ShadedOak's Story

Chapter Thirteen

[Please forgive me for not updating...All my activities have kept me from updating. ANNNND the file with the next chapters is being a fox-heart. Soooo...I'll try to get a file that will actually work sometime tomorrow. I should have time to update tomorrow. XD. So please be patient while I work out technical difficulties.

-SwiftFlight]

"What do you mean, 'your clan?' Isn't DuskClan your clan now?" The medicine cat questioned her.

"Not DuskClan, my birth clan," Shadedstar explained, "they are in great danger."

The tom flicked his tail, eyes narrowed in thought, "Well, at least think on this for a few days. And if you do go, and you probably will, tell the clan where you're going."

She sighed, nodding in acknowledgement, "I will...besides, I do have to speak to my kits about something when I return."

"Let's get going then," Redleaf led the way out of the cave, back to DuskClan.

By the time they reached the camp, it was sun-high, and most of the patrols had gone out. Most of the clan was resting, or enjoying a piece of prey with one of their clanmates. Twigstem glanced up, hearing his leader and medicine cat step into the camp.

"Your back!" He raced up, eyes bright, "did it go well?"

"Yes," The dappled-tabby warrior purred, "was there any trouble while we were gone?"

"No, not a mouse-tail," Her deputy replied. He chuckled, "Surprisingly quiet in the camp too. Usually Bluespark is charging around."

The blue-gray and white she-cat poked her head out of the warrior's den, exclaiming indignantly, "I am not that loud! And I do not charge around the camp!" Her mother chuckled as she disappeared again.

Nightpaw and Willowpaw poked their heads out of the apprentice's den, racing over to their mother when they spotted her, "Your back!" They purred, weaving around her.

"Hello, kits," She purred, greeting them, "Meet me just outside the camp at sundown, I have something I need to tell you."

"Alright," Willowpaw tipped her head curiously, "We'll tell Redpaw and Pinepaw when they get back from hunting. What do you need to tell us?"

"Something I'm not sure others should know right now," The DuskClan leader murmured, then turned back to Twigstem. "I'm going to rest in my den for a while."

"Ok, see you later," The tom turned to go lay down in the sun as Shadedstar padded towards her new den. She found fresh moss lining the nest, and a vole as well.

Twigstem must have had one of the kits do this before I got back, she took a bite of the vole, he's going to make a fine leader. Curling her tail over her paws as she finished the vole, she closed her eyes, weary. A few moments later she fell asleep, the faint scent of Honeystar still lingering in the den.

When sundown came, she sat up, yawning. Quickly grooming her pelt, she stood up and padded out of the den. Nightpaw, Redpaw, Pinepaw, and Willowpaw were waiting for her when she reached the meeting place. Curiousity glimmered in yellow, amber, and ice-blue eyes.

She padded over, speaking to them, "Before I tell you, I'd like to go somewhere a bit more private," she flicked her tail up at the trees, "I'm not ready for other cats to hear this."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Redpaw glanced nervously up at the branches.

"Yes, it is, my dear. Why would I suggest it if it wasn't safe?" His mother jumped up into the nearest oak.

When they had settled in, sitting in the divots where the branches met the tree, she sighed, taking a deep breath, "When I tell you this, just understand that if you hate me for keeping this from you, I understand why."

"Why would we ever hate you, Mother?" Pinepaw asked softly.

"Because I've hidden this secret from everyone, only my daughter and Nettlesun know," Shadedstar murmured. "Your father isn't Nettlesun, as you grew up to believe."

Shock lit up in their eyes, and Nightpaw spoke to break the silence, "Does it have something to do with why Berrypaw hates me?"

The dappled-tabby winced, answering softly, "Yes, I'm afraid it does," She gazed into her kits eyes, "Your birth father is Blackshade, the ShadeClan deputy." There was no way to sugar-coat something like this, saying it outright was the only way to say it.

None of them could answer, only stare in disbelief, and again it was Nightpaw who broke the silence, hissing angrily, "That fox-heart?! How could you hide this?"

"I'm sorry, but I made mistakes, but I would never give you four up," She crumpled inwardly at the anger in her kits eyes. Nightpaw jumped down, rage making his fur bristle. She gazed at the other three, eyes pleading, "Please don't hate me..."

"We don't..." Redpaw spoke for his littermates, "Go get Nightpaw, we understand why you did it," He glanced down at where his brother had disappeared, then over at his sisters, "We'll help find him, he couldn't have gone far."

The she-cat sighed, relief showing plaining in her eyes. She jumped down, following the apprentice's scent trail. Her kits followed behind her, spreading out. Willowpaw's ears shot up as she heard paw steps racing away.

"Over here!" She called, dashing in that direction. The rest of her family followed.

Shadedstar emerged into a clearing, and her eyes widened in shock. Vixenflame was leaping at the black tabby apprentice, aiming for his throat. The dappled-tabby leaped forward with a hiss, eyes narrowed. She shoved her kit out of the way, wincing as the ShadeClan she-cat's claws raked close to her throat.

She had just narrowly missed taking one of Shadedstar's lives, but the scratches were deep. The warrior hissed in fury, eyes blazing, "Why did you do that?!"

"I'm not letting you hurt my kit!" The small warrior shot back, fur bristling. Then she lunged, but her claws were sheathed.

Slamming into Vixenflame's flank, she shoved her to the ground. Her ice-blue eyes narrowed coldly, but only for a heartbeat.

"Let me go!" The she-cat hissed, but she was pinned down.

"Not until you understand something," Shadedstar's eyes hardened, "Blackshade hurt me just as much as he hurt you. I never expected him to lie..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, pain flickering in her eyes, "He needs to learn who he wants, before more cats are hurt."

"And it won't be you!" The black she-cat snarled, eyes blazing.

"I know that," Shadedstar snorted, "I already have Nettle, and I know he is trustworthy. You deserve him. You were the first. But Blackshade needs to learn that you are who he should stay with."

Understanding glimmered in the ShadeClan warrior's eyes, and Shadedstar let her up. "Thank you...I never expected you to be so...so kind."

The small warrior chuckled softly, "I get that a lot. Most cats don't seem to understand that I have gone through what most haven't, and that makes it hard for me sometimes to share it," She glanced up at the sky, "You should get home."

"I will," Vixenflame answered, "May StarClan light your path...Shadedstar."