Heartstar's rise : Book one

Ch. 48

Heartpaw ran through the forest. His feet were a blur. He went on and on. His lungs were burning but he didn't care. The trees rushing past him blurred in his vision. He was just running. Running from his chaotic life. He ran and ran. He didn't ever want to stop. He didn't care that his muscles were aching and his chest and lungs were on fire. He didn't care that he was running further and further away. But he couldn't keep running forever. He halted. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed over him and he fell to the ground. The frozen ground was a relief to his overheating and sweating body. He gasped for breath. His chest heaving up and down. He closed his eyes. The cold ground was refreshing. He wanted to stay there forever. He could do that. He let himself fall into darkness. 

Somebody was prodding him. Heartpaw mumbled. He didn't want to wake up. But he was cold. He was frozen. Somebody licked his cheek. His eyes flitted open. Cindertail looked down at him. 

            "Get up. You're going to freeze," she said. Heartpaw huffed. He was too tired. "Come on Heartpaw. Sandwing is getting better." Heartpaw pricked his ears. 

           "I'm not joking," Cindertail said. "Now get up. She wants to talk to you." Frowning, Heartpaw slowly got up, every muscle in his body cried with pain. Cindertail helped him and he limped back to camp. 

            "What were you doing?" asked Cindertail. "You should not have been out in the cold like that." Heartpaw didn't have the strength or will to answer. He didn't want this Clan life anymore. He wanted to live with Ivypaw somewhere where the sun would always shine. Where they could have a warm den at night and good hunting. But that was impossible. Lionbreeze spotted Cindertail and him and padded over to them. 

            "What happened?" he asked. He checked Heartpaw. 

            "I don't know. I found him like these. He seems tired," Cindertail said. Lionbreeze nodded and led Heartpaw into the medicine den. Heartpaw shivered. He suddenly felt cold to the bone. He wondered if he had greencough. 

            "You don't have greencough," said Lionbreeze as if reading Heartpaw's mind. He made Heartpaw lay in one of the nests in the medicine cat dens. "Here, take some Feverfew." Heartpaw opened his mouth and chewed on it numbly. "Were you running?" Heartpaw managed a weak nod. Lionbreeze sighed. 

           "Why are you trying to make my job harder?" Lionbreeze said. "Take some ivy to soothe you. And get some rest. You aren't to go outside till I tell you. Understood? I don't want anybody else getting greencough. It's complicated as it is." Heartpaw stared at the ivy. His thought flitted to Ivypaw. He was sure she would be able to cure her. Then Lionbreeze stuck his head back in the den. 

            "Sandwing wants to talk to you. But I'm not allowing you to go out. So I'll tell her to come in," Lionbreeze told Heartpaw. Heartpaw nodded weakly. He wondered what Sandiwng would want to tell him. He closed his eyes and waited. Finally, Sandwing appeared. She didn't look sick. She looked like her grumpy and strict self. 

            "Heartpaw,"she said. Heartpaw grimaced. She didn't come near him. She sat at the medicine den entrance. There were a few awkward moments. 

            "Lionbreeze says my greencough is finished," said Sandwing at last. "I don't doubt him but I have this feeling. That I'm going to die soon." Heartpaw wanted to laugh. She was being so serious. 

             "You laugh. But I mean it. I don't know why... I just wanted to tell you. About Brightheart," Sandwing said. Heartpaw's eyes locked on her. Now he was really listening. 

             "Did Stormpelt ever talk to you about her?" asked Sandwing. Heartpaw didn't say anything. "Probably not. It hurt him too much didn't it? I was surprised he was so sad." Heartpaw frowned. Of course Stormpelt was sad. He loved Brightheart.

              "Ah. Of course, you don't know," said Sandwing. What was she trying to tell Heartpaw. "I knew Brightheart. She was my best friend as a matter of fact. We were so close. One day, I fell in love. With this proud, strong and loyal cat. Stormpelt. We were a couple. And Brightheart was so happy for me. Little did I know, she and Stormpelt loved each other. Stormpelt loved her more than me apparently. And I was there, thinking Stormpelt loved me. But he loved my best friend. And she loved him. And she didn't tell me, of course not. At some point, I found out. I was so angry. And we got into a fight." Sandwing took a raspy breath. Heartpaw suddenly realised how old she was. He frowned. He didn't like her. But he didn't want her to die. 

              "We both knew Stormpelt loved Brightheart. So I let him go. And they were happy, for a while. Until Brightheart found out Stormpelt acted like he did to her to another cat, Gingerfern. Brightheart of course, was heart broken. She had loved him with all his heart. And I hated him. I hated him for driving us into a fight and then breaking my best friend's heart. So he went on and they were mates, Gingerfern and him. I still loathed him and so did Brightheart, at least, I thought she did. And one day, she died. Gingerfern. It was WindClan. There was a fight at the border and Gingerfern died. We will never know how. Anyways, Stormpelt then suddenly turned to Brightheart. And he told her he loved her. I was incredulous. How could he? He loved Gingerfern and abandoned Brightheart for Gingerfern. Then he says he still loved Brightheart. I hated him and I was sure Brightheart did to, I was sure she was going to tell him to go, to ignore him. But it turned out she wasn't as mad at him as she told me. She fell into his spell once more. And of course, they became mates. I was so mad at him. I tried to talk sense to Brightheart. But she ignored me. Even spat at me and told me what a bad friend I was. But the only reason I was mad at Stormpelt was because he hurt Brightheart. So she stopped talking to me. And then, she died kitting you. And I thought Stormpelt would move on. But for some reason, he stayed with you and Brightheart. I don't know why. I thought he'd move on. Like he did with Gingerfern. She loved him so much and after she died, all he did was set vigil for her and the next morning he turned to Brightheart. Oh well." Heartpaw frowned. 

              "You didn't tell me about her," said Heartpaw finally. 

              "What do you mean?" asked Sandwing. 

              "You told me you were going to tell me about Brightheart," Heartpaw managed to say. 

             "Ah. Yes. I did. She was beautiful. She was nice, kind, strong, loyal. And funny. She would cheer anybody up. Maybe that's why Stormpelt stayed loyal to her. He didn't stay loyal to me or poor Gingerfern. And we used to talk about having kits. We said we would raise them together. We promised each other. She said she'd love to have a tom and a she-cat. And I said I'd rather have two she-cats," Sandwing said. Heartpaw nodded. Lionbreeze poked his head in. 

              "Sandwing. You need to rest and Heartpaw, you too," said Lionbreeze. "No going out, understand?" Heartpaw and nodded as Sandwing slipped out quietly. He frowned and thought over what he had been told. He could chose to ignore what Sandwing had said but he knew she was being honest.