Leopardfur's claws plunged into the river, and she felt a flash of satisfaction as they pierced scales. With a flick of her paw, she hooked the fish from the river and slammed it on the shore, making quick work of dispatching it. She purred proudly to herself, and licked her lips at the thought of devouring the rich fish. It had been days since she had eaten a fresh-caught fish—she had been sticking to land prey for herself.

Distant laughter made her ears prick. Leopardfur lifted her gaze, keening her senses on the sound.

A big splash followed. "Got you, minnow-brain!"

Leopardfur recognized Maplepaw's voice, and she smiled faintly. More laughs followed, and she could hear the slapping of paws on the water. Young cats playing the day away.

Leopardfur scraped a few fallen leaves over her catch before creeping towards the source of the sound. She ducked into a thicket of ferns, scanning the river for sight of her Clanmates.

There they were. Maplepaw was laughing loudly as she splashed water at Dipperpaw, who squealed in protest. Leopardfur chuckled to herself. The denmates were scuffling in the shallows of Sunningrocks. Another cat surfaced from under the water, and she stiffened. Who is that?

Her nostrils flared as she recognized the big tortoiseshell. Tawnypaw! What is she doing?

Leopardfur watched as the RiverClan apprentices rounded on her, and she urged them to attack and defend their territory. Instead, Maplepaw broke out into laughter. "Who knew you ThunderClanners were so tiny under all that fluff?"

"Hey!" Tawnypaw protested. "I'm not tiny, you're just older than me!" She swiped a paw at the molly, who giggled as she ducked.

Dipperpaw shouldered her, but it was playful, not menacing. "You just need to eat more fish!"

Leopardfur looked around, hoping a warrior would emerge to scold them. But none seemed to be coming. She curled her lip and strode out from the undergrowth. Exile or not, someone needed to remind these apprentices about Clan loyalty.

"What do you three think you're doing?" Leopardfur yowled as she stormed towards the river. "Have you all forgotten what a border is?"

The three apprentices yelped and bristled, glancing around worriedly. They each saw Leopardfur and shriveled. Hurriedly, the young cats darted out from the river and scrambled onto Sunningrocks to shake themselves off.

Anger flaring, Leopardfur charged across the Stepping Stones to meet them. "Maplepaw! Dipperpaw! Get away from the ThunderClanner!"

They exchanged uncertain looks. Tawnypaw's eyes were round with fear. Leopardfur curled her lip as she stepped closer. Her head swung towards Tawnypaw. "And you—what do you think you're doing here?"

There were a few heartbeats of silence. Finally, Dipperpaw wrinkled his nose and straightened up. "You don't get to tell us what to do anymore."

Leopardfur blinked and stepped back, shocked. What? Never had an apprentice dared speak back to her.

Maplepaw's eyes sparked with defiance. "Yeah!" she said. "You're not our leader. You're not even a warrior! You're the one trespassing, traitor!"

Leopardfur's jaw fell open.

"Tawnypaw's our friend," Dipperpaw meowed, narrowing his eyes. "And everyone says you're a murderer. We should be chasing you off our territory!"

Everyone? The implication stung far more than Dipperpaw's defiance. Leopardfur wanted to shrink back as though she were the scolded apprentice, but she stopped herself. No! He's a bratty child. You were a Clan leader! Act like it! Leopardfur straightened up and leaned forward until she towered over him. Dipperpaw visibly gulped. "What would your mentor say if she knew you were out betraying your Clan by allowing trespassers in our borders?" she snarled. She whipped her head towards Tawnypaw. "And you—I'm sure ThunderClan doesn't know you're here, do they?"

Tawnypaw crouched low and shook her head. Dipperpaw and Maplepaw had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I am not a rouge," Leopardfur snapped. "I am a warrior of RiverClan, and I still protect these borders. All of you are coming with me to RiverClan camp, now."

The apprentices exchanged uncertain looks. Leopardfur growled darkly. "I said now!"

Their rebellious streak quashed, the apprentices glumly filed towards the Stepping Stones and jumped across. Satisfied, Leopardfur followed. Deep down, she felt a seed of hope plant itself in her chest. Maybe they'll take me back, she thought. I've kept my word so far—and clearly, they need a few more warriors who are actually keeping an eye on the border!


The return to camp was not as welcomed as Leopardfur had hoped. Mossfrost was sitting closest to the reed barrier. She welcomed Dipperpaw and Maplepaw with a friendly meow, then bristled at the sight of Tawnypaw. Before she could demand an explanation, her gaze settled on Leopardfur, and her expression twisted with anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, bristling. Her voice was loud enough for anyone else in camp to hear, and immediately, the few cats who had been resting in the sun were on their paws, hissing.

Leopardfur lashed her tail towards the apprentices, not allowing her growing nervousness to show. "I caught these two playing with Tawnypaw," she said. "Would you have rather I not brought them home?"

Mossfrost frowned, clearly unsure of what to do. Frogleap pushed his way forward, his eyes narrowed. "I'll take you all to Firestar," he growled. "The sooner you're gone, the better."

Leopardfur wanted to shrink back or claw him. We used to be friends, she thought. How did I let everything get so bad? "Fine," she said.

Frogleap whipped around, but not without fixing Maplepaw with a stern glare. His apprentice flattened her ears in embarrassment as he strode towards the Leader's Den—Leopardfur's old den. "Firestar!" Frogleap called. "I'm coming in."

Frogleap led the group into the small den. Firestar was crouched inside, looking somewhat startled by the ensemble. He was bent over a half-made nest, clearly in the middle of arranging it for himself. "Um, hi, Frogleap," Firestar meowed. "What's—" His gaze rested on the apprentices, and then on Leopardfur. "What's going on?"

Frogleap whipped his tail towards Leopardfur. "She just showed up here with these apprentices. Apparently Tawnypaw was trespassing and these two were allowing it."

"We were just playing," Dipperpaw muttered. Tawnypaw had the decency to look afraid, and she pressed against Maplepaw's side.

"Oh," Firestar said, blinking. It seemed to take him a moment to process this, and Leopardfur wanted to scoff. "Okay. Thank you, Frogleap. Can you leave them here to talk to me?"

Frogleap shot a suspicious glare at Leopardfur before he backed out of the den. "Try not to murder our leader again," he hissed, and Leopardfur stiffened.

I'm not a killer! Leopardfur wanted to scream. It was a mistake!

Firestar looked from one cat to the next. He looked tired, and Leopardfur could see he still had cobwebs plastered to a few wounds from the battle. "Dipperpaw, Maplepaw, tell me what you were doing," he finally meowed.

"It's like Dipperpaw said," Maplepaw grumbled. "We were just playing with Tawnypaw. She's our friend, and it's weird not seeing her anymore."

Tawnypaw gulped before she spoke up. "I—I wasn't coming to steal prey," she said. "We really were just playing. Everyone told me about how I was going to learn to swim when I was a kit, but then everything changed, so…" she scuffled her paws. "Dipperpaw and Maplepaw were teaching me."

Was that a smile on Firestar's face? Leopardfur wanted to claw it off. This isn't cute! She let out a low growl. "They were near Sunningrocks," she hissed. "It doesn't matter if Tawnypaw was stealing or not. She was a trespasser, and these two should know better than to play with enemy Clans!"

Firestar nodded briefly, but then paused. He lifted his gaze to meet Leopardfur's and frowned. "Near Sunningrocks?"

Whoops. Leopardfur gritted her teeth. I'm not supposed to be near Sunningrocks either.

Firestar narrowed his eyes. "Look, I'm glad you told us about this, but you're not exactly allowed on RiverClan territory, either," he growled. "You can stick to the edges and that's it, unless you're delivering fresh-kill. The only way you could have found them is by trespassing yourself."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dipperpaw stick his tongue out at her. He resumed his embarrassed look by the time Firestar glanced his way.

"I can't just stop being a RiverClan warrior," Leopardfur retorted. "Especially when you're doing such a poor job of defending your borders!" Her mind flashed back to the BloodClan rogues she had chased off—and to Sasha.

Firestar blinked, before his brow furrowed deeply. "Apprentices, wait outside," he ordered. "I need to speak to Leopardfur alone."

The apprentices seemed eager to bound out from the den, and Leopardfur wished she could follow them. Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?

"What exactly was that supposed to mean?" Firestar demanded.

No use in keeping it to myself, she thought. "The edges of the territory have been riddled with rogues," Leopardfur snapped. "Tell your deputy to send more patrols to deal with them, or this exile will be the only cat defending RiverClan territory from outsiders."

Firestar frowned, and his stance relaxed. "We have had some patrols report BloodClan scent," he admitted. "But no one has run into any cats. Have you?"

"Yes," Leopardfur meowed. "I chased off a small hunting party, and—" she stopped, thinking again of Sasha. The queen had been skin-and-bones. If a real patrol attacked her… she wouldn't do well. Quickly, she continued. "—they weren't trying to hide at all."

Firestar sighed. "You shouldn't attack patrols on your own," he said. "If you see something, tell the cat that comes to get your prey. Not that I don't appreciate you defending the borders, but… RiverClan doesn't need you to get yourself killed."

Leopardfur blinked, surprised. What does he care if I get killed? She thought, rather indignantly. "Fine," she snapped, not at all intending to do as he said. If I see minnow-brained rogues, I'll claw their hides off. Just because you're a coward doesn't mean I am one, too!

"You need to leave," Firestar said, firmly. "Go back to the border. If something comes up, find a patrol, don't just show up here. The Clan will accept you faster if you actually follow what we agreed on."

Fat chance of that, Leopardfur thought, her throat tightening. "Just tell me you're going to deal with the apprentices," she said. "If you let this slide, they'll walk all over you."

Firestar's gaze was disgustingly pitiful. "Is that why you were so harsh as deputy?" he asked. "Because you didn't want cats to walk all over you?" He stood up. "I'll figure out what to do with them, but don't think I'm going to lead like you did." The words stung, even coming from him. "Go, now."

Leopardfur bit her tongue. She turned around and padded away, her chest clenched. She ached to pad to the Warriors Den—but she knew they would not welcome her there. She left the den behind and briefly stood outside, her gaze scanning the camp. All she saw was hostility written plainly on the faces of her Clanmates. Yellowfang curled her lip. Reedtail hissed quietly. The kits had been drawn away into the nursery, as though she were an enemy warrior. She hesitated a heartbeat later, looking for someone.

"She doesn't want to see you," Maplepaw hissed, and Leopardfur started. She glanced sideways and saw the apprentice sitting with her friends. "Dawnwhisker. She's mad at you. Leave her alone."

Leopardfur didn't have the heart to say anything back. Numbly, she stepped away, and headed for the reed barrier.


Leopardfur spent the rest of the day pitying herself beneath a willow tree. She laid belly-up, staring at the clouds, asking herself where it had all gone wrong. Her stomach panged dully with hunger, but she had little desire to hunt.

I can't even report troublemaking apprentices without someone reminding me that I'm a monster, she thought. Tigerstar must be laughing at me from the stars… or wherever he is. She shuddered at the thought of him in StarClan. Leopardfur had never been one to believe in ghosts, souls abandoned by StarClan, but part of her hoped the old queen's tale was true. He doesn't deserve to be with StarClan.

Do I?

A loud chitter caught her attention, and Leopardfur rolled to her side in time to see a squirrel racing for the tree she was resting under, fleeing another cat. Instinct briefly possessed Leopardfur, and she leaped to her paws, claws flashing out. The squirrel tried to dart sideways, but she was faster. Leopardfur darted forward and slammed a paw on the squirrel's back, trapping it beneath her claws. With a swift bite, she killed the prey.

Paws drummed the earth as the failed hunter caught up to Leopardfur. The molly lifted her gaze and recognized Sasha. The queen was panting, and her own eyes flashed with recognition. "Leopardfur!" Her eyes darted down towards the squirrel beneath Leopardfur's paws, and she seemed uneasy. "I, ah, I'm not the best hunter," she admitted. "I almost lost it up your tree."

Leopardfur slowly looked from Sasha to the dead squirrel and back, stiff with hesitation. If she were a warrior and had intercepted a rogue stealing prey, she would keep it for the Clan and chase her off. But…

I'm not a warrior anymore, am I? The thought made her heart sink into her stomach. The trip back to RiverClan was a stark reminder of the reality of her situation. I'm a rogue, too.

Her gaze rested on Sasha. The queen looked exhausted, thin as before and twice as tired. Leopardfur took a step back. "Keep it," she meowed. "Your kits need it more than I do."

Sasha blinked, surprised. "Really?" She smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Leopardfur." She padded closer to pick it up, but paused. "At least come share it with us."

Leopardfur frowned. "I… I shouldn't." In protest, her stomach growled.

Sasha purred in amusement. She flicked her tail. "Come on," she meowed. "I found a dead crow this morning, anyway. I don't need to eat this whole thing."

Leopardfur's mouth watered as she looked at the squirrel. I am hungry… All her warrior instincts and training screamed at her to stay away from outsiders—but what use was her pride and dignity, anymore? I'm not a warrior, she told herself again. "Fine," she meowed. "I mean… thanks."

Sasha seemed pleased with that, and she picked up the limp squirrel in her jaws. Flicking her tail for Leopardfur to follow, she led her into the undergrowth.

They were silent on their walk to Sasha's den. Leopardfur tried not to stare at the strange queen, but when she wasn't looking, she stole curious glances. Sasha was pretty, for a rogue, in part because of her rare markings. I've never seen a wild cat with points like hers, she thought. In some ways, she looked much like a WindClan cat, with a long, narrow face, and thin tail. But she had neither the height nor agility, and her slender frame was far more from hunger than heritage.

When they stepped into the small clearing where Sasha nested, they were greeted by the squeals of her two kits. They came bounding out from the tangle of bushes where they slept, rushing to greet her. Both stopped short when they noticed Leopardfur. The molly crouched fearfully, while the brown tom arched his back.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, sounding more like an angry mouse than a fierce rogue. "Don't hurt Momma again!"

"Leopardfur caught us this fresh-kill, dearest," Sasha told him. "She's not here to hurt anyone."

Leopardfur nodded, her chest clenching. She remembered how afraid the kits had been before, how close she had come to almost…

She shuddered. "I'm sorry about last time," she meowed. "I made a mistake."

Sasha smiled. "Leopardfur is a friend," she told the kit. "Leopardfur, this is Hawk and Moth." She gestured to the tom and molly, respectively.

Hawk eyed Leopardfur suspiciously, but relaxed a little. "You're really not gonna beat up Momma?"

Leopardfur shook her head. "I swear it."

"Hmm…" Hawk flipped his tail. "Okay!"

Leopardfur blinked, surprised. The tom-kit bounded towards the dead squirrel and pounced on it, growling playfully. She glanced at Sasha.

Sasha chuckled softly. "Kits are very forgiving," she said. "Especially at this age." She batted Hawk away from the squirrel before she bent to work at tearing off a hind limb. She tossed it to Hawk. "Share with your sister," she told him.

Moth came trotting forward eagerly and sniffed at the meat. Hawk crouched down and began to tear off tiny bites.

"They won't eat much," Sasha told Leopardfur. "They're still nursing, but I'm letting them try a little solid food." She picked up the rest of the squirrel and carried it a few paces away, then sat to eat. After she took a bite, she gestured with a paw for Leopardfur to come join her.

It felt strange, sharing prey with a rogue. It felt wrong. Every fiber of Leopardfur's being screamed at her to chase this cat away, reclaim the prey for RiverClan, defend her border—

But her paws felt heavy as stones. She wasn't sure if it was pity for Sasha or the crushing feeling of defeat and despair. And, deep down, she was lonely. Leopardfur had not been the most social of RiverClan cats, but being in a Clan brought a certain sense of community. Of knowing one was surrounded by Clanmates. It was different, out here.

Leopardfur sat beside Sasha. She glanced sidelong at the queen and caught sight of a deep scratch she had left in her shoulder. Leopardfur winced. "Again, I'm sorry about attacking you," she meowed. "I… I normally am not one to harm queens."

Sasha shrugged. "I've come to expect worse," she said. "Cats aren't exactly friendly to hungry mouths, and certainly not you Clan cats."

Leopardfur sighed softly. "I'm hardly a Clan cat," she admitted. "I'm… spending some time away from my Clan."

Sasha raised a brow, intrigued. "Oh?"

"It's a long story," Leopardfur meowed.

Sasha seemed keen to the fact that Leopardfur was not eager to discuss it, so she shrugged and bent to take another bite. After she swallowed, she spoke again. "Truth be told, you've been the most merciful cat I've come across," she said. "Even though you clawed me pretty good."

Leopardfur frowned. Surely that can't be true.

Sasha sighed. "Like I said, cats aren't friendly to hungry mouths, especially in times like this. I used to have a friend who helped, but…" she shook her head. "He's gone. Ever since the kits came, it's like cats have gotten even crueler."

Leopardfur felt a stab of sympathy. I never thought about what it would be like to raise kits as a rogue. Rogues were supposed to be lazy, cowardly, and disease-ridden. Not something to sympathize with or spare. It was for those reasons she had been shocked when Tigerstar told her about his rogue recruits—how could he ever trust them in the Clan?

Sasha wasn't mangy, nor did she really seem cruel or cowardly. She just looked… tired.

Sasha shook herself. "Sorry," she meowed. "Didn't mean to be such a downer."

"It's fine," Leopardfur said. She crouched to take her first bite of the squirrel, and remembered how hungry she was. "StarClan, I'm starving!"

Sasha's whiskers twitched. "You seem too good a hunter to go hungry," she meowed, a teasing note in her voice.

Leopardfur swallowed back her mouthful. "I've been a bit out of practice," she said. "I wasn't well for a time."

Sasha didn't press her further. They ate in silence and watched the kits. The siblings would eat a little, wrestle and yowl, and return to eating. Eventually, with the leg devoured, they flopped over into the sun and fell asleep.

Sasha smiled fondly as she looked upon her kits. "It's not easy," she said. "But I'd do anything for them. I'm a terrible hunter, though."

Leopardfur watched the rise and fall of the kits' sides. "How've you made it this long if you don't know how to hunt? You're a rogue, aren't you?"

Sasha frowned, and she was quiet for a few moments, as though she wasn't eager to share the answer. "I used to live in the town," she said. "There's not much to hunt there."

Right, Leopardfur thought. She said something about not going back there.

"It's in my past," Sasha quickly meowed. "There's nothing there for me anymore." Her smile reappeared as she glanced at Hawk and Moth. "Besides, I have these two now. Do you have kits?"

Leopardfur shook her head. "No," she meowed. "Never had the time."

"What keeps you so busy?" Sasha asked, a twinkle of amusement in her gaze. "You warriors are that serious about your borders, hm?"

Leopardfur shifted her paws, feeling a flash of annoyance. Rogues never understand, she thought. "There's lots to do in a Clan," she muttered. "We were just at war. It's not a life of luxury. Being a warrior is hard work."

Sasha twitched her whiskers. "You're a very serious cat, you know?"

Leopardfur blinked. "There's nothing wrong with taking my duties seriously," she retorted. "The Clan depends on warriors pulling their fair share of work."

"Okay, okay," Sasha purred. "What kinds of work do you do?"

Leopardfur hesitated. It was inappropriate to go around sharing details of Clan life with outsiders—but she felt the words rising in her throat, bubbling up like overflowing water. She couldn't remember the last time any cat had been interested in looking her in the eye, let alone entertaining a conversation with her.

"Patrolling the borders, for one," Leopardfur explained. "We have to keep watch for rogues, other Clans, foxes, badgers… there are all kinds of threats. It's how we keep our Clanmates safe. Then there's hunting for the Clan, training apprentices, tending to our elders…"

Sasha's whiskers twitched again. "All I have to do is look out for my kits," she meowed. After a heartbeat, her expression fell, and she sighed. "Some days that feels like more work than I'm capable of."

"What about their father?" Leopardfur asked. "Does he help?"

Sasha looked away quickly, sadness darkening her gaze. "He… isn't around anymore," she meowed. "That's the, ah, friend that's gone."

"Oh." Leopardfur frowned. "Sorry."

Sasha shook her head. "It's for the best," she meowed. "I don't think I would have wanted him around the kits anyway, looking back." She straightened up. "What about you? Is there someone in your very serious Clan waiting for you?"

Leopardfur felt her throat go painfully dry. "Not anymore," she quietly replied.

Sasha's gaze was sympathetic. "Did you lose him, too?"

"Her," Leopardfur corrected, her voice soft. "And not lost so much as drove away." Her chest clenched all over again as she thought of Dawnwhisker. "I… made a lot of mistakes. She didn't want to stay with me anymore."

"Oh," Sasha murmured. She brushed her tail against Leopardfur's. The warrior was surprised by the gesture, and gave Sasha a startled look. "Did you try apologizing to her?"

Leopardfur shrugged silently. Would it even matter?

Sasha frowned slightly. "You couldn't have done something all that terrible," she meowed.

You don't know half of it, Leopardfur thought, inwardly wincing. "What if I did do something unforgivable?"

Sasha hesitated for a few heartbeats before she replied. "I think anyone can be forgiven if they're willing to work for it," she meowed. "Even my kits' poor excuse for a father, though he doesn't have the chance to try anymore."

Leopardfur felt some of the tightness in her chest release. Was she right? I don't know if I believe that Dawnwhisker will ever forgive me, she thought. But… what about RiverClan? With a twinge of fear, she added, What about StarClan?

Maybe there are things I can do to make up for all that I let happen, she thought. I don't know what… but maybe.

"Thank you," Leopardfur murmured. "I think that's what I've been needing to hear."

"Thank you for giving us the fresh-kill," Sasha purred. "Seriously… it's been hard to keep us all fed."

Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, Leopardfur found herself speaking. "What if I taught you to hunt?"

Sasha blinked. "Seriously?"

"Sure," Leopardfur meowed. "I could come back tomorrow. Besides, you'll need to leave at some point, and you might as well know how to hunt by then."

Sasha smiled. "Thank you, Leopardfur," she meowed. "Really. I've teased, but I do know that territory is important to Clan cats. It means a lot that you've let us stay here."

Leopardfur dipped her head. She was surprised with herself. Everything about her interactions with Sasha went against her values, her ethics—but she knew that she would feel guilty if she did nothing. I've done so much harm, Leopardfur thought. Can't I just do this one good thing?

"I… I should be going," Leopardfur meowed. "I wouldn't want to intrude, and I have… things to do." The lie felt minnow-brained, but she didn't know what else to say. She wanted to say she needed to get back to her Clan… but that was even further from the truth.

Sasha gave her an odd look, but nodded. "Alright, Leopardfur. Take care." She turned to her kits before Leopardfur could leave. "Hawk! Moth! Tell Leopardfur thank you."

The kits leaped to their paws as though they'd been awake the entire time. They bounded towards their mother together before turning to Leopardfur. "Thank you!" Moth politely purred. Any trace of fear seemed to have disappeared from the young kit's features.

Hawk regarded her with more suspicion, squinting up at her through amber eyes. Leopardfur frowned as she met his eyes. "You're not going to hurt Mama again, are you?"

"No," Leopardfur replied. "I'm going to help her." Hawk blinked, but continued to hold her gaze. Leopardfur flicked an ear as she examined the kit. There was something familiar about him, somehow, but she could not place the feeling. It's nothing, she told herself.

She said a quick goodbye to Sasha before she began to head back the way she had come. Leopardfur took in a breath as she padded away. Memories of her time with Dawnwhisker were flooding back again, like an old wound clawed open and left to bleed. Sasha's words had been kind, and yet… as she walked off into her lonely exile, the hurt came rushing back.

Can I really ever show them I've changed? She wondered. Will they even care?

Will she even care?