Chapter 18. I know all of you are waiting for this one.

StepStorm

StepStorm felt her world crash around her. This couldn't be happening. How? How? She looked up helplessly at ShiningDark, her eyes pleading to the leader. "ShiningFeather wanted me here!" she internally begged him. "If she and SpiritCave said that I should be here then I should be allowed to be here!" It was funny. A couple moons ago she would want to run away, she felt like she didn't belong. But now. But now she felt like these cats were her family. She loved the way of life here and the different cats within the tribe. But…what if she was the one that brought the illness here? A mental image of her dying mentor flooded her brain. StepStorm shut her eyes tight. It had to be a dream. It had to be a dream.

"You can't exile her!" yowled LongClaw. The tabby's tail flicked angrily behind her and her claws flexed in and out. She glared at the tribe cats and if looks could kill, all would be dead. "She's a good member of the tribe! She is working hard! Plus it has been moons! How come this hasn't happened before? If it was her fault for bringing it, then we would have all gotten sick before!"

"Be silent and respect your leader's decision!"

LongClaw's eyes swept to the voice.

WaveWhisker.

LongClaw's eyes narrowed. "You don't understand anything," she snarled.

"LongClaw," spoke up FastFlight, a pleading note in her voice. "Please. Don't fight this."

StepStorm was worried for her friend now. "You don't have to defend me," she said quietly. She did feel proud for her friend but LongClaw would get in serious trouble if this continued on. "I'll be fine." She didn't know where she would go. The only places she could go was the ocean or ForestRose territory.

LongClaw was shaking. The she-cat looked up at the High Rock and then at the tribe.

"If StepStorm is exiled because of some monkey-brained thing like this…" said LongClaw softly. She lifted head proudly and said with vigor and conviction, "then I do not want to be a part of a shark-hearted tribe like this!"

Gasps rang up in the tribe. StepStorm's was the loudest of all.

"You cannot allow this!" cried FastFlight. She pushed herself to the front. She looked up at the leader. "Please!"

ShiningDark ignored FastFlight's pleas. His attention was on the two she-cats. One glaring at him and the other looking in fear. "Then be gone from OceanTide territory before the sun reaches the highest point in the sky. After that, warriors are allowed to kill."

"Fine," spat LongClaw. "Come on StepStorm. Let's get out of here."

StepStorm felt her friend's tail touch her shoulder and began to lead her out of the tribe camp. She didn't understand why this was happening. How could something like this happen? It wasn't her own life that has changed but the life of one of her friend's. And it was all her fault. But she did know there was nothing she could do to get LongClaw out of this. She was just too stubborn for that.

As they stepped out of camp, the sunlight hit StepStorm head on and warmed her fur. Internally she was a mess.

"I'll catch us some fish so we'll have something to eat before going on our way," said LongClaw as she checked the sun's position in the sky. "We have time."

"You didn't have to do this," said StepStorm quietly as they walked onto the beach. "You can still go back."

LongClaw looked back at StepStorm like she was monkey-brained. "I couldn't live with myself if I let someone I cared about die because I didn't do something to help. Now go sit under the palm trees if I catch something. OceanTide won't attack you until sunhigh so you'll be alright."

StepStorm nodded slowly. "Alright." The two she-cats went on their own way but only for now. Soon they would be on their way. Out of all the regrets StepStorm had, the one she had the most was that she didn't get to say goodbye to ScarletLight.

ScarletLight

When LongClaw and StepStorm had left, the tribe was in an uproar. FastFlight was begging ShiningDark to allow them back while others wanted them chased out now.

ScarletLight was torn. She understood why the tribe was doing this but at the same time she wanted her friends to be here, safe in the tribe.

"We have to go after them now!" yowled SwiftBreeze. "Make sure they leave."

"No," said ShiningDark. "We will wait till sunhigh." He eyed the tribe cats. "If anycat decides to ignore this order, you will be punished."

The tribe cats fell to silence as ShiningDark jumped off the HighRock and headed to his cave. Around ScarletLight the tribe cats returned to their normal day activities.

"Come on ScarletLight," said FlowingRiver. The gray she-cat placed her tail on her sister's shoulder and took her to the fresh-kill pile. "We should eat something."

ScarletLight just stared at the fish her sister put in front of her. How could she eat when her friends were out there in the wild? How could she be safe while they had to fight against nature?

"Why are you still here?"

ScarletLight looked up in surprise. SpiritCave.

Anger surged up within her. "Where were you?" she asked angrily. "Why didn't you defend StepStorm? I mean, you said the Spirit Wind accepted her. Then why did this happen?"

"ScarletLight," said FlowingRiver.

SpiritCave's ears flicked. "I was in my cave reading signs from the Spirit Wind. That takes all of my focus."

ScarletLight jumped to her paws. "SpiritCave. Your sister is out there. She's going into exile along with StepStorm. Your mother is worried. Can't you do anything?"

SpiritCave didn't say anything. He just watched ScarletLight quietly. "The real question is, why aren't you doing anything."

ScarletLight was taken aback by the question. What did he mean by that? What could she do? She was only a recently made warrior. She had no say in tribe affairs. "What are you talking about?"

"You know," replied SpiritCave. Hs attention shifted to FlowingRiver. "You understand this as well?"

The gray she-cat nodded. "Yes…but I don't like it."

It suddenly hit her. "I should…" ScarletLight trailed off. How could she do this? BurningRusset was dying and SandWhite was worried sick. If ScarletLight were to…

"Come on sister," teased FlowingRiver. She lightly hit ScarletLight's head with her paw. "Go. If you stay here, you'll just go crazy."

SpiritCave nodded. "Yes. Go. Go beyond the territory of ForestRose to the field beyond. There the thing you need will be found. Listen to an unlikely source."

ScarletLight couldn't believe this. Spirit Wind was involved with this decision after all! Even though SpiritCave would not say more, she had the idea of what was going on. "I'll do it."

SpiritCave stepped outside. "Go then. You don't have much time left."

"Thank you," ScarletLight said to both her sister and the spiriter before running outside. She thought she could feel the Spirit wind guiding her way, pushing her along until she felt like she was running with the wind itself. In the distance she saw two figures under the palm trees and she pushed herself faster. They may not know it yet but the Spirit Wind was guiding their paws on this quest.