Ebonywind first heard Cloudstalk's yowl. She grumbled but stood up reluctantly. Knowing they were going to be hunting, she stretched quickly and waited for the others to rise. Small snowflakes drifted to the ground and Ebonywind's paws were almost frozen from the snow.

"Alright," Cloudstalk mewed. "Ebonywind, you can lead a hunting patrol. Take three cats. I'll lead the other."

Ebonywind couldn't have been more grateful of her and Cloudstalk's friendship despite the whole Clan disliking her. She eventually chose Frostdapple, Foxpaw and Slategaze for her patrol. They had all been rather nice to her.

"Slategaze, why don't you ask Foxpaw some questions, after all, he's only an apprentice," Ebonywind suggested.

"Don't tell me how to train my apprentice!" Slategaze hissed back before dropped her head. "Sorry, I know that he was your old apprentice. Thanks. Hey, Foxpaw?"

Foxpaw looked up from where he was sniffing some bracken for prey.

"What can you smell?" Slategaze asked.

"Bush, you guys and...a badger!" Foxpaw's tail lifted high defensively.

"Badger attack formation!" Ebonywind yowled and the cats formed a circle around Foxpaw, who was the weakest.

A black and white badger lumbered out of the bushes, roaring. It was massive, a little larger than Ebonywind and the cats in her patrol combined.

"I don't think this badger is happy..." Frostdapple stepped backwards slowly.

"I don't either," Slategaze breathed, her jaw open in shock.

Ebonywind put up a defensive stance, growling. The badger swiped at her with a massive forepaw that was the size of an apprentice. It missed, but barely.

Foxpaw charged at the badger, ignoring Slategaze's cry to stop. The badger simply swatted him aside. Foxpaw fell from a height, crumpling into a tree.

Frostdapple and Ebonywind attacked flank to flank while Slategaze attacked from behind but the badger, covered in long gashes and blood, didn't run. Then Ebonywind noticed something. "It's pregnant!"

Frostdapple stopped mid-attack, causing the badger to turn its attention to her.

"Go back to camp, I'll hold it off! Get Foxpaw!" Ebonywind commanded the cats.

Frostdapple flicked her with a tail before running off with Slategaze and an unconscious Foxpaw.

"Hey ugly!" Ebonywind shouted at the badger. "I can beat you-"

She was cut off by having to dodge as a foot tried to step on her.

Time to run.

A few days later, Ebonywind listened to Cloudstalk. They were having a 'semi' Clan meeting.

"There isn't any prey left here," Cloudstalk growled. "We have to move back."

"I agree," Ebonywind dipped her head respectfully before speaking. "We've had to fight foxes and badgers for the prey here and there isn't much left. It'll make more sense if we leave."

"We have to stay! Rowanstar ordered us!" Speckleflower argued.

"We're staying," Slategaze agreed calmly.

"I'm the leader of this mission, and I say we're leaving!" Cloudstalk snarled before proceeding to walk away from their camp.

Ebonywind shrugged before following her and gradually all the cats followed.

"You're back!" Rowanstar greeted them cheerily. "Leaf-bare has eased a bit, so it's fine. I was going to send a messenger anyways."

"I told you so," Cloudstalk hissed to Speckleflower.

The tortoiseshell cat snorted before stalking out of the camp. A bad feeling settled in Ebonywind's chest. She hurried after Speckleflower. "Wait up!" she called.

"What do you want?" Speckleflower growled angrily.

"Come back to camp, please," Ebonywind begged.

The bad feeling grew.

"Why would I listen to someone like you? Traitor to the Clan!" the she-cat huffed.

Something's going to happen.

"Please! You'll regret it!" Ebonywind wished she hadn't said that as soon as she said it.

"I'll regret it? Is that a threat?" Speckleflower leaned forward into Ebonywind's face, her eyes dark. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Ebonywind's instincts saved her. She ducked, and if she was a little slower, her ear would've been sliced off. Speckleflower stood in front of her, claws unsheathed and gleaming, eyes filled with rage.

"You have ruined my life!" Speckleflower lunged for her but Ebonywind dodged.

"Stop, I don't understand!" she cried before ducking a blow.

I don't want to hurt her, but I can't keep dodging!

An idea struck her, and she ran. Dimly, she was aware of the enraged she-cat behind her but finally, she arrived at the camp. "Help!" she started to say before realizing Speckleflower hadn't followed her.

Curious and a little frightened, Ebonywind retraced her steps, which was easy due to the thick and fluffy snow. A body lay on the ground, a fallen tree across her leg.

Speckleflower.

"Is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?" Rowanstar said carefully, afraid to upset the cranky she-cat.

"It is," Speckleflower grunted confidently but Ebonywind could see the regret in her dark amber eyes.

"Then I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest." Rowanstar finished.

"Rowanstar!"

Ebonywind whipped her head around to see Foxpaw standing up hesitantly.

"Yes, Foxpaw?" Rowanstar tilted his head.

"I don't want to be a warrior. Ever since the badger..." Foxpaw shivered before continuing. "Ever since the badger, I can't kill after I saw our patrol try to kill a pregnant badger. I want to change to a medicine cat."

Ebonywind let out a weak purr. The elderly medicine cat, Littlecloud, had died during the time she was away from the Clan, and Puddleshine needed a new apprentice. Hazelpond had also passed away during a more recent night and she was found in her nest, freezing cold and deathly still.

ShadowClan had been able to attend the most recent Gathering, and Ebonywind had learnt that all the other Clans were suffering, but not as much as ShadowClan. She had cheered for the new RiverClan deputy and held silence for three ThunderClan elders that had died. WindClan hadn't had any deaths this moon, only new apprentices.

Lucky them.

"Foxpaw, from now on, you will be a medicine cat apprentice." Rowanstar looked at the tom. "Good luck."

Ebonywind's life continued, progress was painfully slow and she kept mucking up over and over again. At one point, she had lost a fat vole, and Ashblaze had almost killed her.

"Ashblaze, make your point." Rowanstar said, his voice cold.

"She lost a fat vole. It wasn't even wary! She just pounced on the wrong spot!" Ashblaze snarled.

"Witness?" Rowanstar questioned.

"I'm sorry, Ebonywind," Frostdapple shuffled her paws awkwardly. "But he's right."

"Sorry," Sandleaf echoed. "I saw you do it too."

Betrayed.

"Exile!" Speckleflower yowled from the elders' den.

Even as an elder, her voice was very loud.

Soon to be exiled.

"Exile!" Ashblaze and Sandleaf joined in, while Frostdapple stayed silent.

Ebonywind fumed, her brain a turmoil.

A traitor to her Clan.

"All in favour of exile?" Rowanstar stood up on a small perch.

Ebonywind closed her eyes and waited.

Alone.

The seconds ticked by and she heard Rowanstar speak. She pricked her ears to hear him clearly.

"Ebonywind is staying!"