Wolf Saga: The Secret

Chapter 6

"How was the Gathering?" Whitefoot asked. The senior sharp-fang regarded the wolves' expression as they milled around in the milky dawn light, the day after the Gathering.

"Birchstar made quite a few accusations," Windheart replied, her fur fluffed up against the early autumn wind. "He obviously doesn't trust our pack in the slightest." Whitefoot sat down, thinking, and Frostfeather approached him, a question burning in her mind.

"Do you know why Birchstar is so suspicious?" she queried, taking her place beside him. "Blizzardstar is calling a pack meeting about it, but most of us don't know the real reason."

"I bet he's looking for a fight," Windheart growled. "And did you see that dark grey wolf sitting near the base of the Gathering Rock like she totally belonged there? She seemed like she knew what she was doing, but was staring at him, like, the entire time."

"Dark grey, did you say?" Whitefoot asked, pricking his ears. "What color eyes? I though I smelled a familiar scent, one that I hadn't seen in a long time."

"They were too dark to make out the color," Windheart replied, frowning. "Wait, you don't think that she was one of them?"

"She could be," Whitefoot growled. "Look, Blizzardstar is here now, let's pay attention." Blizzardstar had indeed climbed up on the Moonrock, and was waiting patiently for his pack to gather.

"As you all well know by now, Birchstar made several accusations against us, and does not trust us," Blizzardstar growled. "We must contradict this hostility with vigilance, and will not let him invade our territory and cause unrest among us."

"Who was the dark grey wolf that was staring at him the entire time?" joked Moonpaw, turning to her sister, Featherpaw. "It's like she was mooning over him!"

"What did you say?" demanded Blizzardstar, staring at the new-fangs intensely. They stopped talking and stared at him, their ears flattened in surprise. "Describe the she-wolf, again?"

"She was dark grey, almost black," replied Moonpaw in a trembling voice. "The clearing was moonlit, but you couldn't see the color of her eyes."

"Darkfeather!" Blizzardstar gasped, and closed his eyes. Frostfeather recognized the look on his face, and knew that he was remembering. The pack waiting, baffled, with bated breath, and finally, the grey-brown wolf opened his eyes. "I know her." He took a deep breath, and began.

"She is the mate of Blackpool, the Dark Pack's deputy. Swanpelt knows Darkfeather, she hates her. I wouldn't be surprised if Swanpelt gets rid of Darkfeather as soon as she finds a way to get rid of Shadowstar."

"Other that the imminent death of her, what else could you tell us?" Shatterfall queried, scowling slightly. "I'd like to know what she was doing there."

"Any member of the Dark Pack is bad news for any wolf," Blizzardstar replied grimly. "She is the mastermind behind some of the Dark Pack's most terrible attacks, and is the advisor for Shadowstar, but I don't know what Swanpelt might do. She's more powerful than we think, but doesn't necessarily have a filter on what she says. Shadowstar, however, is cunning, and she's been hidden and protected herself for seasons since the collapse of the Forgotten Palace, which was said to have been thought of by her and Darkfeather."

"Who is Blackpool?" asked Featherpaw. "You mentioned that Darkfeather was his mate, which means that he must be powerful, too." Frostfeather gave a start of surprise at the new-fang's knowledge, which seemed far beyond hey level of expertise.

"Correct," Blizzardstar acknowledged. "Shadowstar has very high standards, and Blackpool is cruel. He tortures the... new recruits, and Darkfeather helps him. They're the main right-paws of Shadowstar, but I do not know how Swanpelt thinks of them. She doesn't like anyone who is able to usurp her position," he added, shivering slightly. Frostfeather recalled with sympathy the memories that she had called back, of Swanpelt snapping at him, guarding the mysterious onyx.

"The onyx!" she cried suddenly, and all heads turned toward her. "We never recovered it after Blizzardstar fled." Blizzardstar thought for a moments, and then his eyes lit up.

"My True Soul was recovered," he corrected, his eyes shining. "You brought them back, Frostfeather." Frostfeather's head was swarmed in confusion, but she had no time to think as Birchstar burst into their camp.