[lone]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Surprised by the last statement, Heathertail turned, focusing her confused amber gaze on Shrikecall. She hadn't expected the last sentence, and it rattled her a bit. "Slow you down?" she echoed, mulling over the thought in her hown head. She assumed he meant a mate, and by that she definitely didn't consider herself to be anywhere in the realm of qualified for that duty. She was too shy, too scatterbrained, and too nervous when it came to emotions. Sure, once enough layers were peeled back she was a genuine sweetheart, but she got flustered too easily and it frightened her. Not realizing that Shrikecall had probably meant personal connections as frineds, she felt her ears heat up and she glanced at the ground, a little laugh escaping her. "I didn't mean that kind of company," she offered, forcing herself to look at the tom once more, a smile appearing on her face. She hoped that he didn't think of her as just coming out here because he was the deputy of the Clan. She had truly wanted to get to know the real him. How did this go from hunting to... this? she thought, bewildered by the sudden changing of topics.

One thing she had learned from her uncle, and her dad too, and quite possibly a gift passed down from her mother, was the ability to read people. It might be what attributed to her being so shy; she knew when others were uncomfortable or weren't sure what to say to her. And now, looking at Shrikecall, she could see something had set him off. Figuring it was their conversation, all she could do was laugh, the sound like soft little bells in the air. "Maybe we should split up to check the borders? I can take the ThunderClan border, and maybe you check the RiverClan? That way they can both get done, and then we can head back to camp," she offered. Her voice was small though, compared to how she'd been speaking before. Gone was the playful, fun side of her. Now, since the turn of events in the conversation and how she perceived it, Heathertail felt it was best to strictly stay professional with Shrikecall. Maybe I shouldn't have gone up to him in the clearing. Maybe he only invited me out to be polite, she thought, shuffling her paws beneath her as she glanced down, waiting for his response to her suggestion.

Shrikecall sighed as the she cat echoed the last part of his sentence. He didn't want to have to explain it, knowing that it wasn't exactly the nicest thing he could have said and also not wanting to hurt the warrior's feelings. "Yes...slow me down. I just don't want to be worried about a single cat- or group of cats all the time," He mewed with a sigh. He looked down at his paws, shifting them in the snow and making markings before he glanced back at the light brown warrior. Her next words seemed to send both an electrical shock and a sudden thrill through the tom. He had never thought anything of the sort before...since, like most warriors his age, he was considerably lacking in the romance department. His ears went back for a moment and he looked almost as though he wanted to console the she cat. But what could he say to that? Nothing. That was one of the strangest things that Shrikecall had ever heard in his short time as Deputy-- and definitely one of the strangest that he'd heard in his longer lifetime. For a moment, the tom almost forgot what he was going to say before he shook his head and put on a puzzled expression, cocking his head to one side as he examined the she cat as though she had just done something unforgivable. Though she really hadn't done anything too bad, the tom was uncomfortable.

"I-I didn't mean like that either, I just meant...personal...connections. N-not family connections. Not that type, anyways." Shrikecall felt a shudder go down his spine and the tip of his tail flicked anxiously as he did so, hues glinting with a new, worried light. Right now the last place he wanted to be was with the she cat, and at the same time, she interested him. The sound of her laughter filled the air around them, and Shrikecall stopped and listened. It sounded like...well, magic. Which surprised him, considering up until now he hadn't regarded her as the best of company. Somewhat boring, though he was amazed that she hadn't once brought up anything she wanted. But that sound-- the tom could have stopped and listened to that all day long. And then when she spoke as though she were taking command, the spell that her voice had over him was broken and he looked at her almost as though seeing her for the first time all over again. She appeared to be almost a different cat altogether, though whether that was a good or bad thing, the tom wasn't sure. "Actually, I was hoping--" he began, and then stopped. No, this was the reason he didn't have personal connections...because they would interfere with decisions like this. Instead of finishing his sentence, he cleared his throat and looked the other way. "Yes. I believe that would be the most efficient way to do this." He mewed in a voice that sounded almost completely unlike his own, although there was still a bit of the raw sound in it. He had wanted the she cat to come and check the borders with him, just for some companionship during that time-- but she was right, it would be quicker that way anyways.