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-Echosong

Chapter Eighteen: Lionblaze

One word. Treachery. All of the Clan now knows of Jayfeather's treachery. It's a low time to be in ThunderClan.

I'll give you the highlights of Firestar's announcement:

"So you expect me to just let my kit shatter the warrior's code? I don't think so Firstar I've already lost enough kits! You know this!" Ferncloud's cold snarl is filled with disbelief, fury and pain.

"I know. I don't want this to happen. But according to Bluestar it is written in the stars. I can do nothing." Firestar's mew is bitter; he is more broken than ever. "At least StarClan is watching over us."

"Watching over us! That's rubbish! They've forsaken us to a fate worse than death if you really think they mean this! Name one good thing that will come from this! Tell me!" Ferncloud sounds like she going mad, she's trembling all over and is staring at Firestar with a mix of horror and pleading; like she wants to believe that something good can come from this.

"I don't know. I just don't. But StarClan was here in this very den behind me. And they told me that I had to let this happen. I'm so sorry Ferncloud. We have to accept this." He turns around and walks back into his den.

"You may have to but I don't." Ferncloud spits in rage.

Murmurs of agreement spread like fire through the Clan.

"Come on Ferncloud, just come and get Jayfeather to treat you for shock and you'll feel fine." Leafpool mews soothingly.

"NO!" she yowls glaring at her. "I don't know about any of you, but Jayfeather is no longer my medicine cat. He wants to break the code then fine! He won't catch me in his den ever again!" Yowls of agreement follow her words this time.

"And Icecloud? Is she no longer your daughter?" Leafpool's voice is quite but strong.

Ferncloud gives her an icy look, "We'll maybe you could adopt her. As your own kits don't want you, and you two have so much in common." Leafpool steps back hurt and shock flowing from her face like blood. Ferncloud stomps away still trembling with fury.

Gasps echo dramatically around the hollow as we all exchange shocked looks.

Cinderheart rushes to my side and whispers, "No matter what our kits do I will always love them."

"I know, I will too. And uh anything you want to tell me?" I ask my heart quickening and my mouth drying.

"What? Oh! No, no, I meant if we ever have them." She mews hurriedly flicking her tail embarrassedly.

"Good, I wouldn't want to raise kits in a time like this."

"Me either… you need to talk to Jayfeather." She mews softly.

"I'm not sure that that's a good idea." I mew gazing into her pale blue eyes.

"He's your brother!" She hisses, looking at me scandalized.

"And he has pretty sharp temper, in case you haven't noticed." I retort frowning.

"Go! Please, for me." She wraps around me purring, and okay she has me.

"Fine if you insist." I flick her with my tail as I walk away.

I feel angry glares burn my pelt as I slip into my brother's den. Gasp! How dare I fraternize with the traitor! He's my brother okay? Get over it!

"Jayfeather?" I call.

"Come to yell at me?" He mews dully.

"No! You're my brother!" I protest sadly.

"I heard Ferncloud." Jayfeather replies, looking over.

"She's just in shock. She'll come around." I mew, not sure if this is helping.

"She was pretty harsh to Leafpool." Jayfeather mews in a vague sort of way.

"She didn't mean it." (Okay I don't actually know if she meant it or not but I'm trying to be comforting, so excuse the lie.)

"We're we that bad?" He asks his eyes begging for the truth.

"I don't know." I mew wearily; I have tried to put it out of my mind many times before so some details are sketchy. "We weren't much better if I remember correctly." I mew truthfully. "To her or Squirrelflight."

"I'm not going to lie, Lionblaze. No matter what, my kits will always know the truth."

"WHAT?" I yowl in shock.

He jumps up worriedly, "What?"

"You're having kits?" I shriek.

"WHAT?" No I meant when we do!" Jayfeather explains quickly, smoothing his fur back down. What is it with cats not taking the needed delicacy when they talk about kits?

"You and Cinderheart! Scaring me to death!" I exclaim, rolling my eyes and sitting down

"Do tell." Jayfeather mews, his eyes glinting with mischief for the first time in a long time.

"Well after Ferncloud had her blow up, Cinderheart came over to me and was like 'I'll always love our kits' and was I know, me too, then I really thought about it and I was thinking 'She's pregnant!' But she isn't and apparently I took it the wrong way. Then of course you about scared my pelt off."

"Oh Lionblaze." He mews shaking his head at me.

"Are you okay?" I mew after laughing.

"I don't know. I'm so happy to be with Icecloud, but all of this. And Firestar, I'm worried. This affected him more than I thought it would. Do you remember hearing the old stories about Bluestar?" He asks catching me off guard.

"I think so, why?"

"Because after Tigerstar tried to kill her," a spasm of fear shoots through me at the dreaded name, I start growling low in my throat. Jayfeather shoots me a look of confusion.

"I never told you!" I mew suddenly realizing it.

"Told me what?" Jayfeather asks frowning.

"After your story."

"Well after that, Bluestar went insane, crazy, nutso. Because she lost power. They were so venerable to Tigerstar. Lionblaze I'm worried that history is about to repeat itself." Jayfeather confesses shaking his head.

"Never! Firestar is strong as he's always been!" I insist loyally.

"Really? He sounded strong the last time you saw him?" I flinch at the truth in what Jayfeather is saying.

"B-But he's the best leader we ever had!" I protest.

"That was said about Bluestar too. He's losing control." Jayfeather mews sadly.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know. But if the Dark Forest finds out it'll be a blood bath." Jayfeather mews suddenly fearful.

"They'll find out." I mew wearily.

"What do you mean? Why don't you tell me what you forgot?" He mews quickly.

"I went to the Dark Forest."

"You did what?" Jayfeather snarls, spiking his fur up.

"I didn't want to! Tigerstar almost murdered me!" I growl angrily.

"No! How'd you get out of that?" Jayfeather asks, inching closer to me.

"Spottedleaf, she just appeared and she saved me." I explain and at my words I see Jayfeather tense, horror lighting his blind eyes.

"What?" I demand quickly.

"I just remembered what I forgot." My brother hisses softly.

"What?"

"They almost killed Tigerheart." He whispers, looking down.

"Well aren't they in a cheery mood." I mew sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Yeah they thought he was a traitor, but um how would they know that Firestar is well, you know…"

"Oh Tigerstar was all 'I know everything, I am everywhere, and I will not rest until we have our vengeance! The forest is no longer safe for you!' then there was the sound of battle training blah, blah, blah. So basically they could be watching us right now listening to everything we say."

Jayfeather tenses again and mews quickly, "Oh. Well I'm fine so you can get back to Cinderheart now."

"Uh okay." I mew slightly hurt at his abrupt, I'm going to kick-you-out-now words. I rise and leave. The camp is completely silent. A few cats are huddle in scraggly clumps, but other than that the place is a ghost town, and Cinderheart rushes to me as soon as she sees me.

"Who died?" I ask her, almost completely serious.

"Ha-ha very funny. Only ThunderClan." She replies gravely, her blue eyes going dark.

"You can't be serious. I mean really! This not the worst thing to happen to ThunderClan! Is it?" I ask suddenly uncertain but Cinderheart shrugs her shoulders helplessly.

"Come hunting with me, please!" She mews looking desperate.

"Don't have to ask me twice. Let's go." We run through the forest, farther and farther from camp. Everything weighing on me feels like its suffocating me. A small voice in my head whispers what if they're other cats in the Dark Forest? What if they tell them? You can't leave camp! It'll be attacked! ThunderClan will be destroyed!

I stumble with shock at the truth. Fear wraps around me and I can hardly see through the darkness, I'm falling, falling,

"Cinderheart!" I gasp searching for her, the only thing that can save me from myself, "Help!"

Then she is here by my side,

"What?! What's wrong?" Her voice, her scent, her touch calms me, slows my racing heart and chases away the darkness. I blink and sit up; I'm trembling for some reason.

"Are you okay?" she mews staring at me fearfully.

"I think so." I mew, my pelt warming when I realize how stupid I've been.

"It's terrifying isn't? All of the terrible things that are about to happen." I stare at her, how had she known?

"I'm not stupid Lionblaze, something's up. And I have a feeling that's it horrible." She shivers.

"It is." I mew standing up and wrapping around her, "But we can stop it. And we will. I promise."

"Then I'm going to stop it with you." She declares, daring me to contradict her.

"We'll need you soon." I mew – realizing that it's true.

"We'll?" She questions.

"It's a long story. But to be honest I need you now." I twine my tail with hers.

"I know. I need you too." Cinderheart mews, her pelt warming a bit at the confession.

"Good. I would have been really mad if you needed another cat." I joke and she starts shaking with laughter.

"Don't ever worry about that. There's no one that can compete with you."

"I love you." I murmur in her ear leaning into her. It's so easy.

"I love you too, with all my heart and everything I am." I don't know how long we stay like that, but dusk has fallen when we make it back to camp. Before we walk in I turn to Cinderheart and mew,

"I don't know how I survived without you, and I'm positive that I'll never be able to live without you." Happiness lights her gazes and we walk back to the den and collapse in a nest wrapped around each other. I can almost forget the dark storm cloud hovering over us in this perfection.

My life would be perfect if it weren't for:

The Dark Forest.

A leader who is probably losing his sanity.

Jayfeather.

Can't he just see sense? But he's in love, and how can I wish losing this on anyone, especially my brother?

It's Cinderheart again that eases my worries, and it's because of her that I finally fall asleep.