Chapter Twelve
I'm trying to be prompt with the updates, but that doesn't mean you can wait to review until the next chapter! I'm trying to decide whether to end the story happily, or sadly. Vote in your reviews, please!
Squirrelflight's paws felt numb. They'd been heading down the tunnel from the Cavern of Ancestors for what seemed like moons. She was having trouble hearing Herbsight's paw steps over her own breathing now and she kept stumbling over tiny pebbles on the floor, which seemed to be getting rougher with every step.
She was so tired that when the light first appeared she didn't notice. It wasn't until Herbsight began glowing before her that she looked ahead and really saw.
The glow wasn't blue this time. Instead it was pure white. Images of the color swirled in her mind: her first snow fall as a kit, the milky tendrils of Cloudtail's long fur, the crests of the waves that crashed in the lake when the wind picked up. They were good memories and it was a good color. It brought to her mind thoughts of peace, serenity, purity, and forgiveness.
As they approached the glow grew brighter, just as it had before. But this time the glow did not become bright enough to make her blind. Instead it was if she was walking towards a field covered in snow light by an afternoon's sunlight.
Herbsight halted at the edge of the brightest glow. Though the light was not blinding it was bright enough that Squirrelflight couldn't exactly make out what was inside the new cavern.
Herbsight spoke now, her tones soft with reverence, "This is the Cavern of Light. When I asked if you wished to be read, I did not mean that I would actually do the reading. From here, you travel alone."
Herbsight rose and turned to go. Squirrelflight rose too, slightly panicked, "But I'll get lost! I'll never find my way out! You have to stay with me!"
Herbsight turned back and smiled kindly, the way queen's did to their naive little kits, "Do not be afraid. The Cavern of Light will allow no darkness."
Squirrelflight paused for a moment, puzzled. The moment was all Herbsight needed to fade back into the darkness of the tunnel. Squirrelflight knew she wouldn't be able to hear Herbsight's soft footsteps if she tried to catch up. She was stuck on the edge of light and darkness. And which side frightened her more she didn't know.
POV
Leafpool tumbled onto the fresh Green Leaf grass, and in spite of herself the feel of it made happiness well up in her chest.
It was so good to feel the grass on her fur, so good to have the wind brush back her whiskers, so good to see the sun shining down from above! On an impulse she dropped down and rolled. All the itchiness and dampness that had built up on her coat in her cramped cage was rubbed into the grass. She blinked up at the sky and smiled. It was good to be free.
POV
Lucille laughed out loud as the female cat rolled on her back in the grass and then lay staring up at the sun with a look of utmost happiness on her feline face. Tom couldn't help but laugh along with her; who could resist such a musical, beautiful laugh?
To his surprise Lucille reached up and pulled out her formal bun to let her hair flow down her back in a river of gold. She was so beautiful. Even more so with her hair free and natural, her eyes sparkling as she laughed in the summer sun.
She must have caught his stare, for she slowly stopped laughing and blushed, looking at him and then away.
God, he was such an idiot! Ruining such a perfect moment! But he knew how to make it right, "Lucille?" His voice trembled in his throat and he mentally shook his head at himself.
Lucille turned back to him, her blush still tingeing her summer tan pink, "Yes, Tom?"
He stuttered a little, but he had to go through with it now that he'd finally got up the courage to start, "I was wondering if you wouldn't like to... Come over sometime. And not... not just to take care of the animals. We could... watch a movie or something..."
He trailed off and glanced back at her. She was half-smiling, looking a little nervous. He hurriedly plunged onward, "Unless you wouldn't like that! I mean, I would like that, but maybe if you don't like movies or something I could make dinner... Er, actually I'm a lousy cook. I could take you out to dinner though! But only if you, you know, want to..."
He looked pleadingly up at her. For a moment she was quiet and the suspense nearly killed him. Then she broke into a smile, "I would like that Tom. I would like that a lot."
He grinned back, not realizing how love struck he looked at the moment, "All right! I mean, uh... Wait. Which did you say you liked?"
She smiled even bigger, "All of them. On different dates of course."
So he took her hand and together they freed the last three prisoners and then went back inside to plan and plot together in the warmth of a lovely summer afternoon.
POV
Crowfeather could pick up Leafpool's scent from a mile away and he knew instantly that she was in the cage beside his.
His heart beat fast in his chest and suddenly he was nervous. What if she'd fallen out of love? What if she was still too injured to survive in the forest?
He heard her cage pop open and the sound of her rolling in the grass was the sweetest thing he'd heard in a very long time. Her scent came rolling towards him, a wave of intoxicating perfume tinged with a hint of fresh cut grass.
And when the two-leg hands appeared and he knew he'd be free and beside her he felt like nothing in the world could ruin his happiness. Except the scent of male cat that he suddenly caught on a wayward breeze. What was going on?
But the scent faded again as Leafpool's filled the air and he quickly forgot his qualms as he slid from his prison into Leafpool's embrace.
POV
Longclaw had been worried when the cages started moving, though he let his anger hide it. There was no use in letting his feelings worry Leafpool further.
And when they'd hit the open air he'd been so filled with joy that he instantly forgot his worries. And then remembered them the instant his cage hit the ground, when the scent of male cat filled his nostrils, blocking out even Leafpool's sweet perfume.
What was an intruder doing here? No matter. He'd claw the filthy invader into pieces before he'd let him get anywhere near his newfound love!
He could tell that he was downwind from the other male and that gave him an advantage. He could spring the instant he left his cage and pin the intruder before he'd had a chance to move!
He smiled smugly at his plan and carefully sharpened his long, arching claws on the metal of his cage, preparing for the battle ahead.
POV
When Crowfeather had come tearing out of his cage Leafpool had been momentarily stunned and for a second she thought her eyes were deceiving her or that Longclaw looked as well as smelled almost exactly like Crowfeather.
But no, it was her first love. The one she'd left Thunderclan for. The one who'd guarded her until the kind two-leg could rescue her.
She purred as warmly and loudly as she could, rubbing up against him, wrapping her tail around his. He did the same and she realized she'd forgotten how loud his rumbling purr was, how black his fur, how warm and loving his gaze.
It felt like a piece of her heart that she'd forgotten she was missing had clicked back into place. She hadn't realized her heart was hurting until now, when the hurting stopped. He was her antidote, her rock, her passion, and her love. He was Crowfeather.
And for that single moment, when they stood side by side, a single entity in love, everything was absolutely, amazingly perfect.
I'm really sorry, but this chapter is going to stay this short. It's too perfect the way it is. I don't want to tell you too quickly what happens to Squirrelflight or to my love triangle (Or maybe love rectangle. I'm not sure if Sonya and Crowfeather are in love or not. Is inter-species love even allowed?!). So I'm ending here. And I'll have to force myself not to update for at least a couple days. Just to annoy you of course. :)
