Chapter Text
When Leafpool left behind her home and life, she knew she couldn’t go back. Her path was decided by her paws alone and she was one of the few medicine cats who had decided to go down this road. The silence that surrounded her was not comforting, the night was cold as she crossed the moor with her mate next to her. They both said nothing to each other, perhaps too lost in thought, the memories of their home, loved ones and family lingering in the back of their mind. Leafpool knew that she’d never see her parents again, her sister’s laughter, her mother’s beautiful ginger fur and her father’s comforting words. It hurt to think about and she quietly wished that there was some way her life could be different, she knew she should follow her heart, her heart lead straight to Crowfeather. He had captured it some time ago and the she-cat couldn’t even imagine what her life would be like without the dark gray tom next to her.
She was startled when he pressed against her, the tom stared at Leafpool with beautiful blue eyes, she thought those eyes were what the ocean would look like, SquirrelFlight had told her stories of the sea. It stretched on forever, she’d said one day as they shared tongues with each other during dinnertime. She liked the thought of the sea, perhaps on their journey they would see it. Leafpool wanted to experience the things she’d only dreamed of. Running careful with Crowfeather, caring for kits of her own, not feeling her endless responsibilities on her shoulders. The expectations of Starclan and her clanmates were often hard to swallow and she let out a sigh of relief. The blue eyed tom pressed closer to his mate’s flank at the sound of her sigh. Crowfeather’s scent was comforting, it was warm and although he still smelled of Windclan she still pressed back against him, happy to be free of her thoughts if only for a moment. He purred at her and they turned their attention back to the moor ahead of them.
“We should look for a place near the forest,” Crowfeather stated “maybe you will feel more comfortable there than on the moors.”
She appreciated his thoughtfulness and purred in response, rubbing her cheek against his.
“How about a forest near the moors, that way we can have the best of both worlds. And you will be able to chase down as many rabbits as you’d like,” she gave a light chuckle before adding, “maybe near a river as well?”
Crowfeather simply nodded in response, seeming to like the idea of a home they would both enjoy. Leafpool hoped that Crowfeather would be able to teach her about life on the hills and that she could share her medical knowledge with him. A place with plenty of herbs would also be important and she was keeping her amber eyes out for anything of interest. The thought of their home gave her the inspiration to continue onward, having felt her paws grow tired of the trek already. She also pondered the thought of freedom, already she felt as if a weight of her responsibilities had been silently lifted off her shoulders, the only person she’d have to care for was herself and her mate and perhaps when the time came, their kits. Leafpool smiled at the thought and looked to the side towards Crowfeather, brushing her pelt against his as she sped up slightly. He looked shocked for a moment before picking up the pace to follow his mate. The road ahead of them was long and mysterious but so long as they had each other they would be just fine.