Rebuilding

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart felt her heart break every step she took to her leader. She gave a gulp and didnt stop walking. She felt the loyal tom next to her and hoped he wouldnt leave her side. Eclipsedstar looked better then ever. She gave a soft smile and then it dropped when he asked, if everything was ok.

She then felt her mouth went dry and she gave quick glance to trueeyes and then back at her leader. She then sat down knowing she would probably have a break down about this.

"Eclipsedstar..I have something to tell you.." she mewed quietly. Did she feel bad that she told trueeyes first before her own leader? He own mate? She shook her head and then let her eyes gaze around camp. How much longer will this camp last till it gets attacked again by lostclan...and for me... she thought in her head. She then looked back in her leaders eyes and just wanted to sleep with him in his cozy den and feel safe. Never did she feel safe any longer...so why did she walk out of camp? Alone? She took in a big breath and let it out through her nose. Wondering what was going to happen.

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar saw the pain in Blackheart's eyes and it made his heart ache. He turned his eyes to his Shadowclan father next, and saw the sadness and determination in his eyes. The large tabby sighed. "Come to my den. We will speak there." he said softly. Trueeyes touched his tail to Blackheart's and slowly followed after the large, black tabby. "Everything will be fine." he whispered to Blackheart. "Trust me." he whispered out of earshot of Eclipsedstar.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart watched as the two toms walked off and looked into the eyes of the old warrior as he spoke to her. She gave a gulp and wanted her feet to move but they didnt for a while. She stood their watching them go and she didnt follow.

In her mind she was trying to think of what to say, what to do. Her eyes filled with tears and a gust of wind blew past her ears whispering, Blackheart.... She turned around and saw no one was behind her.
Jag? A tear fell down her cheek and she started to shake. He was still out their...

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar padded into his dark, cool den, his large paws making a soft thud against the pine needle strewn floor. He stopped mid-pawstep and turned to see Trueeyes behind him, but not Blackheart. "What's going on?" he asked the tabby.

Trueeyes shook his head softly. "It is not for me to say. She will be here. What she has to say to you is difficult for her." he meowed softly.

Eclipsedstar sighed. He hated anticipating bad news. He thought of Blackheart when he found her trapped in the brambles with the fox- her eyes clouded with exhaustion, fear, and sadness- her fur dirty and matted. Was she going to tell him where she had been all this time? Was she going to leave him again?

The black Shadowclan leader felt more restless than ever, but tried to hide it. He sat on his nest, curling his large, fluffy tail over his paws. He waited silently, his green eyes glowing in the dark cave, but not as brightly as Trueeyes'.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart then walked into the dark den and found her leader sitting down and his eyes clouded. He must be so worried.. she thought as she looked over at trueeyes. She then sat down next to the warrior and looked at her leader for a long time. She closed her eyes and felt a shiver go down her spine. She opened her eyes and mewed, "The reason why I was gone so long was not because I left or wanted to." She lifted her head and held it high and knew she had to be strong about this, jag was not going to haunt her even if her life depended on it. "Jag, the leader of lostclan held me prisioner and would not let me return home. He wanted to start a family with me and wanted me to be his mate." Her legs then started to shake and it was as if she were retelling it when she was their.

"Cats would die if they didnt do what jag had told them to do. Right infront of the whole clan. Kits would die because they werent born the right color or right shape." she mewed staring off into space. "Jag would not let me go anywhere and If i did I would have an escort of two toms with me the whole time and I would have..a limit as to how long I could be out.."

She gave a gulp and closed her eyes and shook her head. "Eclipsedstar...I'm so sorry...now that I have come back I feel that they will want me back and might start a war. They didnt kill me because my fur is black and so is his..I think I might be putting the clan and you in danger for another battle.." she mewed with a tear rolling down her cheek.

She didnt know what to do. Stay where she was, cry, run, break down infront of him. Yet she tried to stay strong. Her heart pounded in her cheast and in her ears. "He's still out their...I know he is..he knows im gone..." she whispered with a crack in her voice and tears swelling up her eyes. She flattned her ears against her head and went on, "I dont wish to leave again please know I dont Eclipsedstar, this is my home not with lostclan."

She then looked into his eyes and couldnt read them at all. She felt her body shiver and she really wanted to lose it. She couldnt hold it any longer. He is still out their... she thought. "I cant sleep at nights because of knowing he is probably looking for me. I can sleep but not for long. Every twig snap I hear I think its him. Every black cat I see I feel like I need to go hide. I'm not going back, I've done something so terrible, I'm terrified to speak, I'm mixed up now I'll be blunt I just want it all gone, and seeing so many cats in that clan all dying for stupid reasons and so many dead kittens on the ground.."
she mewed.

She felt her mouth go dry and she shook her head. "I'm sorry.." she whispered. She closed her eyes and finally hung her head. That did take a lot out of her and she didnt know why. She didnt bother to look at trueeyes even though he was very nice to be by her side for this, yet why didnt it feel better? She wished she could just dissapear..

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar rose to his paws in surprise when Blackheart told him that she was with Lostclan. His fur rose in anger when she mentioned Jag wanting her for a mate. She is not his to have he seethed, blood pounding in his ears. Blackheart looked so frightened, so sad. He wanted to go to her, but he was afraid that if he moved a muscle, she wouldn't be able to finish telling her story.

Trueeyes pushed his pelt against Blackheart's as she told her story to Eclipsedstar.

Eclipsedstar rose to his feet when she finished, his heart aching that she was too ashamed to look at him. "Blackheart, you are home again and that is all that matters. Thank Starclan that you were able to escape." he meowed.

Trueeyes flattened his ears slightly as he saw a dangerous fire blaze in his leader's eyes.
"Lostclan will not take you again." He promised, his voice tight with rage. "If it makes you feel safer, you can stay in my den with me. I do not fear Jag." He meowed, his normal disposition returning. "You are Shadowclan through and through. We will fight to protect you. If Lostclan thinks otherwise, they will pay for it dearly." he growled.

Trueeyes rose to his paws. "Eclipsedstar, please do not act rashly. We've just repaired our camp, our warriors have suffered heavy losses." he meowed. "We need your strength to lead the clan." he said clearly.

Eclipsedstar nodded. "We will have to increase our patrols. The hunting parties and border patrols will go together, and the other half of our warriors will stay in camp to protect it." He concluded. Trueeyes let out a soft sigh of relief.
Eclipsedstar padded up to Blackheart softly and licked her forehead. "Welcome home, Blackheart." he whispered. "It fills my heart with joy to have you home again. I will keep you safe." he said softly in her ear.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart could only nod. She didnt have anything else to say. She got a bit scared when he got up and growled but yet was happy that he calmed down when trueeyes talked to him. She gave a nod when he would let her stay in his den and really would feel a lot safer if that happened.

She shifted to her leader then to her the warrior and waited for them to stop talking. When Eclipsedstar padded up to her and licked her in the middle of her forhead she broke down. She pressed her face into his cheast and under his chin and cried softly . Her body shook and she was scared. She closed her eyes and took inhis sent and never wanted to leave him again. Trueeyes was right, everyone has suffered enough and now that she was back was she putting the clan in danger. She let her eyes look up from her leader and mouthed to trueeyes, Thank you.

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar lowered his ears in surprise when Blackheart embraced him and started crying. He pulled her close to him with a muscular arm and held her close. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Is there anything I can do?" he whispered softly. He felt his heart wrench as she began to shake and cry even harder. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his own tears from falling.

Trueeyes nodded at the warrior and backed quietly out of the den.

Eclipsedstar began to lick Blackheart's head, hoping to calm her down.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart closed her eyes slowly and felt her leaders tongue rub gently up and down her head. She felt a bit better and sat down where she was. She gave a sniffle and opened her eyes when he asked if their was anything he could do. Protect me.. she thought. Yet all she could do was shake her head slowly on her leaders chest.

She let out a sigh and didnt want to move. She loved being with him and couldnt help but look out the den and saw not many cats around in camp. She got up slowly and padded to the enternace f his den and sat down looking at everyone and busy with what they were doing. She flattened her ears and watched everyone closely. She didnt turn back at her leader yet watched everyone doing busy things.

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar padded over and sat beside her. "I have to keep their spirits high." he meowed. "Lostclan will only win if we give up." His eyes glittered with pride, but also looked tired. "I love this clan. I love the pine needles under my paws and the pine trees above me. Leading them is more difficult than I ever thought it would be, but I wouldn't rather be anywhere else." He entwined his tail with hers and closed his eyes for a moment. He was just a young apprentice, and the ground sped below him as he dangled from his father's jaws. He could feel waves of anger and sadness coming from his father, and his own stomach twisted in fear. The scents around him seemed so unfamiliar. He wanted to cry out to his father as an unfamiliar and small tabby tom picked him up and began to carry him away. He would never forget the look in Pantherfang's eyes as Trueeyes took him to his new home...a home where his name would no longer be Twilightpaw...
Eclipsedstar blinked his eyes open and curled his tail more tightly around Blackheart's. "I wasn't born here." he whispered. "But I will always be Shadowclan at heart."

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart sat and listned to her leaders voice. She didnt move or nod her head. When she felt his tail connect with hers she gave a nod. She slowly look up at him and didnt speak when she heard he wasnt shadowclan born. She gave a blink then mewed, "You will do just fine Eclipsedstar. This clan needs you very much. They would be nothing without you. You re their only hope and spirit."

She then looked back out to the camp and saw Trueeyes and then shifted her eyes away from him. He was a very loyal shadowclan warrior. She had to give a smile for having trueeyes bring eclipsedstar here. She then looked over at him with a smile and purred.

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar lowered his head, slightly embarrassed. "I don't know if I am that good of a leader." he meowed. "But I am trying my best and learning more everyday.

Eclipsedstar sighed. "There's so much to do. All I want to do is curl up with you and nap." he meowed, stifling a yawn.

Trueeyes was happy that all was well between Eclipsedstar and Blackheart. He knew that it would be. He called out to Timbermoon to see if the tom was around. He sat in a patch of sunshine outside of the warriors den, suddenly drowsy from all of the work they had done rebuilding the camp.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart let out a soft smile and she padded over to her leader and gave a light purr as she rested her head under his chin and sat next to him. She looked out of the den and then looked up at him and mewed, "Well, whats holding you back?"

She then got up and padded deeper into the den and turned around a few times and then stood next to his nest. She tilted her head and let her eyes glow in the dark den and gave a blink. She then sat down and mewed, "Come and relax Eclipsedstar." She was happy she was in the den. She felt safe and protected and knew nothing could hurt her.

[Magicheart]

Eclipsedstar smiled and padded over, his laws paws soundless as they landed on the needles strewn along the den floor. He sat next to her and gazed into her eyes. "I've wanted this for so long." he whispered.

Trueeyes didn't hear Timbermoon and began to drift off to sleep.

[Wickedstar]

Blackheart tilted her head and mewed, "Waitied so long for what? To relax? Surely you had a lot of time to relax when I wasnt here." The tip of her tail touched his shoulder and she played with his fur with her tail for a bit seeing how bored she could get. She then let her eyes travel to his and took her tail away from him.