The New Light of Hope: Books I to VI.

Chapter VI: Journey to the Northeast Forest; Day 2.

Amethyst:

The next day before dawn, we continued our journey to the Northeast Forest. We again had another long day of traveling to get the animals to their new home. But during that, I again overheard one of the young offspring ask his mother: "Do you think our dad will know where to find us?"

"I'm sure he will, Shadow." She told him. "But we'll visit him again eventually; don't worry."

Shadow: "You really think so?"

Mother: "I know so."

It was IvyFoot, one of the mother's from the Shade Hunters Division who was talking to her son, Shadow and his sisters; Briar, Dapple, and Yarrow about how their father would find them. What did they mean by find? Is their father a loner, or maybe even a rouge? Who was their father even? Who even was IvyFoot's mate?
So many questions with little to no answers to them but I decided to stay out of it for now.

"You hear IvyFoot and her cubs, don't you?" Abigail had asked me when she saw that I was listening to them. I looked at her in dismay. "Yes, Abby." I replied. "What's it to you?"

Abigail: "I'm just as curious as you are about who Shadow, Briar, Dapple, and Yarrow's father is."

Amethyst: "You know about this?"

Abigail: "I've been wondering ever since I met them."

Amethyst: "Don't you think it's best if we just stay out of this?"

Abigail: "Guess you're right, I suppose."

Amethyst: "I ain't always right, but sometimes I am."

For once, you're not bothering me or teasing me. I bitterly muttered. And that conversation is how I wanted things to be like between me and Abigail rather than her constantly bullying me for my family's history all the time. Perhaps Summer coming with us is making her think twice about what she does.
…
That night, we settled down to regain our energy for the next day.
At some point in the middle of the night, I could feel someone's hands as they grabbed my should and shook me back and fourth. "Wake up, you hibernating lone wolf." A voice grudgingly demanded; it was none other than Abigail who was rousing me awake. "What?!" I quietly asked in a snarled tone as I swiftly tossed up my head to look at her. Remembering what she said earlier, I looked into her fierce, cold blue eyes and I snarly asked her: "How many times have I told you not to call me that? You've even gotten in trouble for before hand!"

"Hey, keep it down, you dumbass canines!" A voice snarled, we looked to see that it was General ScarFace who just so happened to have heard us arguing to a level where he could hear us. "Some of us our trying to sleep."
"Well, how's about you mind your own damn beeswax and take your nosey ass back to where you belong, shut the hell up, and go the hell back to sleep?!" Abigail scornfully retorted. I got up to put my hand over her mouth before she could another word. "Y– yes, sir; we're sorry." I said to ScarFace.

"Damn right you should be sorry." He bitterly said as he walked back to his original sleeping spot. Once he left, Abigail removed my hand from her mouth. "Get your filthy criminal hands off me!" She snarled at me, but I did not flinch nor back down. "Why did you even wake me up to start with?" I asked. "IvyFoot and her cubs walked off somewhere and we find them." She replied–before I could protest to her about it, she ran off and I followed behind her to make sure she didn't get into any trouble.
…
We traveled until I picked up IvyFoot and cubs' scent somewhere nearby; we came to an abrupt halt and followed her scent trail which led us to some bushes. "You fully sure she and her cubs came this way?" Abigail asked me sounding unimpressed. "Their scent trail led us here, didn't it?" I snarled back to reply; she only replied with rolling her eyes at me. I moved the bushes and spotted IvyFoot and her cubs greeting another bobcat; it was a battle-scarred male bobcat with night black fur, gray markings, and green eyes–he looked a lot like Shadow and the same went for his sister, Dapple. Could that supposedly be their father? I questioned. But we stood behind the bushes and waited to see what would happen.

"I'm so glad to see all five of you again." The male bobcat began. "We're happy to see you too, papa!" Yarrow exclaimed. He is their father and IvyFoot's mate!
That was something I wanted to exclaim, but doing so would blow our cover and so I kept myself under control and continued to listen to the rest of their conversation.

"You weren't part of the attack on the forest, were you, VenomSlash?" IvyFoot asked him; he looked at her and then at their cubs before she looked at her and responded with: "No, I wasn't. I stayed behind while everyone else followed up with TIO, Diane, and Gabriella. Why'd you ask?"

IvyFoot: "I just wanted to make sure is all."

VenomSlash: "You know that I would never do anything to harm any of you."

IvyFoot: "I know."

Shadow: "You ever thought about joining the Division, dad?"

VenomSlash: "I have, little buddy and I wish I could, but I regret to say that I really can't right now."

Briar: "Why not?"

VenomSlash: "If I did decide to leave, they would probably–"

"All right, I've had enough of waiting, let's go." Abigail said as she revealed herself. Damnit, McConnell! I muttered as I followed behind her; they all looked at us in fear when they found out that we were watching them. "I knew something was up when I met your cubs." Abigail told IvyFoot. "Wha– what are you two doing here?" She asked; I pointed at Abigail to answer her question in response. "How's it my fault?" She asked, sounding offended. "Because you just couldn't keep your nose outta another animal's business." I replied with bitterness, but I held back anger from entering my tone of voice as I spoke to her to answer her abrupt, yet off topic question; I then looked at IvyFoot. "Mind telling us what's going on here?" I asked her with patience in my voice. IvyFoot took a deep breath and looked up at us as she began: "Long before we lost the Southwest Forest, I met VenomSlash when before the surprised attack during the emergency meeting. But he isn't like the other animals from his side. We became more than just friends and I had his cubs soon enough. When they opened their eyes and were able to walk, I took them to see VenomSlash and we've been doing so every month and here we are."

After she finished, I looked at VenomSlash and looked at her and her cubs. Knowing that he would not bring harm did not easily convince me that we could trust him that easily as he was still from the enemies side either way. I looked at Abigail and whispered: "I need to ask for your opinion on this situation, Abigail."

Abigail: "What? Why?"

Amethyst: "I just want to know what you think about this is all."

Abigail: "Well, while he doesn't bring any harm, I wouldn't wanna take any chances and trust him immediately since he's from the Venomous Loners. But I think it'd be best to keep Shadow, Briar, Dapple, and Yarrow's father's identity a secret just so they can be safe, since there are some animals from the Shade Hunters Division who doesn't know what 'keeping their jaws shut.' means."

Amethyst: "I couldn't agree more with you and you're right; there are some animals who'll never learn."

I turned to face IvyFoot, VenomSlash, Shadow, Briar, Dapple, and Yarrow and told them: "We won't tell anybody about this and will keep VenomSlash's identity a secret from the Shade Hunters."

Abigail: "So don't worry; your secret is safe with us."

IvyFoot looked surprised upon hearing our decision on the matter. But the she replied: "Thank you. Both of you."

"Don't mention it." Abigail told her; everything and everyone was silent for a brief moment until it was broken by VenomSlash saying: "Well, I better get going. But I'll meet up with all of you as soon as I can, all right?"

IvyFoot: "All right, be safe."

VenomSlash: "I will. Be safe, all of you."

With each of his cubs bidding him goodbye, he then disappeared in the bushes. Yarrow then looked up to face us and asked: "You're really going to keep all of this a secret from everyone?"

Abigail: "Of course. Like I said, it's safe with us and no one will ever know."

Amethyst: "And they never will."

Yarrow: "Thank you."

Abigail: "Anytime, kid. After all, that's another reason why we're here for. Protecting those who are in need and to make sure the other animals keep their jaws shut about such things."