Disclaimer: I based the Clan structure on the Warriors books by Erin Hunter.

Thanks for following my story.

At Willowdream of ForestClan: Can you read my mind?!

Now here is the next chapter. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 21

Cloudheart was happy after meeting with her father for the first time. She felt restless and walked aimlessly through the territory. She had circled back to the ForestClan border when she suddenly tensed and stopped in her tracks. She had scented a fresh ForestClan scent and it didn't belong to Talonwing. Could someone else be out in the forest at night? Cloudheart decided to follow the scent. After a short while, she found that the new scent was getting mingled with Talonwing's. Did he meet with some other cat? Or was he being tracked by one of his Clanmates?

"I don't see why I have to explain myself to you, Suncloud. But if it makes you feel better: I couldn't sleep and went to stretch my legs." Cloudheart recognized her father's voice. She carefully crept closer and saw the deputy talk to a tortoiseshell she-cat.

"I saw you talking to a MeadowClan cat." Suncloud said to Talonwing.

"I met Cloudheart at the border. You know, Grasswhisker's apprentice. She said she was out collecting herbs."

Cloudheart couldn't stop herself from thinking how well her father could lie.

"You seemed rather close to her." Suncloud continued to question her deputy.

"Well, I congratulated her to having received her full name. I don't see any fault in that."

"She is Hawkfeather's kit, isn't she?" the she-cat mewed.

"Do you mean Cloudheart? Yes, I believe she is Hawkfeather's kit. Why are you asking, Suncloud?"

"No-one knows who her mate is."

"I suggest you ask Hawkfeather if you want to know. I am going back to camp." Talonwing turned around and was about to leave.

"I am not mouse-brained, Talonwing." Suncloud yelled after the tom. "YOU are Hawkfeather's mate. I've seen the two of you together." Talonwing stopped dead and then turned around to face the tortoiseshell. "When Hawkfeather had her first kit, I thought you've had enough of her. You were both young. I thought you realized where your loyalties are. But now she is expecting kits again. I am sure they are yours, too. Why, Talonwing? Why her?"

"I have always been loyal to ForestClan, Suncloud. Nothing will change that."

"But I love you."

"I am sorry, Suncloud. I care for you as I care for all my Clanmates, but not more."

"You would rather break the warrior code by having Hawkfeather as your mate than me?" the tortoiseshell asked outraged.

"I cannot change the way I feel." Talonwing replied and left for good this time. Suncloud pelted after the tom.

"I will tell the whole Clan. Hawkstar will drive you out of the Clan, Talonwing."

The deputy didn't seem to listen to his Clanmate any longer and walked straight back to his camp. Cloudheart was very worried by what she had heard. If Suncloud really told her Clan leader about Talonwing's and Hawkfeather's relationship, what would Hawkstar do? Would she really send her deputy into exile? Cloudheart decided to follow the two ForestClan cats to find out.

xxx

Cloudheart had followed Talonwing and Suncloud to their camp and now crouched underneath a bramble bush that was part of the ForestClan camp wall. She had found a patch of marigold on her way to the camp and had rolled in it to hide her scent. The camp was getting busier. The dawn patrol had left a long time ago and Cloudheart thought they should be back soon. Suncloud walked out of the warriors' den and climbed onto a larger boulder that stood in the center of the camp.

"I have something very important to tell all of you." She yelled across the clearing. Her Clanmates shoot each other confused looks.

"What is it, Suncloud?" A dark gray tom asked the young she-cat. Cloudheart remembered him from the Gatherings. It was Boulderheart. Hawkstar came out of her den and called to her Clanmates to gather for a meeting. Talonwing followed his leader out of her den. When the brown tabby she-cat reached the boulder she jumped onto it and faced Suncloud directly.

"What is it that you have to tell us, Suncloud?" the Clan leader asked.

"There is a traitor in our Clan."

Shocked mews erupted and Hawkstar had to silence her Clan before she continued.

"Who is the traitor, Suncloud? And how do you know that cat is a traitor?"

Suncloud hesitated for a moment. Cloudheart wondered whether she still intended to reveal Talonwing's secret.

"Talonwing is a traitor. He has broken the warrior code by taken a mate from another Clan."

A great turmoil broke out when Suncloud had finished. Cloudheart couldn't make out what cats were saying. Then a big black tom stepped forward.

"How do we know you're not making this up because Talonwing rejected you, Suncloud. Everyone knows that you've been padding after him for moons."

"Of course you would defend your old mentor, Blackclaw." A small ginger tabby she-cat replied.

"Silence." Hawkstar's voice rang across. "Talonwing, what do you have to say to these accusations?"

"I do have a mate from another Clan, but I have always been loyal to my Clan. I am not a traitor. I would give my life to defend ForestClan."

Cloudheart heard several cats gasp at her father's words.

"You heard what he said; he's breaking the warrior code. Hawkstar, you must send him into exile." Suncloud mewed triumphantly.

"It is not your place to tell me what to do, Suncloud." Hawkstar growled and immediately silenced her Clan.

"It's Hawkfeather, isn't it?" Willowstem mewed. The brown tabby tom was ForestClan's medicine cat. "I always thought that Cloudheart looks a lot like you, Talonwing."

Cats were murmuring again and Cloudheart saw Talonwing shoot a glance at his Clan leader.

"It doesn't really matter who his mate is. Talonwing has protected the Clan many times from HedgeClan's attacks. Have you forgotten that Talonwing almost died when Leafstar had infiltrated our camp? If it hadn't been for him, ForestClan would have been destroyed. Talonwing remains deputy." Hawkstar mewed firmly.

"You can't do this, Hawkstar. He is a traitor. You must exile him." Suncloud faced her Clan leader outraged.

"He will remain deputy and that's my final word, Suncloud."

The young tortoiseshell jumped off the boulder and ran out of the camp. Some of her Clanmates watched her leave but no-one followed her. Cloudheart wondered if her father's popularity saved his life here. Clearly, they seemed to have forgiven him his affair.

"You said it's not important Hawkstar, but is Willowstem right? Is Hawkfeather Talonwing's mate? Because if she is, he must have seen her for many moons. She is expecting kits again. Are they Talonwing's, too?" Boulderheart asked.

"You haven't given us an answer yet, Hawkstar." Another cat mewed. "Is Hawkfeather Talonwing's mate?"

The ForestClan leader stood rigid for several more moments before answering her Clanmates.

"Yes, she is his mate." The brown tabby mewed.

"And you knew about it?" the gray tom asked. Cloudheart watched the ForestClan cats from her place beneath the brambles. He must be one of Hawkstar's senior warriors, she thought.

"Talonwing told me about it just before today's meeting. I don't think they are doing any harm. Both of them are loyal to their Clans despite being mates."

"It's not a problem yet, Hawkstar, but it might become one. Not all their kits can be medicine cats." Willowstem told his Clan leader.

"I appreciate your concern, Willowstem. I wouldn't worry about possible future problems now." She told her medicine cat.

Cloudheart had heard enough. She was worried that her father would be send into exile, now that she knew he was save, she could return to her own camp. Carefully, she crept out of the bramble thicket and ran back towards her territory. Relief flashed through her when she had crossed the scent markers and was back in MeadowClan territory.

xxx

"Cloudheart, where have you been?" Falconstar's voice tore the black apprentice from her thoughts. She had run back from ForestClan and had just entered her camp.

"I am sorry if you worried about me, Falconstar. I'll tell you later what happened."

"What do you mean 'worried'? I sent out a search patrol." The Clan leader mewed brisk. "Rainpaw, find Featherstorm's patrol and tell them that Cloudheart is back." The black-and-white apprentice dipped her head and dashed out of the camp.

"Come to my den, Cloudheart. I want to know where you have been last night."

The black she-cat told her leader what she had witnessed in the ForestClan camp. Falconstar's heart had quickened when she heard that all of ForestClan now knew about Hawkfeather's relationship with Talonwing.

"There is nothing to worry about. Hawkstar trusts her deputy completely. She will not exile him for breaking the warrior code." Cloudheart finished.

"That's not surprising. Talonwing is her son, her only kit. Of course she would protect him. But it's also wise to keep Talonwing in her Clan. He is a skilled warrior and does a good job helping Hawkstar run the Clan."

Continues soon...