A/N: Woohoo for new chapters! Haha.

Brian.H.H- I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Indeed it was a bit shorter than usual, but hopefully this one makes up for it ^^

Chapter Eight

Warm scents flooded Shadowheart's nose, and he awoke to the familiar StarClan meadow from before. Sunlight shone brightly overhead, and butterflies fluttered around the flowers dotting the rolling green fields with a rainbow of color. Sitting up, Shadowheart looked around for the silver she-cat that usually greeted him.

"Hello?" he called, standing. "Are you here?"

"You came," the soft voice came from behind him. Shadowheart spun around to lock gazes with the mysterious silver she-cat. "Why?"

Shadowheart bristled. "Why? What do you mean why? You know why I'm here!" He growled, glaring at her. Fury was building up in his muscles. "You lied to me!"

The she-cat blinked calmly. "Lied to you? When?"

"You never told me who you were, even when you knew I would find out," Shadowheart lashed his tail. "You're Silversky. My mother."

Silversky dipped her head. "Yes, I am." She raised her tail when Shadowheart went to speak. "I don't expect you to understand my reasons for not telling you sooner. And I am happy to see you together with your brother and father after so long. However that's not the reason you have come to me, is it?"

Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself, Shadowheart gave his mother a steady gaze. "You're right, I did come here for another reason. It's about Cinder. I need you to tell her the truth about Hawk."

Eyes darkening with sorrow, Silversky shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't. Cinder is far from StarClan's reach. The ones to tell her the truth will be you and Blackflame."

"But how?" Shadowheart argued, digging his claws into the ground. "I can't just stroll into the gorge and tell her!"

Silversky looked at him. "You already found the one who lurks in shadow, Blackflame. Now you must dispel the darkness in Cinder's heart by revealing the truth."

Darkness began to enclose on Shadowheart's vision. "No! Please wait! Tell me how!"

Simply blinking her eyes warmly at him, Shadowheart was thrown out of the vision. He awoke with a start in his own nest, looking around him quickly. Every cat was sound asleep in their nests, gentle snores echoing through the den. Too restless to sleep, Shadowheart carefully stepped around his sleeping Clanmates and left the den. Cold air welcomed him, and he let out a shiver. Leaf-bare had been kind to the Clan so far, but even Shadowheart knew the weather was bound to break.

The elder's keep fretting about the snow, Shadowheart stared up at the sky. Is it really that bad? I don't remember if I ever saw any or not…

"Can't sleep?" Firelight's drowsy mew came from behind him.

Shadowheart sighed. "Not really, no."

Fur fluffed out from the cold, Firelight sat beside him with a yawn. "Any particular reason?"

"I spoke to Silversky," Shadowheart admitted quietly. "I wanted to know what to do about Cinder."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing useful."

Shadowheart gave a frustrated lash of his tail. "How does she expect me to tell Cinder? There's no way I can just sneak into the gorge!"

Firelight tipped her head thoughtfully. "Then we'll just need to sneak into the territory. Cinder did that by hiding her scent with mud right? We can do the same thing until we find her."

"Are you crazy?" Shadowheart gasped. "If we got caught, Hawk would kill us both!"

"Are you afraid?" she challenged.

"Yes!" he snapped. "How can you not be? Did you completely forget what happened the last time you tried to sneak into the gorge? You were almost blinded! I can't let that happen to you again."

Firelight bristled. "I don't need you to protect me!"

Frustrated, Shadowheart looked away sharply. He knew Firelight had a good point. If he wanted Cinder to know the truth, he would have to seek her out himself. Deep down he knew he could make it to the gorge without being noticed. However did he really want to risk being caught? Risk Firelight being caught? He couldn't ask Firelight to stay behind. She would never listen to him anyways. If Shadowheart was going to the gorge, he needed to decide now while his Clanmates safely slept, unaware of his absence. This is just like before. When I left LeafClan the first time.

"Are we going or not?" Firelight prodded him in the side with her paw.

Shadowheart took a deep breath. "Yeah, I suppose we are."

"We'll need to go through the dirtplace tunnel then. Timberfall is guarding the camp entrance, and if we want to sneak out that's our best choice," Firelight told him.

Slinking ahead, he glanced around to see if any cat had noticed them. Firelight brushed past him, disappearing through the dirtplace tunnel. Shadowheart followed closely behind, and together they both veered away from camp and into the forest. The two walked in silence, keeping alert for any sign of a threat. A loud crash in the bracken behind nearly sent Shadowheart scrambling up a nearby tree. Firelight unsheathed her claws, glaring at where the noise had come from.

Shadowheart let out a sigh of relief when Blackflame emerged from the bushes. "What are you doing here?"

Eyes twinkling mischievously, Blackflame waved his tail. "Oh, I saw you two sneak out of camp in the middle of the night. I thought about not following you, since usually when two cats sneak out together it means they want to be alone. But my curiosity got the better of me."

Ears burning, Shadowheart looked away. Firelight gave a snort. "Like that's what we would be doing! Honestly, are you completely mouse-brained?"

Blackflame purred. "Easy there. I already knew you two were probably off to find Cinder."

"You do realize this isn't just some adventure, right?" Firelight rolled her eyes. "Hawk and his rogues aren't exactly welcoming us with open paws."

Padding past them, Blackflame turned to look back. "I know that. Cinder's my sister too, not just Shadowheart's. I want to help her just as much as you do."

Shadowheart gave a reluctant nod. His brother had a point, even though the wayward tom proved to be too laid-back in serious moments. Could he really trust that Blackflame wouldn't hold them back? That he would take this seriously? There was no time to debate it. He knew they had little time to get to the gorge and find Cinder.

"Well are we going to stand here all night, or are we going to find Cinder?" Firelight meowed, taking the lead.

Blackflame fell in beside Shadowheart with a purr. "She's quite a feisty one, isn't she?"

"She just wants to get things done is all," he replied, staring ahead.

The three cats trekked further through LeafClan territory, until they reached the top of the Hollow Ravine. Blackflame stared down the ravine, eyes wide in awe as he took in the view. Giving him a moment, Shadowheart and Firelight waited close by. Once he was ready to continue, they made their way to the moorland. A cold breeze blew across the frost-laden moor, the brittle heather swaying in the wind. Shadowheart led the way along the border, keeping an eye out for any BreezeClan patrols. To his relief, no cats stopped them and they made it across the thunderpath with ease.

"Where now?" Blackflame asked.

Shadowheart thought for a few moments. The tunnel was the quickest route, but it was also the most obvious. He knew that the rogues would spot them easily there. They would have to take the route Cinder guided him down when he escaped moons before with Firelight and Pinefrost. He leaped onto a nearby boulder, as if going towards the Cavern of Stars.

"This way."

Climbing after him, Blackflame and Firelight carefully leaped from boulder to boulder. Shadowheart reached the top of the cliff at last, helping pull Firelight up by her scruff. Blackflame leaped up beside them, gazing out across the moor stretched beyond them. Flicking his ears, the black tabby swerved his head towards the forest behind them.

"We have company."

Shadowheart tensed and faced the forest. Had the rogues found them this quickly? A dark gray pelt appeared from the bushes, stepping out into the moonlight. Familiar blue eyes looked at them, and Shadowheart felt his heart quicken.

"What are you doing here?"

Cinder!