"Tell me, Fireheart - what is the best punishment for a traitor?" Bluestar's gaze was darker than the shadows in ShadowClan's territory, and even the den around us. Even though the only dim light came from the sun outside, I could easily tell that she was angry-no, furious that I stopped the fight with WindClan.

My mind was drawn to the recent events that led me to my current situation. A dog pack had been discovered to be somewhere in the forest. That much we were certain. My breath was caught in my throat and I barely managed to stutter, "I-I don't know, Bluestar…"

My leader's eyes turned more loathing, then light, as if all the prey in the forest had just come running into our territory. "Oh, but I do. Yes… yes I know." She paused, as if her thought was too good for me to hear. "You will leave, Fireheart. NOW. Get off ThunderClan territory for good."

Shock crashed into me, sharper than any claw. "N-No! ThunderClan is my home! Bluestar, I-"

Bluestar hissed sharply. "Your home? Your home?! How dare you call ThunderClan your home? You've gone and betrayed us all! You warned WindClan of the attack I planned! You… you…" Bluestar was cut off mid-rant. She coughed; her eyes were filled with pain and hatred.

"Bluestar…" I whispered.

"Get… out… now… traitor…" She snarled. "Go join that clan that is clearly so much more important to you."

I padded out of my lea- I mean my former leader's den slowly. A steady wind blew around me and chilled my flame - colored fur to the bone, though I am still unsure whether it was that or Bluestar's fury that made me so cold.

Sandstorm bounded across the clearing, worry bright in her emerald green gaze. "Fireheart! What happened? Has Blu-" She began, but a gray tail across her mouth cut her off.

"We will have nothing to do with exiled warriors, Sandstorm." Bluestar snarled, then leapt up to the Highrock.

I glanced toward Sandstorm. Her mouth was wider than Highstones, and she just stared at me, speechless. "Fi-… Fireheart?" She managed.

I sighed and turned toward Bluestar. She had already summoned the clan together.

"I present you with Fireheart, now a traitor."

A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered her using those same words to exile Tigerstar.

"He has betrayed us all by warning WindClan of our attack, and I have exiled him from the clan. If you see him on our territory, kill him." Without waiting for a response, she slithered down the Highrock and attempted to return to her den.

"W-wait! Bluestar!" Whitestorm called. "You cannot exile him for that! We never needed to fight WindClan, anyway! Dogs stole our prey, not them!"

At the mention of the dogs, Bluestar's gaze snapped to her friend. "There are no dogs, Whitestorm! I am disappointed in you! I expected at least you to have more sense than a kit!" She began walking back to her den.

"Who will be deputy now?" I heard Darkstripe call.

Expect Darkstripe of all cats to worry over the new deputy rather than the old one…

"There will not be one," Bluestar announced, before disappearing into her den.

The entire clan was speechless. Whitestorm padded over to me silently. "You'd better go now," he whispered. "I will take care of the clan. At moonhigh tonight, meet me at the WindClan border."

I remained silent as I watched the white warrior follow his leader into her den before sliding around my former clanmates and padding out of the fern tunnel.

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Long, rolling grass surrounded the hollow of Four Trees as I followed Bluestar to the gathering. The bright sun of new leaf shone down and welcomed my clan and me. Optimism swelling within my chest, I padded over to the spot in front of the Great Rock where the deputies of the other clans sat. The RiverClan deputy Mistyfoot greeted me with a small purr of welcome.

Giving a mighty leap, Bluestar hopped onto the rock. Her gaze scanned the clan cats; it froze like a startled deer on me. "Fireheart!" Her voice attracted the attention of all the cats. "He is still here, but he has gone and betrayed us all!

A loud hiss of fury erupted from the other cats. Hating eyes turned onto me. Tigerstar leaned down from the Great Rock and whispered, "You've lost, kittypet."

"Kill him!" Bluestar shrieked, yowling a loud battle-cry.

My gaze was suddenly filled with the different pelt colors of multiple cats, all trying to reach me. The last thing I saw was Spottedleaf. She stared at me; her eyes were unsympathetic.

"Spottedleaf! Help me! Please!" I cried in terror.

"Spottedleaf, Spottedleaf, Spottedleaf! You never did love me, did you? It was all about her!" Sandstorm's hating mew sounded in my ear as her claws met my leg.

"No! It was never like that, I-"

"Forget about it, Fireheart. I never loved you, anyway." Spottedleaf's cruel mew was the last thing I heard as I was lost under the mad tangle of claws.

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"Fireheart? Fireheart!"

My eyes snapped open to see Whitestorm standing over me. His amber eyes were filled with pity and concern.

"Must've been an awful dream," the large white warrior mewed.

"Yeah," I began, but Sandstorm's worried mew cut me off.

"Oooohhhh, Fireheart! I was so worried about you!" The pale orange she-cat's tongue rasped over me as if I would disappear when she stopped. "How could Bluestar do this?! I don't care if she's ThunderClan's leader, you-"

Whitestorm laid his tail over her mouth. "Enough, Sandstorm. Bluestar has been having… problems recently." When Sandstorm looked away in anger, Whitestorm turned back to me. "There really is only one option here, Fireheart. ShadowClan would never assist any other clan. Leopardstar still hates you for Whiteclaw's death. WindClan is your only hope. You must go to Tallstar and beg to join WindClan until Bluestar can be reasoned with."