"Sometimes the best tales told are the ones that no one cares to remember," Morningwing meowed, her voice full of longing and wistfulness as she entered a long ago memory. "No one wants to remember because it was so sad and nobody likes a story with a horrible ending." The elder spoke to no one but herself. Her denmates were snoozing in the afternoon sun. Morningwing recalled the tale she was planning to tell the next Clanmate who visited her. It was one of her own that she knew better than anyone. They all thought she was crazy, retiring her away a good portion of her life early, but she knew deep down why they refused to listen to her.

Morningwing sighed, curling her tail around her paws. "None of them believe me when I tell them I didn't do it," she told no one in particular. "Why would I kill someone I love so dearly?"

Beside her, Poppybreeze stirred. The black she-cat yawned and her back arched in a stretch. "Are you mumbling again?" she croaked. She truly was an elder, unlike her companion. "I thought only elders talked to themselves." Her voice was not full of scorn like all the others, but lightly laced with sympathy. Poppybreeze had protested when Morningwing joined them and they soon became fast friends.

"I was thinking of a story, not mumbling. If I was mumbling, I would only have you and Talonfoot to blame. All these seasons of being tucked away with the old have gotten to me." Morningwing let out a mrrow of amusement. "They won't succeed in robbing me of my youth." It was true. Morningwing was hardly of age to be an elder. She could barely be considered a senior warrior. She had been, in fact, hoping to one day become deputy when the accident happened. It all went downhill from there.

Poppybreeze gazed at her with sorrow. "My dear Morningwing, you could force them to allow you to be a warrior still. I know a few tricks that Froststar won't withstand. I can get you that life back. Please, don't worry." The black she-cat gave her an affectionate lick. "I will go to him and by the time I get back, you'll be a warrior." A purr rumbled in her throat as the elder confidently left the shelter of the den.

Morningwing felt a gust of loneliness as her only friend left with hopes of returning her life back. Even if Poppybreeze was successful, nothing would ever be the same as it was.

~.~

When Poppybreeze returned, her eyes were brighter than a thousand fireflies. "I finally convinced that old flea-bag that you are too strong a warrior to be tucked away in the elders' den. You are all set to be on the next border patrol."

Morningwing held back a wince. Her Clanmates wouldn't like the fact that she'd let her skills get rusty. The last thing she needed was another thing for them to criticize. She sighed, giving Poppybreeze a nod of thanks as she left the den.

Featherfur's kits were pouncing on the fallen leaves of the oak tree. Leaf-fall was right around the corner, already threatening with frosts and cold winds. Morningwing couldn't quite say she felt the same coldness that Poppybreeze got in her bones, but it was enough to bring a shiver. Surely the warriors' den held more warmth? It troubled Morningwing that she couldn't remember even what it felt like in there. She returned her attention on the kits.

"Mouse-brain! Jaypaw said to crouch and then jump!" Webkit hissed to his littermate. "You can't just walk up to a mouse and pick it up with your teeth!"

Prowlkit swatted him with his paw. "You got to get close enough to pounce first!"

Morningwing sighed as the kits took notice of her. They eyed her skeptically, having already heard rumors of what she'd done. The queens were always the first to start the false tales that twisted their kits' viewpoint of her. No one would ever know the true story.

"Don't think we don't know what you did to Spikeheart!" Prowlkit snapped. "We know you hate kits because he wouldn't be your mate!" He dug his claws in the ground, his green eyes full of menace. "I'm not afraid of you, traitor!"

Morningwing had never in her life been angry at a kit, but this one got under her fur. She padded up to him, not in the least caring when he let out a hiss. She rose to her fullest, standing tall. She had long, slender legs. They were born to be a hunter's—a gift from her father. She then spoke softly, dissolving her anger, "Why would I kill someone I love so dearly?"

Prowlkit growled and slashed her face with his sharp, little claws. "You traitor! You think you can fool me with your sweet-talk! Just like Spikeheart!"

She didn't even feel the blood that pooled from her nose. Of course, she thought bitterly, the queens have brainwashed them all into believing I'm evil. She needed someone new to the world to tell her story. It would never work on Prowlkit. She was sure Webkit wouldn't listen either, despite the fact he was the more mannered of the two.

"Were you assaulting my kits?" Featherfur growled. "StarClan should hope all that time in the elders' den helped with your . . . way of dealing with anger."

Morningwing flattened her ears. "I didn't hurt anyone! It's you who has taught these kits to think they can attack their Clanmates! They are disrespectful!"

Featherfur narrowed her eyes. "I didn't teach them to attack their Clanmates. I taught them defense against traitors like you."

~.~

The patrol wasn't much better, either. With cobwebs covering up part of her vision from Ivypaw's sloppy job, she stumbled a lot. Even Ivypaw, one of the only cats who should actually still care about their Clanmate, hated her—or at least enough about the things "she'd done" that she wouldn't respect Morningwing.

Morningwing listened in on the conversation going on ahead of her. Tinyheart and Ravenclaw discussed the recent conflict with CinderClan: something about stealing prey this early going in to leaf-fall. They both predicted a battle on the horizon. If CinderClan was already that desperate . . . that might mean even worse for us.

Even as she stumbled, Morningwing felt the relief of being out of camp. It had been moons since she left—why would she leave if she had no business out there? Most of the Clan hated her, or at least what they thought she did. What nobody knew was why. That was where the rumors stepped in.

The patrol came to an abrupt halt as they reached the border. Morningwing parted her jaws, instantly remembering the smoky tang of CinderClan cats. Their Clan-scent poured over the border. Oh, StarClan!

"Embercloud, we are going in circles! I'll lead, you and the others follow!" a CinderClan she-cat hissed.

Embercloud? She really was in the elders' den long. The last she'd heard it was Emberpaw. Morningwing really felt off balance now. How much has changed? Being in the drone of the elders' den, not much news reached there. When an apprentice was stuck on duty, he bit his tongue because Morningwing was there. Each time Jaypaw came, he ran short of moss for her bedding. Morningwing's anger towards the apprentice led her to steal some from the queens' supply so that Jaypaw would have to go fetch more. The other apprentices brought her bedding, but made her do it herself. After all, Froststar had insisted that Morningwing was to be treated and respected just as any other elder.

Tinyheart signaled with her tail for the patrol to hide. Morningwing was the first to follow orders, crouching low in the bushes. Ravenclaw was more skeptical and didn't disguise his snarl as he crouched.

There were only three of them and five CinderClan warriors. Morningwing knew the odds weren't good.

Tinyheart seemed to notice that fact and slunk over to her, silent as a snake. "Get to camp, ask for backup." Her orders were spoken softly and slowly, as if teaching a kit.

"I smell SootClan!" The voice seemed to belong to an angry Embercloud. "They must be near!"

"Quiet, smoke-brain! We're on their territory!" the CinderClan she-cat growled. "Even if they were here, they'd hear your babbling and attack!"

Tinyheart gave the signal and Morningwing sprouted out of her hiding place, dashing madly toward camp. She heard a yowl behind her as a CinderClan cat gave pursuit.

"Where do you think you're going, SootClan slim?" the tom hissed as he tackled her. "Not so fast!"

One of the last things she needed was a fight.

Morningwing's skills were rusty, but the fact that his anger came from Clan conflicts and not from personal hatred gave her strength. She went limp under his grasp and waited for it to loosen. Morningwing thrust upward with all her might and managed to catch him off guard as he stumbled to the forest floor.

His claw marks burned her sides, but she ran not to camp anymore, but away, doubling back to the CinderClan border. Morningwing wouldn't lead the enemy invader right where they wanted to go.

Her StarClan-graced long legs gave her a lengthy stride, so she remained two steps ahead of him. He growled in frustration when she chose the rickety paths, weaving through the trees. It pained her to think that she'd ever thought of living the rest of her life in the elders' den.

The screeching noise of battle was almost music to her ears as it was the first time she'd heard it in seasons. Tinyheart and Ravenclaw spat with fury as they were massively outnumbered now. The five had turned into seven.

This, Morningwing hadn't anticipated.

Morningwing didn't even allow herself to get within either of her Clanmates' eyesight. They would be angry with her for returning without backup. She turned, facing the tom with wide eyes.

He saw her weak moment and almost attacked, but realization lit up his face.

"Morningwing," he whispered.

"Greenheart," she returned.

His eyes remained dark as coals, but his voice was as fine as a spider's silk. "I've been waiting for you, sister."