Chapter 12: Swifwinds deceit

Swifwind looked around cautiously. She nervously practiced her moves with Sanddust, afraid to get caught by Harestar. "Why are you so nervous?" asked Sanddust. Swiftwind explained, "Harestar saw me meeting with Beaverclaw, Blizzardsnow, Blacksheep, and Moonscar. So I'm worried that he'll ask me questions about our plan," Sanddust looked at her and mewed, "Harestar is one cat. He can't convince the others to join against us if he has no proof about what we are planning to do," Swiftwind nodded in agreement. 'But I still can't shake the feeling that others know about the plan,"

Sanddust sighed, 'I am getting nowhere. Swiftwind is still worried about the meeting four sunrises ago. Harestar can't do anything because he doesn't have any proof. And if he did, no one would believe him based on his testimony alone. The other cats would just mew to him that he is just being paranoid. After all with a big change like this the leaders are bound to have fears about cats wanting to fight to make the warrior code stay the same.' Swiftwind surprised him by jumping on top of him. The force knocked the wind out of him. Swiftwind has him pinned, he fell limp, hoping that Swiftwind would loosen her grip. But to his surprise Swiftwind didn't relax her grip on him.

"You okay, Sandust? You looked distracted, which you can't do in a real battle otherwise you might lose your life," Sanddust nodded. "I know, but I couldn't help but think of what you said earlier before you pounced on me," mewed Sanddust annoyed that Swiftwind couldn't tell what distracted him. Swiftwind got her paws off him and mewed, "Yeah. I can't stop thinking about it either. Anyways let's hunt before the clan gets worried about us, especially Harestar," Swiftwind broke into a run not waiting for Sanddust's reply, or to come with her. Sandust hauled himself off the ground, he shaked the snow off his fur. He opened his scent glands to see if he could smell prey nearby. He picked up a faint rabbit trail leading him away from the direction that Swiftwind took. Sanddust followed the rabbit trail, going away from the training area. He sighed, the rabbit trail went cold. He couldn't smell the rabbit anymore. "Rabbit dung," muttered Sandust as he walked away from the area where the scent had disappeared.

He suddenly heard a yowl of terror. He raced over the snowy barren terrain to where he heard the sound coming from. A hawk was trying to get into a rabbit burrow, it's claws trying to scratch whoever's in there. He lunged at the hawk taking it by surprise. The hawk struggled against Sanddust's grip and eventually he felt the hawk go limp. Sanddust gave it the killing bite just to be sure he had in fact killed the hawk. A brown fur kit, with fur sticking out like burrs and has amber eyes, and a kit with golden fur appeared out of the rabbit burrow.

Sanddust recognized the brown kit as Burrkit and the gold kit as Daisykit. He growled, "What do you two think you're doing? Going out of camp like that. You two could have been by the dead hawk had I not been here to slay it for you. Well?" Burrkit mumbled, "W-w-we on-only wanted to e-ex-explore Wi-wi-windclan terri-territory," Sanddust growled, "Don't we tell you young kit's that exploring Windclan territory is extremely dangerous. How have those story's not knocked some common sense into you two? The moorlands are filled with predators waiting for young kit's to venture from camp so they can find an easy meal in kit's who are harmless. That's why we wait to take you out as apprentices and show how to defend yourself from creatures like this hawk here that would kill a kit on sight if it had too. Besides, when you reach six moons you'll be big enough to handle fighting a hawk, or a cat twice your size. Have I made my point clear to you two?" Daisykit mewed, "Yes, and we didn't think about it like that," Sanddust sighed, "Let's get you two back to camp," Burrkit mewed, "Do we have to?" Sanddust growled, "Yes, we have to. Your parent's and littermates will be worried about you. Besides you can get out of the cold snow and cuddle in the warmth of the nursery." Burrkit muttered, "Fine," Daisykit mewed, "Cheer up! We will get to see more of the moorlands when we get to be apprentices," Burrkit replied, "I suppose your right," Sanddust guided them back to Windclan camp with the hawk in his jaws.

Lionmane, a golden she-cat with blue eyes showing worry ran up to them. "I was very worried about you two! Me and your father searched everywhere in camp to find you!" Lionmane mewed as she gathered the kits to her side and began to lick their fur. Mudpelt came up to him mewing, "Thanks for finding the kit's, we were pretty worried about them," Sanddust dropped the hawk and replied, "I was just there at the right time," Mudpelt nodded, relief showing in his green eyes. Sanddust picked up the hawk and dropped it onto the fresh kill pile. Swiftwind padded up to him, "Sanddust, I get the feeling Duskspirit, Moleclaw and Shrewtail know that something is going on," Sanddust whispersred, "Why to you feel that?" "Well I got the feeling that those three were searching among our clanmates to see if anyone is behaving out of the ordinary," "What do you mean by that?" asked Sandust in a whispered tone. "Like if anyone is staying longer than they should be on patrol, or on hunting assignment's," Sanddust nodded, "That is a big problem," Swiftwind asked, "So what do we do?" "Nothing for now. Just observe those three and be careful, also spread the word to the others,"

Swiftwind nodded and padded away without complaining. 'Weird, normally she complains whenever I make a plan,' Sanddust thought. He grabbed a rabbit and plopped down into the snow near the warriors den.

Swifwind looked back to see Sanddust eating a rabbit near the warriors den. She sighed, 'Spying for Harestar, Duskspirit , Moleclaw and Shrewtail is exhausting. I have to pretend to be worried about them finding out, when I already know that they know. If only Sanddust and the others in the rebellion could see how damaging the old warrior code is.' She sees where Duskspirit is waiting for her. "Swiftwind, did you get any new info regarding the uprising?" Duskspirit asked her. "No, but I hold him that you are onto him and the rebellion. I know what you're thinking, but I had to do it. Otherwise they might get suspicious of you and the others all on their own, and if I say I noticed it too, they will say why didn't you tell us earlier so we can be on our guard and make sure the rebellion happens," Swiftwind stopped, gasping for breath.

Duskspirit reassured her, "I know what you did is important if we want your infiltration to be more of a success. Besides, you are already high enough that you represented Windclan at the meeting four sunrises ago. Though you should have told Harestar before the meeting three sunrises ago. Cause we were all surprised that you were spying for Harestar without him saying that you should," Swiftwind replied, "I couldn't risk it. The meeting four sunrises ago was made in haste at the gathering when Bramblestar announced that we could change the code at the next gathering, and we wanted to make sure of our plans, that's why we held another meeting three sunrises ago…"

"Okay, I get it. You don't have to explain every little detail to me, when I can figure that out on my own," mewed Duskspirit. Swiftwind relaxed a little bit. "If that is all, you are free to go," meowed Duskspirit. Swiftwind turned and padded up to the fresh kill pile. She picked out a squirrel and sat down near Sanddust, who is washing himself. Swiftwind bit into the flesh of the squirrel. It didn't taste as bad as the prey is going to get in leafbare. Once she finished the squirrel, she licked her whiskers, and paws. Sanddust shivered, evident of the sun lowering in the sky. "Want to view the sunset, away from the camp?" asked Swiftwind to Sanddust.

Sanddust was stunned, 'Swiftwind just asked me to view the sunset with her.' His heart began beating a little faster. "Sure," he replied. Swiftwind mewed, "Follow me," He did so. His paws skimmed over the snow as he followed her. 'She looks so beautiful in the last rays of sunshine,' he thought as the rays of sun hit her brown pelt. Swiftwind stopped on the ridge near the horse place. "Look" she mewed to him, her voice containing excitement.

Sanddust looked and saw the sky filled with an array of colours and the sun setting behind Shadowclan's treetops. 'It's an amazing view, who knew that sunset's could be so pretty.' "Thanks for showing me the sunset. I never imagined that the sun setting could be so pretty to look at," Swiftwind replied, "Almost no cat does, because they all look forward to going into the dens to sleep once the sun gets this low in the sky,"

Sandust nodded, 'Normally after I eat and wash myself I think of going to sleep inside the warriors den, not how pretty the sunset might be.' Sanddust looked into Swiftwind's brown eyes, never noticing how nice they looked until now. Swifwind noticed him staring at her and mewed, "Are you ready to head back to camp?" Sandust nodded. They got up and raced on the moorland. The sun had completely disappeared by the time they got back to camp. Darkness surrounded the camp. Sanddust and Swiftwind shivered as they walked into the warriors den. They curled up into the mossy nest's and let each other's breathing lull each other to sleep.