Gartooth slunk through the desert, feeling the sand crunch under his toepads. The heat was overwhelming, even without the sun, and he was hopelessly lost. Am I going to die here? He thought, breathing heavily. How did desert Clans live like this?
At least I know TaigaClan can’t come here. Gartooth shook his head, his tail twitching irritably. It looked like they would be stuck with the alpines.
Movement from the corner of Gartooth’s eye made his fur bristle. Just what I need! Was it a snake? Or even worse, a fox?
Yet, instead of hissing or gleaming fangs, a pair of curious cat eyes appeared from behind a rock. They were possibly the loveliest eyes Gartooth had ever seen. Instead of being one color, the top part of her eyes was green and the bottom part was yellow, creating a beautiful combination.
A moment after, the rest of the she-cat stepped into view. The moonlight lit her up: a slender figure with dark gold fur wrapped in red fire. Soft white spots like dappled snow graced her body and tail, which was so thick and fluffy that it was almost larger than the rest of her body. Her beauty and grace caught Gartooth’s breath.
“Who are you?” The she-cat had a gentle, soft voice. Her eyes were narrowed with concern rather than hostility, even though Gartooth seemed to have intruded on her territory. “You don’t look like a desert cat.”
Gartooth drew himself up, trying to ignore the lightheadedness that came with the simple movement. “I am Gartooth of TaigaClan. I came to…” he trailed off, wondering if the she-cat was trustworthy. However, her eyes were so full of worry and gentle grace that he couldn’t help but relax. “I’m here to find if the desert is a good place for my Clan to resettle.”
The she-cat tilted her head to the side. “TaigaClan…? That’s a far way away from here. You must be exhausted.” She turned and flicked her tail, motioning for Gartooth to follow. “Come on. We’re not too far from a water source.”
Gartooth hesitated. Is she leading me into an ambush? The she-cat didn’t seem to be a threat… but neither did Viperstar of FrostClan or Stagleap, the cruel medicine cat from LagoonClan.
“Is something wrong?” The she-cat asked softly, then blinked. “Oh! How rude of me. My name is Fawnleap. I’m a warrior of DuneClan.”
“Ah, right.” Gartooth cleared his throat, making up his mind, and followed Fawnleap. “You’re one of the only desert Clans, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Fawnleap purred and gave Gartooth’s thick fur a meaningful look. “Most cats can’t stand our heat or the sun. And most are a bit too clever to wander the sands on their own.”
Gartooth felt his fur begin to fluff up in embarrassment. “Well, I wasn’t expecting to stay here.” He defended himself. “It just… happened.”
Fawnleap giggled, but it didn’t feel like she was laughing at Gartooth. More like with him. “It’s okay. Lots of cats get lost here. I’m just glad Crowwhisker or Sunstone didn’t get to you first. They wouldn’t have been… very nice.”
Gartooth twitched his tail. This she-cat really doesn’t know what an enemy is, does she? Yet, despite his thoughts, he felt a sense of peaceful amusement. Fawnleap really knew how to put cats at ease. “I’m glad you’re the one that found me, then.” On a whim, he added, “I doubt your Clanmates are half as pretty as you.”
“Haha- oh!” It seemed to take a moment before Fawnleap registered what Gartooth said. She immediately started grooming her chest, averting her gaze. “I’m not… well, my Clanmates don’t put a lot of value into beauty.”
Encouraged by Fawnleap’s reaction, Gartooth pressed his luck. “Clearly, otherwise they would have thought you came from StarClan.”
“You have a silver tongue.” Fawnleap laughed lightly, twitching her tail. “… but thank you. No one really has ever… complimented me before.”
Gartooth blinked, feeling his desire for teasing ebb for a moment. “Why not? You sure look like someone who would get a lot of compliments.”
Fawnleap shook her head as she crested a dune. “No. My Clan… we put a lot of emphasis on war and bloodshed. I’m not that kind of cat.” She blinked and suddenly seemed flustered. “Ah, not that you’d want to hear that from a stranger! I promise DuneClan is still strong! Don’t get the wrong ideas-”
“I won’t.” Gartooth purred. The she-cat had such an endearing personality… “But I know what it’s like.” He turned his head to the horizon, narrowing his eyes. “I feel… drawn away from the tundra. You can probably imagine what it’s like to live like that, not fitting in with your Clanmates.”
“Yeah,” Fawnleap said, her voice soft. “I guess we have a lot in common.” Her beautiful eyes were resting on Gartooth, making his fur prickle with… embarrassment? Me?! Get yourself together! The tom dipped his head and turned away.
“We’re alike, yes. I would… like to know you better.”
“It’ll be hard, you know.” Fawnleap purred. “The tundra is a far way away from my humble desert.”
“I’d walk from every corner of the island to come to see you,” Gartooth promised. He felt something… familiar… “Hey, let’s go hunting.” He said suddenly. “Forget about the Clan for just a little bit.”
Fawnleap looked surprised. “Clan? Both of them? Do you even know how to hunt in the desert?”
Embarrassment flooded Gartooth. “Ah- I… I don’t know. I just thought that was the right thing to say for some reason.”
Yet, Fawnleap was purring. “Okay. Let’s try hunting, then. With a big handsome tom, I could get my hunting done faster.”
Gartooth laughed. “Me? I’m,” a thought came over him suddenly, “I’m more… rugged. Maybe charming, but handsome is a longshot.”
Fawnleap tilted her head to the side. “Rugged? Alright then. Let’s go.” She started racing away, her eyes filling with mischief. “Catch me if you can!”