Dislcaimer: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Welcome back Silverstorm of RiverClan. I do expect others to be on their holiday weekend. Hope you had fun.

Chapter 10

"What did you say?" Blackstar hissed.

"I only saw Needlefur at the border," Darkfire meowed, not looking at the white leader. He was actually scared for once. Blackstar seemed so angry to find this out. "He was with Redstrike. They were. . . rubbing up against each other."

"Is this the only time?"

Darkfire looked up. Did Blackstar think he'd seen them more than once? Did the leader actually know? Just because he was old, and starting to get sick, didn't mean he was blind or stupid. Darkfire gulped and then lied.

"Yes."

"Kinkfur!" Blackstar snarled. Littlecloud tried to sooth him, tried to tell him to calm down, but Blackstar wouldn't listen.

The deputy ran inside. She'd been waiting outside the den. Perhaps she'd listened in.

"Yes, Blackstar?" she meowed. Darkfire could see the worry in her eyes.

"Take two others to the ThunderClan border. Look for Needlefur. If he's with another cat, leave him and don't let him know you saw him. Make sure you trust these cats. They aren't to tell anyone. You are to observe what Needlefur and his companion are doing and then report back to me."

Kinkfur nodded. Her ears twitched as she slowly nodded and backed away.

Darkfire, however, was confused. Wasn't Blackstar going to do anything about it? Why just look and not say anything?

"What did this other cat look like?" Blackstar asked Darkfire.

"Small," Darkfire meowed. "Brown with ginger spots. I think her name is Redstrike?"

Blackstar's eyes narrowed. Darkfire shuddered. He couldn't understand the leader's fury.

"Tell no one," Blackstar meowed. "Go."

Darkfire quickly left. As he departed the darkness of the den he saw Kinkfur exiting the camp with Tigerheart and Snaketail. Darkfire glanced at them and then shook out his body, relaxing his tense muscles. His fur had been standing on end and started to lay flat now. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling he'd made a mistake. His plan had gone too far.

-Line-

"How was your mouse?" Dawncloud asked.

"Good," Darkfire meowed.

"That's good." Dawncloud licked her paw for a while and then shifted closer to Darkfire. She seemed about to lick him. That was when another cat came by.

"Blackstar wants to see you," Kinkfur meowed.

Darkfire quickly stood up, stopping Dawncloud from licking his neck. She'd started to get closer and closer, and Darkfire still didn't know how to tell her 'no' nicely. This was his chance to escape.

Dawncloud sighed and started licking her own creamy fur. She'd almost become used to Darkfire's odd behavior. He was too nervous for his own good!

Darkfire followed Kinkfur into the leader's den. Blackstar had seemed to recover in the last three days. He wasn't coughing anymore and he was always pacing. He wasn't so elderly now.

"You were right," Blackstar meowed once he saw Darkfire. "Needlefur is seeing a ThunderClan cat."

Darkfire wondered if he should show surprise. He wasn't sure at all anymore what emotions were appropriate. Blackstar might take it the wrong way.

"I had Kinkfur and the others investigate," Blackstar continued, not caring if Darkfire was shocked or not. "Needlefur and she are mates. They've decided to start meeting at another time. Tomorrow you and Kinkfur and others will go to stop him."

Darkfire was surprised. He was going to do something about it? Blackstar actually wanted him to help with Needlefur? Darkfire had thought his job would be done with revealing the tryst. That he could move on to restoring the warrior code in other Clans afterwards.

"And while you and the others are gone, I will explain to the Clan why Needlefur is being punished. Tomorrow at sunhigh, you and the patrol will follow Needlefur," Blackstar meowed.

Darkfire nodded as did Kinkfur. Then Blackstar dismissed them. They walked out of the den. Kinkfur quickly left Darkfire alone. The black tom looked at Dawncloud. She was staring back at him, wondering what had happened. Darkfire just walked away, going to Redsky who was going to start a hunting patrol. He didn't even want to explain. And if he had wanted to, Blackstar had ordered him not too. His tongue would give away nothing.

-Line-

Morning came and Darkfire felt apprehensive. The whole Clan was unaware of what was going to happen at sunhigh. They didn't know what Needlefur was doing or that he would be punished. Probably killed. Darkfire could remember Blackstar's announcement about any cat having a mate in another Clan would be killed, but so far Blackstar hadn't decreed it for this instant. For Needlefur and Redstrike. The ShadowClan cats were living their own lives, unaware that Darkfire was working for his mother and that in the end, Hollyleaf would be in charge of everything.

Darkfire got something to eat. Batpaw joined him, munching on a toad. Darkfire had tried one. It had actually tasted good. The skin and tissue had texture that was pleasant.

"Do you want to go hunting with me?" she asked him.

Darkfire shook his head.

"Oh," she seemed disappointed. "Well, Snaketail is going to teach me battle moves."

"Not today," Kinkfur meowed, approaching. She stopped right in front of the two. "He has to come with Darkfire and me."

"Who else is going?" Darkfire asked.

"What are you doing?" Batpaw asked looking between them.

"A mission for Blackstar," Kinkfur answered. "Snaketail, Olivespot, and Redsky."

Darkfire nodded. Loyal cats that wouldn't hesitate to do what Blackstar or Kinkfur wanted. Who wouldn't be shocked if they were ordered to kill.

"We'll be leaving soon."

Darkfire was surprised this time. He'd thought they leave closer to sunhigh, after Needlefur left. So they could know where he was going. Then again. . . if they left first, Needlefur wouldn't think any cat was following him. He wouldn't connect the patrol to himself.

"All right," Darkfire meowed.

The deputy left.

"What's the mission?" Batpaw meowed, turning to Darkfire, an eager look on her face.

"Private," Darkfire meowed. "Just for us. Blackstar will tell you later."

Batpaw sighed. "Nobody ever tells me anything."

"I'm telling you Tigerheart will teach you today," Snaketail meowed, walking up to them.

"Really?" Batpaw meowed, happy again. "Great!"

"So go," Snaketail meowed, flicking his tail. "He's waiting."

Batpaw looked over and saw Tigerheart near the entrance. She glanced at her mentor and then quickly gulped the last of her food down. She ran off.

"She's extremely inquisitive," Snaketail sighed.

"Why didn't Kinkfur want you bringing her along?" Darkfire asked. Mentor and apprentice went everywhere.

Snaketail looked down at him.

"Batpaw and Needlefur were friends as kits and apprentices," Snaketail answered. "We thought they'd be mates once they were warriors. She shouldn't have to see him punished."

Darkfire nodded. He could understand that. He wasn't totally heartless not to understand having your best friend die in front of your eyes would cause trauma. That there were some things you just didn't walk away from unchanged.

"Finish your sparrow," Snaketail meowed.

Redsky walked out of the warriors' den. Snaketail went to join him and tell him he was on the patrol.

Darkfire quickly finished off the bird and then he walked to the camp entrance where Kinkfur waited, twitching. Her wild fur seemed even more messy. It was then Darkfire remembered. Needlefur was her son.

Oh, no, will that cause a problem?

Am I doing any better? Does Darkfire need to do more?