Chapter Four

Sleep had not come easily to Shadowheart. He spent the entire night fitfully moving around in his nest before Firelight snapped at him. When the weak light of dawn crept through the den, he finally gave up on sleep and went outside. The camp was quiet and still, aside from the soft snoring of his Clanmates. Cold air chilled him to the bone as frost littered the ground. Leaf-bare is upon us, Shadowheart realized.

Fluffing out his fur he turned and padded toward the fresh-kill pile. Trying to find a piece of prey that wasn't frozen, he plucked out a thrush buried in the middle. By the time he had finished eating, Foxstar had just returned from the Moonpuddle with Alderleaf and Sagepelt. Softstep and Brownclaw, who had been guarding Blackflame overnight, moved aside as Foxstar went into the den.

"What did StarClan say?" Shadowheart asked as Sagepelt came towards him.

His former mentor shook his head. "Foxstar didn't tell us."

Shadowheart frowned. "Do you think Blackflame was telling the truth? That he's Silversky's son?"

Sagepelt hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure," he admitted quietly. "When Silversky disappeared all those moons ago, only to reappear many moons after dead...well, who can say what happened during that time?"

"You're right," Shadowheart agreed with a sigh. "If StarClan did confirm that Blackflame is Silversky's son, then maybe he can give us more information about what happened to her."

"You're back," that was Hollycloud. The black she-cat must have just woken up.

Sagepelt brushed his muzzle to hers. "We just got back."

She glanced over towards Foxstar's den. "Is it true? Is he really Silversky's kit?"

"I don't know," Sagepelt told her. "Foxstar wouldn't say. I think she wants to announce the news to the Clan herself."

"I see," Hollycloud murmured, her voice full of grief.

Shadowheart looked at her curiously. Had she been close to Silversky when she was alive? Sagepelt seemed to notice his quizzical look, for he pressed close to his mate's side.

"Silversky and Hollycloud were close friends," he explained. "In fact, Silverleaf was named after her."

Hollycloud gave a tiny purr. "She and Goldenfire were my best friends. Of course now, I have lost them both. While Firelight is so much like her mother, I had always hoped Silversky's kits were alive somewhere."

The grief Shadowheart could hear in Hollycloud's voice was painful. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose Firelight or Pinefrost. It must be lonely to lose your closest friends, he frowned.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highoak for a Clan meeting!" Foxstar's summons rang out through the camp.

Slowly the LeafClan cats emerged from their nests, disheveled and half asleep. Firelight approached Shadowheart groggily.

"What's going on?" she grumbled.

Shadowheart sat down. "Foxstar just got back from the Cavern of Stars."

Under the Highoak, Blackflame was sitting in between Softstep and Brownclaw. The black tabby looked completely calm; clearly certain that he was truly Silversky's long lost kit. Shadowheart met his silver gaze, and quickly looked away. Pinefrost mewed from beside him, Sleetwhisker close behind her.

"Did I miss anything?" his friend asked.

Firelight yawned. "Nothing yet."

Once the Clan had mostly gathered, Foxstar gestured with her tail for Softstep and Brownclaw to leave Blackflame's side. As they did so, Blackflame stood and turned to face the LeafClan leader. For the first time, Shadowheart noticed a long scar going along the back of his neck. That must have been one nasty wound, he shuddered.

"I have spoken to StarClan," Foxstar announced, her voice a bit shaken. "I was visited by none other than Silversky herself, and she confirmed that Blackflame is indeed her son."

A gasp from Hollycloud nearby caused Shadowheart to jump. Foxstar went on. "He will be a LeafClan warrior from this point onward. I expect him to be treated as such."

"So first we accept a rogue kit, and now a half-Clan one?" Frosttail growled from the back.

Foxstar's amber eyes flashed. "Half-Clan or not, Blackflame is a LeafClan cat and has every right to be here."

Frosttail's eyes narrowed. "And would you say the same if this cat was not the son of your sister?"

"Please, don't argue," Blackflame spoke up, turning to gaze at the elder. "I understand why you might be suspicious. But I want nothing more than to serve the Clan that my mother was born to."

"The Clan that your mother betrayed you mean," Frosttail snapped.

Blackflame dipped his head. "No cat is free of guilt. I am not my mother, and don't want to be treated as such. However I also came here for more than just finding my birth Clan, but my littermates."

"Littermates?" Foxstar stared down at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't the only kit in my litter," the tabby explained. "I had two littermates who were stolen on the night my mother died. When my mother couldn't save them, she fled with me; her only remaining kit. I don't know what may have happened to them, but I had hoped someone here would know."

Time froze around Shadowheart as Blackflame told his story. Suddenly, everything that had brought self doubt to him; everything that he had ever wondered, was thrown at his paws. Without thinking he slowly made his way to the front of the Clan. He could barely hear Firelight and Pinefrost asking him what he was doing. He ignored the annoyed hisses of his Clanmates as he shoved past them. He even disregarded Foxstar's confused look and demands that he answer her. Instead, he stood just a few paw steps before the stranger. Blackflame stopped speaking, and stared at Shadowheart with a look of surprise. Finally everything made sense. How he had been so blind to it all? To all the obvious answers that were laid out in front of him?

It didn't matter. None of that matter now. All Shadowheart could do now, was to utter the words he had not thought he would ever speak.

"I'm your brother. And my sister and I were stolen by Hawk as kits."