Chapter Six

A/N: A world of love, rivalry and what else? Continue on reading!

Lionblaze dropped his squirrel and mouse on the fresh-kill pile. It was already around a quarter of a moon since Ivypaw returned. Leaf-bare had just begun, and the fresh-kill pile was lessening with prey, as they have all hid in their burrows, refusing to come out. Cinderheart was spending less and less time with Lionblaze now, as she was using that spare time with Mousewhisker. In fact, she was spending basically all her time with Mousewhisker, if not training Ivypaw.

Angry at the thought, Lionblaze stomped back to the warrior's den, even though it was just past sunhigh. He curled around his nest, which was nests away from Cinderheart's and Mousewhisker's and forced himself to sleep. Except he couldn't sleep. His thoughts were floating back to Cinderheart. The cat who loved him. The cat who used to love him, that is.

Suddenly a cat entered the den. Lionblaze pretended he was asleep. He didn't want anyone to talk to him. There were two voices, in fact. One was Mousewhisker. The other was Berrynose. What were they doing here? Still pretending to sleep, Lionblaze decided to eavesdrop on them.

"Good." Berrynose was nodding. "If you can continue on with that, then he'd grow weaker and weaker and I'd be able to finish him off by killing him."

Lionblaze was listening intently now, wondering what they were talking about. Killing who?

"But he might kill me before you even get the chance," Mousewhisker meowed hesitantly. "I'm not sure I want to do this anymore."

Do what? Lionblaze thought frustratedly, but kept his feelings to himself. That's what I want to know!

"This was well-planned out!" Berrynose protested. "If you just suddenly not want to do it anymore, then what's going to happen?" He stopped talking when another cat entered the den. Brackenfur. He stopped and it felt as though he was staring sternly at the two toms.

"What are you doing just standing there like frozen stones?" he snapped. "It's leaf-bare; we need to work. Now hurry up and join the hunting patrol, seeing as you have nothing else to do. Hurry up!" he added when he noticed that they were still standing. "Or do you want to miss dinner?"

They didn't want that, so they bolted out of the den to meet the cold afternoon. Brackenfur took a glance at Lionblaze and left.

Now alone, Lionblaze blinked open his eyes and stretched. In a sitting position, Lionblaze started to wash his fur. What had just happened? Kill who? What for? Did this victim do something so bad that Berrynose wanted to kill him? Lionblaze's first instinct was to tell Firestar. The ThunderClan leader had a right to know. Yet Lionblaze felt as though Firestar wouldn't react to it. It was just like the time when Jayfeather tried to talk about RiverClan. Firestar didn't do anything.

After licking his fur, Lionblaze exited the warrior's den and met the coldness of the air once more. He spotted the tails of the hunting patrol just leaving, Mousewhisker's shivering tail's tip twitching with...fear, was it? Lionblaze saw Cinderheart padding to the medicine den.

Should he go after her? How would Cinderheart react? Lionblaze didn't know what to do. Now that he knew that Cinderheart was chasing another cat, would she still call Lionblaze a friend? She hadn't spoken to him much lately; her time was more spend with Mousewhisker.

Suddenly, Cinderheart stopped going to the medicine den and ran straight out into the forest. What happened? Lionblaze knew that this time he had to find out what was wrong. He too bolted out of the forest. He noticed that Sandstorm was watching him, but he didn't have time for that. He needed to know what was going on. He saw Cinderheart leaping over the falling tree, having no difficulty. It reminded him of when Cinderheart had her broken leg.

She turned into the direction of the lake. Lionblaze's curiosity grew. Whatever happened, Cinderheart was really terrified, and she was running faster than ever before. Although Lionblaze didn't want to, something made him yowl, "Cinderheart!"

Cinderheart stopped abruptly, leaving Lionblaze to scrabble on the floor, attempting to halt. He crashed into Cinderheart, who was still staring in shock at Lionblaze, her eyes wide with fear. Lionblaze quickly sat up straight, faintly embarrassed.

"What were you doing, running so fast like that?" Lionblaze asked, suspicion growing.

Cinderheart shook her fur for a moment, inhaled and exhaled before answering, "I-I...thought that you...you..." She shook her head, as though not willing to continue her speech. "L-let's go back..." She took a step forward and stumbled. She was running too hard, Lionblaze realised.

He helped Cinderheart back up. "Here," he meowed, "let me help you." Cinderheart blinked at him gratefully, and you could see heavy relief in her eyes. Why was she so relieved, anyway? Curiosity burned within the golden tabby warrior, but he didn't dare press the she-cat any further. She was too tired as it was.

But soon his curiosity got the better of him. Glancing at Cinderheart he meowed, "Why did you suddenly bolt out of camp?"

Cinderheart stared at him and then mewed in reply, "Private matters. That's all. Nothing too serious." But it was obvious that it was a serious matter. And Lionblaze desperately wanted to know. Maybe he could help Cinderheart with whatever was going on.

Once they returned to camp, Lionblaze noticed the tension among the Clan cats. What was going on? Then he noticed a smell that was different. WindClan! He sniffed again. Definitely WindClan. He was sure of it. Wondering who, he glanced at the direction of where everyone was staring. Cinderheart followed his gaze.

Onestar? And Breezepelt?

What in the name of StarClan are they doing here? Lionblaze wondered silently. The WindClan leader was staring around the ThunderClan cats. His gaze locked with Lionblaze's. There was cold hatred in his eyes, as though he wanted revenge. If it's about Ivypaw, he thought. It's Onestar's fault. Why bother keeping her captive?

"What is it that you want?" Firestar demanded from where he was standing on Highledge, glaring angrily at the newcomers. Breezepelt acted all 'high-'n'-mighty' as he usually did, but there was a hint of mock on his face as he stared at Lionblaze. The golden warrior lifted his head up defiantly in return.

"Is it true that two of your cats had trespassed on our territory?" Onestar demanded.

Dovepaw, who was trembling with outrage before, blew out her fury. "Can you explain the reason why you ambushed us and captured Ivypaw, which led to the reason why we trespassed on your territory to retrieve her?"

Whitewing glared at her daughter. "Dovepaw!" she hissed, grabbing Dovepaw by the scruff and hauling her away, flushing with embarrassment. "Don't talk so rudely like that, especially in front of someone with much more authority than you!"

Onestar was surprised. "I wasn't talking about that incident," he meowed, swishing his tail with annoyance. "I was more of talking about the recent one. Two days ago, to be precise. Breezepelt reported two ThunderClan cats on WindClan territory and when I came over to confirm the report, I could scent ThunderClan smell all over, and the bones of a rabbit." He glared at Firestar. "Do you deny this?"

"I do not know of such a thing," Firestar replied calmly and steadily, although his eyes were burning with curiosity as he gazed at his Clan, as though wondering who the two trespassers were. "Perhaps you were mistaken, Onestar."

Breezepelt scoffed, "How can you mistake the stinking smell of ThunderClan cats?"

"Be quiet," Onestar commanded him, flicking his tail impatiently. He then twitched his ear. "The scent was definitely ThunderClan. There is no doubt about that. There was also two individual smells we could make out in the area. It's obvious that there was more than one cat that was present then."

Sorreltail sprang to her paws. "Or maybe you're both making this up?" she meowed, her eyes blazing with disbelief. "No way! No one in our Clan would do something like that!"

Breezepelt then stared at Lionblaze. The look that he gave him sent Lionblaze shuddering in understanding. Now he knew why Breezepelt was giving him that stare. But it wasn't true! Lionblaze had never even touch WindClan territory since a quarter moon ago. He was about to say something when Onestar butted in.

"Fortunately for us, Breezepelt recognised the two cats." He drew his gaze towards Dovepaw, then Lionblaze. The rest of the Clan followed his gaze, and stared at the two cats in confusion. Lionblaze himself looked just as puzzled, but then it was replaced by pure anger.

"I swear I didn't go on WindClan territory!" he protested. "There's no way I could've! Two days ago I was –"

"Oh, excuses, excuses," Breezepelt meowed, interrupting him. Lionblaze glared at him so hard that Breezepelt took a step back. How could he? And all because Lionblaze and Dovepaw had went onto WindClan territory to retrieve their own ThunderClan apprentice!

Dovepaw spat. "And where's the proof, would you mind asking? Was it just Breezepelt who witnessed this false event?"

Firestar butted in. "Look, I think that there is some mistake here," he began. "But as you can see here, I'm pretty sure that Lionblaze and Dovepaw have not gone onto WindClan territory. I recall two days ago I sent Lionblaze, Cinderheart and their two apprentices to train together in the sandy clearing. And we can ask Cinderheart for proof that they didn't leave." He turned to face Cinderheart. "Did Lionblaze and Dovepaw suddenly disappear during that training lesson?"

'Although we barely talk to each other anymore, Cinderheart knows not to lie,' Lionblaze thought. 'And then Breezepelt will get into huge trouble.' But he half wished that he could sink his claws into Breezepelt's neck. The more he thought about it, the more the anger rose. But at least seeing Breezepelt scolded by his leader was something.

Cinderheart glanced at her paws, and Lionblaze wondered what was taking so long. It was only a "No. Lionblaze and his apprentice was with us the whole time." She stared at Mousewhisker, who was sitting next to her, and then stared straight at the WindClan leader.

And then Cinderheart's reply shocked Lionblaze. "He did disappear. For a short while I barely noticed it. But when he returned he smelt slightly different. Dovepaw was just the same like him." When she finished she did not meet Lionblaze's stunned gaze. Instead she just closed her eyes and hanged her head down.

A/N: I'm pretty sure you're wondering why Cinderheart went all hysterical at the lake and then lying at the end of the chapter. It will all be revealed in the following chapters!