So, I took a break. A long break. You know why? Because I was diagnosed with this horrible disease called intense laziness. But, I got over my laziness, and I am back to stay! I will finish this story! Eventually... Anyways, to make up for a bit of my laziness, I know offer you three new chapters! I really hope you like them! I also hope you think that the new summary is better! :D
PLEASE READ: I will be changing my pen name to Jezebele Destiny White before I upload chapter sixteen. Why? Because after I finish Never Fall in Love, I am going to try writing in some other fandoms that I like, and Sparrowclaw of ThunderClan is a strictly Warriors name. But my profile picture will remain the same, at least for now. Also, in case anyone cares, I am deleting my Yellowfang's Secret story, because I just think it's terrible and I don't care enough about it to finish it.
I'm not gonna answer the reviews this chapter(s) because it takes up too much space and makes the chapter look longer than it actually is! Next time, though, I promise, I will! Love you all! ;) Without any further adue, enjoy!
Ivypool POV
The island clearing seemed to be bigger than it had been last time. Or at least it seemed that way to Ivypool. Perhaps it was because last time, they clans had been spread out, mingling and mixing together. That was the purpose of the full moon truce, to bring the clans together as one group.
Ivypool sat beside Blossomfall, feeling restless and suffocated by the glowering that was so thick it dominated the entire atmosphere.
"Ugh, I've never been to a gathering with this much hostility," Ivypool whispered.
"Me neither. I feel as though I'm about to be torn apart," Blossomfall agreed, sheathing and unsheathing her claws uncomfortably. "And to think, just about two moons ago we were all united against the Place of No Stars!"
Ivypool's stomach growled. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. In the middle of leaf-bare, when starvation and illness wreaked havoc within the clans, it was the worst time to be fighting.
I did this, Ivypool thought. It's all because of me. She sent a silent prayer up to StarClan that no battles would result from her foolishness. Her plea seemed to echo in the night, though it made no physical sound.
The light that beamed down from the whole moon's white face was unusually dim. The darkness made it difficult to see the four clan leaders seated on the branches of the Great Tree.
Ivypool was not looking forward to speaking with Tigerheart for once. It was her job to direct him to meet herself, her sister, and her sister's kits at the ShadowClan border. She was afraid that he would refuse, and suggest they indulge in their plans to leave the clans right away.
But the thing was, she wasn't ready to leave right away. She didn't want to leave Toadstep, or Dovewing, or Beekit, Applekit, and the unnamed brown tabby kit. All she wanted was to have all of it, her family, her friends, and Tigerheart. But according to him, that wasn't an option.
Was it possible she no longer had feelings for him?
No. She still got the same warm, fuzzy feeling inside her every time he spoke her name, and she still nearly erupted with jealousy every time she thought of Dovewing and Tigerheart together.
And because she loved Tigerheart, she had to put him first. He was now her sole priority. Even if that meant giving up her clan, she had to show him, and herself, and she had the emotional strength to make this sacrifice for him.
"I'm going to go speak with a friend in RiverClan. I'll be right back," she told Blossomfall, rising from her spot, and briefly searching the crowd for Tigerheart with her eyes.
"Okay, see you in a bit!" Blossomfall responded lightly. "And be careful. Try not to get your ears shredded," she added with a smile. Ivypool laughed along with her, though she shivered at the hidden seriousness in her words.
Ivypool knew that if it had been Toadstep that she was sitting by, he would insist that he come along. Fortunately for her, he hadn't been chosen to attend this moon's Gathering. Perhaps it was her imagination, but it seemed to her that the skin on her forehead was still warm from where Toadstep had given her an affectionate lick right before she had left for the island.
Luckily, Tigerheart was standing on the edge of the ShadowClan clump, so when she touched him on the shoulder gently, it did not attract a lot of attention. Unluckily, it did attract a bit of attention. Tigerheart abruptly stood up to follow Ivypool, and accidentally bumped into a middle-aged black and white tom.
"Where do you think you're going?" the tom hissed, shifting on his haunches to face towards Tigerheart. Tigerheart winced as his carelessness.
"Oh, pardon me, Crowfrost! I just have to go make dirt real quick!" he mewed quickly.
Crowfrost turned his head to look behind Tigerheart, at Ivypool. "And what does that ThunderClan she-cat have to do with it?" he growled in his deep, gruff voice, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Tigerheart took a step to the side to block Ivypool from Crowfrost's view. "Oh, nothing, she was just going to show me a good place!" His statement was followed by a brisk, nervous laugh, and a flash of Tigerheart's pearly teeth.
Crowfrost growled in disgust, eyes still narrowed, but shrugged, and turned away, seeming to no longer take interest in the topic. Ivypool breathed a sigh of relief, and silently led Tigerheart back to the hiding spot where they had met at the last Gathering; a tiny glade surrounded completely by brambles at the edge of the clearing opposite to the Great Tree.
As soon as they were alone, Tigerheart cloaked Ivypool in a tight embrace, nuzzling her shoulder and caressing her cheek with his tail. "Oh, Ivypool," he said in a husky whisper. "I missed you!"
Ivypool pressed her muzzle into the fur on his chest, and let loose a small giggle. "We saw each other two days ago, mouse-brain!" she reminded playfully, resting her head beneath Tigerheart's heavy bottom jaw.
Tigerheart returned her laugh with his own endearing chuckle. "Exactly," he meowed softly. "Every moment away from you is torture!" Tigerheart's claim both delighted and frightened Ivypool. She hoped he was exaggerating.
Ivypool pulled away from Tigerheart. "On another note," she began. Tigerheart cocked his head in curiosity. "Dovewing's kits were born a few days ago.
Tigerheart's curious frown turned into an overjoyed grin. "Wow! That's... that's wonderful! What do they look like? What are their names? How many are there?"
Ivypool allowed a half-smile to reach her lips. "You'll find out tomorrow night," she told him. "Dovewing wants you to meet at the border, at your old meeting place, at moonhigh."
Tigerheart smile disappeared. "You mean she wants to bring the kits to the border?" he asked slowly, mentally processing the matter. Ivypool nodded. "But that's so dangerous! And how is she going to sneak out of camp with the kits?" he asked, biting his lip and furrowing his brow. Ivypool loved the way his expressions always had such comical themes, even if his face didn't match his true emotions.
She shook her head, frowning. "I don't know, but this is very important to her. And you do want to meet your kits, don't you?" Ivypool tried to imagine herself in Tigerheart's position. Would he be ecstatic to meet his kits, like ordinary fathers, or would he want nothing to do with them, because Dovewing had broken his heart?
"Well... yes, I would want to meet them," Tigerheart admitted, his tone sounding undecided. "I really, really would, actually. But is it worth the risk?"
"Please just agree to see them! Dovewing is determined, and I'll help her with the sneaking. She and the kits will be fine, you'll see," she assured him, smiling at him encouragingly. She kneaded the snowy ground with her paws, awaiting an answer.
Tigerheart hesitated for a few long moments, staring into space with his jaws parted ever so slightly. At last, he bobbed his head up and down in a tiny movement, and he then looked her in the eye, smiling. "I'll do it. I'll come and see my kits, if you're sure it's the right thing to do."
Ivypool smiled back, relieved. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow night, then," she said, turning back towards their entrance.
She slipped beneath the thorns, and rushed away quickly. She heard Tigerheart emerge behind her, and then the two lovers went their separate ways.
Ivypool was glad that Tigerheart hadn't mentioned their nearing journey away from the clans. Now that Dovewing's kits were born, she had to fulfill her promise and come away with him.
She had to think of an excuse, another reason to stay a little bit longer.
But it hasn't come to that yet, Ivypool thought to herself as she returned to sit next to Blossomfall. "Hey," she greeted, when the she-cat didn't react.
Blossomfall turned to her, her eyes alarmed. "Did hear the announcements just now?" she asked, her voice matching her expression.
Ivypool clenched her teeth in confusion. "No, I missed it. What did they say?" she asked, her gaze studying the cats around her, all of which were looking worried, angry, or puzzled.
"Well, Blackstar started. He didn't say anything about ThunderClan on ShadowClan land, surprisingly, but he just reported on prey and weather, and stuff. But he was smirking the whole time, like he knew something Bramblestar didn't, or something. And then Bramblestar went, and he just said that prey is running short, and then passed it on to Mistystar. Mistystar started out all casual, but then she suddenly accused WindClan of stealing fish. Now it's Onestar's turn," Blossomfall said, turning back around to look at the Great Tree.
From where she was, Ivypool couldn't see Onestar's face clearly, but she could guess that he was wearing an expression of bewilderment and outrage.
"...How dare you make such a statement!" WindClan's leader was spitting. "My honorable warriors would never commit such a crime, and wouldn't even want anything to do with your disgusting, slimy fish! If you think-!"
"Get on with your report, Onestar!" Bramblestar interjected, stepping gracefully onto the branch Onestar was sitting on and baring his teeth threateningly.
Onestar let loose a furious snarl, but did not object. He commented in a few sentences on the scarcity of prey and the recent snows, not forgetting to hint that WindClan's strength had not decreased during these harder times, never taking his eyes off of Mistystar.
With that conclusion, the Gathering ended without any spilled blood. But if the tensions increased even by a hair-length, then Ivypool did not doubt that a battle would be unavoidable.
Ivypool had no idea what to do about anything. She had so many questions, and she was so terrified that she would simply end up stuck somewhere without of clue of how to fix anything.
Beekit wriggled in Ivypool's grasp. She struggled to keep the kit's scruff between her teeth. She afraid to set him down on the ground for fear that his little body could not handle the cold and snow. Beside her, Dovewing held both Applekit and the tabby tom-kit, and was facing the same problem that Ivypool was.
Ivypool watched her sister's green eyes dart around the features of the land around them. Was Dovewing experiencing memories of when she and Tigerheart had secretly met in this place many times? Was she wishing that she could be back in that era?
Tigerheart was late. He had promised to meet them when the moon was as high in the sky as it could go, but the moon was already starting to slide back down towards the dark horizon. Had he decided not to come? Maybe he had been held up, and couldn't come.
Just when Ivypool decided to express her doubt to Dovewing, Tigerheart appeared from behind a boulder. "My apologies," he mewed as he padded towards them. "I had a hard time coming up with an excuse to leave camp in the middle of the night."
Ivypool wanted to tell him that he was forgiven, and introduce him to his sons and daughter, but the kit in her mouth prevented her from uttering anything.
"So these are my kits," Tigerheart said, his eyes washing over his offspring. Ivypool nodded to confirm what he had said, though it hadn't really been a question. Tigerheart cleared a place in the snow, and laid down. "Here, set them on my back," he told them. Ivypool gratefully placed the wriggling Beekit down on the arch of Tigerheart's back, and Dovewing did the same.
Their eyes and ears sealed, and their stubby legs not yet strong, the three kits didn't have the abilities to maneuver around very much, so they just stumbled along Tigerheart's body, sniffing the new scents.
"They're perfect," Tigerheart praised, his voice barely audible. He turned to Dovewing. "Two toms and a she-kit, right? What are their names?"
"The white and silver tabby tom is Beekit, and the little gray she-cat is Applekit," she told him, gesturing with her paw. Applekit slipped down Tigerheart's flank into the snow, and Dovewing stepped forward to nudge her back up.
"What's the brown tabby tom's name?" he asked, lowering his head to allow the kit to climb onto his head. "He looks a lot like me," Tigerheart added with a laugh.
Dovewing's tail twitched, and she looked away, as if embarrassed. "He doesn't have a name yet. I... I wanted you to name him," she confessed, looking at him from the corner of her eye. Then she added rapidly, "Only if you want to, I mean..."
Tigerheart's eyes widened, as if he were taken aback. "Really? I mean, that what really thoughtful of you... and I would like to name him." He looked at Dovewing in a shy manner. "If you're sure it's okay, that is."
Dovewing nodded. Her mouth formed a flat, emotionless line, but her eyes sparkled. Tigerheart flicked his ear, musing, and licked his lips. After brainstorming for a few moments, he said, "How about Beaverkit?"
"Beaverkit?" Ivypool repeated, unfamiliar with the term 'beaver'. Dovewing grinned and stared at Tigerheart with feeling that resembled adoration.
"Yeah, Beaverkit," Dovewing mewed, winking at the father of her kits. "Beavers were the creatures that were building the barrier that dammed the river, from the journey we went on, all those seasons ago."
"Do you remember those kittypets?" Tigerheart asked her, his amber eyes glinting. "The ones guarding that little rabbit?" He laughed at the end of his sentence, as if he had told a witty joke. Dovewing seemed to understand the meaning in his words, and shared his pleasure with a good-natured purr.
"Oh, yeah, they were so funny!" she agreed, closing her eyes to savor the memory.
"Look!" Tigerheart exclaimed suddenly. "Beekit is opening his eyes!" The little tabby tom's eyes were just barely becoming slits, and slowly becoming almond-shaped voids of ice-blue brilliance. Applekit and Beaverkit were also gaining their sight. Applekit's eyes were the same bright leaf green that Dovewing had, and Beaverkit's were warm amber like Tigerheart's.
"They're..." Dovewing trailed off, at a loss for words. Tigerheart finished her sentence.
"Amazing!" he meowed, his mouth hanging open in a state of pure awe.
Ivypool watched the two, chuckling and gazing at their offspring, unable to join in with their merriment. The pair continued to share stories that she couldn't relate to, and subtly toy with the kits, speaking to them in animated voices.
A caring mother, a proud father, and three joyful little ones. A family, united by love.
Ivypool was so overwhelmed by so manydifferent emotions that there was hardly any room for jealousy. After all, didn't she have her own family back at home?
Toadstep. Ivypool wondered if he was missing her. She would return to him eventually tonight, but soon, she would leave, and never return.
No, her family was here, with Tigerheart. And Dovewing's family was back at the camp, with Bumblestripe. These kits would never really know their father for who he was, once Tigerheart and Ivypool had left, but that didn't matter, because they would find a fatherly figure in Bumblestripe.
The first few golden rays of dawn would begin to peak out from behind the black silhouette of the land soon. If they didn't want to get caught, they would have to leave immediately.
"We must go now," Ivypool announced, standing up straighter. Tigerheart's eyes shined with regret as he looked longingly upon his sons and daughter, but he nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you must, I suppose," he said solemnly. Dovewing sighed softly, and agreed as well.
"I'll meet you tomorrow night, Tigerheart," Ivypool promised, winking. Tigerheart winked back.
Dovewing grabbed hold of Applekit and Beaverkit's scruffs, and lifted them off of Tigerheart, as Ivypool did the same with Beekit, and they left together in silence, unable to bid the ShadowClan tom farewell.
As they walked through the oak trees, the familiar scents, sounds, and sights enveloped their senses. Ivypool would miss this forest that she held so dear. She had grown up here, battled here, hunted here, trained here. She had cried, laughed, fought, played, hated, and loved all within these four territories. It was her home, her heart.
But Tigerheart still hadn't said anything about leaving anytime soon.
All Ivypool had at the moment were emotions, and they were so confusing. Some merged and some conflicted, and they formed something completely original. Which left Ivypool in a state of only one comprehensible feeling.
She was lost.