River of Blood (A Warrior Cats Fanfiction)

Chapter Fourteen

It was still dark when Honeyflower awoke, sneaking by Gorsefall who sat guarding the camp.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Honeyflower quickened her pace, flying over flower heads and belly barely skimming over long tendrils of grass. The moor was cool at night, but it felt nice as she ran, her heart pounding.

Honeyflower stopped. She approached the Calm Waters slowly, sniffing for any sign of Emberstrike. But his scent was stale.

Disappointed, her tail dropped and she began to turn away into the reeds when there was a voice.

"Leaving already?"

Purring, Honeyflower said, "Emberstrike!" and rushed forward to greet him. She pressed her nose into his fur, silent as she breathed in his familiar scent. For a moment everything was still, just them against the world.

Their pelts glimmered with moonlight as Honeyflower pulled away, reluctantly. A few heartbeats passed, full of silence and filled with nothing more than the sound of rushing water. She could tell Emberstrike wanted to tell her something; could see it in his face and in his body language, the way he tensed up, like he was face-to-face with a starving fox and not with his mate, the mother of his unborn kits.

"We need to talk," said Emberstrike, and Honeyflower thought, no. She stood before him completely rigid, feeling like she was going to be sick. Her chest burned, and every moment felt like an eternity as she waited for him to say what she knew he would.

"We can't keep seeing each other," whispered Emberstrike. No, thought Honeyflower again. She was expecting it, but she didn't know it'd hurt this bad. This can't be happening. After everything—who will help me raise our kits?

Her face fell. Swallowing, Honeyflower asked, "why not? I thought you loved me. You told me you did."

Emberstrike stared at her. He said, "I loved you so much." His voice shook when he continued, "I still do—but this thing we're doing, this sneaking around, it goes against everything we were ever taught. It goes against the warrior code."

"But you knew that," growled Honeyflower. The grief that had washed over her was replaced with red-hot fury, smoldering in her lungs until she felt as if she was on fire. "You knew that when you asked me to be your mate, you knew that when you agreed to meet up with me, you knew that when I fell pregnant with your kits!"

His eyes widened. Honeyflower, embarrassed a little at her confession, added, "yeah, that's right, I'm expecting your kits! And I'll tell you something—they will never know that you're their father. As far as I'm concerned, they'll never even know that you existed."

Emberstrike tried desperately to salvage the conversation, but Honeyflower turned away, growling, "you don't get to speak to me. You used me! I doubt you even loved me at all."

"Honeyflower, I–"

"Honeyflower!"

Her eyes widened at the figure running towards them. In the distance, she could see a familiar shadow stumbling down the moor, his legs looking as if they'd collapse from under him at any moment. Adderspring? she thought, shocked. She met up with him halfway, crushing reeds underneath her paws as she pressed against him, licking blood from his pelt.

"What happened?" she gasped, brushing against him. Her brother was bleeding, but not so much that she feared he'd bleed out. Still, she was scared for him. If I lost Adderspring..Honeyflower swallowed, not allowing herself to finish.

"It-It's PineClan," Adderspring panted, out of breath. "They're attacking. Orchidsplash and Shellbright..they've already been killed."

Honeyflower widened her eyes. Orchidsplash? she thought, knowing that if she spoke now her voice would give away her worry. But she was the deputy! And Shellbright..she was my mentor. I hadn't spoken to her at all since I became a warrior. I never got to say goodbye.