Chapter 12

Moonbeam opened her eyes in the warriors den, making sure Badgerfang next to her and Flufftail on her right were not disturbed.

Then she slowly got up and padded out of the den and towards the entrance.

A pair of eyes swerved to her and she ducked behind a dead log.

Pebbleclaw was on guard!

Holding her breath, she slipped into a little hole next to the warrior's den and bounded away.

/

She was only waiting for a few moments before two green eyes appeared at the entrance to FourTrees.

"Moonbeam?" Lonepath whispered and she walked out from behind one of the mighty oaks.

"You came!" Lonepath said, bounding over to her.

Moonbeam stepped back. "Lonepath what is this about? Why did you want me to meet you here?"

The green-eyed WindClan warrior looked away. 'I-I just wanted to see you."

Moonbeam sat down, confused as Lonepath went on. "I don't really have anybody, Jagstep treats me like an outsider and-"

"What about Skyflower?" Moonbeam asked.

"Her? Oh she's just a.. friend."

Moonbeam licked her paw and casually drew it over her ear. "Well to me it looked like she was sitting awfully close to you."

Lonepath rolled his eyes. "She's in love with Jagstep and wants to use me to get closer to him. I found that out at the Gathering." He looked away, eyes full of pain.

Moonbeam touched his flank with her tail in sympathy. "I'm sorry."

Lonepath shrugged. "I thought we were going to go somewhere, but…"

Moonbeam cut him off. "You've only met me twice, Lonepath, I'm nothing special."

Lonepath's eyes gleamed. "You are special, Moonbeam! We're so alike!"

"How are we alike?"

Lonepath sat down next to her. "We are both different from the rest of our Clan, we both lost our fathers-"

"Peatfur was not my father!" Moonbeam screeched in anger and misery at the truth. "We are not alike."

Lonepath's eyes were full of confusion. "Then who-"

"I don't know!" Moonbeam's heart felt like it was ripping apart.

"I'm not ShadowClan. I am nothing." She whispered to the tom.

Moonbeam could hear Lonepath saying something, but she sprinted away.

As she ran under the tunnel ShadowClan used to cross the Thunderpath, Moonbeam could see images in her mind.

Timberstripe and her talking.

Tinyfeather telling her that her life was a lie.

Peatfur, crumbling to the ground.

Being made apprentices with Thornkit and Archkit.

And another, of being cold and wet and strong jaws carrying her, saying "Don't worry. I'll take her."

A silver she-cat, strangely familiar, holding a tiny tom kit next to her and nodding to the tom Moonbeam could not see before he took her away.

/

For the next day all that went through Moonbeam's mind was that silver she-cat.

She knew she had seen her before… And the voice, saying they would take her, was so familiar.

Moonbeam knew these cats had to be her parents, or at least the she-cat, who had shown signs of pregnancy and had the tiny to, her brother, at her belly.

Why had her mother kept her brother but not her?

And the tom, the one who had taken her, was he the father or some ShadowClan cat who-

Stormcloud! Tinyfeather had said that Stormcloud had brought her to camp, claiming to have found her!

And overhearing the conversation between Stormcloud and that ThunderClan she-cat, Sunstar's daughter Rainfur.

Rainfur and Stormcloud talking about Zipleg, their son, which meant that they had been mates.

Rainfur asking so many questions about Moonbeam.

Stormcloud always kind to her, looking out for her.

It all came together.

Moonbeam stumbled.

Great StarClan, Stormcloud and Rainfur are my parents!