleface, for listening to Pearlwhisker talk about her own sister like that all this time; but she couldn't stay mad. Not at Freckleface.

"Sure." Freckleface earned a genuine smile from Fawnleap, the two pausing for a moment, before picking themselves up and leaving the warrior's den at the brink of morning; the pinkish light creating a beautiful alpenglow over the mountains.

.
.
.

The oats brushed against Fawnleap's flank, clinging to her fur as she walked beside Freckleface.

"Hey, I've always thought about it but never actually asked... but why's your name 'Fawnleap'?" Freckleface chirped, glancing back at her companion.

"I look like a deer." Fawnleap answered simply. "But... I think it's also because I'm fast, according to Boughstripe and Falconstrike. I never got to run though. I'm too hungry for that." Fawnleap didn't need to return the question to Freckleface, she could understand why her name was 'Freckle'— based on the freckles patterned on her face.

"Maybe you could stretch your legs again. We are in an open field." Freckleface sneered, her brows knitting. The RigidClan warrior smiled at her for a moment before sighing. "Maybe.. I'm still going to be hungry afterwards, though."

With the blink of an eye, Freckleface was suddenly bounding across the oat field, her legs stretching across the earth as she glanced back at her. Fawnleap grinned before chasing after Freckleface, the bolt of speed and freedom blooming again like a closed flower.

Fawnleap felt the wind rustle through her fur again and flatten her flank as she ran, the oats dying against her paws as she stomped on them. Fawnleap immediately outran Freckleface despite her head start. She could feel her ears jerk forward, relaxing her eyes by shutting them for just a moment. But in that moment, it felt like she could run forever, run to MeadowClan and back, run with Freckleface right beside her.

An angry churn in her stomach growling at Fawnleap caused her to skid herself to a halt, Freckleface sliding right beside her.

"How are you so fast?" She panted with the mix of an exhausted laugh. Before Fawnleap knew it, Freckleface playfully jumped on-top of her, sending the two to the ground, a laughing mess. Fawnleap let out a bark of a chuckle, snorting as Freckleface laid on her. Panting relentlessly, Fawnleap never wanted this moment to go away.

Her freckled companion eventually rolled off of her; the two being left to lay on their backs, staring up as the heavy storm clouds billowed across the sky, stretching and gnawing. However, they didn't quite block the rising sun that created an orange overcast, the sunbeams glowing on Freckleface's face. She's so gorgeous.

The two panted for another moment that felt like a season. That, allegedly, gave Freckleface a lot of thinking time, which caused her to switch the previous topic between the two.

"Hey, Fawnleap?"
"Hm?"
"What was your prophecy?"
".. What do you mean?"
"I mean: what did the StarClan cat tell you?"

Fawnleap thought for a moment, searching her memory. "A wave I've never seen before is going to crash down on the wolves and wipe out everything in its way. As a pack, they must work together to guide to the path. The buck shall lead by the will of the Stars: a diamond in the rough that was once cursed with its democracy will be the savior." Fawnleap answered, quite surprised she remembered everything the StarClan cat told her.

Freckleface's expression held puzzlement for a moment, her paws fidgeting with one another. "Maybe you're the buck, Fawnleap."

"..What?"
"Think about it! A buck is a deer, right? A fawn is a baby deer. You might need to lead the Clans to safety!"
"No, no." Fawnleap shuddered. "I mean— a buck has antlers and stuff, right? A tom-deer. I'm a she-cat."
"Maybe that doesn't matter, Fawnleap." She meowed soothingly. How does she get her voice to sound like a lullaby?

"Thing about it: 'cursed with democracy'. That's because everyone thinks you're were a bad omen.. but maybe the dead deer was a good omen!"

The more Freckleface spoke, the more it felt like the puzzle pieces connected. There was no dead deer, according to Halfleaf. 'Cursed with democracy'.. could that mean because she was cursed by Snailstar.. the controller of of RigidClan?

"Holy fox-dung." Fawnleap sat up. "Freckleface, you're right."