Stoneclaw led the way back to camp with Pigeonfeather and Thunderfoot trailing behind him. Burningfire followed behind the two young warriors, making sure they didn't cause any trouble. Crimsonpaw and Splash padded at the back of the patrol.

Crimsonpaw was surprised Stoneclaw wasn't guarding Splash- the strange rogue who had attacked his warriors. He somehow deemed Pigeonfeather and Thunderfoot more trouble than Splash. She was glad the grey warrior made that decision; it was the right one.

The patrol returned to camp, padding down the small tunnel and into the main clearing. Crimsonpaw saw most of the clan were out of their dens, looking up in interest as the patrol appeared.

She gasped in surprise when a golden spotted pelt threw himself at her, causing her to fall over. She looked up into the blue eyes of Jaguarpaw and smiled as he grinned happily down at her.

"Crimsonpaw! You were gone all night long! Where were you?" The apprentice demanded as he let her stand again.

"It's a long story, and I'm sure Stoneclaw will explain enough to make it clear." Crimsonpaw replied, shaking her pelt. Jaguarpaw glanced at Stoneclaw just as the grey tom started speaking.

"This rogue, who calls herself Splash, was found attacking Pigeonfeather and Thunderfoot." The tom began, watching his clan mates as they turned to glare at Splash. "But strangely, all she required was information on how our two young warriors had attempted to murder Crimsonpaw." His words sent shockwaves of murmurs throughout the clan as the processed his announcement.

Frozenstar rose her voice against the crowd as she climbed onto the Highrock, her ice blue eyes narrowed. "They tried to murder Crimsonpaw? What kind of nonsense is this?" The white and grey dappled she cat demanded, glaring at Splash. "Are you trying to get my warriors banished my making up lies?

"It is not a lie, I saw them attack her." Splash growled, her wings twitching restlessly against her back.

"You're lying!" Shadowtail snarled. "You're just siding with your winged freak friends and making up mouse-brained stories!" The deputy lashed his tail.

Crimsonpaw heard Splash growl angrily, her ears flattened. The grey she cat glanced briefly at Crimsonpaw. "I don't know how you stand such rude behaviour." She muttered, glancing back at the Flameclan deputy. "It is all true, Stoneclaw and Burningfire both heard these two fox-hearts confess to the attempted murder of Crimsonpaw!"

Crimsonpaw flinched as she felt the heavy gazes of her clan mates turn to her. She spotted her parents watching her from the far end of camp, their eyes narrowed to slits. Her siblings sat beside their parents, their heads bowed and not meeting her gaze.

Frozenstar cleared her throat, and the almost suffocating attention on Crimsonpaw was lifted. "Pigeonfeather, Thunderfoot." The two warriors looked up at their leader. "Did you attempt to kill Crimsonpaw?"

"No." Pigeonfeather growled, his grey fur bristling.

"...Yes." Thunderfoot murmured, hanging his head as his brother gave him a sharp look.

Frozenstar's lips formed a straight line. "Stoneclaw? Burningfire?" She glanced at the two witnesses- they both nodded. The white and grey she cat shook her head sadly. "Pigeonfeather and Thunderfoot... You are hereby banished from Flameclan. If you are seen on our territory by sundown today, your former clan mates will treat you as they would to any rogue."

Pigeonfeather dug his claws into the ground and snarled. "Crimsonpaw killed Pebblepaw! That's why we did it!"

Frozenstar narrowed her eyes at Crimsonpaw. She bit her lip, trying to act as innocent as she could. She breathed a sigh of relief as Frozenstar glanced back at the two banished warriors. "You are still exiled, this changes nothing. We will look further into Pebblepaw's death once we have gotten rid of you."

The two grey warriors let out snarls of outrage before turning and fleeing from camp, hopefully never to be seen ever again.

Jaguarpaw leaned against Crimsonpaw and murmured. "What do we do now? Stay quiet, hope nothing happens?"

Crimsonpaw hissed back, her voice low. "Be quiet, someone'll hear you." She glanced around, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw no one was paying attention to her or the spotted tom.

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Later that day, just as the sun dipped behind the moorland hills of their territory, Crimsonpaw padded past the leader's den. She stopped when she heard voices inside. Frozenstar was in a meeting with the senior warriors. She had no idea what they were discussing, but she guessed it had something to do with her, as most things were.

"-Crimsonpaw can't be trusted." She heard Shadowtail mutter from within the den. Of course the deputy hates me, his apprentice was Pebblepaw.

"Do you think she killed Pebblepaw?" Frozenstar asked her deputy.

"No doubt about it." Shadowtail growled. "Crimsonpaw always caused trouble for Pebblepaw, it seems obvious she would try and kill him."

That lying piece of fox-dung! Crimsonpaw stifled a growl, pressing closer to the den wall to listen more to the conversation.

"Yes," Ashwhisper murmured, her voice sounding closer to Crimsonpaw, "I have seen those two arguing sometimes in camp. There is something going on."

"Then why was there fox scent everywhere?" Obsidianpelt demanded. "Crimsonpaw would never kill a fellow clan mate, she's too soft-hearted to commit such an act."

He just had to add in that extra part at the end, didn't he? Crimsonpaw bared her teeth. Her father really did hate her, didn't he? She sighed. At least he was standing up for her before the leader, even if he was insulting her at the same time.

"I do have to agree with Obsidianpelt here..." Stoneclaw meowed. "I find it hard to believe Crimsonpaw would do such a thing."

"Pigeonfeather wouldn't just announce such a big lie like that though." Ashwhisper pointed out. "I think it's quiet believable that Crimsonpaw killed Pebblepaw."

"Then tell me how she got the fox scent on him without leaving a trace of her own." Obsidianpelt muttered.

"Easy." Shadowtail answered. Crimsonpaw could hear the grin on his lips as he explained. "She let the fox do the work. All she needed to do was lead him to a fox and leave him to die there."

Murmurs echoed around the den, and Crimsonpaw bit her lip nervously. Oh no... Will Frozenstar kick me out now?

"Also, what's up with Splash? She definitely has some sort of connection with Crimsonpaw, they must be planning something." Ashwhisper muttered.

Shadowtail growled. "Crimsonpaw got rid of Pebblepaw, Splash got rid of Pigeonfeather and Thunderfoot. Smells like trouble is being brewed between them to me."

"Are you only saying this because Splash has wings?" Obsidianpelt growled.

Shadowtail chuckled. "Didn't you once say that your tribe was very loyal to one another? Seems to me like Crimsonpaw and Splash are forming an alliance to fight against us."

Obsidianpelt scoffed. "Impossible!"

"Not really.." Frozenstar murmured. "It is entirely possible, actually."

Ashwhisper asked. "What are we going to do?"

"For now, we will keep an eye on Crimsonpaw. If she does anything suspicious again, we will discuss some more before making a final decision." Frozenstar meowed and the den fell silent in agreement.

There was rustling as cats stood up and Crimsonpaw took the opportunity to leave quickly and quietly, unnoticed.

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