Heather's Lion

Last Update: 10/10/2012

Author's Note: Thanks Robinpaw and leopard101 for reviewing with kit names! The kits will be in the next chapter. And leopard101, what's Sunkit's warrior name?

Smokekit (Smokeheart) is owned by Robinpaw and Sunkit is owned by leopard101.

Chapter 3

Two moons later since Lionblaze started meeting up with Heathertail, it was sunhigh and Lionblaze was rummaging through the fresh-kill pile. Lionblaze and Heathertail had been meeting together constantly the past two moons. Tonight, Lionblaze was going to meet her again in the abandoned Twoleg. They use to meet near the WindClan border but some cats got suspicious with their scents. So they decided to meet in the abandoned Twoleg nest. .

Heathertail was pregnant with Lionblaze's kits and she would give birth to them any day now.

Lionblaze picked out a vole and settled down to eat it near the warriors' den. Luckily no cat got suspicious of him meeting with Heathertail. It would be impossible for some cat to figure it out. He and Heathertail were being slick this time. They met up every few nights. Sometimes every three nights, five nights, or more. Of course it was hard that they had to rarely meet. Every day Lionblaze wished it could be easier but he knew it never would. Heathertail loved the open spaces to hunt on WindClan territory and Lionblaze loved hunting under the trees. It's not easy to give up a home from where you born in. So meeting every few nights was the only way to keep Lionblaze's and Heathertail's relationship safe.

Cinderheart was the only cat who noticed Lionblaze's change. Not that she knew his secret but that she noticed he hadn't been trailing after her anymore.

Then that said cat came padding towards Lionblaze from the thorn tunnel.

"Hi." She greeted him nervously and sat down next to him.

Lionblaze felt uncomfortable when their pelts brushed. Without looking at her, he returned her greeting steadily, "Hello, Cinderheart."

Silence passed between them for a few heartbeats. "So um...how are you?" Cinderheart asks, breaking the silence.

"Good," Lionblaze stared down at his vole. "You?"

Cinderheart nodded slowly. "Good, I guess. I've noticed that...you haven't been following me around like you use to..."

She notices that now? Lionblaze thought, slightly irritable.

"I realized that you weren't worth following." Lionblaze said sternly.

"Oh..." She whispered with a hint of sadness. "I still love you, you know...?"

Lionblaze was staring at her now. Her eyes were filled with hurt and love. Lionblaze couldn't be with her and he was no longer head-over-heels for her. He still had some feelings for her deep in his heart but that was only a smart of his heart. The rest of his heart belonged to Heathertail now.

"I know you do. But we were never meant to be. I have a destiny...like you said before." Lionblaze said gently.

"That was before I...before I..." Cinderheart seemed at loss of words. "Before I..." She stared straight ahead at nothing as if she was thinking hard. Then she spoke more firmly. "Nothing." She got up without another word and ran towards the thorn tunnel, wailing.

Lionblaze felt bad. He should've been easier on her. He realized that some of the cats in the clearing were giving him angry looks.

"What did you do to her, Lionblaze?" Ivypool asks, who was sharing a vole with Dovewing near the nursery.

"I turned her down. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to get so upset." He murmured feeling guilty.

Mousewhisker, sitting on the half-rock next to Hazeltail, shook his head. "Love. I will never understand it."

•••

That night, Lionblaze traveled to the abandoned Twoleg nest to meet Heathertail. When he had arrived there she had been waiting patiently for him. Lionblaze noticed her belly was big and swollen anymore and that only meant one thing.

"You had the kits!" Lionblaze exclaimed in joy.

Heathertail nodded, a warm smile spreading on her face.

Lionblaze paced around his mate excitedly. "How many?"

"Five."

He stopped pacing. "Five?"

"Yes. Five little cute kittens," She pressed herself against him and entwined her tail with his. "And they are all beautiful. There are three she-kits and two toms."

"Wow...five kits. We have five kits!" Lionblaze exclaimed in awe. He felt so much excitement and joy building up inside of him. "What do they look like? And what are their names?"

"I named the three she-kits already and saved the two toms for you to name. One is a golden tabby she-cat and her name is Sunkit," Heathertail explained warmly. "The other one is a silver tabby with heather eyes and I named her after me, Heatherkit. The last she-cat is dark gray with one eye of heather and the other of amber, like me and you. Her name is Smokekit."

"Sunkit, Heatherkit, and Smokekit..." Lionblaze breathed. He imagined the three she-cats in his head so he could get a clear image. He grinned and looked at Heathertail lovingly. "Beautiful! What do the toms look like?"

Heathertail purred and described the toms, "There is one that looks just like you. He is the biggest of the litter. And the other one is a fluffy black kit with golden paws and amber eyes."

Lionblaze's ears pricked when she mentioned one tom looked like him. "Did any cat get suspicious of the one that looks like me?" He imagined WindClan cats looking down at the kit in disgust and calling out names to it.

Heathertail shook her head. "No cat said anything about it. I suppose they think it's just genetics."

Lionblaze nodded slowly, still unsure. Surely one cat got suspicious? He thought. Then he shook his head. It was best not to think about it now. "Let's name the one that looks like me Goldenkit and the other one Shadekit."

"Wonderful!" Heathertail pushed herself even closer to him, a purr rumbling in her throat.

Lionblaze breathed in her sweet scent before asking, "When can I see them?"

"Not for another three moons. Don't worry." She promised.

"Okay. I can't wait."

Heathertail giggled when Lionblaze began licking her face all over. He licked slowly from her cheek and to her lips. Heathertail licked his lips in return. Then the two cats began licking each others' tongues. Lionblaze was so excited; he waited a whole five days to do this with Heathertail again. They continued to do that for a while longer. Suddenly stopping, Lionblaze pushed his body against hers. Heathertail purred loudly and rubbed her cheek against his.

A little later, the moon was still shining brightly in the sky. Lionblaze and Heathertail were lying down next to each other just right outside the abandoned Twoleg nest. Heathertail had her back to Lionblaze and he had his front legs wrapped around her. Heathertail was sleeping peacefully but Lionblaze was wide awake, just staring up at the moon. It was very quiet out, the only sounds coming from Heathertail's soft breathing. Lionblaze was thinking about his kits. He couldn't wait for the day he would see them. That would be three moons from now like Heathertail had said. They wouldn't know who Lionblaze was and he wondered if Heathertail told them about him.

Probably not. Lionblaze thought. He suddenly felt Heathertail stir under him. She was waking up.

"How long was I sleep?" she yawned.

"A long while." Lionblaze replied, licking the back of her neck.

Heathertail suddenly jumped her to feet. "What?" she gasps. She was wide awake now. "What if the kits woke up and realized I wasn't there. Oh my poor kits!"

Lionblaze sighed. It was cold now from where Heathertail was just laying. He stood up to his paws. "Do you have to leave now?" he groaned. He wanted to stay with her a little longer.

Heathertail nodded. "Yes. The kits were just born yesterday and they'll need milk. I have to go."

"Oh…right," Lionblaze forgot that kits only eat and sleep for the first few days after being born. He licked Heathertail's cheek. "I'll see you in six nights, I guess."

"That's too long!" She gasped, pulling away from him. "I haven't seen you in five nights and I can't stand not seeing you!"

"I can't stand it either," Lionblaze said seriously. "We can't let our Clanmates get suspicious. We can't risk it."

"I'm starting to think you don't like meeting with me…" Heathertail mumbled, looking down at her paws

Lionblaze's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

How could she say that? He thought.

Heathertail shrugs. "I don't know. It's just that…it's like you don't want to see me much," she twitched her ears. "Is it…is it Cinderheart?"

That question really took Lionblaze off guard. She thinks I'm seeing Cinderheart? He thought, stumbling a few inches away from Heathertail. "Heathertail…you don't trust me?" he questions her quietly.

"I do trust you!" Heathertail exclaimed defensively. "How could you say that?"

"How could I?" Lionblaze growled. He felt anger building up inside him and he fought to control it. "How could you think I'm seeing Cinderheart?"

"Well it's obvious!" Heathertail retorted, her fur bristling. "You live in the same Clan as her. I guess it's so much easier then, huh? Why would you want a WindClan she-cat when you can easily have a ThunderClan she-cat?"

Lionblaze dug his claws in the earth, angrily. "Fine. Fine. Believe what you want, Heathertail." He spun around and stalked off towards home, feeling his heart starting to break. He never thought that his heart would break again.

"Wait!" Heathertail called. "Are we still going to meet here in a few days?"

Oh sure. We'll meet here and act like nothing ever happened! Lionblaze thought angrily. He stopped and turned around to face Heathertail. "We'll meet in three days." He snapped before turning away and padding off again.

"Wait!" Heathertail called again.

Lionblaze paused, looking over his shoulder. "What?"

She shifted her paws nervously and then burst out, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I just thought that you didn't want me anymore. I know you aren't really seeing Cinderheart…"

Lionblaze sighed and wondered if she did this often with other cats. Did she usually get some cat really angry and then apologize right afterward? He turned to face Heathertail. "I do want you, Heathertail, and I always will," he said honestly.

Heathertail gave him a small smile and nodded.

He didn't want to go over there and rub pelts with her right now; he was still a bit angry. So he turned away and padded off towards ThunderClan territory.

End of chapter 3