(Warrior Cats)SmokeTrail's fire

Chapter 19-Love

With our luck, he may have just put on a show so that we would put our guard down. I really don't know. I just hope we can. If he's planning anything else against us and is telling white lies, we have no chance of fixing our lives, now. By then it'll be far too late.

I really wasn't looking forward to finding out. It wasn't the best experience to be living in windclan again, especially not without the cats I knew. All the cats I knew before I left were grown up. But there were two cats that I did want to see. I looked round for a bit before a thought hit me.

I padded slowly over to the nursery, recovered from my demise and several kitless moons in the clan. Now it was covered in Flowering vines. I smiled to myself. I peeked my head in, almost surprised to see queens here. "Dreamheart." I flinched and looked up to notice Icestar standing beside me. The pale ginger medicine cat padded over to us. "yes?" she mewed. Her blue eyes still shone as if she was still young as she was when she left. she was only 18 moons back then. It kind of made me sad to see her like this.

"after what happened to shadowclan's camp, the remaining cats have joined us for a while. This is Smoketrail."Icestar meowed. Dreamheart's eyes shone even brighter. she Nuzzled me gently. "it's been a long time, hasn't it? I didn't recognize you. You have definitely been in your own fair share of fights, haven't you?" she meowed, her eyes scanning over my battle scars.

I nodded shyly. "yeah...definitely...where are-" "oh yeah, Your brothers are in here. Rabbitleap had kits yesterday so I had to check on them." I smiled brightly, remembering the past.

I noticed a large female, tearing into a rabbit fiercely. Ruffledpaw nudged me"I bet she's trying to figure out how many bites she can fit in her mouth before they fight" I snickered at his comment. The female glanced up at us and rolled her eyes playfully.

I nodded. "Can I see them?" I asked, feeling my body tremble with excitement. Dreamheart nodded and lead me into the nursery. "Ruffledfur! Rabbitleap! Twitchear!" Dreamsong called in a singsong tone. The three cats looked up curiously. I already knew who was who. Twitchear's ear kept flicking constantly. Ruffledfur's fur was messy, and Rabbitleap had pale brown fur.

I looked down at the queen's belly where three small kits squirmed around. "Huh?" twitchear tilted his head. Ruffledfur just looked a little puzzled.

But Rabbitleap smiled."hey...smoketrail, right? It's been a while, hasn't it?" she meowed softly. I padded closer and sat by her. "yeah, really. I wish I could have been here sooner.." I replied. Ruffledfur bounded over to me and knocked me over, knocking the wind out of my lungs. He tussled with me until twitch joined in. It felt like the kithood I should have had so long ago.

Finally we quit our playing when another queen approached. Twitchpaw flipped onto his stomach and touched noses with the expectant female and purred. "who is this?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were crystal blue. Beautiful.

"My little sister from shadowclan." Twitchear meowed. I watched her with astonished eyes "it's nice to mert you! You're beautiful!" I meowed. She blushed and glanced away. "Thank you..."

I then noticed her expression turn solemn. She pressed up to Twitchear, beginning to breath heavy, struggling to breath at all. I became overall alert at the queen's heaving chest and round swollen belly.

"Is she ok? What's wrong with her?"I asked. "I-I don't know. D-Dreamheart!"Twitchear called frantically, the medicine cat hurried to assist the queen while we were left to calm her frantic mate.

✴✴✴

"Everyone? You can come in now." We had been waiting outside the nursery for quite a while, listening to the queen in agonizing pain, so much so that I felt my own stomach twist. We slowly padded into the nursery, and I could feel Twitchear trembling with both fear and excitement.

Rabbitleap and The queen who I now knew was a cat called Crystaleyes quite fittingly. One extra kit now suckled at her belly, being cleaned up. Twitchear looked curiously to Dreamheart.

"Before you panic, she's fine....as of now. She lost a lot of blood, thats all. She's struggling to breath, though...I'm not sure how much longer she can hold on for.." Dreamheart mumbled, but met Twitchear's sorrowful gaze evenly.

Twitchear collapsed by his mate, burying his muzzle into her neck. "Please dont go...." Crystaleyes stirred before emitting a soft, final purr.

"Love"

I couldnt help but believe that i just brought sudden death and misfortune wherever I went, and I didn't want it around these poor kits. My brothers were already stressed.

I backed quietly out of the den, everyone else too preoccupied with Twitchear's overwhelming grief.

I took a few steps back before turning around and coming nose to nose with Icestar. I squeaked after a moment and flinched back. "Relax...I just want to talk to you." He meowed softly, looking as if he was truly trying to hold back tears.

After remembering what I did to his mind and life, I felt almost obligated to comply. He lead me out to the river. It was quite the walk but I didn't mind.

He sat down and I sat beside him. As his blue eyes gazed down at the slow moving water, I saw a brief glimpse of the curious young kit I once knew. It unsettled me that such a sweet tom turned into a murderous monster.

"I...I-i'm sorry..."
"What?"
"I'm sorry!" After all these moons he finally gave in, and broke down in tears. "I don't know what I've become after all these moons! I was nothing but jealous at first! I didn't mean to kill that poor kit! What I did and what I did to that apprentice that day were out of spite, jealousy, and my love for you!" He cried.

I stayed silent, unsure of what I could possibly say to comfort the windclan leader, who now appeared as a defenseless, helpless heap of white, silver-speckled fur.

"All those deaths I caused....they weren't accidents, but I finally realize what I've done!I finally pushed you out of my thoughts with someone else and you've killed her and my daughter! All I have left is Waterpaw now!"

I drew in a sharp breath, but as I reached for him, he stretched his neck, revealing large scars on his throat. Seven scars. 7 lives. He took seven of his own brand new lives in guilt for all the damage and death he caused. I pressed my pelt up against him and he nuzzled my neck, and I purred. I felt love and affection for him and always have and will.

The punishment for what we did afterwards was about to come all in one punch.