Story Part 11 *The Truth, Section 1*

Snowstar gaped at the evil eyes all around her. After a bit, she saw one of them blink slowly and deliberatly. She bounded over to the eyes, which disappeared as she came towards them. She sniffed the wind, and tasted fox. She followed the footprints. They lead to a huge cave, so she went in. All through the cave, she could only smell fox. She went down one tunnel, and found a huge opening that formed a cave inside a cave. At least fifteen huge foxes were in it! Snowstar gaped at how huge they were. All of them were nearly two times the size of a normal fox, and barking away.
Suddenly, Snowstar felt a draft besides her, and as she looked, Brackenheart appeared by her side. "They are on the edge of your territory." Then he touched her nose, and suddenly the barking was translated.
"Those cats on our territory must be gotten rid of." snarled one.
"Yes"
"Yes"
"Yes"
"All in good time," came the smooth reply of a black-coated fox. This fox was like none Snowstar had seen before, even larger than the others. "First, we will spy on them, and figure out an ingeneus plan to take over their 'camp'." This fox was obviously the leader of the others.
Brackenheart touched her nose again, and the words faded into barking again.
"The two will save us from this, right?" meowed Snowstar.
Brackenheart nodded, and then began to leave the cave. Snowstar followed numbly. But two of my kits left. And they were the two I thought most certain to be the two. I guess I was wrong. When she looked up again, she was back in the snowy camp. She climbed back into the warriors den and sealed up the entrance.
*   The   *   Next   *   Morning   *
It was snowy, but that didn't stop Winterpaw from trudging through the white flakes to the elder's den, where the elders had relocated to after the storm.
"What's the truth?" questioned Winterpaw. "Can you really speak twoleg?"
"Yes, I can," answered Shortwhisker. "I learned it by sneaking into a twoleg nest day after day and watching the moving-picture box, with sound too! I saw the pictures, heard the sounds, and began to understand." At this, she let out a harsh call, a sound Winterpaw had only heard come from twolegs. "I just said 'cat' in twoleg," she answered, looking at the puzzled expression on his face.
*   In   *   The   *   Apprentice   *   Den   *
"It's true," announced Winterpaw to Lilypaw. "Shortwhisker really CAN speak twoleg."
"Wow!" gasped Lilypaw. "She should speak to them more often! She would be able to convince them not to come on our territory!"
"I don't think so," meowed Winterpaw. "The twolegs would probably think she was crazy, or that it was going insane."
"You're probably right again," she answered. "Snowstar is so upset about Eaglepaw and Etharpaw disapppearing," she continued in a whisper. "Do you think we should have told her the truth? I feel so guilty."
"No," Winterpaw whispered back. "You know she would probably be even more upset. She would feel like she has to help them."
"You're probably right AGAIN!" she exclaimed. "Even though, I wonder how Eaglepaw and Etharpaw are."