Chapter one, Exile.

Fireheart stared at his leader. She was bristling, and her tail was lashing from side to side, as if standing in front of ranks of hundreds of enemy warriors. Maybe, in her mind, she was. " You, Fireheart, the only one that I could trust from this pack of traitors. My own deputy. Why was I destined to lead a whole clan of traitors?" Fireheart shook his head. "We are loyal, Bluestar, all of us."

"NO" she spat at him. There was so much venom in her voice. Fireheart couldn't help thinking back to the leader she once was. What had happened to her? Fireheart had noticed a slip in her since Tigerstar's exile from Thunderclan. Tigerstar's treachery had been a big shock to the clan, especially the younger cats who had learned to rely on the deputy. But they had gotten over it. Fireheart tried to speak, but Bluestar cut him off. " Tell me, Fireheart, what is a good punishment for a traitor?" Her voice was cold. There was no reasoning with her. He thought back to the last and only traitor there had ever been. "I don't know, Bluestar…" The silence hung for just a moment. Only one moment to long. "Exile." He said subconsciously.

He blinked back to the present. To his surprise, Bluestar seamed to have calmed down, and the fur along her whole back seamed to fall back into place. " Yes" she said icily. " It's what I did to the last deputy that showed his treachery. It's what I will do with you." The fur along Fireheart's neck rose, and a chill shot through his spine.

" Bluestar, please, don't exile me!" He begged "Please, any other punishment. Apprentice duties, hunting punishments." She looked at him, and she seemed pleased. Her eyes, like shiny pebbles in the low light spoke only her satisfaction. " That is why I am exiling you. You want to stay with this pack of traitors. So I won't allow it." she seamed content with her answer, and she lied down back into her nest. " If anyone find you on Thunderclan territory after sun set, they have my permission to kill you. Now go, Fireheart, before I kill you myself!"

Fireheart wanted to plead his case, but not only would his pleas fall on deaf ears, but he might forfeit his life in the process. He turned, and slowly exited the den, without looking back. He made his was outside the den, and all motivation to do anything dropped. He stood out side the den entrance. He was no longer a warrior of Thunderclan. But no matter how he thought of it, he didn't fell like he was in an enemy clan, or where he wasn't suppose to be. Whenever Bluestar use to tell him not to go someplace, he would feel exposed and bad when he did. But this time was different. He felt like he was home. He saw a scrap of pale ginger fur in the corner of his eye, and made out Sandstorm's sent from the direction of the warriors den. He didn't feel like talking, not even to Sandstorm.

Feeling grief grip his mind, he clenched his jaw, and ran. He sprinted across the open ground and ran through the gorse tunnel to the ravine, and was making his way up it when he herd Sandstorm call for him from behind. He didn't stop. He continued to run to nowhere. He cocked his ears back, but no one was following him. He crashed through the forest, trying to put as much distance between him and Thunderclan. He felt like his lungs would burst, he opened his mouth wider and let the cool dawn air flow into him more fully. As of today, he was a rogue…

Sandstorm exited the warriors den. She wondered what had happened to Fireheart. He had stopped a potential battle between Thunderclan and Windclan. He had gone behind Bluestar's back, though, and spoken with Windclan. She could claw out all of his fur for that, if she hadn't more a mind than a mouse. Bluestar was dealing with him. First. She would decide what to do with him depending on what Bluestar did to him. Sandstorm paused. She really cared for Fireheart. She wouldn't deny herself that. But if the tom had done something stupid, then he would have to be dealt with. A sickening though crossed her mind. Bluestar seemed different that before. She must be, to declare war on star clan after their loss of Snowkit. What if she sentenced him to something worse than a regular punishment. He could be sent away for good. Or even sentenced to death

In her daze, she saw Fireheart in front of Bluestar's den. He was looking down, his face revealing nothing. What had Bluestar done to him? He never looked so beaten, even when she had seen him bleeding in the dust. She decided to ask him what happened. Maybe he had been striped of his deputyship, or maybe he was just over reacting to being scolded again. She crossed the clearing, thinking of possible ways to ask him. She never reached him. He glanced at her, then without warning, he dashed of towards the gorse tunnel. She fell back on her haunches as he speed past her. Surprise filled her, and she turned to follow him "Fireheart!" she called out to him. If this behavior was over nothing, then no one would find his entrails.

She remembered who this was. Fireheart. He usually never over reacted. He had been punished multiple times for his actions. He had said some nasty things to Sandstorm before, but never had he ran off. She was half way to the tunnel when Bluestar called her over. "Sandstorm, come hear!" she commanded. Sandstorm stopped and looked at her leader. She debated whether to obey her command or go after Fireheart. She decided that Fireheart just needed some time to work things out for himself. " I said come!" Bluestar said sharply. Without hesitation, she turned and stalked back into her den. Sandstorm crossed the clearing and followed Bluestar into the den, glancing over her shoulder at the tunnel where Fireheart had left through. Bluestar was already comfortable in her nest when Sandstorm entered. "What is it, Bluestar?" Sandstorm said politely

" Sandstorm, I have a difficult assignment for you. I want to know if you up to it." Bluestar stared at her, no warmth in her eyes. Sandstorm wondered what could be so urgent now. Couldn't it wait until she had caught Fireheart? She pushed the thought away. " Yes, Bluestar. I can handle it." Bluestar looked at her, unblinkingly. Sandstorm almost couldn't tell if she was alive. " I need you" She started "To be this…. clans… New deputy." Sandstorm couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fireheart truly had been stripped of his deputyship " Bluestar, I can't. Not only would keeping Fireheart as your deputy be a better choice, but I haven't had an apprentice yet."

Bluestar was silent for a while. " No, it wouldn't. He is no longer fit to be Thunderclan's deputy." Sandstorm decided not to fight the point. If he wasn't deputy, than he wasn't deputy. " Still, the warrior code says that I can't be deputy until I have had an apprentice." Bluestar closed her eyes, then spoke. "I ask you to reconsider. I am offering you an apprentice now, as well." Sandstorm thought over the kits in the usury. There was Bramblekit and Tawnykit. But they still needed a moon before they were old enough to be apprentices. " You can have Cloudpaw. He is without a mentor now."

Understanding Flooded to Sandstorm. " Please, Bluestar, reconsider. Fireheart did something he shouldn't have, but exiling him will do us no good" The words tumbled out of Sandstorm rapidly. Bluestar just flicked her tail dismissively. " Your just like him. Even you pelt is similar. But he openly betrayed the clan. I did what I had to. I will hear no more of this. You will be Cloudpaws mentor, and you will be Thunderclan's deputy. I will announce it at sundown. Now, leave me be…"

Fireheart was on the side of the thunder path. The day had passed, and he had darted around the territory, debating what he should do. He had dodged several patrols, and had ended up at the thunder path. Usually, the fumes from the passing two legged monsters were a spite to him. That didn't change this time. But, he didn't leave. Instead, he climbed a near by tree and sat at a branch near the top. The fumes weren't so potent from up above. He wondered what coarse of life he should take. He couldn't stay in Thunderclan. And he also couldn't go to the other clans. Shadow clan, with its current leader, would kill him on the spot. River clan was to proud to let any outsiders join without a good reason. Wind clan was probably still on bad terms with Thunderclan over the recent clash over prey.

He eventually made up his mind. He peered over the thunder path and watched as a monster rolled by. He was almost fearful of what he was about to do. It would be dangerous. He watched a few monster pass. Watching them as they went straight along their path strengthened his resolve. He stepped back along his branch, reading his muscles.

He gripped the tree trunk and climbed back down to the bottom. His mind was made up. Sure, he was a rogue now. But he felt connected to Thunderclan still. He wouldn't leave, even if it put his life at stake. He pledged his allegiance to his clan. He was not going to let Bluestar stand in the way of that. He could still hunt for his clan. He could help them. The thought that he wouldn't have to abandon Thunderclan made him happier then he had been for a long time. Also, he didn't have to deal with deputyship. Who ever was the new deputy, they better be a good one. Or he might just have to knock some sense back into Bluestar.

There were only a few loose ends that he would have to fill. First, self training. If any of the clan caught him, he was as good as dead. But if he could be fast, like Wind clan, then he could escape them. He would also have to seek a place of shelter. One that no cat would ever find, so he could sleep undisturbed. He wished he knew what star clan wanted him to do, but what ever it was, he wasn't going anywhere.

He decided that, even if Thunderclan was known for climbing trees, if he stayed in them, Not only would no one catch his sent, but he could surprise enemies from above. There was only one way to get use to running around in trees. He went to a place with lots of trees, near the two legged place. He looked over at princesses fence. Maybe he should tell her about his current situation. He decided against it. Not until he had adapted to the life he was going to live would he visit her. He climbed to the top, leaping form branch to branch. He could feel it. Thunderclan still needed him.