First to Eat, Last to Suspect [CLOSED]

Mistwalker paused outside of the nursery at the bundle of prey he'd brought the queens and kits. What if... He ate one? He was hungry, and if no one saw... It wasn't going to hurt anyone. He could hunt an extra mouse later, and no one would know the difference. He glanced around and gulped down the smallest mouse, then carried the rest in. There was still plenty. He licked his paws and helped bring food to Emberheart and the apprentices.

And he did it again, at least once every three sunrises. It came time to eat. He chose the smallest piece of prey he could, much less than usual. He was a big cat, and that mouse had filled him enough, but he couldn't eat nothing. That was too suspicious. He glanced at Grayleaf. The gray she-cat had been on his mind a lot lately. He wondered why.

Grayleaf was starting to get worried. Mistwalker had not been eating, and she didn't know why. Was the tom alright? Oh stars, please don't let him be deathly ill. But then again, there was another factor that simply confused her. He was not getting skinny. Typically if a cat didn't eat, they got skinnier, but that wasn't happening with Mistwalker. How was that even possible?

She padded up to Mistwalker. Something wasn't right with him. "Hey, is everything alright?" She asked politely. "I, uh, noticed your lack of appetite, and I am honestly starting to get worried." She did not mention is lack of weight loss, as she did not want to anger him. He was a good cat, and actually rather handsome......

Oh stars, here she goes again.

Mistwalker realized she was coming over to him, a look of concern on her face. Was something wrong? Was a cat sick or injured? No, it was just... him. It actually felt kinda good that she was worried about him. That she cared if he ate. He realized then that his ears were folded back, and he had made a face. He set it back neutral, as he usually did, and cleared his throat. What should he say? Preparing for leaffall and leafbare? Sick? "If I am completely honest, I've... not been feeling entirely myself lately." That much was true, he supposed. He had been stronger, sure, but he had stolen prey. He had attacked an apprentice, fought like the Shadowclanner was a warrior. Perhaps the pretty she-cat was right to be worried.

Grayleaf sat down next to Mistwalker, her tail running along the tom's back. She offered him a smile, although her eyes shone with worry. She didn't know why she cared so much for a tom she barely knew, but it felt as though her life depended on if he was okay.And she was going to make it a point to be there for him.

"You know, we may not have known each other for that long, but you can talk to me." She spoke with very little hesitation. It just seemed natural for her to speak this way. "I promise you, I'm here for you Mistwalker. Just tell me what is going on. I am worried about you. I just want you to be okay." Tears threatened to fall as the words tumbled out of her maw. Why was all of this affecting her so much? They were just friends, after all. But maybe she didn't want to just be friends.

Mistwalker went rigid, just for a second, tense at the touch, but relaxed. Grayleaf was a cat he trusted, after all. He looked over at her smiling face, watching glittering green eyes shine with worry.  I'm here for you, Mistwalker.  Somehow that made him feel better. I just want you to be okay. Grayleaf looked emotional. Tentatively, he lay his tail across hers. He opened his mouth to repeat the same thing, before closing it. "Look, I- I don't know what is happening. I don't believe in Starclan's existence, all right? There, I said it. I'm quite sorry, I cannot believe that dead cats are all-powerful and could possibly be so benevolent. Cats are- Cats are flawed, and dying won't change the fact, and even so, paradise is impossible. It doesn't make any sense! And then on my moonstone..."

He realized that tears had appeared on his face, likely his own. His voice grew quieter as he explained. "Whoever was in my dream... told me to ignore the Warrior Code. And now, I don't know what to feel, what to do. Everyone tells me to do something different." He took a breath. Reality began to set in, that he had just said more words just then than he probably had the whole week. Why was he trusting her with this? What if she told Oakstar, and Leadad thought he'd talked to a Dark Forest cat, and he knew how much Leadad loved Starclan. Oakstar would be so disappointed in him...

Grayleaf was shocked by these words, but rather than pull away from Mistwalker, she nestled in closer. "I understand." She said softly. "It is hard to believe in something you don't see outside of a dream. I have found myself questioning at times. And if you choose not to believe in them, then I will support that decision." 

She looked into Mistwalker's eyes. "So now that you got that off your chest, did you maybe want to share some prey with me?" She hoped that now that all that was cleared up, Mistwalker would be willing to eat again. She didn't like seeing the tom starve himself. Or at least, that is what she thought was going on. But something still wasn't right.

Mistwalker felt his face grow heated. She understood. She wasn't mad. It was almost as shocking as the touch. And yet, both made him feel good. "I... Thank you, Grayleaf. I would love to share some prey with you." He could work it off later. But he couldn't get the thought out of his head- those worried eyes, the tone of a cat who really cared. What was he doing? He hadn't just broken the Code. He'd in part broken her heart, leaving her worried about him for who knows how long. And he'd broken his Clan's trust. Well. That wasn't going to happen again.

Never again would he break the Code. For her sake, he would do what he'd learned was right. It had worked for the forest for generations before him. And even if he felt he didn't like it, he'd remember her.

Grayleaf padded over to the fresh kill pile and picked up two thrush. She didn't know why she chose this specific prey today, today merely felt like a bird day. Making her way back to Mistwalker, she smiled, dropping the thrush at his feet. "I hope you don't mind eating prey with feathers." She purred.

Sitting down in her spot, she found herself entranced by the tom. He was kind, and loyal. He was handsome. So what if he didn't believe in StarClan? In her eyes, this was not a fault. As far as she knew, he had none. And all she wanted to do was be in his life. She didn't quite understand what this feeling was, but it made her feel good when she was around him. All she wanted was to be around him.

Mistwalker couldn't help but smile. He felt warm and fuzzy, and just happy. "I don't mind if it's with you." He wanted to spend more time with this she-cat. She accepted him for what he was, and gave him the hope that maybe Oakstar would too.

She didn't know what made her do it. It was as though she was possessed, but it was her own free will at the same time. She rested her head on Mistwalker's shoulder, purring with affection. It was not like her to be so open like this and, even though she had gained confidence since being an apprentice, she was still very much scared to express herself. But that fear went away around Mistwalker. It was as though it never even existed. Nothing else mattered but him.

Mistwalker had to admit, a warm, soft body beside him was although unusual, pretty nice. He rested his head on her head, and returned the purr. Was this how Oakstar felt around Dustcloud?