Hawkclaw stared at Storm and Shadow in surprise, "Are you sure?" they turn to him and nod, still looking shocked, "That would explain why she looks so much like me." Shadow says, glancing at Shadowblaze and adjusting one of the wrappings on her leg.

"Umm, not to be rude or anything, but why did Shadowblaze's mother run away?" Shadow and Storm exchange a look before replying, "It's a long story, we would prefer to tell Shadowblaze first."

Hawkclaw nodded and before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Are you guys having troubles with a huge bird?" Storm and the other leaders stared at him and Lis asked, "Where'd you hear that?"

Hawkclaw fidgeted uneasily and told them about Shadowblaze's dream about the giant bird and the old tom asking for help. When he finished talking about the dream Storm looked at him and sighed, "I guess I'll have to tell you the secrets of the ROMC."

Hawkclaw blinked confusedly but he still followed Storm and Shadow to the corner of the camp. Storm motioned for Hawkclaw to sit down and then Storm took a deep breath and began to tell the story,

"So, a long time ago there were these cats which began our group, they decided to settle here but no one really knew why until they told the cats that they'd gathered into a group about why they started the group in that exact place. They told their group that they actually decide to settle there and create the group because there was a portal in the mountains near where the group was located."

"As you can guess the group was extremely surprised and some of them were even angry about the fact that the leaders their leaders had kept that huge secret from them the leaders gave them. Their leaders gave them a choice either A they stayed and took on a huge responsibility or B they could leave and carry on their lives, but they would not be told about what it was about or what they had to do because if they knew they would have to stay. They gave those whole group the quarter moon to decide, when the quarter moon was over they gathered the group and asked them if they decide to stay or leave. More than half the cats decided to leave."

"Their leaders took the rest of the cats, the ones that decided to stay out of either bravery stubbornness or just pure curiosity and told them about everything that they would need to know. The reason that they hadn't told anyone else about it is because they were afraid that the secret would be out and everything would be over. The thing is, that portal in the Hills wasn't just any portal, it connected to a world where creatures that were mythological, at least they were supposed to be mythological, to the normal world."

"Occasionally a creature of some sorts found the portal in their land and traveled through to our land. Our group, the Removal of Mythical Creatures group was tasked with killing the ones that we are unable to negotiate with. Usually we are able to get our peacemakers to convince them to return to their own land, but some of them are either stubborn or just plain hostile."

"The ones that we can't get to return, we have to kill." Hawkclaw just sat there for a moment, digesting the information. He understood the information, but he had one question, "Storm, couldn't the cats that refused to join just come back and eavesdrop on the others?" Storm chuckled and replied, "No, you see, anyone who isn't training or wasn't brought into camp by a full member, can't see or hear the camp."

"How is that possible?" "Well, that brings us to the next part of my explanation. In this camp we have many different jobs, just like the clans. We have leader, who are in charge of formulating plans and running the camp. Medics who care for the sick and in sever cases, they can give part of their own life to a cat to revive them from death."

At this Hawkclaw turned and stared at Shadow and asked, "Have you ever done that?" Shadow shook her scared head, "No, I was brought back from death by my instructor when I was younger, so if I try to revive someone, I'll die." Hawkclaw blinked in surprise and then turned his attention back to Storm.

"We have peacemakers, who are chosen at birth by the oldest peacemaker. They have the ability to converse with the creatures and usually are very kind and persuasive. My daughter Sia is training to become a peacemaker, if you haven't noticed."

"Then we have the truth-seekers, they are chosen before birth by the spirits and are born with the ability to tell if a cat or creature is lying. When they complete their training their pelts lose all color."

"Guards, like my son Argo, do exactly what their title suggests, they guard the portal with fleetfoots. They also go with the peacemakers when they go into the Mystic World to discuss things with their leaders."

"Fleetfoots are the fastest cats in our group, they stay with the guards when they're guarding the portal. If a creature comes through they run back to the camp and get more guards and the peacemakers. They basically messengers too."

"And finally we have the mystics, they are in charge of dream contacting the ones who are important to the survival of the group. They also constantly reinforce the magic of our cloaking magic. Also if the wrong kind of cat hears our secrets the mystics can erase their memories of the information."

Hawkclaw gawped at Storm and finally managed to blurt out, "That's a lot of jobs." Storm chuckled and nodded then burst out, "What?! Shadow why are you pokin- oh" Sia and Argo stood behind Storm and Sia was poking Storm. Storm looked down and flushed with embarrassment. Shadow looked at him and snorted, "Storm, when was the last time I was childish enough to start poking you?"

Storm just blushed and mumbled, "What do you want Sia." Sia smiled and meowed, "Mom want to see you and I wanted to ask if Argo and I could take Hawkclaw and go play truth or dare."

Storm sighed and said, "Fine, but Hawkclaw," "Yeah?" "Don't promise anything on a truth-seeker." "Why?" "Cause if you promise or swear anything on a truth-seeker and then you break that promise and don't what you swear, then that promise would kill you. Literally."

Hawkclaw gulped and nodded. Then he got up and followed Argo and Sia to who knows where.

~skip to when they reach the truth or dare place~

Argo held the fronds of a huge fern back as Hawkclaw and Sia stepped into a clearing with a pool of water in the middle. Inside there were three other cats sitting around the pool.

Sia went in and settled next to a silver tabby she-cat and then she motioned for Hawkclaw to sit. He awkwardly sat next to a unhappy looking ginger tom. Argo settled next to his sister and nudged Sia, whispering, "Introduce everyone." "ohh, right! Hawkclaw, this is Star," Sia said, pointing to the she-cat next to her, "The gray and brown tom is Tyler and you're sitting next to Thorn."

"Everyone, this is Hawkclaw, he's gonna be playing with us. Let's go over the rules. So the starting cat will call on another cat and as them truth or dare, if you pick truth you have to answer a question truthfully. If you pick dare, you have to do the dare. If you don't answer the truth or refuse to do the dare, you have to jump into the ice pool."

Hawkclaw nodded and Tyler grinned and meowed, "Don't try to lie, I'm a truth-seeker in training, so I'll be able to tell if you're lying. Also, every time someone gets a dare, if you have to go out of this clearing you have to take a witness." "OK, we get it, now let's start already!" Thorn snarled.

"I'll go first," Sia announced, "Argo, my brother, truth or dare?" "Dare! Bring it on little sis!" "You got it! I dare you to go up to dad and tell him that you let the rukh escape." Argo paled but he nodded, "Tyler, come with me."

After they left Hawkclaw just sat and listened to Sia and Star chat while trying to avoid Thorn's angry gaze. "So, Thorn, what are you training to be?" Thorn's gaze narrowed and he hissed, "Why should I tell you?" "Well sorry but I'm just trying to have a conversation!"

Thorn hissed again and leapt at Hawkclaw, claws extended, but before he could reach Hawkclaw, Star jumped in and swatted Thorn away. "Thorn! Stop acting like a mousebrain! You don't need to be hostile to everyone!"

To Hawkclaw's surprise Thorn actually obeyed Star, he stalked over to the corner of the clearing and continued to hostilely stare at the rest of them. Star sighed and asked Hawkclaw if he would like to come over and talk to her and Sia instead. Hawkclaw accepted and asked, "What's his problem?"

Star glanced at Thorn and something flashed in her eyes, was it love? Or sadness? "That's not my story to tell." Hakwclaw was about to ask something else but Argo and Tyler burst in laughing.

"What happened? Tell me!" Sia shrieked, Argo coughed out a laugh and meowed, "H-he j-just l-lo-looked a-at m-m-me and said, 'seriously?'" everyone burst out laughing at this.

Argo looked around the circle and his eyes landed on Star, "Star, truth or d-" "DARE!" "I dare you to reveal who my sister likes." Star looked between Argo and Sia, deciding if she wanted to take the plunge or betray her friend. She seemed to have decided because she started to walk over to Argo, but at the last second she turned and jumped into the pool, splashing Argo.

Argo jumped back with a yelp. Star dragged herself out of the pool and smirked at Argo, "Did you really think that I would tell you?" Argo scowled but it turned into a grin when everyone else started to laugh.

Star turned to Tyler and asked him, "Truth or dare?" "I'll take a truth, it kind of my thing." Star snorted and gave her truth, "I'm giving you a choice, either tell me who you like or who Argo likes." Tyler's eyes widened and he turned to Argo who was mouthing 'NO' as fast as his mouth could move. Tyler shrugged and went up to Star and whispered something in her ear.

Star listened and burst out laughing, Tyler on the other paw flushed with embarrassment. "What did you tell her?" Hawkclaw asked curiously, "What his crush was." Star said as she controlled her laughing.

"Ty, go, it's your turn." Sia ordered, which for some reason brought Star down to another laugh attack. Hawkclaw turned to Star and asked, "What's so funny?" Star snorted and beckoned for Thorn and Hawkclaw to follow her over to Thorn's corner.

"It's funny because Tyler likes Sia and Sia like him and they don't know it! It's hilarious!" at this Hawkclaw had to laugh and when he finished his laughing he turned around to find Thorn snorting in laughter. Star put a paw to each of their mouths and whispered, "Not a word about this to the three of them out there." Hawkclaw and Thorn nodded and Star led them back out to clearing.

Sia, Tyler, and Argo turned to look at the three of them as the entered the clearing with questions in their eyes. Tyler turned to Thorn and grinned evilly, "Thorn truth or dare?" "Dare! I'm not a coward!" "I dare you to tell us why you're always so grumpy around other cats." "Why? You guys already know." "New guy Hawkclaw doesn't." "Uhg fine, but none of this leaves this clearing. Got it?" he asked, focusing his glare on Hawkclaw. Hawkclaw nodded.

"I'm always grumpy because I miss my family. My mother ran away one night and my father died a few moons after she left. I recently heard that my mother was alive and that she had found a new mate and had another batch of kits."

Hawkclaw hesitated but he hesitantly asked, "What was her name?" Thorn glared at him but he answered, "Her name was Rain. Why'd you ask?" Hawkclaw couldn't believe it, Thorn and Shadowblaze were half-siblings! "No reason." HAwkclaw answered, trying to sound nonchalant. Thorn scowled and asked Hawkclaw, "Truth or dare New Guy?" "Dare and it's Hawkclaw not 'New Guy'." "Go up to the first person you see in camp and tell them that you think that they're a cyclops."

Hawkclaw looked at Thorn in confusion, but shrugged and asked, who's coming with?" Thorn stood, "It was my dare so I'm gonna watch it."

~skip to when Hawkclaw does the dare~

Hawkclaw walked into the camp and the first cat he saw was a dark orange she-cat on her way to a den. He walked up to her and blurted out, "Hello there, y-you look like a cyclops." she turned to look at Hawkclaw and instead of getting offended she said, "Oh dear, are you sick? You seem a bit delusional." then she fastened her teeth into his scruff and dragged him into the medic's den calling out for Shadow.

When it was clear that Shadow wasn't in the den she set Hawkclaw down in the nest next to Shadowblaze and sternly told him to stay there. Then she left.

After she left Hawkclaw got up shaking his head in confusion. 'Well since I'm already here I may as well check on Shadowblaze' he thought. He stepped over to Shadowblaze's nest and nudged her gently, she didn't move.

Hawkclaw frowned, then he noticed that her breaths were coming in short gasps instead of steady breaths. He stepped back from the next in shock and backed toward the entrance. At the entrance he ran into a laughing Thorn.

"Thorn! Could you stay with Shadowblaze while I get Shadow? Thanks! Also she's your half-sister!" Hawkclaw yowled as he darted off to find Shadow.

He found her sitting in a patch of sunlight just outside of the camp. "Shadow! Shadow! There's something wrong with Shadowblaze!" Shadow's eyes had been glazed over as she stared at something in the distance , but at Hawkclaw's words she snapped to attention and bolted into the camp calling for Hawkclaw to get Storm as she ran.

Hawkclaw was worried about Shadowblaze but he trusted her to care for Shadowblaze so he followed her orders. He ran to find Storm and found him curled around a reddish-brown she-cat in the corner of the camp.

"Storm! Shadow wants you in the medic's den right now! It's Shadowblaze!" Storm's head shot up and he muttered a few words into the she-cat's ear before darted to the medic's den. Hawkclaw followed.

Inside the medic's den Shadow was sitting next to Shadowblaze's nest, a sad look on her face. When she heard them come in she told them.

"When Shadowblaze was hit by the monster, it hit her ribs hard enough to break them so that they punctured her lungs. She was lucky to have survived this long." "Well can you heal her?!" Hawkclaw demanded, Shadow turned to him "There's only one way to fix her." At this Hawkclaw understood her meaning, and he gasped, "Shadow! You can't do that! You'll die!" Storm yowled.

"But I'm ready." Shadow whispered. Then she pressed her muzzle Shadowblaze's head and whispered the words that would save Shadowblaze and kill her.

After Shadow finished she turned to Storm and said, Erin will be back from her Initiation ritual with Hunter in two days. (A/N haha did you see what i did?) They can take care for Shadowblaze when they get back."

Then Shadow settled on her nest and whispered, "Goodbye Storm." she shut her eyes and let out her last breath.

For a moment nothing happened, but then Shadowblaze took a breath.