Lillyheart's Secret

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Creekstar, I'm so sorry."

They got there too late. Just barely too late. The sun was just start its daily march down past the horizon when the group returned, looking worn and battered.

Lillyheart rushed up to Murkfall, sorrow and regret and longing breaking within her as she brushed along his side, pressing her muzzle deep into his fur, tears leaking out of her eyes.

He was staring vacantly at the leader, and Lillyheart could feel him trembling against her, his entire body taught and strung, as if he could break if someone looked at him the wrong way.

Twigfoot was the one who spoke next, gently resting their tail on Wavelight, who still had her mouth open, parted in a silent, sorrowful apology. "When we finally found the herb, it looked like something had destroyed them. We couldn't find any others."

Creekstar nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "I see." The words sounded steady, and so did the Riverclan leader, but one look into her eyes betrayed just how shaken she was. "I will be in my den if anyone needs me."

Mossfang stepped forward, ears pinned back. "Wait!" He snapped, lashing his tail. "What about our new deputy? The moon is rising now, and we cannot disobey Starclan's laws."

The cocky glint in his eye, the proud lilt to his head, the goading in his voice. Little things that clued everyone in the camp in on who he thought should be the left deputy. And, inevitably, who the next leader should be.

Creekstar gazed at him evenly, then flicked her tail. Her judgement had determined him unworthy, and you could see it in her eyes. "Fine." Her hard glare softened as it was cast about the gathered warriors, flitting from one cat to the next.

Her eyes flashed white for a moment, and though it could have just been the moon reflecting in her eyes, it sent shivers down Lillyheart's back.

"Murkfall."

The word didn't quite sound like it came from Creekstar, but from a more ancient time, a whisper from long forgotten days.

The hushed murmurs in the camp snapped to unbroken silence.

Lillyheart didn't believe it. Murkfall! The deputy!

But that rushing sense of joviality was quelled by a creeping feeling of apprehension. Something felt inexplicably off to all of this, and had his eyes always had that red tint to them?

She blinked, and it all cleared away. Her mate was the deputy! Of course she should be happy for him! Her purrs broke the silence as she rubbed her forehead against his cheek, but he felt strangely still.

"What?"

Mossfang crushed the fragile silence with that one word, venom and disappointment coexisting in his voice as he stepped forward. "Why him?"

Creekstar cocked her head. "Why not him?"

Mossfang stammered something, then whipped his tail and stalked away. Creekstar slipped into her den thereafter, and finally, the crush of cats in the camp clearing rushed forward, congratulating and speaking in rushed, excited tones to Murkfall.

And yet, Lillyheart noticed, he looked so incredibly forlorn in that moment, only a shell of the cat she knew.
*
*
*
*
Murkfall took to his new role like a fish to water, leading and directing with ease. Which, Lillyheart considered, was a good thing, seeing as Creekstar still never came out of her den.

The Gathering was drawing near yet again, and Lillyheart viewed it with apprehension. She didn't know if Creekstar would actually lead Riverclan there, or how the other clans would react to Murkfall becoming the new deputy.

Her thoughts flitted back to that nervous leader from Thunderclan, Frecklestar. In the many moons that had passed, she had grown mode confident, and, outside of Creekstar, Lillyheart had decided she was her favorite leader. She was even trying to find a way to restore Skyclan again, though the process had been slow going.

Lillyheart didn't know much about the Skyclan massacres, but what she had heard made her feel sick. No one had know where Thunderclan went wrong, when it used to be the shining example for all of the clans. One name was repeated often, Cedarstar.

Shivers chased through her fur, and Lillyheart shoved the thoughts away. She didn't need to be focusing on that. She had prey to catch, and food to provide to the clan.

It was good to be out of the camp every so often, especially since Murkfall rarely added her to patrols, and when she did try to leave camp and be productive, he always found her and gave her little tasks, things to keep her busy. Watch the kits, teach the apprentices to swim, spend time with Creekstar.

Great Starclan, it was driving her crazy! She wasn't even out of camp, according to Wavecloud. She was busy helping the older warrior tidy up the nursery, that way Softpelt could move inside.

Warmth hummed inside of her at the thought of kits tumbling around the camp again, especially since they were Snakeslip's.

The thought of kits sent a pang of hurt in her, stabbing into her stomach, and she could feel the dread she once had when Owltail was telling her she had lost the kits.

She kept seeing that little grey apprentice running around, with her striking blue eyes and gentle smile.

Lillyheart shook her head, hard. She couldn't keep drifting off. She was here to fish. If she wanted to drift off, she would have let the waters of the creek take her down to the lake, its waters encompassing and comforting.

Perhaps she would do that later.

But as Lillyheart drew near to the best fishing spot in all of the territory, the sight of a heartwrenchingly familiar cat stopped her in her tracks.

He couldn't be here, Lillyheart reasoned, staring at the cat who gazed back at her. He was dead.
*
*
*
*
Murkfall paced the length of the clearing, then back again, leaves and things crunching underneath his paws. "I don't see why this is necessary," he hissed.

The figure in the shadows did not respond, only stared at him with those eerie red eyes.

"Why? Why all of this? This death?" Murkfall spat the last word, the taste of it on his tongue making his stomach roil.

"This is the path of a warrior," the red-eyed cat growled. "Warriors must sacrifice. Warriors must protect. And—" the cat unsheathed his claws and scored them through the earth, blood bubbling up where they touched. Murkfall shivered. "A warrior must always keep his promises."

*

*
Another chapter done!! Lillyheart's story is slowly wrapping up, but that doesn't mean the adventure has to be over!

How many of you guys would like me to continue this with a series?

Or would you rather there be more standalone books, more like When Ashes Arise?

Or even writing some books that are within this Catching Stars universe, but lay more of the foundation and background to all of this?

Please let me know in the comments, and take a moment to vote if you like this story! I'll try and have another chapter soon!