"I didn't steal her!" Tigerpaw meowed.
"Then explain your scent and fur on my kit!" Dappleberry hissed. "Kit stealer!"
"She couldn't have done it!" Lightblaze yowled. "She had been training when Cinderkit was taken!"
"Training for what?" Thistlestar meowed.
Lightblaze hesitated. "Hunting."
"Is it possible that while Tigerpaw was hunting, she could've taken Cinderkit while no one was watching and placed her outside the border?"
"...Yes."
The cats murmured, whispers hissing from one cat to another. Yellowfur sneered at the brown she-cat. "I was wrong. You're not like Tigerstar. You're worse than him!"
Tigerpaw stepped back as Yellowfur swiped at her. "I didn't steal Cinderkit! Flamepaw, tell them it couldn't be me."
Flamepaw hesitated. "Tigerpaw, your scent and fur is evidence of that," he muttered. "I can't tell if it was planted or not."
"Well then," Thistlestar rumbled. "Tigerpaw, I have no choice but to ban you from Thunderclan. You better leave our territory by the time the sun rises to its peak or we will force you out."
Tigerpaw glanced at her father. Disappointment shown in his amber eyes as he looked away. "I never stole that kit." She ran out of the camp as Yellowfur attempted to claw her again.
~♡~
"Stop!" Tigerpaw spun around to see three cats, Windclan cats, chasing after her. She stopped, knowing that they would quickly overpower her. "This is Windclan territory, Thunderclan scum," a gray tom snarled.
"I-I'm no longer Thunderclan." Tigerpaw mewed, scrunching into a small ball. Her fear-scent was noticeably strong. "I've been exiled."
"Why would Thistlestar exile an apprentice?" A brown she-cat with soft blue eyes asked.
"I don't know." Tigerpaw lied, sensing that telling them wasn't a smart idea. "He and his deputy talked and agreed to kick me out."
The two cats glanced at each other. Suddenly a puff of fur and limbs pushed between them at stared at Tigerpaw.
"Hi!" The black and gray tom mewed. "I'm Emberpaw! I'm a new apprentice. Who are you?"
"Emberpaw stay back." The brown she-cat hissed.
"But Featherwind-"
"No buts!" Featherwind mewed. She looked at Tigerpaw. "We will take you to our camp. Flightstar will decide what we will do for you."
"Thank you." Tigerpaw mewed.
"Pebblenose, will you finish the hunt with Emberpaw?" Featherwind asked. Pebblenose nodded and ran off with Emberpaw stumbling behind.
Tigerpaw followed Featherwind through the grass to the Windclan camp, the short-legged apprentice struggling to keep up with the agile Windclan warrior.
Her ears pricked up when she heard the murmur of cats behind a bundle of bushes. "Is this the camp?" Tigerpaw asked.
Featherwind nodded and pushed through a barely visible entrance to the camp. Tigerpaw followed, hissing softly when the branches pulled at her thick fur.
Conversations stopped when Tigerpaw emerged from the brush. Lean cats sat up, some standing in defensive stances, staring at her warily.
Flightstar emerged from his den and padded up to Tigerpaw. He's gentle green eyes had a glimmer of surprise to see she was an apprentice.
"Longwhisker had told me a Thunderclan cat was in our camp." He mused. "He never said it was an apprentice. Has Thistlestar sent you?"
"No. He exiled me."
Flightstar flicked his ears in surprise. "And why would he do that?" Tigerpaw looked around nervously. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my clan."
"...He exiled me for kit stealing."
Hisses erupted from the clan, mothers pulling their kits close to them and wariors standing in front of them.
"But I didn't. Some cat framed me. I'd never steal a kit."
Flightstar looked thoughtful. "What is your name, apprentice?"
"Tigerpaw." Tigerpaw answered. "I'm nothing like Tigerstar though. All we share is a name and family."
Flightstar nodded slowly. "Come into my den, Tigerpaw." Turning he flicked his tail to beckon the small she-cat.
The cats parted to let their leader and the apprentice through. A bulky black and white tom attempted to follow, but Flightstar stopped him.
Once inside the cozy den, Flightstar nestled down in his nest. He gazed at Tigerpaw with his unusually wise eyes.
"Thistlestar is an ambitious cat." He meowed. "Even when he was a small kit, he strived to become leader. He knew he could do it, so he became the most powerful warrior I know."
Tigerpaw tilted her head. "What has this to do with me?"
"Thistlestar has been leader longer than I have been leader." Flightstar mewed. "He's not ready to let that power go. If he sees a threat to his leadership, he'll get rid of it."
"But I don't want to be leader." Tigerpaw said.
"He's blinded by power, Tigerpaw. That's why I left Thunderclan."
Tigerpaw widened her eyes. "You were Thunderclan!?"
"Indeed. But I was also Thistlestar's brother." Flightstar looked down at his paws. "I was a weak kit. Thin, fatigued, practically dead. The medicine cat had told my mother and brother I may not live through leafbare." Flightstar dug his claws into his nest. "Thistlestar didn't even comfort our mother when she was grieving."
Tigerpaw stayed silent, not sure how to answer.
"I got better quickly. Thistlestar was made an apprentice before me, but I didn't care. When he visited me, I told him he'd make a brilliant warrior. He said he'd be a brilliant leader and a terrible warrior." Flightstar looked into the distance. "I made the mistake of telling him becoming leader would be a difficult goal that he may not achieve."
"What did he do?"
"He snuck me out of camp and shoved me into a fox den, hoping the fox would kill me. I had escaped into Windclan and have lived here ever since." Flightstar sighed. "He thinks I'm dead."
"Does he not recognize you or your scent?" Tigerpaw mewed.
"I'm not sure." Flightstar pricked his ears as his deputy shouldered his way into the den. "Yes, Badgerclaw?"
"The clan wants to know what we are doing with the kit." Badgerclaw rumbled. "They're getting anxious."
"We'll be right out." Flightstar waited for the black and white tom to exit, then looked at Tigerpaw. "You'll stay here until full moon. By then, we will mention what happened and hopefully Thunderclan will take you back."
"Thank you."
The Windclan leader stood up. "Come. It's time for our meal."
