Present Day...

"Wait, that's it?" Night asked when she was finished. "That's how you became a rogue?"

Featherpelt sniffed, blinking back tears. She nodded her head, scared she'll cry if she spoke. The effort made her throat hurt.

"But why didn't you say something about your fight with Hawkclaw?" Night implored, "Why couldn't they just line up the tuft of fur to Eaglestar's pelt? Surely, mouse fur is lighter than cat fur."

Featherpelt let out a frustrated sigh. A few tears escaped, leaving hot, wet trails on her face. "Didn't you hear me? I had kept my claws sheathed during our fight! The mouse fur was the exact shade of brown as Eaglestar's, which to the clan is 'evidence'."

Night shook his head. "Don't you think there's something fishy about all this? I mean, you did say you put the mouse in the fresh kill pile before seeing Eaglestar, right?"

"I don't remember. It was all a blur."

"But even if you did, fresh kill just doesn't run off. Someone must have moved it."

"I could have left it by the thrush or dropped it on the way, like I did yesterday," Featherpelt pointed out. "But it doesn't matter. I'm in exile. This is my life now." She curled up in her nest, putting her back to him. She didn't feel like talking about it anymore. Her head throbbed, adding to her distress.

Night took the hint and didn't say anything else about the subject. Instead, she heard him pad over to her nest and stood over it. "How's your head?" he asked.

"It's okay," she lied, closing her eyes. She wished he would leave her alone.

Featherpelt relaxed as soon as she felt him leave. She snuggled deeper in her nest and tried to empty her head of that horrible day in Thunderclan. This didn't improve her headache.

Wouldn't I kill for some poppy seed. She thought. Whitetail used to sneak her some after her squirmishes with Hawkclaw when they were all apprentices. Featherpelt reminisced in those memories, longing to go back to that simple time. She remembered pulling pranks on Hawkclaw and Falconwing with her sister and Cloudflight, sneaking out of camp with Falconwing to practice their battle moves, and swapping stories with the other apprentices at Gatherings.

"Here." Night's deep, raspy mew brought her out of her thoughts. She lifted an eyelid and saw him looming over her with a leaf bundle in his mouth. He dropped it at her paws. "Take only one of those. It should help you sleep," he said.

"Thanks." Featherpelt leaned down and lapped at one of the seeds. How did he know I wanted this? She wondered.

A better question would be: how does he know some much about herbs? A voice said in the back of her mind.

Featherpelt thought about it for a second. It was a little odd a rogue would know so much about herbs unless his supposed ex-clan mother had taught him. She realized then there was a lot of strange things about the tom - how unbelievably nice he was to her, how he knew so much about the clans, his knowledge of herbs. It seemed incredibly weird to her.

He's hiding something. She thought not for the first time. She knew he was trying to give the impression that he had been a rogue all his life, but it was all a façade. One look at his den would tell any cat he had been part of the clans at some point.

"I'll ask him tomorrow," she whispered to herself as she drifted to sleep.

Featherpelt was greeted with a ray of sunshine when she woke up. Mouse dung! She thought angrily. Why couldn't it rain one more day?

She glanced over at Night's nest. The battle scarred tom was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the cave for him. He wasn't by the stream or getting fresh-kill from the now tiny pile. Maybe he's out hunting.

Then, Night padded into the cave, a vole and a skinny rabbit hanging from his jaws. "I thought we should eat before we go back to the Clans," he explained, setting the prey down.

"We-We're going back to the Clans?" Featherpelt squeaked.

"Yeah. We've got to find out who killed Eaglestar," he mewed as if it was obvious. "Hurry up and eat. We have a day's journey ahead of us."

Night frowned at her when Featherpelt didn't obey. "Are you mouse-brained? Eat!"

Featherpelt trembled. "I-I ca-can't go back. They think I mu-murdered Eaglestar. They'll- They'll kill me," she stammered.

The older tom sighed. "They won't kill you as long as you stay hidden. I'll show you what to do." He scooped up the vole and placed it in her nest. "Now eat." Night said the order so fiercely, Featherpelt gobbled up her meal. Night watched her eat with satisfaction, then, wolfed down his rabbit.

As soon as the two cats were finished, Night dragged the remnants of the fresh kill pile and buried it outside. "I don't want my den smelling of crow food when I get back," he explained. After he finished his task, he marked the entrance of the cave to reinstate his territory, then, faced Featherpelt. "You ready?"

"Not really, but I don't have a choice, do I?" she remarked, sourly.

Night chuckled as if she had made a joke. "I'm not giving you one. Come on."

The two cats exited the den. Featherpelt shivered as she stepped into the chilly morning air. Leaf-bare is definitely on its way.

"Perhaps we could wait until new-leaf," she stalled. Night narrowed his eyes at her and flattened his ears. "I was just thinking. When we get there, there won't be a lot of prey, and if a patrol spots us, there won't be any undergrowth to hide in and – "

"We are going to back to the Clans to your name," Night growled, emphasizing every word. "If you want to stay here and starve during leaf-bare, be my guest. Most Clan cats don't survive out here during leaf-bare as rogues." He dropped his mew. "I just don't want you to share the same fate."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "Are you insinuating that I can't take care of myself?" she blurted, hotly, "I'll have you know I was the best hunter in Thunderclan. I have found food for the Clan in the toughest-"

"Fine!" Night roared, cutting her off. Featherpelt froze, surprised the mild mannered tom could be so fierce. "Just know that winters without a clan are a whole lot harsher than standing with one." He gave a dramatic swipe of his tail and stormed off.

Featherpelt stared after Night, his words still echoing in her head. They made sense, but she couldn't bring herself to go back. Everything she knew was gone – her mate, friends, kits, and the support of her clan. If she dared set a paw in Thunderclan territory, she was sure they'd tear her to pieces and leave her body for the crows.

She clawed the ground. Most Clan cats don't survive leaf-bare as rogues. Night had said. She knew - as much as she hated to admit it - he was right. She didn't know the area well, and if the leaf-bares are hard…

Featherpelt took off after Night, crashing through undergrowth. "Wait!" she yowled. "I'm coming!"

Featherpelt found Night sitting by a tree, licking a forepaw. He smirked as he watched her approach him. "So, you decided to come after all?" he said, dryly. The silver she-cat ignored the comment and sat beside him, trying to catch her breath.

After a few moments, she remarked, "Like you told me back there, I don't have a choice."

Night set down his forepaw and gazed at her. Featherpelt flinched. It felt as if his green gaze saw right through her. She turned away. "I thought you said you were going to wait until new-leaf," he sneered.

Featherpelt glared at him. "Being here should be good enough for you! Look, are we going to waste time arguing, or are we going to the clans?"

Night stood up. "I don't know. Maybe I changed my mind. After all, clearing your name doesn't seem like a big deal to you."

Featherpelt didn't argue with him. "How do we get back to the clans?" she mewed quietly, hoping that was a more sufficient answer than a retort.

Night turned his back to her and stared into the distance. "We need to go straight. It will dump us at what you clan cats call Highstones at Sun High. Then, by Moon High, we should be in the heart of the Clans' Territory."

I think he means Four Trees. She thought.

"Okay," Featherpelt mewed, rising on her paws. "Let's get going."

The two cats padded away from the tree and began their journey back to the Clans.