Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does.

Summary: Oakfrost was born without a tail, which led him to be an outcast in his Clan. How will he deal with it? After all, how does one go on when one is hated by almost everybody?

Idea given to me by SecretClan. Enjoy! :)

Broken

You were born, unbalanced, and you will grow up, broken.

My first mentor's first words to me echoed repeatedly in my mind as I lay in my nest with head tucked between my paws. That was when I was six moons old, right after I had gotten my apprentice name. And now, ten moons later, those words still led to many sleepless nights, like this one.

A rustle from further inside the den caught my attention. I shifted my sky blue eyes in the direction of the noise and saw Willowstripe, the deputy and my first mentor, get up and stretch. My eyes wandered towards the entrance where the soft light was beginning to filter in. It was almost dawn. She was getting ready to organize today's patrols.

Resentment and hatred burned through me. She never believed in me and rallied all the others to never accept me. If it hadn't been for Rowanstar, the young leader with ginger fur, I wouldn't even have had the chance to become a warrior. She had picked up my training after Willowstripe left me to train on my own.

Day after day, during my apprenticeship and after getting my warrior name, I showed each of them, showed them I could hunt and fight just as well as any of them and I could do it without a tail! However, it hardly changed anyone's perceptions. I was still not one of them in their eyes. And from that moment on, I had closed off my feelings to the rest of them, all except Rowanstar.

Shaking my head, I looked around. All the other warriors were still sleeping, dawn was approaching, and I was hungry. After getting up and stretching, I padded, with the slightest wobble, towards the entrance. The moment I stepped out of the warmth of the den, the frosty wind battered my thick brown pelt. Leaf-bare had been harsh this year. The prey was scarce and the river below us had frozen over.

After taking a deep breath of the icy air, I walked up the incline from the den to the top of the gorge. Rowanstar and Willowstripe were sitting next to each other, huddled in deep conversation. Without a sound, I walked past them and out of camp. They didn't even look up.

I opened my mouth, tasting the air for prey. There was a faint scent of mouse, but nothing else. Sighing, I followed the scent. I had to hunt for myself, as the rest of the Clan wouldn't let me near their fresh kill pile, especially in leaf-bare. It was as if I were a rogue.

"Oakfrost, wait up." A high-pitched and familiar voice came from behind me. I swiveled my ears, indicating that I'd heard, and came to a stop. I didn't need to look to know who came after me.

"Rowanstar," I said as she came to stand beside me. "I think you scared off all the prey with a shout like that..."

"Don't be like that." She let out a small purr. "This leaf-bare has been unkind, but it isn't the worst we've seen. There's still enough for all of us to eat."

"Right, I forgot." I rolled my eyes. "Well, I'm off to hunt." I started to stalk off while tasting the air. Rowanstar followed suit and it was silent as we looked for prey. Suddenly, a streak of gray flashed in front of me and ran towards the abandoned Twoleg barn, the very one from the stories where Firestar led the attack on the rats.

I started to follow, but Rowanstar blocked the way. "No SkyClan warrior is going in there. We've had too many injuries from the rats and Bluewing doesn't have any herbs to spare."

"You know, I've never really felt like I was a SkyClan warrior. I've hardly gone on patrols and I've never taken anything from the fresh kill pile since I learned how to hunt."

"But I've seen you put fresh kill there. No one said you couldn't take some."

"Ever notice the glares I get when I tried a couple times in the beginning? I didn't want to cause trouble for you." She looked away as I finished and I ducked into the barn.

It was a little bit warmer, but the scent of mice and rats washed over me. The rats were vicious and a bite from them could lead to serious infections, but sometimes, during leaf-bare, when the prey was scarce, we would come here. SkyClan used it as a last resort.

I scanned the wooden corners of the barn and looked for movement. A little head poked out, but it was focused on something else. I got into my hunter's crouch. I didn't have a tail for balancing, but I learned little techniques, on my own, during my training to help with the balance. The mouse was twitching its whiskers, but still wasn't paying any attention to me. I pounced, caught it in between my paws, and bit its neck. The smell made my mouth water and my stomach growl.

I brought it outside of the barn, where Rowanstar was still standing, and tucked into it. Finishing half of it, I pushed the rest to Rowanstar. She looked at it, then at me. "Have you ever thought of leaving?"

"I have." I didn't look at her. My eyes were fixed on the horizon. The sun was finally rising.

"And?"

"I have a debt to pay." I glanced at her.

"To who?" Rowanstar had her head tilted to the side. "You don't owe anyone anything. Not after the way they have treated you."

"To you. You gave me hope ever since you picked up my training, gave me hope when you made me a warrior. You stood up for me many times and I wish to repay you."

"Not that it changed anything." She shook her head. "And you don't owe me anything."

"You can't change their minds when all of them think that way. And I do."

"But –"

"But nothing." I cut her off. I didn't want to hear it. "It's not your fault and this is what I want to do."

"Willowstripe was wrong. I knew she was wrong to say those things." Rowanstar sat down next to me. "It's clear now. The courage it must take to control your resentment... I wouldn't be able to do it." She shook her head in awe. "I would have picked fights or left the moment I could."

"I wouldn't have blamed you." I let out a mrrow of laughter, a real one in so many moons. She shot me a look and continued.

"Even though you were born without a tail, you've learned to regain your balance. You've surpassed every obstacle they've given you along the way." She paused and looked me straight in the eye. "No, you're not broken. They are."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review if you got time! :)