"I can!" The words were falling out of Ashpaw's mouth before she could stop them, and her paws whisked her away to the medicine den, where Yarrowtuft was already standing, eyes narrowed at Ashpaw.

Cherryjump was at her side, tail flicking. "Follow me, both of you." She cast a sharp glance at Owlpaw. "Ripplesight will bring you over as soon as you're ready, understood?"

The medicine cat apprentice barely had a chance to nod before the three were off, racing through the camp, bursting into the woods.

Everything seemed to be blurred to Ashpaw, the towering forms of pine trees melding into one indistinct blur of brown and green. Needles scratched at her paws, and several times the grey apprentice stumbled on outstretched roots, paws tumbling.

She could see Cherryjump and Yarrowtuft pulling ahead, and she cursed her paws, trying desperately to catch up to the fading forms of the two cats. Yet with every step, the forest seemed to drag at her, trees jumping to life, roots reaching for her paws, fallen branches clawing at her stomach, until hazy figures of Cherryjump and Yarrowtuft had completely disappeared from view.

They had left her behind.

Ashpaw pushed herself up to her paws, wincing. Why couldn't she have kept up? Now she was going to have to return home, alone and a failure.

She was sick and tired of being a failure.

But she had no clue on where the injured cat was, or who had even ended up being hurt. Her only option was to go home....

Charpaw was waiting when Ashpaw neared the camp. Her sister's russet fur was meticulously groomed, suddenly making Ashpaw aware of the leaves and clutter in her own fur.

"So," the other apprentice mewed, staring down Ashpaw. "You got lost, huh?" Charpaw snickered, shaking her head, before settling back fully composed and poised, the epitome of grace. "Well that's disappointing."

Ashpaw ducked her head. "It's not my fault. They were running too fast." But even as she said the words, the bitter taste of a lie coated her mouth.

It was her fault.

Charpaw scoffed, looking down at Ashpaw with scorn clear on her face. "Sure. And it's not your fault you couldn't jump properly when training. And I'm sure it's not your fault that you sneezed right before catching a mouse. And it certainly isn't your fault that you're too clumsy to actually be any good at anything."

Ashpaw flattened her ears, anger stinging just as much as her sister's hurtful words. "I'm not useless," she muttered, trying to fold in on herself, trying to hide.

"Oh really? When's the last time you were praised? And Nightbloom doesn't count. That meek excuse for a warrior would compliment a leaf for falling off a tree."

Something snapped in Ashpaw, and she pounced, shoving Charpaw down to the ground, the two apprentices tumbling in the dust. "Don't talk about Nightbloom that way!" She hissed, her paws catching in Charpaw's fur.

Charpaw yeowled and tried to scratch Ashpaw, and the darker apprentice recoiled, claws glinting just a whisker's breadth. "How dare you attack me!" Charpaw snarled, slamming on top of Ashpaw.

Ashpaw writhed under her sister's hold, then kicked her back paws against the russet apprentice's stomach, knocking her away. "Quit acting like you're better than me!" She retorted, getting up and starting to bound away.

Charpaw was after her in an instant, swiping at Ashpaw's back legs with unsheathed claws. "I am better than you," she said in a low growl, knocking out Ashpaw's legs. "You're just too dumb to realize that."

Ashpaw let out a sharp cry and twisted, fumbling over her sister, sprawling out onto the ground. "Why do you hate me so much?" She cried, swiping her sister's legs out from under her.

Charpaw hit down with a heavy thud, and Ashpaw took the opportunity to rise over her, poised to strike if her sister even moved.

But she didn't move.

She screamed.

"Don't kill me!" The russet apprentice sobbed, screwing up her face into one of fear and pain.

Ashpaw hesitated, confused. Kill her? Did she look like that was what she was trying to do? Why had her sister changed in only a split second, from angry and powerful, to a whimpering mess?

The reasoning for her sister's cries became startlingly clear to Ashpaw as paws slammed into her shoulder, knocking her sideways and into a tree.

Letting out a groan, she saw Whitetail leaning over Charpaw, concern clear with his every movement. But then his gaze caught on Ashpaw, and the anger in his yellow eyes was unlike anything she had seen before.

"Why?"

Just one word, yet it was so full of venom and hatred it made Ashpaw shiver. "I didn't do anything," she protested, yet she knew no matter what she said, Whitetail had made up his mind that Ashpaw was in the wrong.

The only thing she could feel was fear.

Ashpaw kept her head lowered as Whitetail recounted everything he had seen to Maplestar.

Leafgaze and Hazefoot were sitting in the corner of the Leader's den, and Ashpaw hated the disappointed looks on her parents faces.

She hadn't really been listening to the dappled tom, but as he neared the end of his tale, she gave him her full attention. "-and when I came out of the forest, I saw Ashpaw leaning over her, with unsheathed claws, ready to slice her sister's throat."

Ashpaw jumped to her paws, indignant fury burning in her. "That's not what happened!" She protested, glaring at the tom. "I hadn't even done anything, and then Charpaw started screaming and wailing."

Charpaw let out an exaggerated sniffle. "Don't listen to her, Maplestar," the apprentice begged. "If it wasn't for Whitetail, Ashpaw probably would have killed me." The whimper in her sister's voice made Ashpaw feel sick.

"That's not what happened, and you know it." Ashpaw lashed her tail. "She started mocking Nightbloom. That's the only reason why I even did anything."

Charpaw shook her head fervently. "Why would I mock Nightbloom? She's nothing but a strong and loyal warrior, right Maplestar?" Her yellow eyes were damp, yet when she looked at Ashpaw, darkness tinted them.

Hazefoot stepped forward, voice low and solemn. "Maplestar, I don't believe either of my kits would even thinking about killing, especially Ashpaw. She may be hasty, but she's not mouse-brained." He cast an apologetic look at the grey apprentice before continuing. "Besides, we all know that Ashpaw isn't the most... coordinated. I doubt she would even be able to pull if off."

Ashpaw shrank back. She knew her father was trying to help, and his words were true, but they still hurt.

Maplestar nodded. "I agree with Hazefoot. We all know Ashpaw isn't the most skilled, so even if she had happened to pin Charpaw down, I doubt she could have followed through." He dipped his head at Whitetail. "Next time, I would suggest not embellishing you account with false details."

The white warrior ducked his head, and muttered an apology before slipping out of the den.

"As for you," Maplestar studied Ashpaw, and the apprentice squirmed under his scrutiny. "Your punishment will be decided soon. And Charpaw?"

The russet apprentice lifted her head, yellow eyes shining. "Yes, Maplestar?"

Maplestar narrowed his eyes. "Stop lying. You're dismissed." He watched Charpaw slink out of the den, then flicked his tail at Hazefoot and Leafgaze. "You two may also go."

The two warriors complied, and Hazefoot cast a worried glance at Ashpaw, before disappearing.

"Ashpaw."

She snapped her attention back to her leader, shrinking inwards. "Y-yes?" She tried to look as innocent as possible, trying to invoke even a drop of pity from the tom.

Maplestar inspected on paw, as if disinterested in his own words. "Next time you're in a battle and have a cat pinned down, actually kill them."

Ashpaw recoiled, his words taking her by surprise. "What?" She shook her head, eyes confused and scared.

"You heard me. Now go. Your punishment will be announced at sunset."

Ashpaw ducked her head, fear and embarrassment trembling through her. "Yes Maplestar. Thank you for your words."

What was going to happen to her?

Ashpaw hated being stared at.

She could feel the other cats watching her, their gazes cold and scrutinizing. She could hear the whispers swapped between cats, murmurs that rippled down through camp, words of anger and accusation, voices filled with suspicion and disbelief.

And it was aimed towards her.

This was all Charpaw's fault. If she had just kept her mouth shut about Nightbloom, Ashpaw wouldn't have bothered. She could take her sister's scathing words, but Nightbloom?

Ashpaw was worried that such things could break the warrior.

Shaking her head, she slipped through camp, trying to ignore the eyes, trying to let the discomfort roll of of her back. She couldn't let it bother her. She couldn't let them think that the whispers were true.

Ashpaw halted just before the apprentice den, confusion rising inside of her. Stagpaw and Patchpaw stared at her, eyes filled with disgust. "You can't stay here," Patchpaw hissed, drawing his claws through the dirt, leaving four ridges.

"Don't let her come near me." Ashpaw was surprised to hear how tremulous Charpaw sounded. It was probably judt another act. "I don't trust her anymore."

"I wouldn't trust her either." Ashpaw's heart nearly stopped, hearing Doepaw. The tawny apprentice stared back evenly, draping her tail around Charpaw. "None of us could have suspected it."

The coldness in her eyes made Ashpaw flinch. Did everyone hate her? Was this how life would go on? Her friends against her, the clan untrusting?

Flicking her tail, Ashpaw padded away in silence. She didn't trust her voice, didn't trust her words.

If her best friend didn't trust her, how could she trust herself?

The rest of the day crawled by. Sunset drew close with every breath, yet Ashpaw felt it would never come. She just wanted to know what would happen to her, and be done with it.

The waiting was the worst part.

She knew she wouldn't be allowed out of camp, not after what had happened earlier. She couldn't believe that this morning, her biggest problem was that she had stumbled while running.

"Oh!" Ashpaw drew in a quick breath, looking around to make no one was looking at her, then stole over to the medicine den.

She never had found out who had been injured earlier, in all of the chaos that had happened after coming home, there was no chance to ask, and no time to be told.

So she stretched out her neck, peering into the dim den, the musty tang of herbs drifting out. She looked in, and saw Nightbloom.

The sunset that evening was unfairly pretty. Shades of red and orange blazed above them, turning the trees a warm golden, the light they reflected reminding Ashpaw of fire.

Was this what it had looked like, the night that she was born? Had the sun died in a wash of crimson and flame, the trees crackling with amber and smoke?

Was her own life going to burn like the forest?

The murmur of the camp hushed all at once, gazes turning to the rising stump upon which Maplestar sat, his dark russet fur glowing in the fading light.

"Cats of NeedleClan," he began, looking down on the assembly. "There have been rumors and cruel words about what happened in the forest today, and I am here to put them to rest. No, Ashpaw did not injure Nightbloom. We do not know what attacked her.

"And Ashpaw did not try to kill Charpaw, no matter what you've heard. However, she did start a fight, and must be punished for doing so."

His eyes were hard and immovable, and Ashpaw shifted under his focus. "Ashpaw, for the next half moon, you will carry out your punishment, and consider your actions. You must leave camp immediately, and go forth into the forest, out of our territory.

"Ashpaw, you are banished."

Hello!

I'm so glad that you've chosen to read "When Ashes Arise" and I hope you enjoy it! If you like what there is so far, please give it a vote and comment, so I can know that people are actually reading!

I'm having a lot of fun writing Ashpaw and the dynamics of her clan, and I think you'll find that in Needleclan, not everything is as it seems

I hope you guys have a wonderful day/night! Till next time

~Brindle