Item grants shift after charge: is shift part of charge action?

Question

1. The item Boots of Adept Charging has the following property: After charging, you can shift 1 square before your turn ends.
2. If I'm Hidden and Charge an enemy I would become unhidden after the charge action.
3. The stealth rules specify that you can't use an action to become hidden if that very action caused you to become unhidden.
4. By means of several feats and features, I'm able to use a Shift over one square to become hidden.

Now, if I charge an enemy while I'm hidden, could I use the granted shift to become hidden?

I'm unsure. On one hand the property of the item includes "After charging..." suggesting the charge is over when the benefit of the item kicks in. On the other hand it is ambiguous because normally you can't perform any action after a charge except for free actions. But it's not specified what kind of action the granted shift is and I'd either deem it a No Action or part of the triggering action. But that is just a gut feeling and I'd rather have something more tangible.

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PS: If you are interested about bullet point 4: It's a rogue with the Cunning Sneak class feature, the feat Improved Cunning Sneak and Long Step. Therefore I increase the shift 1 to a shift 2. This is a movement of 2 squares and I could possibly use Cunning Sneak to become hidden if I had any concealment. Getting concealment until the end of the current/next turn is possible by various means (e.g. Encounter powers, dim light...)

Answer 1

Unfortunately, yes

Looking at the commentary here and extrapolating, the shift granted by the boots modifies the charge, instead of being a free action of its own. Therefore, by the rules of hidden club, you're out of luck when it comes to rehiding after your charge attack.

All hope is not lost, however. Consider unstoppable charge with a fighter MC:

Unstoppable Charge Epic Tier Prerequisite: 21st level, Str 21, Con 17, fighter Benefit: Your turn does not automatically end after you charge; you can take further actions.

The MAD is absolutely painful, but it allows you to effectively charge and then take a move action.

An additional review of the mobile warrior after a charge discussion supports this reading. Furthermore, unless specifically contradicted, the charge rules prohibit even free actions after a charge (don't read to the end of that thread, as it induces headaches). So a power that gives you a free move action at the end. To do this as a once per day thing, you could probably argue that a battlemind's inconstant location overrides charge, though there is no evidence for or against that. Furthremore it's such a huge investment of resources that it doesn't really make sense to do so.

Your best bet is persistent tail. As your turn order is: activate persistent tail from hiding, charge, then shift back into concealment/cover, you'll be able to activate persistent tail when the enemy moves, and effectively resume stealth from them.

Answer 2

Just to add to what Brian wrote, and to argue it in a different mannner.

The text you provided reads:

"After charging, you can shift 1 square before your turn ends."

This means, that once you have charged, you may shift as an aftereffect of your charge. Your turn then ends and you can only do free actions.

If it was the case that this shifting was a free action which happened after your charge was complete, then the text would have read.

"After charging, you can shift 1 square as a free action before your turn ends."