13. Lionblaze

Lionblaze was dreaming.

He was thrashing around in strangely warm water, Fighting hard currents and fighting to keep his

head above the water. Spitting a mouthful of it out, he scrambled onto the bank and shook himself off.

That's when he noticed a shape lying close. He gasped and stepped forward. Heathertail was lying

awkwardly on the stone.

He took another step forward. Hope kindled inside of him. Maybe he didn't kill her after all. The claws

would give a clue. He padded forward and examined her claws. His breath caught in his throat. There

was fur trapped in her claws, alright, but not the fur he expected to see. The fur was a mixture of brown

and tortoiseshell.

Blossomfall!

. . .

Lionblaze dashed through the tunnels, swerving to avoid the hard walls. He had to get to the Windclan

camp. He had to warn Heathertail.

Finally, after what seemed like moons, he reached a tunnel that sloped gently upward. Yes! This tunnel

was the one that lead to the cave! He was almost there!

Lionblaze stopped suddenly. He was tired. Very, very tired. He yawned loudly and curled up. It

wouldn't hurt to take a small nap. Slowly, very slowly, he felt himself drifting to sleep…

And woke when a screech rang through the tunnels. He quickly staggered to his paws and realized the

sound had come from farther up the tunnels. Heathertail! Lionblaze dashed up the tunnel, remembering

Remembering the shape of the tunnels and used his whiskers and tail tip to guide him.

He burst into the cave, and at that exact same moment another blood curdling screech rang through

the moonlit cavern. "Heathertail!" he yowled. Horror pulsed through him at the sight of what was in the

cave. For he had just seen something that would change his life forever; he had seen the beautiful

Windclan She-cat's motionless body, a dark shape looming over her.