Amberstorm let out a purr as Blacktail dashed towards her and touched his nose against hers. "You seem happy to see me," she gently teased her friend.

"Of course I am!" the tom exclaimed. "I knew you weren't dead." He took a step back and looked at Squirrelflight, Bramblestar, and Jasper. "Where did you find these three?"

She looked back at her companions. "Well, Squirrelflight and Bramblestar found me and Jasper...Well, Jasper helped me in a tight spot." The tabby refused to mention Lilly. It was too soon for her.

Before Blacktail could reply, Echostar had padded over to the group and let out a growl. "How dare you return?"

Amberstorm flattened her ears in surprise. "What are you talking about? I wasn't going to abandon my Clan forever!"

The leader bared his teeth. "I don't allow murderers in WillowClan."

Amberstorm gaped at him for a few moments before it hit her. Mistpelt. "I didn't murder her, Echostar. Her death was accidental."

"Liar!" he snarled. "You were fighting and drove her over the cliff."

"It was an accident!" she repeated.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak." Squirrelflight had stepped forward. "I know this seems hard to believe, Echostar, but Mistpelt started the fight, not Amberstorm."

Echostar snorted. "Why should I believe you?"

The ginger she-cat let out a hiss. "I don't know, maybe because I'm from StarClan?"

"It's true," Bramblestar rumbled. "She set a trap that led Amberstorm to the gorge. Mistpelt wanted to kill her, but it seems as though her plans were flawed."

Echostar narrowed his eyes. "Why would Mistpelt want to kill a cat?"

"Why would Amberstorm want to kill a cat?" Jasper, who had been watching silently, suddenly countered. "Why were you so quick to blame her?"

"Well...she..."

Amberstorm's hackles rose as she felt a flash of anger. "It's just because you loved her, isn't it?"

"No..! It's just that..." his mew trailed of once again. Drawing in a deep breath, he continued. "When I was receiving my nine lives, Blackstar told me to watch for a silent killer. And since...since you were always aggressive towards Mistpelt, I thought that you were that killer."

"That is the most mouse-brained reason I have ever heard!" she yowled.

"It was the only evidence that I ever found!"

Amberstorm turned towards Squirrelflight. "What was StarClan thinking when they made him leader?" Despite the anger in her mew, the tabby felt a heart-wrenching sadness inside her. He hates me now! It wasn't supposed to be like this.

By now, the whole Clan had surrounded the group. Speckledpelt, Minnowstream, Tallwhisker, and Firestorm stared at Echostar through narrowed eyes and Blacktail growled quietly at the black pawed leader. Sunwhisker looked uncomfortable, while Shadowclaw closed her eyes. Crookedtail stepped in between Echostar and Amberstorm and cleared his throat.

"Echostar, as your deputy, it is my duty to help you with decisions such as these," he meowed quietly. "I think we should allow Amberstorm to stay."

"What?" Echostar exclaimed.

The brown and white tom blinked. "She has both StarClan and the Place of No Stars behind her, claiming she's innocent. These cats can see everything; it's obvious that they were watching the fight when it had happened. Besides," he stared at Jasper, "she has given us a cat that could easily become a strong warrior with a little training."

Amberstorm stepped closer to Jasper when he was mentioned. I would give anything to have him as a Clan mate, she thought. "He is strong, although he's a kittypet," she mewed.

"He's a kittypet?" Speckledpelt spat. "We can't let a kittypet in our Clan!"

Jasper stepped forward. "I'm not a soft fed fat lump of nothing, thank you very much," he hissed. "I could take you on, anytime, anywhere."

The spotted warrior hissed and unsheathed her claws, but Echostar signaled her to fall back. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as leaf-bare.

"I'll allow Amberstorm to return to the Clans, but as for this kittypet..."

"My name is Jasper," Jasper interrupted.

Echostar growled. "As for Jasper, he will have to prove to me that he has what it takes to be a warrior." He then began to walk towards his den.

"Wait!" Squirrelflight cried out. "There's more we must tell you! StarClan has lost the fight. We need-

"I'm not a medicine cat," Echostar interrupted. "Speak to Forestgaze. She's in her den."

When the tom had dissapeared into his den, the Clan looked at each other, shocked. Even Crookedtail looked slightly confused.

"This isn't like him," the deputy murmured.

"How long has he been like this?" Amberstorm asked.

This time, Blacktail answered. "Well, he's been tense lately, but never as bad as this."

"Is it because he and you have been arguing?" Minnowstream meowed quietly.

"It might be that."

They've been arguing about me, haven't they? Amberstorm thought.

Bramblestar cleared his throat. "Squirrelflight and I have to go talk to Forestgaze, Amberstorm." With that, he padded towards the medicine, with the ginger she-cat following him.

"And Mousepaw!" the tabby saw a light gray she-cat near Gingerfur's paws. "Mousepaw's the medicine cat apprentice!" Her blue gaze turned to Jasper. "If you're hurt, you should go see him! He'll be the best medicine cat ever."

Jasper purred. "I'll be sure to remember that."

Amberstorm blinked. Who had kits? Turning towards Blacktail, she tilted her head sideways. "Who are the new apprentices?"

"Well, as you already know, Mousepaw is Forestgaze's new apprentice, Willowpaw, the gray she-cat, is Gingerfur's apprentice, and over there, by Birdsong is Littlepaw, Echostar's apprentice. They're Birdsong and Tallwhisker's kits."

"Birdsong and Tallwhisker," she murmured. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because it was painfully obvious," Blacktail purred. He then turned towards Jasper. "I'm Blacktail, by the way. If you would like, I could show you around."

Before replying Jasper cast an uneasy look towards Amberstorm. Nodding, she said, "Don't worry. Blacktail won't hurt you."

Once the two toms had padded away, the tabby she-cat looked around at her Clan mates, who had dispersed. She sighed, knowing that everyone's lives had gone on without her. Even Blacktail seemed to have moved on, despite that fact that he was overjoyed to see her. It's to be expected, she reminded herself.

"Hey, Amberstorm!" she whipped her head around to see Gingerfur approaching her, with the usual mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Hello, Gingerfur. I see you haven't changed much."

"Not a bit!" The ginger cat then leaned forward and touched Amberstorm's left ear, which was split. "I remember that. A mark that I gave you as a reminder of the time I beat you on the border."

Amberstorm stepped back in surprise. "You beat me? I'm afraid it was the other way around."

"Whatever. You hit the ground so hard, there were more leaves stuck on your pelt than there were clinging to the trees in your territory!"

Amberstorm flicked her tail and crouched on the ground. "Maybe we should do a recap and see who the real winner is!"

It surprised her when Gingerfur's hackles rose slightly and she backed away. She thinks I'm serious! Amberstorm realized. Standing back up, she looked down at the ground and sighed.

"I was just joking," she mewed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"It's...fine," Gingerfur stammered. "I've, um… Gotta go get some rest. See you tomorrow." With that, she quickly padded towards the warriors' den.

Amberstorm's whiskers drooped slightly. Gingerfur thought I was actually going to harm her, she thought. They may believe me when I say that Mistpelt's death was an accident, but they're still wary of me! Will I ever truly belong again?