AN. Yo! Enjoy! :D

Chapter Eleven

Small pebbles rolled down the steep, narrow, rough path on the trail up the mountain. Shadowpaw followed Leer and Eve solemnly, staying close to Sunpaw. It felt as though they've been climbing forever up and endless path of coldness. She looked to the side to see that they were almost higher than the trees of their forest trees. They reached a wide cliff similar that looked like a cold flat version of their training hollow with a relatively large cave.

Shadowpaw lifted her head high then; she smelled Clan cats! Eve halted by the cave, "The other Clans scum are in there waiting for you, get your tails in there before I decide I want to chop them off!"

Shadowpaw rushed ahead of the others into the cave; there wasn't much light but there was enough to see what was in front of you. A familiar grey tom padded up to her, "Shadowpaw! You're alright!"

"Greyheart!" Shadowpaw met up with her mentor. "You're okay! Is the rest of the Clan here?"

Greyheart nodded, "Yes," he answered referring to the herd of cats behind him who padded up to greet there clanmates. Phoenixfeather asked, "Where is Shadestar? And the others he brought with him?"

Dawnglow answered, "WhisperClan had agreed to join with us since a few of their own cats have been taken,"

Phoenixfeather nodded, "Yes, Stoneclaw, Swiftclaw and Rosepaw were here but the rouges took them away to 'serve' them since they had agreed under threat. We were never agreed and were forced to come here. They'll probably force us to submit to Bone once they are done using us as hostages,"

Dawnglow scowled, "Hostages! Force! They sure enjoy causing trouble and mischief!" Then he shook himself a little, "Anyway, we soon discovered you guys were gone when Cloverwing came back with the news so Dawnstar and Shadestar decided to attack at once. So at dawn we split ourselves up into three parties with a fourth spying party to seek you guys out. Dawnstar lead a party towards the river while Shadestar headed towards the center and Shadowsoul lead the third towards here. The spying party was lead by Cliffshadow, Shadestar's brother,"

"He returned?" Questioned a tan elder with brown stripes, Eveninglight.

"Yes, and Windstorm as well. They explained they wanted to help their birth Clan."

The Clan nodded and asked Dawnglow to continue.

"As Shadowsoul lead us closer to the mountains, we found Nettlesting's body; he was part of the spying patrol and he scented of rouges. Then we scented the Clan. But you were all gone,"

"They moved us up here just after the sun was above the mountain," explained Ravenflight.

"Yes, and we were about to go tell Shadestar and Dawnstar what we discovered when we were ambushed by the rouges; it turns out Shadowsoul had been leading us into a trap,"

A white queen with black stripes nodded, it was Feathercut, "I knew that Shadowsoul was bad news. He always looked so ambitious at Gatherings," she had her tail curled around her three kits, Bluekit, Starrykit and Spiritkit.

Snowfrost sighed, "Now he's heading off to trick the others and soon we'll all be here,"

The HiddenClan cats sat in silence for a moment until Sunpaw asked, "Did any of you see Emberpath, Bloodstripe or Cliffshadow?"

"Well I did see a couple of cats I do believe were Emberpath and Bloodstripe at the base of the mountain, huddled in the corner being told what to do, but I can't recall Cliffshadow since I can't quite remember what he looks like.." pondered Zephrtrail.

"A light grey tom with dark grey stripes," reminded Sunpaw.

"Oh! Oh no, that's not good,"

Sunpaw frowned, "Why?"

"Cliffshadow was talking to the rouges as though he knew them and he was giving Emberpath and Bloodstripe an evil look,"

Dawnglow scowled, "So Cliffshadow and Windstorm came here to betray us?!"

No one answered.

"Where's Starrynight and her kits? I don't see them," asked Cloverwing.

Phoenixfeather shook her head, "We don't know, not long after the rouges attacked she made a run for it with her kits after terribly injuring the rouges who threatened her to protect her kits,"

Shadowpaw broke apart from the group to the edge of the cave, there didn't seem to be any guards but she knew they were there. She sat and thought. Then a bright golden brown she-cat approached her, she had unusual brown spots above each of her eyes.

Shadowpaw backed away, not knowing if this cat meant good or harm.

The rouge she-cat frowned, "Please don't fear me! I'm Eagle, I only want to talk,"

Immediately Shadowpaw recognized this rouge as the cat that had stood up for them on her first encounter with the rouges.

"It's you! You're the one who supported my Clan!"

Eagle nodded, "Yes,"

"Why though? In front of your whole gang of rouges?"

Eagle sighed, "Because what they were doing was wrong, and I don't consider them family or friends except Screech, and sometimes Leer because he's Screech's brother. I know they may seem like just dirty, cruel rouges when you first meet them, but really, they're not that bad once you know them, except for all the others who are apart of this party of rouges,"

Shadowpaw blinked, "Why are Screech and Leer the only ones you're comfortable with?"

"Screech rescued me from and eagle when I was just a kit. I don't know what happened to my mother or father, but I was alone and the perfect target for an eagle. It was after me, I couldn't run fast enough and it had me in its talons and it was in the air, I thought I was for sure dead. Then Screech leaped out of nowhere and sunk her claws into the eagle, bringing it down to a nearby cliff. It escaped but left me behind with Screech. That's how I'm here now. The other rouges never where fond of me. Leer accepted me because Screech did, and there you go," Eagle finished.

"Must have been rough growing up," Shadowpaw said sympathetically.

Eagle shrugged, "Eh, I got used to it, but I wasn't completely happy. I've observed the Clans from the mountains my whole life, learning what they said and watching them under full moons at Great Falls. I liked how they lived, and I wanted to be one of you,"

Shadowpaw stared at Eagle, "You want to be a Clan cat?"

Eagle nodded, "But if anyone knows about it then who knows what could happen to me!"

"Does Screech and Leer know?" Questioned Shadowpaw.

"Screech knows and even though Leer never told me he knows, I know he does. He watches everything, including me."

"If we ever get out of here Eagle, I'll be sure Shadestar finds a place in the Clan for you!" Shadowpaw promised.

Eagle's eyes lit up with hope, "Really?"

Shadowpaw nodded, "Yes,"

"What have we going on here?" Mud stalked up to the two. He glared at Eagle, "Eagle! Don't go talking to the prisoners until they fully submit to Bone!"

Eagle nervously backed away.

"Now Mud, no need to be so harsh. Why not get to know the prisoners before they become allies," the three turned to see Leer approaching them.

"Well I don't trust her!" Mud snapped.

Leer narrowed his eyes fixed on Mud. I made Mud back away a bit. He just spat, "Just keep an eye on her Leer!" He ran off.

"You best be careful what you do young Eagle," warned Leer.

Eagle nodded, "Thank you Leer!" Leer returned the nod, then he approached Shadowpaw, he gazed down at her, causing her to freeze in the moment. After a moment, he broke the gaze and silently padded away, then he turned he head over to her, "Beware of danger lurking within what you see," and with that, he was gone, disappearing in the shadows of the mountain.

AN. Go ahead and review please! :D