Traveler

No one had sat vigil for my mother. Shadowfade and a few others sat vigil for Snowdrift. I focused hard on what I wanted. Seeing her again. I was deep in a pine grove. I could smell it in every breath. I padded forward. Snowdrift sat under some branches ears twitching towards the sound of prey wrestling. Then she turns around sharply.

"Nightwhisper?" She nuzzles my side. "You're here. Are you alright?"

"As can be expected." I say. "Things are tense. Shadowfade..." Her ears flatten.

"I saw." She says, heartbroken.

"I'm sorry." I say, having nothing else to say.

"Nightwhisper. You have to listen to me. You need to leave the Clan."

"What?"

"Vinejump. He'll kill you." I felt all the pieces click into place. "Your mother did fight against her banishment. I think he always would started that fight though. I think- I think he always would have killed her. For braking the code. It didn't help that she was not exactly quiet of her opinions, or the fact she preferred Branchstar's type of leadership. He's a Code fanatic. He thinks that he's doing StarClan's will. He thinks being half-clan as you are your a danger to the Clan. That you cannot be a loyal warrior. That you are a natural born code breaker." I step back. "I know he's wrong. I know the cat you are, and I'm sorry I didn't do more for you when I was alive."

"Don't apologize. It's water under the thunder-path." I tell her. I rest my tail on her side. "How did you die?" I ask. She hesitates before telling me the truth.

"Vinejump killed me. Because I was your mentor. I suppose he thought that my loyalty to you was stronger than my loyalty to him. That I was on yours and your mother's side. That it would be easier to just be rid of me than to allow me to possibly betray him later." I felt myself being to wake up. "Be on you guard Nightwhisper." She fades, and I'm in the dim light of the Warriors Den. I'm on dawn's hunting patrol. I only catch a vole as I'm to busy with my thoughts. I have no where else to go. The life of a kittypet or loner is not for me. I drop the vole in the prey pile. I pace. I look out over the sea of ShadowClan cats I grew up with. How could I live without any of them? Even Foxleap? It was something I couldn't imagine. StarClan help me. Well there was someone close to StarClan I could talk too. Someone I could actually lean on. Someone wise and caring. I shook my pelt, and made my way to RiverClan. Sometimes when one of us was lonely we would meet at the boarder at Sun high. We were often busy so this didn't happen often. Still she could always say she was collecting herbs, and I was stealthy enough to stay hidden. Her tail twitching nervously. I almost padded right up to her when Sunleaf noticed I was there.

"Oh, Nightwhisper." She rubbed her cheek against mine. "StarClan told me what happed to your mother and mentor! I'm so sorry." We lay next to each other pelt to pelt, and for the first time I feel my grief is truly seen by someone who knows me. Though only StarClan knows of my traveling powers. We talk about nothing for awhile prey, and herbs. Then I finally say.

"I'm only half ShadowClan." She only blinks.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me." She says affectionately.

"Soon the rest of the Clans with know. I doubt ShadowClan will keep to themselves." I finally tell her about the tense atmosphere around me. The distressful looks. About Vinejump's particular hatred of me. I don't tell her anymore that about him. Not yet. It would mean divulging my secret. I have kept all this time. More importantly, it would mean in putting her in danger. She's no fighter.

"I'm so sorry. I will definitely keep an eye on Vine jump. Do you need anything." I shake my head.

"Sunleaf. Don't be surprised if one night I just disappear from lake territory entirely."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't feel it's my home with out my mom. I don't feel safe here. Especially not with Vinejump being the next leader." A half-truth. "Be careful, Sunleaf. Vinestar is dangerous. Protect your Clan against him. He's dangerous. If he becomes leader, I don't know what he'll do." It's the best warning I can give without giving her the details. After a while she speaks again.

"What's your other half anyway? Your said you are half-ShadowClan. What's the other?"

"Rogue. My father was a rogue. They were in love." I leave it at that. She nudges me.

"And here I was hoping you're half-RiverClan." I give a meow of laughter.

"Have you seen me swim!?"