Heather's Lion
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. This story was meant to be short so it's nearly done. There should be 3 to 5 more chapters.
Last Update: 11/2/2012
Chapter 5
A day after Lionblaze's visit with Heathertail and their kits, Lionblaze was on a hunting patrol with Hazeltail, Berrynose, and Toadstep. It was a great day today. The sun was high in the sky and warmed the cat's pelts. Birds were singing in the distance and there was prey scurrying around every now and then. None of this caught Lionblaze's attention. The only thing that was on his mind was the kits and Heathertail. He longed to see them again tonight but he knew he couldn't.
Lionblaze suddenly crouched low when he saw a thrush. His Clanmates stepped back out of the way so he could catch it. He crept forward. His mind was totally on the thrush though. Images of Heathertail and his kits kept popping up in his head. Then he sprang forward and slapped his paws down on the thrush. He lifts his paws up and realizes that he didn't catch the thrush at all. It was gone. In embarrassment, he glanced at his Clanmates.
Berrynose was glaring at Lionblaze. "That's the second piece of prey you missed today," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Maybe Brambleclaw made a mistake putting you on a hunting patrol."
Lionblaze glared at Berrynose but he was looking somewhere else now.
Hazeltail was staring at Lionblaze in concern but she said nothing.
"Why don't we split up?" Toadstep suggested, giving Lionblaze a plain look before looking away.
"Good idea!" Berrynose exclaimed. "But there probably wouldn't be any prey left though. Lionblaze scared them all away with all his trampling!"
Lionblaze let out a low growl.
Hazeltail came up to Lionblaze and whispered curiously in his ear, "You seem distracted. What's on your mind?"
"Nothing. I just had a nightmare and it's bothering me..." Lionblaze lied nervously.
Oh great StarClan! It's already beginning with the lies! I hate lying! He thought.
Hazeltail gave him a sympathetic look. "Aw!"
"Oh come on, Hazeltail," Berrynose growled. "Let's go hunt this way!" he turned and padded off in some direction.
"Okay!" Hazeltail exclaims, bounding after her brother.
"Where are you hunting at, Lionblaze?" Toadstep questioned when Berrynose and Hazeltail were gone.
"What?" Lionblaze looked at him in confusion. He had been too busy thinking about his kits that he didn't hear Toadstep.
"Never mind," Toadstep rolled his eyes. "I'm going this way." He walked off in another direction from Lionblaze.
Lionblaze lets out a sigh. I'm too distracted. I have to concentrate on the hunt. He thought seriously. With his new found determination, he went off to find some prey.
•••
When the patrol arrived back at camp, Lionblaze was proud to set down a thrush and a couple of voles onto the fresh-kill pile. He made sure he wasn't distracted by his thoughts and that made it easy to catch the prey.
Cinderheart came up and snatched up one of his voles from the fresh-kill pile. She then whipped around and marched off to eat with Mousewhisker. Lionblaze stared at her with narrowed eyes. Ever since he rejected her she had been avoiding him. It was kind of like the way Brambleclaw was currently treating Squirrelflight.
Oh whatever! Lionblaze thought angrily. She can act like that if she wants to. See if I care. He grasps a vole in his mouth and padded towards the medicine den.
The scent of herbs filled Lionblaze's nose when he entered the den. He glanced around for his brother. "Jayfeather?" He muffled.
Jayfeather was in the back rearranging his herb store. He turned his sightless eyes on Lionblaze when he came in. "Is that for me?" Jayfeather questioned.
Lionblaze set the vole down and nodded. "Yeah. Did you already eat?"
"No," Jayfeather padded over and bent his head down to sniff at the vole. "Thanks." He mumbled as he took a large bite out of it.
Lionblaze turned to leave.
"Wait." Jayfeather ordered before Lionblaze could leave.
Lionblaze looked over his shoulder at him, "What is it?"
His brother took a couple of more bites of the vole and then he was finished. He licks his lips and looks up at Lionblaze steadily with his blind eyes. "How are your kits doing?"
The question caught Lionblaze off guard and he nearly fell over in shock. He knows! Good StarClan, how?! Lionblaze thought. Then remembrance hit him. Oh, right, his powers! I always remembered to keep my thoughts hidden whenever I was around Jayfeather. Did I slip up once? Oh fox-dung!
"Yes you did slip up once," Jayfeather hissed. It was clear that he had just read his brother's thoughts.
Lionblaze turned to face Jayfeather. "Well you shouldn't be reading my thoughts at all. I need my privacy," he then shook his head quickly. He needed to know how long Jayfeather knew. "How long have you known?" he questioned.
"I've known since the day Heathertail told you she was pregnant."
"Shhh!" Lionblaze hissed at Jayfeather. "Be quiet before someone hears you," he then added more quietly, "Why didn't you let it be known to me that you knew?"
Jayfeather twitched his whiskers. "I knew that you'd be upset."
"How do you think I feel now?" Lionblaze growled.
Jayfeather kept that same unknown expression on his face. He slowly blinked and murmured, "Pretty upset."
Lionblaze gritted his teeth. Jayfeather was acting pretty calm about the situation but Lionblaze knew that this bothered his brother. His calm attitude filled Lionblaze with anger. Calm down. He told himself. I don't have to stay here and talk to him about my private life. He whipped around without another word.
"Hold on!" Jayfeather exclaimed. "We have to talk about this."
"No, Jayfeather. We don't need to talk about anything." Lionblaze began to pad out of the den but he felt sharp teeth snap on his tail. "Hey!" He gasps, yanking his tail away.
"I'm sorry, but we really need to talk about this." Jayfeather told him seriously.
Lionblaze knew that Jayfeather wouldn't stop pestering him until they talked so Lionblaze just gave in. "Fine." He sighed.
"Let's go out into the forest. No cat can hear us." Jayfeather suggested. He then padded out of the medicine den.
•••
Lionblaze settled down in a small clearing and curled his tail over his paws. The grass was soft under his paws. There was a cool breeze in the air but the hot sun fought through it. Jayfeather was sitting a few tail lengths away from Lionblaze. The expression on his face was very serious.
"Alright. Get on with it." Lionblaze mumbled.
"Are you mouse-brained?" Jayfeather snapped. "How could you have kits with a WindClan cat?"
Lionblaze was surprised by his sudden outburst. He guessed he had been holding all his anger in until now. "I don't care if Heathertail is a WindClan cat!" Lionblaze retorted. "Have you forgotten that we are half WindClan?" He spat.
As much as Lionblaze hated to admit that his father was a WindClan cat, he had to accept the fact.
Jayfeather's fur was beginning the bristle. "No I haven't forgotten. You think just because you are half WindClan you can go around and have kits with WindClan she-cats?"
Lionblaze twitched his ears but ignored the question. "Why are you talking now anyway? Why didn't you say something when you first found out about it?"
"I'm speaking now because before I tried to ignore it," Jayfeather hissed. "I wasn't going to get involve with your precious love life. I thought that you would eventually stop but you never did! It really bothered me. Can't you see that this is wrong?"
Lionblaze was gritting his teeth angrily. He didn't want to admit it but Jayfeather was right. He knew all along what he was doing with Heathertail was wrong in every way. But he couldn't just stop seeing her and he can't now, now that they have kits.
"You have to stop meeting Heathertail!" Jayfeather exclaimed. He was obviously reading Lionblaze's thoughts. "I have a feeling that something bad will happen!"
"I won't stop meeting Heathertail," he told his brother firmly. He wanted this conversation to end now. "You won't stop me from seeing my family."
Jayfeather sighs looking sympathetic now. "Look, I know how you feel but —"
"No you don't!" Lionblaze cut him off. He had quite enough of this mouse-dung. "You never loved another cat. You don't know how I feel. You will never know how I feel. You never loved another cat and you never will!"
Jayfeather's mouth dropped open slightly. He was blinking in surprise as if no cat has ever spoken to him in that way.
Lionblaze instantly felt bad, realizing he went a bit too far. "Sorr—"
"How dare you say I never loved a cat?" Jayfeather's voice was quiet but furious. "You have no idea what I've been doing," his voice was rising angrily now. "I lived a life before and I did fall in love with a cat. I wanted to stay there with her and have a family but I couldn't! I had to give her up just so I could stay here! I had to stay here and fulfill this stupid prophecy!" Jayfeather turned his sightless gaze on Lionblaze. "So you're lucky Lionblaze you get to have a family. So lucky…"
Lionblaze stared at his brother, feeling guilty. He wasn't sure what his brother meant by having a past life but he sounded serious and truthful. Jayfeather was always doing some things that Lionblaze didn't know about. He wouldn't lie about something like this.
Lionblaze touched his nose to his brother's ear. "I'm sorry Jayfeather."
"No I'm sorry," Jayfeather mumbled, sounding awkward. "I shouldn't try to chase you away from your family and let you suffer like me. I guess I'm just jealous..." he admitted more quietly.
Lionblaze nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are jealous."
His brother twitched his ears in irritation but he spoke quietly, "I still have this bad feeling…"
"Is something bad going to happen to Heathertail?" Lionblaze demanded. "Or the kits?"
Jayfeather shook his head. "I'm not sure. Just be careful, Lionblaze."
"Don't worry. I will."
End of Chapter 5
