Thanks to all my reviewers: AriusWinter, Coby Cullen, BookObssesserNumberOne, Emma183, and Blizzard Dragonoid

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Darkpaw padded through the leaning branches that made up the camp entrance. She carried her catch proudly in her mouth, and her midnight black tail waved behind. Mothpaw may have won the fishing competition, but she had more experience than Darkpaw, and it was to be expected. Cloudysky said I did excellently anyways, thought Darkpaw.

The ForeverClan camp was extremely protected. Having unnatural abilities had enabled the cats to build a fort like no other. The wall was made of branches thicker than a cat's leg, woven together with tough tussac grass, and the outside had vines of thorns woven into it. The three entrances to the camp were gaps in the wall where the branches leaned against each other to form and arc over their heads. Leafy vines hung from each arc.

As for the inside of camp, it was spotless. The ground was soft, packed dirt, free of rocks, leaves or grass. There were trees and bushes here and there, and the biggest were made into dens. No grass or weeds grew in camp except for a small patch around the nursery. It was all very orderly and neat.

But anyways, back to Darkpaw. She dropped her fish on fresh-kill pile, next to what Mothpaw and Owlpaw had caught. The two of them sat a few paces away, Mothpaw eating her fat fish-prize. Darkpaw immediately altered her direction and headed towards them.

"Hiya again, Darkpaw," Owlpaw meowed. He stared jealously at Mothpaw's fish.

"Hey, guys." Darkpaw stretched out on her belly next to them, feeling the warmth of the sun on her back. No sooner had she done so did a voice call out her name.

"Darkpaw!" Cloudysky mewed loudly. "Come on, the elders need new moss!"

"But we just came back from hunting!" Darkpaw protested, climbing tiredly to her paws.

"I know, I'm sorry. But the moss is wet," Cloudysky said sympathetically. "As for you two," she said, turning to look at the other apprentices. "Your mentors have asked me to tell you that you need to be helping Darkpaw. Mothpaw, you better finish that fish quick." She waved her tail. "See to them now, please!"

Grumbling, Owlpaw and Darkpaw set off for the elder's den while Mothpaw inhaled the rest of the fish. As the two approached the fallen tree whose roots formed the elder's den, the sound of small paws galloped behind them. Glancing over her shoulder, Darkpaw saw Thornkit and Icekit racing over.

Owlpaw turned his head a moment to late, and Thornkit tackled him. Icekit lunged at Darkpaw, but she braced herself and batted him out of the air. Icekit and Owlpaw both hit the ground with thumps.

"Oww, Thornkit!" Owlpaw yelped, shoving her off. She tumbled to the ground next to her brother, who was shaking the dusty dirt from his fur. "You're not some little kit anymore, and that hurt."

"Sorry, Owlpaw," Thornkit lowered her eyes.

"Yeah, sorry," Icekit echoed. "Even though you saw me," he said, speaking to Darkpaw.

"We just wanted to hear a story!" Thornkit mewed. She pressed herself against Owlpaw's legs in an apology.

"Birdfeather says she has a new one!" Icekit added eagerly, bouncing.

"Well, come and hear it, then," Sandfur called, sticking his head out of the den.

"Yay!" The kits cheered in unison and pelted for the den. Darkpaw grinned at Owlpaw and they trotted after them.

They slipped down into the cool, earthy den. It was in the ground, the thick roots creating a roof with a gap for an entrance. Birdfeather was lying on a nest of moss, sand and dry grass. She smiled when she saw the young cats.

Birdfeather was rather plain. A basic brown tabby, a bit on the dark side in terms of color. Her eyes were green, and her power was nothing special. She 'could make the darkest of situations light' or so she said. All Darkpaw knew was her daughters, Leaffall and Sunshine, were a lot more talented.

"Settle down, kits," she purred. "As for the two apprentices, I thank you greatly. The moss needs to thrown out as soon as possible."

"My thanks as well," rumbled Sandfur. The huge sandy cat curled up on his own nest.

With a sigh, Darkpaw started on Birdfeather's nest. Digging through the sand and grass, she used her teeth to pick out the moss and spat them out on the floor. The she-elder began her story.

"I haven't yet told you the story about Flametail the Betrayed. It is a sad tale, and not often told." Darkpaw pricked up her ears. Seeing as she hadn't often visited the elders when she was a kit, she hadn't heard this story before.

"Flametail the Betrayed?" asked Icekit. "Who betrayed him?"

"Her," Birdfeather corrected. "Flametail was a she cat." She paused for a moment. "Flametail began as Flamepaw. Flamepaw was a ginger tabby she cat with fur like fire, with slightly darker red tabby stripes. Her eyes were like chips of dark amber sunlight, liquid and warm. She was rather pretty, and said to be an excellent hunter."

Darkpaw realized she had stopped working, so absorbed as she was. Ducking her head, she quickly started picking out the moss.

"When it was time for Flamepaw to receive her warrior name and power, she, like all new warriors, was sent to the stream at night. She went, swam in the stream, and fell asleep in the sand, waiting for StarClan to greet her in her dreams. No one knows what happened that night, but in the morning she returned with a most baffling story." Birdfeather took a breath, smiling at the kits' wide eyes. "According to Flametail, she did everything expected of her, and waited all night, but for some reason StarClan never came to her. No dream, no voices, nothing." Now even Owlpaw was listening.

"Why didn't StarClan come?" asked Thornkit.

"Nobody knows," said Birdfeather, her thoughts far away. "But the leader at the time, Swallowstar, was just as confuse as you are. StarClan not recognizing a new warrior? This had never happened before. So, even though StarClan hadn't accepted her, Swallowstar gave Flamepaw her warrior name, Flametail. The ceremony was rushed, and Swallowstar immediately went to consult with the medicine cat. No one had a clue about this mystery, and that led to suspicion. Cats started to believe that StarClan had ignored Flametail because StarClan had seen something dark in Flametail's heart."

"She was evil?!" blurted out Darkpaw.

"I personally believed she wasn't," mewed Birdfeather. "She was talented and would've made a great warrior, or even leader, but these rumors got under her skin. Her own Clan was nervous around her, and she felt that StarClan itself hated her for no reason. Worst of all, no supernatural skill ever appeared. She was powerless. All of this made Flametail bitter and angry, for she had done nothing wrong. Her friendly eyes turned hard and hateful." Birdfeather frowned. "And then one day, it all went wrong. There was a cat named Frogleap, and he'd never been a good terms with Flametail. They disliked each other greatly, and after the incident, Frogleap had been one of the first to accuse Flametail of being evil and unworthy. One day, he met up with Flametail alone in the woods. Also according to Flametail, he mocked her for her powerlessness and other things. Flametail snapped, and even though he was gifted and she wasn't, she killed him on the spot. After this, Swallowstar had no chance but to exile Flametail from the Clan. So, for many years, Flametail the Betrayed haunted ForeverClan outside the borders, threatening anyone she found. Some say she went insane, but she was a major source of trouble and misery for ForeverClan until her dying day, when she fell from a cliff onto the rocks in the sea."

The cats were silent for a long moment. "I think she really was evil. You can't believe anything she says. Perhaps Frogleap was innocent. How would we know otherwise?" yawned Sandfur.

"So no one knows why StarClan didn't gift her?" asked Icekit.

"No cat ever knew," said Birdfeather. "And Sandfur may be right, but you have to think. Was Flametail really betrayed? Or was she evil, insane? You've heard the story. You must make your own opinion." Birdfeather sighed. "I personally think she's innocent."

Darkpaw scooped up the wad of moss and padded out of the den, deep in thought. About Flametail, about Frogleap, about StarClan itself. What would she do if StarClan chose to ignore her? She barely noticed when she nearly ran into Hollyfrost.

"Watch where you're going, Darkpaw," scolded Hollyfrost.

Darkpaw lowered her head. "Sorry, mother," she mumbled around the moss.

Hollyfrost hesitated, then nuzzled her. "It's fine. Just… Keep at it." She half ran away.

Darkpaw rolled her eyes. Hollyfrost had never been very maternal. Rowantail was much better at showing affection than his mate.

Dumping the moss outside of camp, she collected fresh moss and trotted back towards the camp, passing Owlpaw on the way. She turned towards the elders' den, wondering where Mothpaw had gone, when a patrol burst into camp. Nightstorm was in the lead, three other cats behind him. "Shiningstar! Shiningstar! There's a coyote pack in the territory!"

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So there you go. What do you think? Good? Great? Stupid? Other?

Also, I'm pretty certain coyotes don't live in packs, but whatever. Please review!