Lionblaze sulked back to the medicine den, his tail caked in mud. His kits didn't love him, his mate didn't trust him. Why would he be trusted with this power if he couldn't even keep Cinderheart safe from her own mind? He wasn't even sure what was wrong with her, Leafpool and Jayfeather had said she was actually Cinderpelt, did that make it wrong that he was her mate, she was a medicine cat after all.
Lionblaze pushed through the fern bushes, the dank scent of herbs blended with the rich scent of fear. Lionblaze looked over to Leafpool, she was brushing her tail down Cinderheart's back.
"How is she?" Lionblaze rasped.
Leafpool looked up,"I got her to eat some poppy seeds, but she keeps asking to see Firestar and I don't know what to do," Her eyes were round with worry.
"Why don't we just tell her what's going on, about everything," Lionblaze murmured.
Leafpool shook her head,"No, that would just scare her, she would never be able to cope with what's happening, especially when she is Cinderpelt,"
"We all seem to be coping fine," Lionblaze scoffed sarcastically. He was a shell of his former self, snapping at other warriors when they so much as said Cinderheart's name, acting like there was nothing else that could be worse in the world.
"Why don't you go and visit Lakekit, he's been dying to play with you," Leafpool suggested, changing the subject of Cinderheart. He looked back at her, expecting some kind of pity hidden in her amber eyes, but only the love of a mother to a kit was gleaming from her eyes.
"Fine." He mewed flatly, shaking his fur, it was greasy and ill kept. But he didn't care. He pushed passed the other warriors in camp angrily and pushed through the bramble bush into the nursery.
"Lionblaze!" Lakekit squeaked, rushing forward to greet his older brother. Lionblaze lay down and watched him climb over his shoulders.
"Where's Leopardkit?" Lionblaze murmured looking for her soft spotted coat.
"She's over there with Gingerstep," Lakekit squeaked,"She doesn't like to play proper games, she's too slow," Lionblaze peered around his brother, to the bright ginger queen. A small bundle of fur was curled into a ball. Lionblaze walked around Lakekit and padded to Leopardkit. He prodded his daughter in the flank and her head rose.
"Lionblaze?" She squeaked. Lionblaze took a step back, his daughter's eyes were cloudy and crusted around the edges, her pelt clinging to her bony frame. She looked haunted and...and dead. Lionblaze took another step out of the den and left the kits behind. He couldn't take another cat that was sick, a cat he couldn't help, a cat that he cared about was in pain. He ran out of the camp, only to run into his son.
"Lionblaze!" Mountainpaw purred. Lionblaze looked up at his son. At least his eyes were clearer than his sisters, and his pelt looked full and luxurious, his broad shoulders muscular and strong. His eyes were gleaming in hope for his father to say something.
"Mountainpaw," Lionblaze purred, flicking his son with his tail. Bramblestar was behind him.
"Lionblaze," Bramblestar mewed,"I want to talk to you. Mountainpaw, why don't you go and clean out the nursery, then you can have your pick of the fresh kill pile," The apprentice dipped his head and slipped through the camp entrance.
"Lionblaze, I've been meaning to talk to you," Bramblestar mewed thoughtfully,"Lets hunt first," Lionblaze nodded silently and slipped through the forest, but his paw steps were clumsy. Bird flew away when he stepped on a piece of bracken and he had jumped too soon when he saw a mouse scuffling in the dirt. Scowling, he sulked back to Bramblestar, who was burying his prey. He looked up and sighed.
"Honestly Lionblaze, you did better when you were an apprentice," Bramblestar growled. Lionblaze rolled his eyes, he didn't want to come out here so a cat could criticize his hunting.
"I know that your having a hard time," Bramblestar walked forward a few paces then turned around. You don't even know what I have to go through every day. Lionblaze whipped his tail across the ground.
Bramblestar continued,"But Mountainpaw and Leopardkit are getting older, and your going to miss out on their lives if you spend yours sulking all day," He paused," That is, if Leopardkit even makes it." Lionblaze looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"She's very weak and she refuses to eat," Bramblestar mewed calmly.
"What about Mountainpaw?" Lionblaze scuffed at the ground with his paws.
"Mountainpaw is a great apprentice, he catches more than any other and fights better than some of the warriors," Bramblestar sighed.
"Then why isn't he a warrior?" Lionblaze growled.
"He didn't pass his final assessment," Bramblestar hunched his shoulders,"I think he's been distracted lately,"
"About what?"
"He's worried about you, and his mother, and his sister. He hasn't seen his mother in moons and nobody has told him why," Bramblestar rested his tail on the younger tom's shoulders.
"What do you supposed I should do?" Lionblaze studied his paws.
"Tell Cinderheart, tell her everything," Bramblestar murmured, his gaze drifting down to lock with Lionblaze's.
Lionblaze sneared,"What do you think I should tell her? 'Oh hey Cinderheart, or is it Cinderpelt? Anyways, your not actually who you think you are,'"
Bramblestar gazed fiercely into Lionblaze's amber eyes,"What are you so afraid of?" Lionblaze flinched,"Well, what is it?"
"I-I," He stammered,"I'm afraid she won't love me anymore," He looked away from his leader.
"Oh," Bramblestar swept his tail around the golden tom's shoulders and moved closer to share the warmth. They sat there for a few moments, in silence.
"I think you should take her to the moonpool," Bramblestar's deep voice stirred Lionblaze's ear fur. Lionblaze looked up.
"What?" Lionblaze didn't see how Starclan could help.
"Cinderheart might listen to Starclan," Bramblestar mewed. Lionblaze shifted his paws among the grasses.
"You can go next half moon, with the medicine cats, its about time we got back into clan traditions anyways," Bramblestar stood and started to walk back to the camp, his long tail disappearing behind the ferns. Lionblaze stood and walked back as well, he had to talk to Jayfeather about this.
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"I think he's right," Jayfeather mewed while stacking herbs in his store. Lionblaze had just told him about Bramblestar's plan.
"What makes you think this would work? Anytime Cinderheart is actually Cinderheart and I tell her something, Cinderpelt doesn't remember it," Lionblaze flicked moss across the dusty floor.
"Well we have to try it," Jayfeather grunted. Lionblaze watched his brother, his movements were strained and jerky.
"Anything wrong?" Lionblaze rolled the moss casually.
"Nope, I'm just fine," Jayfeather grunted, dislodging a wad of herbs from the cracks.
"Liar," Lionblaze rolled the moss at his brother's flank. Jayfeather stopped, turned to Lionblaze, and sighed.
"I'm trying to clean up ya' know," Jayfeather picked up the moss ball and dumped in outside the den.
"Hey, I was using that," Lionblaze rolled onto his back. Jayfeather grunted.
"What' the matter Jayfeather?"
"I told you-" Jayfeather hissed before a cat entered the den.
"Jayfeather?" Sarah poked her head in. Lionblaze got up and shook the herb dust from his pelt.
"Am I interrupting something?" Sarah mewed.
"No of course not," Jayfeather whispered, rushing forward to move the ferns that blocked her path.
"Thanks Jayfeather," Sarah mewed. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes, what was wrong with Jayfeather? He was acting as strange as a hedgehog all day.
"What do you need?" Jayfeather mewed cheerfully. Sarah lifted up a paw.
"I stepped on a thorn while on patrol, Bumblestripe told me to come here to get it checked out," Sarah sighed. Jayfeather pressed his face next to her sore pad.
"I'll put some goldenrod on it," He hurried away and returned a moment later with the herbs in his mouth. He chewed the leaves delicately and made small talk. Lionblaze watched his brother carefully.
"So how do you like clan life?" Jayfeather murmured.
Sarah winced as he put the poultice on her paw,"Wonderful, its great how you all take care of each other," She winced again.
"Am I hurting you?" Jayfeather stopped suddenly.
Sarah shook her head,"No, it just stings a little," Lionblaze couldn't believe his eyes. What was his brother doing? He was acting like Sarah was a gift from Starclan!
Lionblaze opened his mouth to say something when Tinder poked his head in,"Everything alright in here?" His throaty mew echoed around the den. Lionblaze looked to Jayfeather, who now looked nervous and angry at the same time.
"Fine," He growled, packing his herbs away.
"Jayfeather before I go, can I ask you something?" Sarah sat up, her tail twined around her mate, Tinder. Jayfeather watched the two cats curl their tails around eachother.
"Sure," He mewed in mock cheer. Lionblaze saw Tinder's eyes narrow.
"Can I learn some common remedies from you. Tinder and I have been talking, and we think that our group s going to leave," Lionblaze walked closer to the cats.
"Sure anytime," Jayfeather stuttered,"Anytime at all, in fact you can stay now. But you know, you, you don't have to leave. You can stay, your whole group could stay. No problem." Jayfeather finished, curling his tail neatly around his paws, his whiskers twitching nervously.
"We'll think about it," Tinder growled, ushering his mate through the ferns.
"Bye Jayfeather, bye Lionblaze!" Sarah called cheerfully.
"What, was that?" Lionblaze whipped around to his brother, whose eyes were round and it looked as if Jayfeather was gazing past the den walls.
Jayfeather turned to his brother, a grin taking up his whole face,"What?"
"Your act with Sarah, what in the world was that?" Lionblaze scoffed.
"What do you mean 'act'," Jayfeather growled, turning back to his herb store.
Lionblaze started to prance around to imitate Jayfeather,"'Oh Sarah, of course you can come here at anytime! And while your at it, why don't you just join Thunderclan?"'
"Shut up! I was being polite!" Jayfeather retorted.
Lionblaze snorted,"Yeah, right." Lionblaze whipped around and stalked out of the den, tail lashing. If Jayfeather wouldn't tell him what was up, then he didn't care.
"Lionblaze?" She squeaked. Lionblaze took a step back, his daughter's eyes were cloudy and crusted around the edges, her pelt clinging to her bony frame. She looked haunted and...and dead. Lionblaze took another step out of the den and left the kits behind. He couldn't take another cat that was sick, a cat he couldn't help, a cat that he cared about was in pain. He ran out of the camp, only to run into his son.
"Lionblaze!" Mountainpaw purred. Lionblaze looked up at his son. At least his eyes were clearer than his sisters, and his pelt looked full and luxurious, his broad shoulders muscular and strong. His eyes were gleaming in hope for his father to say something.
"Mountainpaw," Lionblaze purred, flicking his son with his tail. Bramblestar was behind him.
"Lionblaze," Bramblestar mewed,"I want to talk to you. Mountainpaw, why don't you go and clean out the nursery, then you can have your pick of the fresh kill pile," The apprentice dipped his head and slipped through the camp entrance.
"Lionblaze, I've been meaning to talk to you," Bramblestar mewed thoughtfully,"Lets hunt first," Lionblaze nodded silently and slipped through the forest, but his paw steps were clumsy. Bird flew away when he stepped on a piece of bracken and he had jumped too soon when he saw a mouse scuffling in the dirt. Scowling, he sulked back to Bramblestar, who was burying his prey. He looked up and sighed.
"Honestly Lionblaze, you did better when you were an apprentice," Bramblestar growled. Lionblaze rolled his eyes, he didn't want to come out here so a cat could criticize his hunting.
"I know that your having a hard time," Bramblestar walked forward a few paces then turned around. You don't even know what I have to go through every day. Lionblaze whipped his tail across the ground.
Bramblestar continued,"But Mountainpaw and Leopardkit are getting older, and your going to miss out on their lives if you spend yours sulking all day," He paused," That is, if Leopardkit even makes it." Lionblaze looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"She's very weak and she refuses to eat," Bramblestar mewed calmly.
"What about Mountainpaw?" Lionblaze scuffed at the ground with his paws.
"Mountainpaw is a great apprentice, he catches more than any other and fights better than some of the warriors," Bramblestar sighed.
"Then why isn't he a warrior?" Lionblaze growled.
"He didn't pass his final assessment," Bramblestar hunched his shoulders,"I think he's been distracted lately,"
"About what?"
"He's worried about you, and his mother, and his sister. He hasn't seen his mother in moons and nobody has told him why," Bramblestar rested his tail on the younger tom's shoulders.
"What do you supposed I should do?" Lionblaze studied his paws.
"Tell Cinderheart, tell her everything," Bramblestar murmured, his gaze drifting down to lock with Lionblaze's.
Lionblaze sneared,"What do you think I should tell her? 'Oh hey Cinderheart, or is it Cinderpelt? Anyways, your not actually who you think you are,'"
Bramblestar gazed fiercely into Lionblaze's amber eyes,"What are you so afraid of?" Lionblaze flinched,"Well, what is it?"
"I-I," He stammered,"I'm afraid she won't love me anymore," He looked away from his leader.
"Oh," Bramblestar swept his tail around the golden tom's shoulders and moved closer to share the warmth. They sat there for a few moments, in silence.
"I think you should take her to the moonpool," Bramblestar's deep voice stirred Lionblaze's ear fur. Lionblaze looked up.
"What?" Lionblaze didn't see how Starclan could help.
"Cinderheart might listen to Starclan," Bramblestar mewed. Lionblaze shifted his paws among the grasses.
"You can go next half moon, with the medicine cats, its about time we got back into clan traditions anyways," Bramblestar stood and started to walk back to the camp, his long tail disappearing behind the ferns. Lionblaze stood and walked back as well, he had to talk to Jayfeather about this.
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"I think he's right," Jayfeather mewed while stacking herbs in his store. Lionblaze had just told him about Bramblestar's plan.
"What makes you think this would work? Anytime Cinderheart is actually Cinderheart and I tell her something, Cinderpelt doesn't remember it," Lionblaze flicked moss across the dusty floor.
"Well we have to try it," Jayfeather grunted. Lionblaze watched his brother, his movements were strained and jerky.
"Anything wrong?" Lionblaze rolled the moss casually.
"Nope, I'm just fine," Jayfeather grunted, dislodging a wad of herbs from the cracks.
"Liar," Lionblaze rolled the moss at his brother's flank. Jayfeather stopped, turned to Lionblaze, and sighed.
"I'm trying to clean up ya' know," Jayfeather picked up the moss ball and dumped in outside the den.
"Hey, I was using that," Lionblaze rolled onto his back. Jayfeather grunted.
"What' the matter Jayfeather?"
"I told you-" Jayfeather hissed before a cat entered the den.
"Jayfeather?" Sarah poked her head in. Lionblaze got up and shook the herb dust from his pelt.
"Am I interrupting something?" Sarah mewed.
"No of course not," Jayfeather whispered, rushing forward to move the ferns that blocked her path.
"Thanks Jayfeather," Sarah mewed. Lionblaze narrowed his eyes, what was wrong with Jayfeather? He was acting as strange as a hedgehog all day.
"What do you need?" Jayfeather mewed cheerfully. Sarah lifted up a paw.
"I stepped on a thorn while on patrol, Bumblestripe told me to come here to get it checked out," Sarah sighed. Jayfeather pressed his face next to her sore pad.
"I'll put some goldenrod on it," He hurried away and returned a moment later with the herbs in his mouth. He chewed the leaves delicately and made small talk. Lionblaze watched his brother carefully.
"So how do you like clan life?" Jayfeather murmured.
Sarah winced as he put the poultice on her paw,"Wonderful, its great how you all take care of each other," She winced again.
"Am I hurting you?" Jayfeather stopped suddenly.
Sarah shook her head,"No, it just stings a little," Lionblaze couldn't believe his eyes. What was his brother doing? He was acting like Sarah was a gift from Starclan!
Lionblaze opened his mouth to say something when Tinder poked his head in,"Everything alright in here?" His throaty mew echoed around the den. Lionblaze looked to Jayfeather, who now looked nervous and angry at the same time.
"Fine," He growled, packing his herbs away.
"Jayfeather before I go, can I ask you something?" Sarah sat up, her tail twined around her mate, Tinder. Jayfeather watched the two cats curl their tails around eachother.
"Sure," He mewed in mock cheer. Lionblaze saw Tinder's eyes narrow.
"Can I learn some common remedies from you. Tinder and I have been talking, and we think that our group s going to leave," Lionblaze walked closer to the cats.
"Sure anytime," Jayfeather stuttered,"Anytime at all, in fact you can stay now. But you know, you, you don't have to leave. You can stay, your whole group could stay. No problem." Jayfeather finished, curling his tail neatly around his paws, his whiskers twitching nervously.
"We'll think about it," Tinder growled, ushering his mate through the ferns.
"Bye Jayfeather, bye Lionblaze!" Sarah called cheerfully.
"What, was that?" Lionblaze whipped around to his brother, whose eyes were round and it looked as if Jayfeather was gazing past the den walls.
Jayfeather turned to his brother, a grin taking up his whole face,"What?"
"Your act with Sarah, what in the world was that?" Lionblaze scoffed.
"What do you mean 'act'," Jayfeather growled, turning back to his herb store.
Lionblaze started to prance around to imitate Jayfeather,"'Oh Sarah, of course you can come here at anytime! And while your at it, why don't you just join Thunderclan?"'
"Shut up! I was being polite!" Jayfeather retorted.
Lionblaze snorted,"Yeah, right." Lionblaze whipped around and stalked out of the den, tail lashing. If Jayfeather wouldn't tell him what was up, then he didn't care.
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