Chapter 27: Could this day get any worse?
It was a cold Leafbare night, the moon was full and the leafless trees rattled in the harsh wind. Lionblaze tossed and turned in his sleep...
"Lionblaze!" shrieked Jayfeather from the nursery. Lionblaze whipped around and sprinted towards the place where the queens and kits stayed. He screamed at what he saw, Cinderheart had delivered five kits, but they were all dead. Skinny and not fully developed, they were still born. The worst part was that Cinderheart was covered in blood. Lionblaze nuzzled her head and lifted it up slightly, when he moved her head dropped back to the floor. "I'm sorry." Whispered Jayfeather. "They're all dead."
Lionblaze threw back his head and yowled to the heavens, his golden fur covered in sweat and in clumps. He looked back at Cinderheart, a pair of amber eyes were glaring at him. Tigerstar stepped out of the shadows, and pulled Cinderheart away, using her blood like vines. Lionblaze pelted after them, but no matter how quickly he ran, Cinderheart and Tigerstar kept staying in the distance...
Lionblaze bolted upright screaming. His muscles shuddered and his pupils were wide with fear, there were only tiny rims of the gold iris showing. Lionblaze's ears were pinned back and his claws were unsheathed. he stared at his mossy bedding for a while, breathing quickly. He had been having these dreams since Cinderheart had told him she was expecting his kits, they scared him to death. He hoped with a heavy heart that they were not a omen of what was to come.
He felt a tail brush his flank and he looked up to see Ivypool staring at him with huge worry on her face. Leafpool was there too. Lionblaze looked around and suddenly aware that the warrior's den was empty. He quickly pulled the moss out of his pelt and gave his fluffed up fur a couple of licks, trying to look like a clan deputy. He looked at the two she cat with narrowed eyes, and pricked ears. "Lionblaze, Dovewing has turned up with... well... Tigerheart.." the former medicine cat stuttered.
Lionblaze took a huge gulp of air in surprise and started chocking on the sudden intake. "w-what?!" he gasped.
"Dovewing has turned up with Tigerheart, tails twined, pelts as close as you like, acting like you and Cinderheart if you ask me." Growled Ivypool. She rolled her eyes and flicked her tail irritably. Her ears were pinned back and her eyes were angry slits, she clearly wasn't happy.
"But, Bumblestripe?" Lionblaze asked tilting his head to one side.
"Was a ploy, Dovewing used him! Just to make me think she had left Tigerheart behind!" Ivypool hissed, not even keeping eye contact with him anymore.
Leafpool brushed her tail along her flank, trying to calm Ivypool down. "We don't know that."
"How long have you known about this Ivypool." Lionblaze questioned.
Ivypool looked at him with eyes of fire "Since Dovewing was an apprentice."
Lionblaze stared at her disbelievingly. WHAT!?
Ivypool decided that she had told Lionblaze what he needed to know and padded out of the warriors den. She was furious, poor Bumblestripe would be heartbroken, it would be another Ashfur.
She looked at the stripped tom now, his eyes were watering and he was at the back of the group, pelt ruffled in disbelief. "With your permission, I would like to join thunderclan."
Ivypool gasped along with nearly everyone else in the clan. Se unsheathed her claws and growled. She felt a tail brush her flank, she turned around to see possibly the cat she wanted to see most. A black and white tom with yellow eyes. Toadstep. "Would you ever do that to me?" he whispered, flicking his tail to Bumblestripe. Ivypool looked at him with shock. "Never." She purred. Toadstep purred in response and pushed his muzzle in her shoulder fur and twined his tail with hers. "I love you Ivypool." He whispered.
"I love you too." Ivypool purred.
"I'm glad to know" laughed Toadstep.
"I am too, because Toadstep... there's something I haven't told you..."
Toadstep's happy eyes darkened. "I'm expecting your kits." Whispered Ivypool.
Toadstep's tail curled up happily, and his ears whipped forward. "Ivypool.. that's brilliant!" he purred.
Ivypool purred and suddenly didn't care about Dovewing, her sister could do what she liked. Ivypool had a mate, who she trusted with her life, and her best friend was the father of her kits. Toadstep.
Lionblaze sat next to Bramblestar in the clearing, Tigerheart along with Dovewing were standing before them, tails between their legs and ear's flicking uneasily. "Tigerheart, you were shadowclan, and then Darkclan...why should I trust you?"
Tigerheart kept a strong eye contact with the leader of Thunderclan. "I saved Ivypool from Blossomfall and Applefur."
The clan gasped, and shocked chattering rose. "Is that true?" Bramblestar shot a glance at Ivypool.
Lionblaze looked at Dovewing's sister. She was sitting with Toadstep, tails twined, completely unaware of the question. The entire clan noticed and a fit of giggles escaped from some mouths. One apprentice shouted. "Ivypool and Toadstep.. sitting in a tree.. G.." whoever it was got rewarded by a huge amount of laughter. Ivypool and Toadstep looked up with dismay on their faces, they clearly had been in another world. Ivypool's pelt grew hot with embarrassment and Toadstep flicked his tail awkwardly. But Lionblaze purred when he saw that the pair didn't move away from each other, even with the laughs they received. Thunderclan needed mates with such a strong relationship like that. "It's true" gulped Ivypool.
Bramblestar nodded. "Fine, Tigerheart, you may stay.. for now... I will tell you my judgement in one moon."
Tigerheart dipped his head lowly to Bramblestar and then the same to Lionblaze. Then he shared a happy glance with Dovewing. "For now, you and Dovewing may sleep in the elders den."
Dovewing looked at him, her head tilted to one side. "Um.. why me?"
Bramblestar grinned. "because I doubt you would not want to sleep next to him?"
Bramblestar's quick glimpse of humour faded. "I think there's a certain cat you need to talk to." He whispered. Dovewing nodded solemnly.
"Off to your nests!" yowled Bramblestar. All the of Lionblaze's clanmates padded towards their nests, chattering with gossip.
Lionblaze decided he would go and see Cinderheart who was in the nursery. He ran to the nursery and grinned when he saw Cinderheart getting comfy in her nest. "Dear Starclan! You look like you swallowed the lake!" gasped Lionblaze. Cinderheart frowned at him then smiled. "Mousebrain" she flicked her tail. Lionblaze settled beside her. "if it's alright, I'm going to sleep her tonight."
Cinderheart purred. "Good"
Lionblaze had no more nightmares that night, he just slept peacefully with Cinderheart by his side.
AWWWWW, it's a cute chapter but there is that shadow that's following Lionblaze. Is it just him being paranoid, or is it a glimpse of the future?
Also how will Bumblestripe react to Dovewing's secret realtionship?
Find out more in the next chapter!
I would like to thank the people who constantly support me in my writing by reviewing, especially TigeFlower08 ! who has been helping me improve my work! THAKYOU!
Till next time!
