The Blue Eyes of Sparrow

Chapter 10: Betrayal

 Fleck woke up to Finch stirring, who was sitting up, quickly grooming his golden tawny fur, then padded toward his herb stores, rapidly counting seeds.

Fleck somehow fell back asleep within the thick cover of ferns, and she woke again, this time to the sound of steady paw steps.

Fleck peeked though the ferns to a flash of red fur entering the cavern. Kiloa! Why as the female here? She didn't seem injured, but her pelt unusually sleek and her tail plumy, and her blue eyes were intent, fixed directly on Finch, who was crossing the cave toward her, sniffing.

"Kiloa?" asked Finch warily. "Why-"

Kia silenced him with a warning paw, her eyes locked with his, and Finch twitched his ear uncomfortably. "I need to talk to you." She said evenly. "We have... how do I put this... unfinished business."

Finch gave a quiet whine but dipped his head politely. "You'd better make this quick." He told Kiloa, who's eyes suddenly sparked, "I have a job to do."

Kiloa stalked away, pausing at the ferns where Fleck hid, sniffing, and she jerked backwards. After a moment, Kiloa shrugged and padded lightly away, Finch following, until he reached Fleck's hiding place and whispered, "Stay here, I'll be back soon." And with a loving woof, he disappeared in the darkness in the tunnel.

Fleck began to pace anxiously, pawing at the ground. Why would Kiloa want to speak with Finch, and why privately? Couldn't I stay by my mate's side?

Fleck couldn't get out of her head when Kiloa brought her the message. You stole the prey I was stalking; now there's a pain in belly worse than hunger. Fleck's ears pricked as a single realization hit her.

I shouldn't have left Finch alone with Kiloa, the stars know that she's capable of almost anything!

Filled with a sense of purpose, Fleck trotted out of the ferns, hurrying though the tunnel, picking up speed as she hit the forest air. She determinedly followed the scent trail left by Kiloa and her dear mate and felt panic rise in her throat as she realized how agitated Finch was getting.

Hurry! Something was happening, Fleck could feel it in her bones, making her run faster then ever; until a horrifying scent made her stop to a halt.

No, oh please, no! Fleck knew what this smell meant, and her heart lurched as she came to a clearing, with Finch lay in the middle. Blood was pulsing out of a wound in his throat, his eyes closed, and ragged, gasping breathing confirmed Fleck suspicions. Kiloa lured him out to kill him! He had never been trained to defend himself, so he was an easy killing for her.

Fleck rushed over to his mangled body, desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood, pressing down on his neck. Fleck's touch of her firm, yet shaking, paws made Finch stir. "Fleck?" he croaked. "Why are you here?"

Fleck gulped. "I knew Kiloa couldn't be trusted, I couldn't let her do anything... but I was too late, way too late."

Finch opened a single, clouded green eye. "For what happened was not your fault, Fleck... it was... mine."

Fleck shook her head fiercely. "No, this was all Kiloa's doing, you had nothing to do with that."

Finch groaned. "Your heart is in the right place, but its true... I was..." he gulped. "I was once Kiloa's mate."

Fleck stiffened, and it all she could do to not recoil. "That's why you seemed more interested in her then me when you found me... when did..."

Finch let out a weak, sputtering cough. "When I admitted to myself about loving you, I told Kiloa that we were done, and of course, she protested. She gave up after a while, but she promised to have her revenge, and... I thought she wasn't serious... I thought that she still loved me, enough to... enough to leave me be... but I was wrong, oh so very wrong..."