~Lies~ AD
Lies.
One of the greatest sins.
Lies.
Something that can only lead to heartache.
There are many secrets to a lie. One being it will leave it's mark on you, and on the rest of your miserable life.
Little white lies build up until you're being crushed by a mountain of a false life.
Any of us four can tell you, a lie defines you, it changes you, until you can't even recognize the monster you've become.
Not all of us can see the warning signs. Sometimes it just sneaks up on you, like a snake slithering through the grass, silent as death, it's prey not knowing they were in danger until the adder strikes, and devours it.
Lies are snakes, lies are terrifying, but once it has it's coils around you, you can't escape.
Even if it takes many moons for it to come out.
"Oh my Starclan...Oh my Starclan...what have we done?
A cream tabby she-cat let out a whimper, crouching on the ground, her deep copper eyes wide as she stared at the still body before her.
"Shut up Heronwing," a dark silver she-cat growled with annoyance. She was pacing back and forth, her shoulders stiff, and her ears flat. "It wasn't like YOU were the one who gave the killing blow" she said, turning her glare to a black and white tom.
However, the tom didn't meet the silver she-cat's glare. His gray gaze was instead trained on his bloody paws, his brain still not registering what was going on. His eyes were hollow, and his shoulder's were low.
"Don't blame Thunderroar!" A handsome golden tom growled at the beautiful silver she-cat. "If you would've kept your head and not have instigated him, then we wouldn't be in this mess."
The she-cat whipped her glare at her accuser. "Well, you're singing a different tune, aren't you Reedfang." she snarled "You were the one who convinced me to confront him!"
"Oh please! Like you needed any convincing!"
"I swear to Starcl-"
"We killed him!...Oh Starclan...we KILLED him! Who CARES who did it! We're all to blame!" Heronwing interrupted, as desperation rose in her voice. "What are we going to do?!"
"Yeah," The other she-cat said, turning to stare at the body "He IS dead. What are we going to do with him?"
"What do you mean?" Thunderroar asked, his voice cracking, as he finally lifted his gaze from his paws. "We have to bring him back to camp, so the clan can mourn.
"What?! No! Then we'll surely get caught! We'll be branded as murderers, all of us! The clan will kick us out, and we sure won't be allowed to prance around the forest or join another clan in peace." The she-cat snapped. "Besides...it isn't like he'll be missed" she whispered, so quietly the other three cats pretended not to hear.
Heronwing instead blinked, her eyes still struggling to focus, "Wait. Wait. Are you saying that we...we LIE?" She said, not able to hide the disgust in her voice. "That's EXACTLY what got HIM...no, US...into...into this...this...mess" she finally spat out.
"No, Wolfspirit's right" Reedfang said, placing his tail on Heronwing's shoulder. "We can't tell the clan, we have to move the body to some other location."
"Glad you found the grace to agree with me" Wolfspirit said, sarcasm oozing out of her voice. There was a glint of something in her eyes, when she saw Heronwing nudging closer to Reedfang...
She blinked away the jealousy, however, she had made her choice a long time ago, and was happy with her decision...Wasn't she?
Reedfang ignored her comment, as he continued anyways, "We'll move his body...Somewhere else...Somewhere away from our territory."
"Like where?" Thunderroar inquired, his ears perking with interest. He glanced down at the body again, and felt himself get nauseous. He averted his gaze, not able to look at the once-orange pelt anymore.
"Like...Nightclan's territory." Reedfang's eyes glittered, another emotion bubbling as he turned his attention to Wolfspirit.
She stiffened and stopped her pacing, uncomfortable with the thought. "No. Absolutely not." She said instantly.
"Why is that Wolfspirit? Is there something about Nightclan that is making you...hide your feelings behind a screen of smoke?" He said, his voice passive, with a hint of malice. He leveled his eyes, staring into her sharp green innocently.
Heronwing twitched her whiskers. "Wha- Wolfspirit? What's Reedfang talking about?" She looked between the two cats "Are you hiding something? Are you LYING to us about something?" She said, her hind quarters rising as slowly padding to the other she-cat.
Wolfspirit raised her head, meeting Heronwing's eyes. Her voice rang loud and clear "Yeah Heronwing, I am. But it's none of your concern. So you and Reedfang mind your own business before I get angry."
"Right, we don't want you to start another fight leading to some other cat being murdered" Heronwing hissed.
"Oh trust me, if me and you are included in another fight, some cat WILL be murdered" Wolfspirit said, mocking Heronwing by copying her tone.
"ENOUGH" Thunderroar boomed. The two she-cats stopped arguing, still glaring at each other. Heronwing's fur was standing on end, and her eyes were narrowed. While Wolfspirit's claws had already been unsheathed.
It was easy to tell that there was more tension between them than just their current disagreement.
"We're going to bury the body, deep in the woods. As close to Bluestone Bay as possible. We'll remove all scent of him when we drag him through the Lifeblood River, and then we'll get rid all traces of him on our body." Thunderroar finished. He looked around, the other three cats staring at him.
He stood and beckoned Wolfspirit with his tail. "Come on, help me drag him, we'll go by Nightclan border, Heronwing and Reedfang can drag him after the river."
Wolfspirit didn't move a muscle, she eyed the dead body, and then Nightclan border. She licked her lip and shook her head "N-No...I...um I can't."
"Now what!" Heronwing whined, stomping her pad into the soft ground.
Wolfspirit cleared her throat. She paused a moment, before taking a deep breath.
"I'm pregnant" the young warrior confessed softly
Reedfang paused, his eyes looking her over, and finally landing on her barely swelling belly. "You're...pregnant?" He said weakly. His eyes raced up to meet her face, and they were filled with despair, and hurt. "But...but...but who...whose the...father?" he asked, knowing full well it wasn't him.
Heronwing's eyes glinted with envy, so WHAT if she's pregnant? Reedfang shouldn't care! He has ME now, not that cold hearted vixen! She nuzzled her head into Reedfang's shoulder to get his attention. He didn't react, still staring at Wolfspirit
Wolfspirit shook her head, as she looked over the Nightclan border, longing flashing across her face. "You were right. I am hiding something. There is a secret I'm keeping from you, and my clan." She stood up, and with a last twitch if her tail, she turned her back on her clanmates.
She turned her head to peek over her shoulder, locking eyes with Reedfang. "Goodbye" she mouthed softly. And with that she sprinted away from them, disappearing into the brush, and leaving Darkclan's territory.
Forever.
Reedfang stared after her, his eyes watering. She didn't love him. After all they've been through, she decides to mate with a tom from Nightclan, those foul mouse hearts!
Reedfang had waited for her!He waited moons for her! But when she heard his secret, his little lie, she decided to pass judgement. Well look where she was now, hiding her own lies, and running away from the deceit in her life.
Anger and pain boiled through him, he lost her. He lost her to that stupid Smokestorm. He knew it! He had known it would always be him!
"She's...she's gone!" Heronwing gasped, jerking Reedfang from his thoughts.
"Yes." Reedfang turned his gaze from the brush she disappeared into and whispered, "yes she is."
"She's the one who got us into this! We need to get her back here!" Heronwing snarled angrily, upset her crush's love interest had gotten off so easily by running away.
Thunderroar shook his head. "We have to hurry, before someone finds us with Flamestar's body."
Reedfang nodded, slowly turning to pad to his dead leader's body. He grabbed Flamestar's limp shoulder, and began to drag him.
And though he and three other cats had just murdered their tyrant leader, who surely would never see Starclan, all he could feel was his heartache, for the she-cat he had lost to another clan.