The cats turned to Gingerpaw as she was leaving the Medicine Clearing. She flattened her ears. Several of the clan cats hissed at the apprentice. The queens pulled the kits away from her and glared harshly. "Gingerpaw is it true?" Pinepaw meowed padding to her, Lightpaw hissed at Gingerpaw. Gingerpaw glared at Pinepaw.

"Well have you ever wondered who my father is?" Gingerpaw hissed at Pinepaw. Silverflower, Gingerpaw's mother, looked up startled. Firestar turned to the queen.

"Is it true, Silverflower?" Firestar meowed. "Is Gingerpaw's father a ShadowClan warrior?" Silverflower bowed her head and nodded. Firestar snapped his tail in frustration. Silverflower was always a trustworthy cat, maybe this was just a passing error and maybe she was still a good cat, but the clan cats would not trust her for a long time.

"He, the ShadowClan cat, seemed good in the beginning, but the more time I spent with his the worse he acted. I discovered he was lying to me about many things. For example when we first starting secretly meeting he told me that he had never broken the warrior code, but I found out later that he allowed one of his apprentice's to die because she had not brought any fresh-kill back even though everyone else did. It was Leaf-bare! Now Gingerpaw become a liar like him!" The queen turned to her kit. "I am ashamed of you! I told you never to trust ShadowClan, but you had to go and find your evil father! Do you want to go to the Dark Forest when you die?" She screeched. Gingerpaw hissed at her mother.

"Gingerpaw! Silverflower! Stop it," Firestar yowled. "Both of you are in the wrong, both of you will have consequences.'' The two she-cats looked at Firestar. "Silverflower, you have broken the warrior code by knowing and having an relationship with a ShadowClan warrior, you will take care of the elders for two moons." Silverflower looked down at her paws. "You will be treated as an apprentice, you will not be allowed to leave the camp without another warrior at your side." Longtail snapped his tail remembering when Firestar and Graystripe had been given this punishment when Bluestar found out they had been feeding RiverClan after a flood destroyed their camp. "Stripebark!" Firestar yowled. The tom, who was also Silverflower's littermate, bounded over to the rock.

"Yes, Firestar?" Stripebark meowed. His eyes glanced at his sister, who was fidgeting and scratching the dirt.

"You will be in charge of watching Silverflower," Firestar meowed pointing his tail at the queen. Stripebark nodded and padded to sit next to his sister. "As for you Gingerpaw," Firestar meowed looking at the apprentice with burning eyes. "What did you tell the warrior?" The ThunderClan leader demanded. Gingerpaw glared at Firestar and then her mother.

"I don't have to tell you!" hissed Gingerpaw.

"You must or you will not be trusted to stay in this clan," Firestar hissed back. Gingerpaw snapped her tail angrily.

"I would rather be a loner then stay in this liar-filled clan!" Gingerpaw screeched before stamping out of the gorse tunnel.

"Follow her," Graystripe meowed to Dustpelt, the warrior nodded before quietly following the traitor.

"Oh why did she have to go and cause trouble," Silverflower moaned pressing her nose into Stripebark's pelt. The clan cats stared at Firestar for his next words.

"This meeting is over," he meowed quietly before jumping off Highrock and padding into his den, his tail dragged in the dirt. Sandstorm and Graystripe followed him knowing he would want to talk. The cats went back to their duties. Spotear, Gingerpaw's mentor, looked around the camp for something to do and then sulked into her den to mourn her failed mentoring.

Dustpelt followed Gingerpaw through the forest and lost her scent trail at the Thunderpath. He looked across the path and saw exactly where Gingerpaw had gone. ShadowClan.