Running through the forest, her eyes watering, her feet sore; Shadow was running ahead of her. "Shadow, wait!" Windstar shouted, "Please! Wait! At least let me talk to you!" Shadow ran even faster, dodging tree branches; he pounded the ground with his feet. They finally reached the ridge of the mountain that overlooked the beautiful view of the golden, crisp valleys covered in dew from the morning. Shadow panted with exhaustion, and Windstar caught up with him at last, "Shadow," she cried, "Please don't leave, we need you here, and I need you here." He stared at her like she was crazy, "Wind," he sighed, still catching his breath, "There is no need for me, and you saw what Leader Leaf said. There is no use for me. No purpose. I might as well go back to the northern covey." Windstar shed a tear; there was nothing she could do but stand there and make a fool of herself by crying.
She covered her eyes in embarrassment until she felt a warm embrace around her; she looked up. Shadow clung to her, "I'm going to miss you, and I'm even going to miss that crazy woman Polka," he said softly, "But this is something I must do." Windstar felt the warm embrace turn into cold morning air and she watched him back away to the edge of the cliff. Shadow pulled out a sharp dagger and stuck it into the mountain side and began to slide down the side of the mountain; he kept his eyes set on her as she become more and more engraved in the mists. Wind watched him patiently until he got to the bottom and walked out of sight into the woods below.
Sluggishly, she made her way back to camp, sat in her tent and closed the flap. Everyone just looked around quietly. No one even made a sound. Rainbow walked over to Windstar's tent and climbed inside. Windstar was facing the opposite side of the opening, just murmuring to herself while tears streamed down her cheeks. Rainbow reached out and put her hand on Wind's shoulder and turned her around, "My dear, what are you crying about?" she asked gently. "Shadow had to leave," she sniffled as she turned back around to face the empty wall of the tent. Rainbow didn't know what to say, she had no clue that their War General had left, "What do you mean he had to leave, why did he have to leave?" she stammered. Windstar just shrugged and started to cry a little louder, Rainbow had to turn her around again; Wind looked away and spoke in a very quiet and muttered tone, "He left for the northern covey because Leader Leaf told him there was no point for him here." Rainbow leaned back, wide-eyed and flabbergasted at the thought that Leader Leaf, a person she truly trusted, would say such a thing. "Why on Autaria would she do that?" she yelled in a whisper, "She and Shadow always got along; they would even help train Leafs. Leader has been acting strange lately." Rainbow gave Windstar a hug and told her to feel better and she crawled out of the tent to make her way over to Leader Leaf.
From her tent, Windstar saw Rainbow talking to Leader Leaf, but she didn't know what they were saying. The best she had to go by was their lips moving, but that was all. Leader Leaf looked angry, and glared at Windstar's tent, Wind stuck her head back in, very frightened. All I need is some rest, she thought. She climbed under her blanket and laid on her side, not only could she not sleep or rest, she couldn't even close her eyes.