Truth

With a long yawn, Squirrelflight stretched her legs. Stormfur couldn't look away from Rainpaw at the Gathering, neither could Firestar. The thought made her pelt prickled.

What if Stormfur was right, that Firestar noticed the resemblance in the small silver apprentice?

She shook the thought away as she freed herself from any clinging moss balls.

It wouldn't matter; Firestar wouldn't banish Rainpaw or anything. Squirrelflight padded out of the warriors' den over to the fresh-kill pile. She picked up a vole and padded over to Brambleclaw. He was talking to Leafpool while he gnawed on a songbird.

When she approached them, Leafpool meowed softly, "Yes, Brambleclaw, StarClan sent me that dream twice now."

"Twice?" Brambleclaw growled. "Didn't you tell Firestar yet?"

Leafpool's eyes clouded with pain as Squirrelflight sat down. Curiosity clawed at her but she ignored it and began to chew on her vole.

"I'm leading the night patrol today," Squirrelflight murmured through the vole. She lifted her head to look at Brambleclaw, "Would you like to join?"

Brambleclaw seemed distanced, as if he didn't hear a word she said, "Yea, sure."

Once again, silence fell over them. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw didn't look up from their meal as Leafpool left and padded briskly into her den. Only when Squirrelflight was done eating did she notice Leafpool's absence.

Brambleclaw's meal was also finished as he watched Squirrelflight stand to her paws. "The sun's setting," Brambleclaw muttered. "We should go."

"Go where?" Rainpaw meowed as she padded up. I looked at her, Rainpaw's silver fur did make her look like Silverstream, but her white ear was the only difference.

"Sunset patrol," Brambleclaw answered as Squirrelflight hesitated. "Would you like to come?"

Rainpaw's blue eyes shined with delight as she yowled, "Of course! It'll give me an excuse to get out of night hunting, as Sandstorm calls it."

"Well, then let's go," I managed to sputter out.

xoxoxo

Rainpaw padded beside Squirrelflight in silence as they headed toward the ShadowClan border. Not even Brambleclaw spoke. Only Rainpaw broke the silence. She curled her lip back over her teeth and snarled with distaste, "I smell RiverClan."

Shocked, Squirrelflight opened her jaws and breathe in the surroundings. "Hawkfrost," Brambleclaw snarled. "Faint though. Nice catch, Rainpaw."

Rainpaw purred shortly at his praise but reminded him excitedly, "It's on the other side of the border, what if they start an alliance? ShadowClan and RiverClan were pretty sour at us. What does ShadowClan think? Blackstar says we stole their prey, I think his mind is filled with cobwebs!"

Brambleclaw gave a snort as he remembered their accusation at the last gathering. "Don't say that too close to the ShadowClan border," Squirrelflight reminded. "You never know when a ShadowClan patrol will pad about."

Rainpaw sighed, "Sorry."

Squirrelflight parted her jaws once more and bristled with shock. "I smell a mouse," Squirrelflight meowed quickly. "I'll be back."

As quickly as she could, Squirrelflight dashed toward the lake. Her paws came to a stop as she scented him. "Stormfur," she called.

The gray warrior slipped out from under the bush two fox-lengths from the lake. Before Squirrelflight could open her mouth Stormfur bristled, "Have you seen Flamepaw?" His eyes were wide and fearful but he stayed calm. "I haven't seen him since this morning."

Surprised, Squirrelflight was speechless for a moment. When she spoke she asked, "Why are you looking for him here?"

Stormfur paused and looked at Squirrelflight, "I told him you were his mother." He winced as he spoke. "He didn't believe me and ran off. I went back to camp but he wasn't there so I panicked. His scent led into ShadowClan territory then I lost it."

As soon as Squirrelflight opened her jaws, a horrific battle cry from Rainpaw rang through the air as another yowled followed. As quick as a mouse both Stormfur and Squirrelflight dashed toward the cry. When they reached the source of the cry, Squirrelflight saw two balls of fur screeching and yowling together. Brambleclaw was helpless as Rainpaw was locked in a battle with Flamepaw. The two apprentices snarled and spat at each other.

Quickly, Stormfur pinned down Flamepaw as Squirrelflight grasped Rainpaw's scruff and pulled her back. "Get out of our territory you piece of foxdung!" Rainpaw screeched as she struggled out of Squirrelflight's grip.

However, Flamepaw knocked Stormfur off him and stood to his paws. The ginger apprentice turned toward Squirrelflight and then a Rainpaw. "I didn't hurt you did I?" his meow was apologetic catching everyone off guard.

Squirrelflight release Rainpaw, she shook the dust from her fur. "What are you doing here, almighty hunter," Rainpaw mocked. The first time they meet Flamepaw claimed he was a great hunter but really isn't. Flamepaw bristled but replied, "I just wanted to talk to you and Squirrelflight."

Flamepaw bristled as Stormfur brushed beside him. "Not you," he hissed refusing to look at Stormfur. He winced as Flamepaw backed away.

"Rainpaw," Squirrelflight meowed when Flamepaw was out of earshot. "Stay here with Brambleclaw." Rainpaw sighed, Squirrelflight agreed to tell her when she was a warrior but now she intended to keep that promise. Brambleclaw sat down and meowed to Stormfur and Rainpaw as Squirrelflight followed Flamepaw toward the lake.

Squirrelflight's mind wondered to why Flamepaw would want to talk to her. Stormfur told him everything.

Squirrelflight sat down and turned to Flamepaw as she realized why he came. She meowed softly to her kit, the kit she gave away moons ago, "You what to hear this from me, don't you?"

Flamepaw nodded solemnly.

"Yes," Squirrelflight meowed. The time she had been dreaded, the one thing she hated to say, was that she separated them on her own selfish reasons. Now they were torn between Clans. If her dream came true, they would fight each other too. "You are our son."

Okay, expect very slow updates! I think I'm getting through this Writer's Block.