West Woods: Sliverstone's Destiny

24 -- Rogue

"I heard you're Duskfall's daughter." Heatherfur entered the new medicine cat den that had been recently discovered. Emeraldclaw was frantically trying to organize her herbs into nicks and crannies of the rocky walls of the abandoned badger den.

"And I heard you're our former leader," the gray she-cat answered, nose deep in yellow flowers. She looked over her shoulder. "Never heard of you." Then shoved her nose in her herbs again.

"Amberstar never mentioned me?" Heatherfur questioned.

"Nope."

"Not even your father or Cottonwillow or Dustfeather?"

"Nope."

Heatherfur paused. No wonder everyone looked at her funny. "Did you know Milkywillow?"

"My mentor."

"Yeah. Didn't talk about the past leaders?"

"No. She did say something about Firestar once. I can't remember what." Heatherfur was growing frustrated. How she was being treated was no different then being taken in as a rogue. A sinister rogue.

"No one remembers me then?"

Emeraldclaw glared at the silver she-cat. "I guess Father does. What are you doing in my den anyway?"

Heatherfur stiffened. "Uh, I used to come to Milkywillow for advice." She added, "When I was a warrior here."

"I guess we've changed." She grabbed a mouthful of the yellow flowers and stuffed them into a dent she had found. "I'd like to be alone. I'm busy right now."

Heatherfur felt her jaw drop a little. "Oh. Okay, sorry. I'll... go."

"Bye."

"Heatherfur."

"Heatherfur." The former leader walked out of the den, hurt. Does no one care I'm back?

"Hey Heatherfur!" Her head shot up. The familiar ginger and black pelt relieved her.

"Ashtail! Cold Waters, I'm glad to see you!" She raced over to the older warrior. She had been taken in as a rogue when Honeywing was still in the Clan. Obviously rogues were treated much better when her idol was around.

"Hey!" Three apprentices followed her, one being Goldenstrike's supposed daughter. "I noticed the Clan isn't too familiar with you. I thought spending time with our new additions would help you come back in."

Two of the small apprentices squinted menacingly while the other was truly curious. "Nutpaw here's a rogue, too. You'll get along nicely." Heatherfur flinched. She knew Ashtail didn't mean it that way, but it felt as if she had straight-up called her a rogue.

"Thanks," Heatherfur meowed half-heartedly, and Ashtail padded away, leaving the apprentices with her.

Heatherfur pointed to Sunnypaw. "You're Goldenstrike's ki—"

"How do you know my mom?" Sunnypaw hissed. Heatherfur felt her fur stand on end. "I don't care what they say about you being here before, but a rogue is a rogue."

"We never trust rogues here," Nutpaw snapped. Heatherfur diced her head. How ironic.

"You're not a BrambleClan cat. You're no better than that traitor Clan FireClan."

Heatherfur hissed. "But they've—"

Nutpaw slashed at her nose and blood began to leak into her mouth. "Go back to FireClan, rogue!"

Heatherfur began to back off. She didn't want to start a fight with her own Clan's apprentices. "Who taught you to be so disrespectful?" she spat, but Nutpaw and Sunnypaw had ignored her, shouting insults and threats toward the former leader.

Heatherfur looked to the silent Bumblepaw for support, but he just stared back at her with baffled, yellow eyes and fled from the scene. Then she felt a sharp pain in her foreleg. Nutpaw had bitten into her, teeth deep in her flesh. Sunnypaw reeled with delight.

The former leader snarled and booted Nutpaw from her leg, and he fell awkwardly on his back and tumbled over twice. Sunnypaw stared at him with shock. Heatherfur looked up and saw Cottonwillow and her mate watching her with disgust. "Cottonwillow!" Heatherfur called out.

"The apprentice is right," Dustfeather hissed. "Rogues will be rogues." Heatherfur sniffed, feeling blood run up her nostril.

Sunnypaw turned to her. "Go back to FireClan, rogue!" Heatherfur felt her eyes well, and as Duskfall came into view, she turned for the river and fled.