My pelt fluffed out and I turned to catch the patrol. "Scarf-" My call was cut off as a heavy weight crashed down upon me. I yowled in surprise and flailed like a fish out of water. Cats streamed out around me, Jaggedscar among them. Luckily, the deputy had heard me starting to call him and turned in time to see the ambush. He snarled and leapt into battle. I clawed at the leg on my attacker.

The young cat holding me down was a dark gray tom, a big older then myself. He lingered for a moment and asked, "You look just like your father." The lusty tone in his growling voice made me sick and angry. Rogue filth! I screeched a war cry and writhed, his moment of defenselessness was enough for me to slip free.

My claws shot out and I ducked a swipe from him, lunging forward. Instinct took over in the heat of battle. I gripped him with my teeth and claws, back feet scrabbling at his side as he fell over. He yowled and threw me off. I slammed into the ground, winded. His sharp claws tore into my shoulder. I bit his foreleg, but he batted me sideways with a heavy paw. I thought I was going to be a goner. Though only a half moon older then me, he was twice as strong and experienced, hardened by street life as a rogue.

However, to my rescue came Phantompaw! The huge she-cat flung herself onto the tom and she pushed his stomach down to the ground. Her teeth dug into his ear and he wailed, scrabbling in a failed attempt to run free. The fearsome white cat of my clan jerked her head and tore a bit of his ear off, spitting it out with a dark hiss. The gray tomcat went flying into the forest, his tail fluffed and his belly low.

Phantompaw hissed, "Stay low!" I nodded, barely able to breathe through my terror. I pressed myself back into the ferns. Seconds later the few rogues were driven off by my clan mates, having lost the element of surprise and been over powered. Scarface demanded, "Where's Sevenpaw?" The large tom limped out of the bracken, his bleeding paw elevated. "Rght here, Scarface." The deputy looked somewhat relived, at least everyone was alive.

Seedspot asked, "Badpaw, where is she?" On shaky legs I crawled out of my hiding place and stood beside Phantompaw, blood trickling from my wounds. Seedspot looked a little disappointed that I was alive, which hurt me. Scarface nodded to his apprentice, "Thank you for watching her." I purred and licked her shoulder gratefully. I would have been crowfood without her!

We retuned to the camp a mess, most of us having wounds demanding treatment. Only Phantompaw was untouched. Despite her size, she had a good deal of agility in that body. She was intelligent and a find hunter as well, my admiration for her suddenly sky rocketed. Ironstar stalked out of his den in a flurry, "What happened?" He sounded old, unhappy. Scarface quickly explained that I had found the scent of rogues right as the ambush came. He made it clear that without me they would all have been flayed. I swelled at his praise, sure my mentor and leader would be proud.

But I was wrong. He narrowed his eyes and his ears flattened against his head. He snarled, "You!" I winched and lowered my head. What had I done? He hissed, "The elders say you spoke of your father earlier, and how he was sure to lurk until he dies. And YOU are the one to find the rogues scent? An untrained, greenhorn apprentice? This can't be coincidence!"

My heart thudded in my chest and my eyes grew wide. Ironstar thought I was a traitor, just like my father. He thought I was working with him. I knew he didn't trust me! I squeaked, "No! Scarface asked-" Ironstar's eyes blazed with hate and he growled unsteadily, "Scarface would never turn on this clan. HE is a cat I can trust, not like you or your family. Don't you even DARE suggest he helped those traitors!"

Ironstar's breakdown was drawing unwanted attention. I cowered in the shadow of my leader and closed my eyes; sure he was going to attack me. Scarface snarled, "She wasn't saying that, Ironstar!" One of the queens had come over. Talltree, Ironstar's mate. She scolded him, "Badpaw had shown no disloyalty to this clan." Ironstar's fur bristled but his clouded eyes seemed to clear a little bit. My heart still raced, my fear scent was overwhelming. Ironstar started, "But she said-" Talltree didn't even let him finish. "She said nothing of the sort. You need to rest, come, let's see Bluebell and get you some poppyseeds." He let himself be led away with her and Scarface.

Seedspot snorted and left the little group, the others went into there dens again murmuring to each other. Sevenpaw turned to his sister and me. He nudged me a little, "It's over now, don't be frightened." I swallowed hard and sat up, shaking in my fur. "W-why did he do that?" The elder cats shared a look. Phantompaw explained gently, "Bad Apple was Ironstar's deputy for many seasons. He was a loyal and strong cat, a respectable warrior. Any leader would have trusted him."

I couldn't help the shine of pride in my eyes when she said these things. Sevenpaw spoke, "Ironstar was his denmate, Badpaw. They have been close since they were very little kits. No cat, not Starclan, and especially not Ironstar, expected him to do what he did. It shook Ironstar, and scared him."

Two things came to mind hearing that. First, was that Ironstar can't have been scared! For six moons I saw my leader as fearless, brave, and great. He was unshakable; he was truly made of iron. Learning this about him confused me. The second thing was a question. How could Father have done something so evil as to made such a strong leader crumble like Ironstar had?

I dared to ask, "I know Bad Apple attacked the clan, but what else did he do?" I knew there was something I was not being told. I added quietly, "And how come everyone hates me because of it?" Phantompaw sighed and shook her head. "You will know when you get a little older. But Badpaw, nobody hates you. You are NOT Bad Apple, no matter what Ironstar thinks."

I wailed, "Why does he think that?" I wanted to know! I needed to know! Why did I get no answers? Sevenpaw stood and pointed his tail to a puddle. He said simply. "You inherited his name for a reason. You look like him, and when Ironstar, and some of the older warriors, look at you they see your father." Phantompaw nodded, but she smiled and said, "Prove to them that you are different." Phantompaw helped her brother limp off to see the medicine cats.

I stood and walked over to the puddle, taking a deep breath I looked down at myself. It was the first time I have actually seen myself, honestly. I DID look awfully identical to my father. I had his face structure, his black ears, and his searing red eyes. My heart clouded with blackness. I was his stain, a splash of his evil walking the earth and instilling fear into my clan for him when he cannot be here. That's why he didn't put up a fight to have me come along when he left; he knew I could be useful to him.

I could drive the clan crazy from the inside out, like what would happen to Ironstar if he didn't get over his own emotions. I snarled and smacked the water, turning away. I jumped at a cat staring at me, not a mouse length away. I hissed, "Toadpaw, what do you want?" He lowered his ears, "Littlepaw says Small-leaf wants to see you. Are you ok, I hear a really big cat attacked you?"

I ignored him, which was unlike me. He was just being polite, why would he want to talk to the spawn of the forests' traitor? I growled and stalked off to see the medicine cats. As I walked a voice rang in my ears, ominous and chilling. "Seed of the apple must rise to drain the pond of ice. If winter lives, the clan shall fall."