#toadnettle

Toadnettle made himself small, recoiling at his words and rejection. "You're right-" he stammered, unable to reach Gullstar's gaze. "I-- I just thought that maybe--"

The medicine cat was cut off but Gullstar's angry hiss. The leader narrowed his eyes and stepped closer toward him. Toadnettle's heart was threatening to pound through his ribcage. He knew there was a risk of rejection, sure. But perhaps he just never considered that the aggression, coolness, and honour of StarClan that made him love Gullstar in the first place was the very reason they would never be together.

"You didn't think at all." Gullstar growled at him, echoing Toadnettle's thoughts. "Leave. Get out of my den, and go to your healer's gathering. Perhaps StarClan can talk some sense into you. "

"Right!" the medicine cat yelped. Toadnettle scrambled out of the den, the adrenaline and humiliation burning in his stomach. His heartbeat drowned out every other sound in the forest as he ran toward the Moonsprings.

Spidershade brushed past the ferns that guarded the Moonsprings and was greeted by the familiar sight and somewhat garlicky scent of Asterleaf, but her friend seem concerned.

"Oh, thank StarClan you're here, Spidershade!" Asterleaf mewled, licking her head in greeting. They peered over her shoulder, and pulled back, the worried expression coming back to their face.

"Toadnettle isn't with you?"

"No, why would he be?"

There was a brief pause as Spidershade assessed the situation. Nearly always she was the last to arrive to the Half-Moon Gathering on account of FogClan's territory being furthest away.

"Perhaps he's just running late." Asterleaf said quietly, staring into the ferns.

"Right. Lets wait for him a bit longer."

And the two medicine cats waited, huddled together by the Moonsprings. They remained as quiet as warriors on vigil as they listened for their third, with only the sound breaking their silence being the gentle trickling of the water. The moon gently drifted through the sky and Spidershade was growing more and more nervous.

"I'm sorry Asterleaf, I can't wait for him any longer." she said, standing up slowly to face her Moonpool. "I'm afraid we'll have to commune with StarClan now, before the moon passes the treeline. We can go to SnagClan to check on him later."

"R-right..." Asterleaf pinned their ears back, hesitantly heading toward their pool. "Hopefully he's just sick with a Leaf-fall greencough or something..."