Lost Creek Hollow galleta

silvertongue led @Swordfish toward a cache far enough from the borders she would not have to see the roman nor contend with any other wandering men. sparrows, hares, voles inside; she allowed the scarred boy his pick while she sat down nearby, plume furling gracefully around her paws. "where did you find that one, ay, chamaco?" silvertongue groused, delicate nostrils flaring in indignation not meant for shardik.

Gods, he was glad to be away from that mess.

The boy’s pace quickened as he walked with the beautiful girl. She asked where he had found the Mereo man and he wasn’t sure if he should admit any fault in bringing Germanicus to Riverclan. A wary swallow at the lump in his throat before, found him in a meadow west o’here. Looked real nasty. I just thought yer healers would do him some good.

But Swordfish wasn’t sharing all of what he had known.

I didn’t know until- he sighed, teeth clenching in his mouth. Didn’t know until we was nearly here that he knew yer man. Awkward…

"crowfeather is not my man." but how must it look to this boy, silvertongue covered well in the scent of her fellow star and brimming with fire. "but he is my only love." something caught in her throat; she motioned for shardik to take out of the cache, to eat. "i am sure crowfeather will help him," she said in a tight voice, dismissing germanicus. "and how could you have known, shardik?" silvertongue let out an exasperated breath, deciding them to ignore the presence of the roman in the hollow. "how long have you been away from the creek?"

Not her man but she said that he was her only love. 

Swordfish had never known something like this. It sounded painful. It sounded heartbreaking. The boy looked at the beautiful girl and felt his heart thump with weighted sadness. 

Sorry, he offered lamely to her. 

Just been a few days. Germanicus moved slow. Faster than I thought, o’course but… still slow. Had it been because he knew what waited? That immeasurable sadness.

germanicus, a man who had hurt the only star in her firmament and so harshly that crowfeather had never recovered. how could he look at that roman man in such a way? she discovered a kernel of hurt lodged into the base of her soul, and told herself it was unfairness on her part. crowfeather had never made more of them than what they were. he had never lied to her. his everlasting love for germanicus was richly apparent and she had accepted it. until she thought of how they had spent their nights, how the warmth of his body had instilled peace in her frenetic heart. how she had meant to love him out of this memory and found that in all of her, she was wanting in this way. there was nothing she could give; germanicus held his heart entire. too late, silvertongue realized she had been staring off in silence, and shook herself back to shardik. "do you want to rest here? or go back today? i will escort you," she said with a grin that wished to be charming but did not reach her eyes.

The awkward weight of her silence could be felt at the ends of his hair.

Swordfish watched her with his drab stare. His silver-flecked eyes gleamed sharp upon the faraway look that had settled into her face. Silvertongue swam in her thoughts. He could see it. They must have rivaled the waves of the ocean. The thought was like a stab of stone in his chest. Homesickness flooded him and turned his gaze toward the ground.

When she spoke again, it was to ask him if he wanted to go back or rest in Riverclan. She said she would escort him to the creek. The smile that was offered was not full.

Wouldn’t mind an escort. Yer good company, the young redtail said to her with a shrug of his lean shoulders.

silvertongue tried to smile genuinely, but her thoughts were filled with crowfeather and germanicus. what they had been saying. what they had been doing. she remembered the sound of her beloved's voice lifted to the man who had so hurt him. and tears welled, tears that she dashed away and swallowed hard. "whenever you are ready mi dulce." silvertongue gave swordfish a gentle look.

Swordfish had seen it. The boy did not want her to know that he had watched her eyes fill with tears, sudden and hot. She had turned away swiftly and he wanted to honor her attempt. The boy didn’t like talking about feelings, anyway. They muddled everything up.

C’mon then, lass. Let’s see the creek.

Moss would probably have a dozen tasks for him to do when he returned. He wasn’t looking forward to the work, but he had grown to like the strong woman’s company. She didn’t mess around. She didn’t fuss. She was rough and strong and she carried her confidence in her impressive figure. Swordfish wished that he could be so impressive.

Y’know I ain’t much fer mushy talk. My brother tried talkin’ to me ‘bout that stuff. Talked ‘bout this girl I really liked, he drawled to her, eyes fixed firmly on the vague distance. How d’ya know what love feels like? Not just family love. Real love? How’d I even know if I ever felt it before?

lass indeed! silvertongue wanted to chastise shardik for his forwardness, but he was only a boy. and so she stood, reluctant to leave for the scent wreathing around her. again, something she did not think was noticeable, which made him a perfect escort. love. love. "you know real love when it hurts," the star said in a sharper voice than she had intended, moving beyond him with a grand step toward the borders.

When it hurts…

The boy frowned.

Everything hurt, he’d found. Life was filled with pain and suffering. There were only fleeting moments of pure joy. Swordfish had learned not to expect more from living. Love and happiness were for the fortunate. Even with her cryptic remark, the young seafarer was unphased and unbothered. He grunted a small sound to acknowledge her claim and moved to walk at her side.

What made ya follow that crippled guy? he asked her without malice. There was only genuine curiosity on the young wolf’s tongue.

he was a boy. he was so young. silvertongue inhaled and smiled wryly. "we have known each other a long time," she told shardik, drifting at his side as they crossed the boundaryline of riverclan and moved toward the creek. "i lost him for a little while. and then i found him again." her lips curved. "now he is stuck with me. it is his heart, you know. his spirit."

I guess that’s a better reason than most got, he confessed.

The way she spoke about him made it seem like they were in love, or so the young wolf thought. If he did not cause her pain then it must not have been real love, or it could have been a love of another kind. Swordfish couldn’t rationalize it. He considered that he had overthought her words, her actions, and the tone of her voice.

He got a family? Like pups and all that?

Swordfish could see the three-leg as a fatherly-type. It suited the softness of his face. Puppies would likely gravitate to someone that kindly.

shardik's questions were trying her. silvertongue offered him a tight smile and kept up her short trotting. "no. he does want those things, but for now he does not have them." she braced herself for whatever inquiry came next. "you might have pups at your own creek," the star murmured, thinking of the woman she had smelled.

Yeah…

There would likely be puppies within the creek. Akavir had made small remarks. The young wolf hadn’t considered that he knew nothing about the families in the creek. He knew Moss. They had run together in the mornings and stretched until his muscles were strengthened and the tightness had been dissolved. Nearly a year old, he looked more a young man than anything else. He knew Akavir, too. The dark leader was fairly dedicated to keeping on his feet and working around the territory.

Thoughts of children made him miss the cliffs.

Swordfish did not speak until they had arrived at the edge of the creek. He thanked Silvertongue for her escort and invited her to stay a while, but he did not keep her company. The grounds were crossed until he found the creek and this was where he stayed.