"Why would you lie for me?" Minnowpaw cornered her by the fresh-kill pile, where she had intended to take some of her catch to Tansyheart.
"If I told the truth then you would be exiled. You would claim it was my fault your life was ruined and swear vengeance on the Clan while you were gone, training the entire time to wipe me out and destroying everything in the process. Call me selfish if you must, but you can't afford to mess up again so you might want to figure out what's so wrong with me and take it up with Swallowstar, because this was a one-time deal."
"Stay away from Tigerpaw and Swallowstar." Minnowpaw scowled. Tigerpaw bounded over to them, an excited look on his face.
"Swallowstar said we can go to the Gathering!" He exclaimed. Talonpaw was confused. she'd never been allowed out with the other cats before, so what was Swallowstar thinking? Why the change of heart?
"That's great, Tigerpaw!" Minnowpaw simpered. "When do we leave?" The brown apprentice turned his coldest glare on the golden she-cat.
"Not you." He growled. "Never you. Not after what you did to Talonpaw. I found you that night in the forest. There was no fox scent and you reeked of blood. I was going to bring her to Tansyheart but she'd already been healed by StarClan. She lied to Swallowstar for you! You mean to tell me that she nearly died for your jealousy?!" Tigerpaw hissed, stepping in front of the grey she-cat. "I'll keep your secret because Talonpaw must have a good reason to lie for you of all cats! But stay away from me, and don't even think about approaching Talonpaw. Ever! And Palepaw can't know the truth. It would crush her more than the lie ever will. Are we clear, Minnowpaw?"
"Yes." Talonpaw stared in shock as Minnowpaw burst into tears. Nightclaw pelted over in confusion.
"What happened?!" She demanded. Talonpaw backed away when the furious queen turned the glare on her. "What did you do to my daughter, you freaky deformed mistake?! What is the matter with you? Did your stupid medicine cat not love you enough? Now you want my daughter's life too?!"
"Minnowpaw got what she deserved." Tigerpaw sneered. "Now she's upset because she knows the truth." The striped apprentice informed the golden she-cat. "Don't forget what I said." Minnowpaw nodded, still sniffling.
Tigerpaw turned to find that Talonpaw had disappeared.
Please let her still be in camp! He begged silently before racing away.
Talonpaw scrambled up the Highrock, panting and blinking away whatever clouded her vision. She couldn't afford this. She had to get to Streakclaw! If she could just reach the next rock...! She tumbled down the pile and into something warm and furry. It was Treefang, the brown tom who wouldn't let her eat unless she hunted. He picked her up from the top of her neck and kept walking, like it was nothing.
They reached the den to find Swallowstar talking to Rockpelt and Streakclaw. She bolted to her mentor.
"Sweetfur loved me, right?" She blurted out.
"More than StarClan itself." He assured the grey apprentice. "Who told you otherwise?" Swallowstar prompted.
"Ask Nightclaw her opinion on deformed mistakes." Talonpaw muttered before racing out of the den.
"Wait!" The four toms could only watch as the small apprentice sailed over the edge of the cliff-like structure.
"Talonpaw!" Streakclaw yowled, pelting down the rocks followed by the other three.
The little she-cat was shaking herself out on unsteady paws when her mentor began to sniff her over.
"That was mouse-brained." Swallowstar informed the former medicine cat's daughter.
"I was mad and I forgot how to get down, so I took the easy way."
"The easy-. You could have died!" Rockpelt snapped.
"Why does everyone care so much?!" Talonpaw snarled. "At first it was just Sweetfur and Tansyheart but then Tigerpaw comes out of nowhere and starts saying he likes me and Palepaw was nice and Rockpelt has been avoiding Flowertail ever since they started arguing and Swallowstar has been way too concerned for Minnowpaw's liking so you might want to pay more attention to your actual family. Honestly, I don't know why everyone is so weird." Talonpaw was out of breath by then so she flopped onto the grass surrounded by four very confused toms and listened to by the rest of the cats in camp.
"You think we don't like you?" Treefang muttered incredulously. "Is that what this is all about?"
Talonpaw sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I just want everyone to stop acting like I'm StarClan's gift to cats everywhere."
"No one said anything about you being a gift." Nightclaw snorted. "I wouldn't wish you on any cat. There's a reason your mother was so depressed."
Streakclaw cast Swallowstar a look.
"I know we were all taught to respect she-cats, but your mate just insulted my dead sister and my apprentice in the same breath."
"You could hunt." Rockpelt offered, recalling Talonpaw's suggestion when he'd almost done the same.
"Or spar. I haven't had a good match in ages." Treefang suggested.
"His point is that he doesn't want to hurt anyone." Swallowstar snorted. "Go claw up a tree if you're that mad. I'll talk to Nightclaw."
"And Flowertail and Minnowpaw and whoever else thinks my apprentice is unworthy of ThunderClan. Show them exactly why they're wrong, Swallowstar, or I will." With those words, Streakclaw stalked into the forest. It didn't feel right, letting him go out alone...
"Can you go with him?" She asked Treefang. The deputy nodded.
"You feel it too?" She nodded. "Cats get into more trouble when they're angry. " The brown tom told her before pounding after Streakclaw.
"I'm going to sleep." Talonpaw mumbled as she got to her paws.
"You're going to the medicine den." Rockpelt ordered.
"Who died and made you my mentor?" Talonpaw groused. "I'll be fine!"
"Go." Swallowstar ordered. Seeing that she was well and truly outnumbered, she trudged to the medicine den, where Tansyheart gave her the herbs she needed and forced her into a nest.
"You know you don't have to get hurt to visit me." The medicine cat sounded rather exasperated when she saw Talonpaw guarded by Rockpelt and Swallowstar.
"Of course not!" The grey apprentice spat crossly. "Some cats just don't leave well enough alone, is all."
"That's not what I saw."
"Well they can't." She groaned when Tigerpaw raced over, looking frantic.
"What gave you the bright idea to throw yourself off of Highrock of all places?!" He snapped.
"Yes, that's exactly what I did. I tossed myself over a small cliff for my own amusement." Talonpaw snorted.
"You're lucky you didn't break anything." Tansyheart muttered, cuffing her lightly over one ear.
"I knew that already! I told them I was fine! Can I go now?! This is my second time out of camp and I'm not going to let some stupid fall stop me from meeting other cats!"
"StarClan bless you, Talonpaw." Tansyheart chuckled, turning to Swallowstar. "If she seems off bring her back to camp no matter what anyone says."
"Of course." The blue and white tom muttered. Swallowstar yowled for the Gathering cats and Talonpaw sprang to her paws.
