All eyes turned towards me. "What are you talking about, Ripplepaw?" Flameclaw asked, a strugglingly bemused expression on his face. I could read his eyes, though. Stop. Stop now, mouse-brain!
No, I glared back. He faltered slightly. "I'm talking about you, murderer!" I spat, lashing my tail. Shocked murmurs rippled through the Clan.
"What?" Firstar demanded.
"It's true," I said shakily. "He killed Frostleaf. He did!" I insisted. But I could tell they didn't believe me.
"Treason!" said Flameclaw, sounding shocked.
"Now, now," Rainstep said quickly. "She was, after all, very close to Frostleaf. We all were. She's just looking for someone to blame. Right, Ripplepaw?" His eyes, too, spoke to me. Say yes. Say yes!
I just shook my head. "It's true. I saw it."
"Are you going to believe this?" Flameclaw demanded.
Firstar looked down and shook his head, slowly.
"No," I whispered. But I knew what I had to do.
I had to save my Clan from this monster.
Even if it meant they would never trust me again.
I crouched low, fluffing my fur up as a warning. Flameclaw's eyes widened. "You wouldn't," he breathed, obviously remembering our tussle earlier.
Oh yes, I would.
And I sprang.
I flew through the air and landed on his back, digging in my claws as hard as I could. The Clan gasped, shocked, as I bit his ear, managing to take off a good-sized chunk. He yowled in pain. The Clan tried to come to his aid but he shouted at them to stay back. Meanwhile I was laying waste to his back and ears, raking my claws down his spine and biting wherever I could reach.
He rolled again, but I was ready. I threw myself free and landed a short distance away, panting.
"Enough of this," Firstar shouted. Both of us froze. "Ripplepaw," he said, gazing down at me. "You are a disappointment. I thought you would grow to be a great warrior. But instead you have betrayed your Clan."
"I'm not leaving!" I shouted.
"Oh yes," Flameclaw spat, "You are." With that he chased me. I did the natural thing. The natural, cowardly thing. I turned tail and ran like the Dark Forest was after me. I could hear Flameclaw hissing and spitting behind me, Firstar yowling at him, probably to let me go, and Rainstep yowling at him to stop and not hurt me, for StarClan's sake.
I kept running. We ran for StarClan knows how long. It felt like an eternity, that's all I know. After a while the yowls faded into the background, and all I could hear was the river in the distance, the crunch and rustle of the brush around me, and Flameclaw's and my own labored breathing. Flameclaw was catching up, dear StarClan, and I was in deep foxdung.
I splashed over the stream as we neared Darkstone, the mountain over which the sun sets. PeakClan has territory near there, on its neighbor, Fallstone. If I could get to their camp, they would protect me. I knew that for sure; Dawnflight, the deputy, had taken a liking to me at the last Gathering, and developed a contempt for Flameclaw. But the climb was too far, that I knew. The air would grow thin and I would collapse from lack of air. There was nothing I could do, I realized. Darkstone was treacherous for some way at the base, and wolves and mountain lions had been known to den there, plus the climbing was tough. It had never been settled by the Clans as far as I knew, for fear of the mountain's dangers.
I was going to die. Flameclaw was going to kill me. StarClan, let it be quick, I pleaded. Then I gave into the desperation of my exhausted body and collapsed near a large boulder at the very foot of Darkstone.
There was a yowl and a screech from above. I tensed, waiting for the impact of Flameclaw against me. But it never came. Instead I heard him yowl in pain, along with the furious screeches of another cat. I managed to lift my head and catch a glimpse of a grey tom wrestling with Flameclaw.
Then everything went black.