Chapter Six: Some Secrets are Better Left Untold

As they entered camp, Windstar spotted Blacksmoke. The black cat looked at him full in the face. Distrust rose within Windstar's heart, but he didn't show it. He just nodded to Blacksmoke and then answered Amberfur, "It was no one that you needed to worry about, Amberur." he lied, trying to sound reasurring. The time was not right.

Amberfur looked somber but nodded and padded away. Windstar watched his daughter go with a hurt look in her eyes. She would unstand when he told her. It would be revealed within a week, if she were still alive. The warning still haunted him, and probably would until he could kill the traitor, whoever it was.

Windstar jumped onto the Highrock and summoned his Clan. "Cats of WindClan," he began, "I have called you here to tell you that ShadowClan has trespassed on our territory to reach RiverClan. We are all in danger, for we are surrounded on both sides. Our only ally is ThunderClan, but even they may not help us, but it is unlikely. We have gained their trust and help, even though we had attracted unwanted visitors to their camp. Now we must make a truce." Windstar spoke with such a convincing voice, that no ones gaze left his.

"I need three cats to go to ThunderClan territory with me to go complete the truce. If Lightstar does not reject us, we may not be killed. For indeed, ShadowClan does not wish to spare us, but kill us all. This time, we will have no choice. We need kits and apprentices more than anything."
"I will only have patrols on RiverClan and ShadowClan borders, day and night. The rest of us will start to hunt to make of fresh-kill pile bigger for heathly cats. In five days I will be traveling to the Moonstone, my deputy, Silverheart is to take charge. Do what she says and we shall preveil in this fight for survival. Now let us all get some rest, dawn has come, no patrols tonight. We all need to sleep." he ordered and went to Sharpclaw, this was one thing that needed to be taken care of.
"Sharpclaw," Winstar mewed, "as I have said, we are going to the Moonstone. Amberfur is going to accompany me. We are leaving in five days, so we need those travelling herbs ready."

Sharpclaw nodded and disappeared into her den, her apprentice, Silvereyes, following her. Windstar nodded good-night to them both and went to his den. As he entered it, he noticed a silver, white glowing cat sitting in his sleepin spot. "Angelfur!" he gasped.

"Windstar..." Angelfur's voice was distant and troubled.

"What's wrong?" Windstar asked.

"You must make the journey tommrow, the shadowds have gotten closer than we would ever have known. StarClan shall reveal more, we are waiting." Angelfur said these words in a quiet voice an then vanished.
Windstar was at lost. He still didn't know what the shadows were, was it ShadowClan, or the traitor?
Windstar settled down, making a mental note to tell Sharpclaw that they were leaving tommrow instead.

WindClan Amberfur was curious about who that loner had been, and why she was so speacil to Windstar. The thought quickly demolished as Blacksmoke appeared, carrying a small rabbit in his jaws. He dropped it at her feet and spoke, "I got us some food, Amberfur."

"Thanks, Blacksmoke." she purred, licking his ear, showing her thanks. Amberfur took a bite of the food, while Blacksmoke ate on the other end. The rabbit was eaten quickly between both cats and they felt that they were no longer hungry.

Blacksmoke looked up at Amberfur, licking the remains of rabbit from his whiskers. "What exactly happened on the patrol?"

Amberfur looked at him with dark eyes. "Shadowstar was talking to her patrol. Blacktail and Goldenflower were talking about killing us. I could tell Windstar wanted to attack when Blacktail asked why they couldn't just kill us right then. Shadowstar replied, 'When the time is right' or something like that."

"Then we attacked. I didn't see what Windstar or ohers did, but I fought with Shadowstar. She was visious, but I remember when she took all of my den mates away. I clawed at her and bit her, but she overpowered me. I was thrown away and she leapt at Windstar, ready to kill him. Then that was when Silverfang appeared." Amberfur spoke with a confused voice.

"Blacksmoke, do you know who Silverfang is?" Amberfur asked suddenly.

Blacksmoke looked at her and shook his head, but Amberfur saw the lie in his eyes. "Why won't you tell me?" Amberfur asked, her voice hardening,.

"She is a cat that no one speaks of because she has simply been forgotten. Although, Windstar and the rest of WindClan know perfectly who she is, Windstar has his reasons for not telling you." Blacksmoke explained.

Amberfur looked away, hurt. She didn't even look at Blacksmoke as she padded over to Rabbitfur. "Rabbitfur, I want you to tell me who Silverfang is!" she demanded.

Rabbitfur looked startled, but quickly recovered and said, "I will tell you when we go to see your mother. As a matter of fact, how about we go now, I'm sure she's there."

Amberfur forgot about Silverang and brightened up, "Now?"

"Yes now, Amberfur." Rabbitfur replied calmly.

Rabbitfur stood up and went towards the entrance of camp. Amberfur started to follow when the voice of Windstar stopped her dead in her tracks. "Amberfur, where are you going?"

Amberfur turned around and answered quickly, "Hunting, the fresh-kill pile is already low, see?" she flicked her tail to the pile of fresh kill and it was indeed low.

"Go hunting tomorrow night, we need to rest." Windstar ordered. Streaks of light were streaching across the sky behind the leader of WindClan. Both Rabbitfur and Amberfur nodded and started back to the warriors' den. Just as they were about to lay down, Rabbitfur whispered, "Tomorrow, I will take you for sure."

When Amberfur was sleeping, she saw a midnight black cat that she had never seen before. Her surroundings consisted of nothing but silver. Silver colored grass, and calm, silver water that was undisturbed. She took a step towards the cat, wondering if it was a StarClan cat. "Who are you?" she asked.

The cat replied with a rough, but soft voice, "I am Windwaker.

"Windwaker? Are you a StarClan cat?" Amberfur asked, feeling encouraged.

"Percisly." Windwaker responded.

"Why have you come to me, not Sharpclaw or Windstar?"m Amberfur asked, confused.

"Friendship is that of which it once was, is shant." Windwaker responded before vanishing, leaving Amberfur alone.

She awoke within moments to find Blacksmoke curled up beside her, his flank pressed against her. Amberfur was carful not to wake him as she got to her feet. She saw the glowing eyes of Rabbitfur. He was already away.
Amberfur said a faint, short farewell before following Rabbitfur out of the warriors' den. They quickly made their way across the darkened path, ready to leave camp. They slipped out, unnoticed and Rabbitfur made his way towards Barley's Farm.

Amberfur grew suspicious of who Silverfang was, but kept it to herself. As they traveled across the moorlands, Amberfur felt that it was safe to speak. "So who is Silverfang?"

Rabbitfur looked towards her and responded in a quiet voice. "She was the cat who had an abitious heart, full of darkness, but she was the light for WindClan. She was deputy then. ShadowClan had a diffrent leader, Glorystar. Glorystar was a cat of greed. She loved to fight and had caused wars between Clans, just as Shadowstar has done with WindClan. Well one day, Silverfang decided to stop all of the fighting. She killed lorystar nine times in a row."

"But why will no one speak of her?" Amberfur asked, feeling even more confused than before.
Rabbitur sighed and answered, "She, like I said, was an abitious cat. She lked power just as much. Her past is dispised by all others, except Windstar, for he never knew this part. But Silverfang, a WindCLan cat, quickly left WindClan, saying she was spending a few days up at Barley's Farm. It was all a lie. She went and murdered ShadowCLan's deputy as they were going to Highstones.

"Then, after ShadowClan and found out that-for what they suspected-a rogue had killed their deputy and medicine cat, they killed the two rogues that had been wandering on their territory, suspecting them, but without a trail.

"After that deed, Silverfang traveled to RiverClan. There she told the RiverClan leader-for she had been captured in their territory-that ShadowClan and ThunderClan were coming to attack them, along with WindClan. In the pannic that followed, Silverfang sunk into the elders den that was sperated from the rest, and killed everyone of them. When she noticed that the queens were all out, trying to repair the nursery, she coaxe them into believing that shhe would guard their kits. At first they difbelieved her, but what choice did they have?

"So they agreed, and Silverfang turned on the kits and killed everyone of them, wanting to make WindClan the strongest of Clans. When a queen came in and saw her with the seven dead kits, she attacked Silverfang. Silverfang slew the queen and escaped, destroying the nursery in the process.

"Silverfang went back up to Barley's Farm, not bothering ThunderClan because Greencough had struck their camp. After two days of staying up there, she returned to WindClan, normal as ever, as if nothing had happened. Windstar, who had liked Silverfang, never suspecting her for her deeds, had been on a hunting patrol. WIndClan had been informed while he was away and Silverfang was chased off, sworn to never return, because she would be killed on sight.

"When Windstar returned, he was told that she left on her own free will because no one ever had the heart to tell him. And he still doesn't know. But back then, his name had been Windsorrow." Rabbitfur finished. Amberfur realised that they had reached Highstones by now and looked expectingly at Rabbitfur.

As she looked at him, she saw a perticular glint in his eyes. A glint that scared her, for it was an evil glint. Was this the Rabbitfur she knew? Certainly not! Then it came back to her, friendship is that of which it once was, is shant. Windwaker's voice eoched through her head.
Rabbitfur was a traitor!