âYou know, if every cat looks at Crowfeather and thinks about the affair⌠youâre not just poisoning his image. You're poisoning your own image, too.â
âSo be it,â Breezepelt mutters, and suddenly Mousewhisker can understand why Heathertail might struggle with Breezepelt. Mousewhisker has spent his entire life trying to make cats forget about where he comes from; so that when they gaze upon him they find him perfectly acceptable. So when they compare him to Foxleap or Poppyfrost or Lioblaze they canât find the differences. The faults.
Breezepelt is the son of a Clan hero, heâs the friend of Onestarâs daughter, he was mentored by Onestarâs mate. Breezepelt was born with It, born with whatever Mousewhisker lacks. It should be so easy for Breezepelt to be accepted, to be loved, to climb the ranks even despite his fatherâs affair, and yet here he is so bitter at one cat that he would burn his own birthright to ashes.
The silence prompts Breezepelt to tilt his head back, and now Mousewhisker can clearly see his mocking expression. âWhat?â He asks. âCanât relate to that, can you?â
âNot really, no.â
â be still my foolish heart (donât ruin this for me, c3)



















