Lillyheart's Secret

Chapter Twenty

Lillyheart didn't remember how she had gotten back in Riverclan. She didnt remember how she ended up in the empty elder's den. She did remember the look of guilt and terror on Murkfall's face though...

It was such a sharp contrast to the gentle warmth of his gaze now, as he curled himself around her. He hadn't left since they had arrived, which, Lillyheart realized, had been a very long time.

She heard, and saw, many cats outside of the den, some if them peeking in at the two of them, and others just sitting anxiously near the entrance, talking in hushed tones.

She didnt know how long she spent in silence, but every time she opened her jaws to speak, her throat clenched and left her speechless.

Currently, Murkfall was rasping his tongue along the bottom of her ear, almost done in his continual task of grooming her. His tail rested against her flank, which lofted every so often with small breaths.

"Are you ok for visitors?" Murkfall's voice was barely above a whisper in her ear, yet it still made her flinch. He pressed a apologetic lick to her ear, his eyes big and green.

Just like a pair of eyes she used to know. He had promised to come back to her. He had promised. And now he was gone.

"Lillyheart?" She snapped back into reality, with an entirely different set of green eyes. Not the ones that haunted her dreams, deep and emerald. Not the ones that haunted her nightmares, dark and covered by shadows. But the ones that kept her alive. The ones that were eith with her right now. "Are you still with me, Lillyheart?"

Lillyheart nodded. I'll always be with you, Murkfall. She longed to speak, but all that came out was a coarse exhale.

Murkfall gave her a smile, a thin one, a weary one. Such a shadow of the days before the attack. Before the war. Before he became a killer. He licked her ear, then padded to the entrance of the den, still looking back at her, as if every step away pained him.

A moment later, he reappeared, with a pouty looking Larkbreeze. "Oh hi Lillyheart. So glad to see that you're back with us."

Lillyheart's tail twitched, and she tried to keep a glare from bleeding into her gaze.

Murkfall stammered out something about getting prey, and letting the two of them have some privacy. And then he was gone. Lillyheart panicked, and tried to call him back, but her words never left her throat.

Larkbreeze set down primly in front of Lillyheart, wrapping her tawny brown tail around herself. "So. You're back. And in love." Her voice had lost all traces of sweetness, and her green eyes narrowed.

Two many eyes to keep track of, Lillyheart sighed inwardly, each pair she knew flashing in and out of her mind, deep shades of emerald to pale moss, shadowy pools of ivy, and now, two glowering, sunlit meadows were staring back at her.

Lillyheart stared back at Larkbreeze evenly, mulling over the color of her own eyes.

Seeming slightly offput by Lillyheart's lack of interest, Larkbreeze flicked her ears back, and licked on paw. "I hope you realize that you won't get him easily. If you hadn't know, Murkfall and spent quite a lot of time together while you were gone."

Her smile returned, thinly veiled cunning hiding behind it. "He was just grieving so terribly, and well, I was the one for him to turn to. I hope you understand."

She batted her eyes, and then, flicking one ear, shifted closer to Lillyheart and made a show of fussing over her mussed tail, just in time for Mrkfall to come padding back in.

Murkfall smiled at the two of them, and Lillyheart felt something stiffen inside of her. She pulled her tail away from Larkbreeze, and pinned her ears back.

Taking that as a sign to leave, the tawny she-cat got up, and ran her tail along Murkfall's side as she padded away. "I'll se you later, ok?" With a final flick of her tail, she was gone.

Lillyheart couldn't hold it back anymore. She let out a hiss, and scratchy, painful sound that voiced all her contempt and anger and frustration.

Startled, Murkfall moth dropped open, and with it, the prey he had been carrying. "Lilly!" He blinked, and sat down heavily, still looking stunned.

Lillyheart tilted her ears back, eyes big and soft, wordlessly expressing her apologies. Is it true? Did you really forget so easily? But then she scolded herself, knowing she had down the same thing.

She had nothing to say against him, not when he had rescued her. Not when the last time she had spoken, she was angry, and sorrowful, and blamed him for it all. Not when the last time they had truly been together was before the first attack from Thunderclan, and she had brashed him off.

And for what? That she was embarrassed? That someone had implied that they were in love? And why shouldn't they have thought that? Were they not so, back then? Had something changed? What had gone wrong, that they were so quick to fall from each other?

If he had fallen at all,Lillyheart reminded herself. All she had was the taunting words of Larkbreeze, and she wasn't sure if she could trust that she-cat at all.

Murkfall dipped his head once, accepting her apology and making her heart flutter all at the same time. He placed a small, shining fish in front of her, and settled across from her, taking ravenous bites from his mouse.

Lillyheart watched him, amused, nibbling on the tail of her fish. Murkfall finished the mouse, then licked his lips, as if confused at where it had gone.

She would have laughed if she could. Instead, Lillyheart offered him the remaining half of her fish. Murkfall purred his thanks, and then downed that in just a few extra bites. He glanced up at her, green eyes flashing.

Two, deeper, darker eyes seemed to shift into her vision, two eyes that she would never see again. With a heartbreaking realization, Lillyheart knew that she could never look at Murkfall's green eyes the same way.

They would always be the eyes of a killer.

I am BACK! After two months, I have battled off writers block and brought you a new chapter! It is a kinda slow chapter, but the next chapters will be as Lillyheart pads the long road of recovery. Havr a great day!!!