**Blackfir & Petal**
@
Jayvines
Nervousness made Blackfir's paws uncharacteristically unsure as he picked his way through the territory and back into the familiar camp, though as he entered it now is was as though through new eyes, maybe Petal's eyes? It was a strange mixture of emotions warring within him. He was still on edge from the heat of the battle at the border but his longtime dream of bringing Petal into Thunderclan with him was coming true but now there was the anxiety of it becoming reality and all that came with it, most notably the potential for rejection. As a kit he'd cherished the warrior code and that had never changed. There was nothing wrong with having friends outside Thunderclan and Petal had never come onto Thunderclan territory as far as he'd known, until earlier today, he wouldn't have allowed it that far. But the older he grew, the more the prospect of actually being able to move forward with his dream of starting a family, the more he realized he had no eyes for any of the she-cats in Thunderclan. His friendship with Petal had consumed every bit of his mental energy during his down time. Did he love her? He couldn't say for sure, he wasn't even sure he knew what that meant, and he'd never allowed his mind to consider the possibility. She was his friend, somebody he trusted, and today solidified that trust in his own mind. She turned on one of her own to protect him and his clan, that had to mean something, right?
Blackfir nearly jumped as he suddenly realized he was gazing at the mouth of Sparrowstar's den. A cold chill ran through him instantly as it just occurred to him that maybe he shouldn't have brought Petal all the way into camp. Should he have left her at the border and brought Sparrowstar there? But would that have left Petal vulnerable to retaliation by that other she-cat she was with? The supposed leader was still out there somewhere, and Petal had attacked her. But Blackfir wanted the best possible chance for Petal, had he just jeopardized that? No, Sparrowstar wasn't so particular that she'd pass judgment on Petal based on his misstep, would she? Blackfir was nauseatingly aware of his youthfulness in that moment. Normally so collected and sure, the uncertainty was making him feel off-kilter and suddenly he was questioning everything about himself and everything he thought he knew.
Trying to shove everything else away, Blackfir cleared his throat and called out,
"Sparrowstar," his voice cracked in a way it hadn't since he was a new apprentice and he felt the flush of heat beneath his pelt.
What is happening to me? "Uh, Sparrowstar. Our patrol ran into some trouble, at the border. I...I don't know where Cinderblaze went but we confronted some rogues. We ran them off, but not without some help." He stepped back to glance at Petal but realized that he couldn't look her in the eye.
"She came in with the rogues but when they attacked, she turned on them and attacked the leader."