PROLOGUE
Heathertail padded into camp with a rabbit in her jaws, she was exhausted from her hunt and just wanted to curl up in her nest and fall asleep. She dropped her catch on the freshkill pile and headed into the warriors den. Inside she found her mentor Crowfeather, after Ashfoot died he had been appointed deputy, small consolation for the exile of his mate and son. When Crowfeather whimpered Heathertail realized that he was having a nightmare, she expected it to be about his son being exiled but instead he cried out for Leafpool, the former ThunderClan medicine cat. He had loved her before he became mates with Nightcloud and had fathered three kits with her. With a sigh Heathertail lay down in her nest, she had hoped that Crowfeather would have gotten over his forbidden love.
When Heathertail drifted into sleep she found herself in the tunnels which ran under the moor and into ThunderClan territory. It was here that she had found her own love, forbidden just as Crowfeather's was. As she entered the moonlit cavern at the centre of the tunnels she saw him. Lionblaze, just the thought of him filled her with longing. She rushed to him with a purr; looking into his eyes she heard him purr back, "I love you Heathertail."
As she pressed herself against him she whispered, "I love you too Lionblaze."
With a jolt Heathertail awoke from her dream, she breathed in the lingering scent of her love. Thinking of her dream she removed herself from her nest. Careful not to wake her den-mates she stepped over Crowfeather, now soundly asleep, and pushed out of the entrance. Finally free from the confines of the camp she bounded across the moor, letting her paws carry her onwards. When she finally slowed she was at the entrance to the tunnels; remembering her dream she bounded inside. As she padded under the earth memories flooded through her mind. Happy ones like meeting Lionblaze, then Lionpaw, creating DarkClan and saving some kits when they wandered in but also sad ones. As she approached the moonlit cavern she caught a whiff of his scent, it was probably from the time he had stolen catnip. Strangely the scent grew stronger as she got closer to the cavern; she gasped as she realized that the scent was fresh, Lionblaze was here.
"I see I was right to suspect that you would try to attack us through here again," Lionblaze growled as Heathertail burst into the cavern. She could see hatred shining in his eyes and his hiss sent a shiver down her spine. Heathertail realized that she was scared, scared of the cat she loved most in the world. Quick as a snake, Lionblaze leapt at her with his claws unsheathed. Heathertail had barely scrambled out of the way before he was attacking again. With a shriek she leapt at him, caught unprepared he staggered back under his weight. Before he could even consider countering Heathertail's attack she leapt of his back, only to slam against the wall of the cave. Stunned she lay helpless as Lionblaze pinned her to the ground. As Lionblaze prepared to deliver the final blow their eyes met and something peculiar happened; the hatred melted out of Lionblaze's eyes to be replaced by a mixture of emotions, sadness, regret, longing and, buried under the others, love.
"You betrayed me when you revealed these tunnels, I'm mates with Cinderheart and it breaks the warrior code but I can't stop Heathertail, I-I can't stop loving you," Lionblaze choked out, seemingly on the verge of tears. Shocked Heathertail remained silent and long seconds passed. Crying, Lionblaze let Heathertail up, "I should go now he meowed," before running into one of the many tunnels that plastered the caverns walls. "Wait!" Heathertail yowled, "Wait, because I love you too!"
Unbeknownst to the two cats another stood in the shadows at the edge of the cavern. He had observed everything that had happened, just as he had observed for thousands of moons. His grotesque face framed bulging eyes, eyes that had seen everything, past, present and future. "When the lion hunts in heather, blood will save what words could not," he meowed to himself.