A Day In A Rouge's Life:

Fallowstep stood on the highledge. She had planned everything perfectly. Thrushstar was out hunting with the clan deputy, Brackenflight. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" the light brown tabby she-cat yowled, throwing her head back.

The sky was a beautiful, clear blue, no clouds dotting it. As ThunderClan began to gather, confused, she stepped to the front of the rock. Confidence flowed through her. "Thrushstar and Brackenflight have led us for a very long time," she began.

Cloudpaw tilted her head, looking confused. The little white she-cat called, "What do you mean?"

"I mean it might be time to choose a new leader."

Shocked meows filled the air, some angry, some interested, and some a mixture of both. She continued steadily, not letting them see weakness for even a heartbeat. "I know all of you have had disagreements with Thrushstar and Brackenflight at least three times. And it's fine if you don't want to do this. We don't have to. But I want to point out that both of them are getting old. We need strong leaders!" Fallowstep raked the stone of the highledge with her claws.

"ThunderClan can not fall!" A few enthusiastic cheers came, and Dawnstorm stepped forwards, soon followed by Oakleap and Squirrelfern. The three shared a glance.

After a moment Squirrelfern spoke, "If the majority of the clan agrees, then we volunteer to help. The clan must come first."

"But only if the majority wishes for this!" Oakleap repeated quickly, jumping forwards. "If our clan mates don't like this, then we aren't doing it."

Thrushstar and Brackenflight burst through the entrance to camp, eyes blazing. Stiffening, Fallowstep took a step back, the pale ash gray she-cat trying to look like nothing had happened. She dipped her head to the two heads of ThunderClan. "Good morning," she mewed softly. "We were wondering where you where and if you were alright!"

Her brown tabby leader narrowed her eyes. "That's certainly not what it sounded like. It sounded most like a mutiny being planned instead!"

"Clan mates, does that sound familiar to any of you?" Brackenflight added, golden tabby tail sweeping.

Slowly cats began to nod. Fallowstep dug her claws into the rock. "It's just..." she began.

Brackenflight pricked her ears, bounding up the highledge until she was nose-to-nose with Fallowstep. "Go on." The deputy ordered, eyes dark. Thrushstar followed Brackenflight up the rock, looking sorrowful and uncertain.

"It's just..." Fallowstep glanced away, hanging her head. Doubts were starting to flow through her, suffocating her, drowning her. It was as if invisible waves lashed at her fur, pulling her one way and then the other.

The fake water swirled through her, sweeping away her confidence and her beliefs. All she saw as she stared back at Brackenflight was the calm yet angry golden eyes of a senor warrior, who was wise and resided as deputy of ThunderClan. Her legs felt weak, and Fallowstep offered no more words but a weak cough, sinking in her negative emotions.

"I thought so," Brackenflight snapped. She sounded angry, but her voice was soft, like more peaceful waters.

A few moments of silence followed, and then Thrushstar spoke. Fallowstep closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. But she did deserve it, did she not? "I banish you from ThunderClan for a moon. I don't think you would truly do this, Fallowstep, I promise, but maybe you will find life as rogue better suited to your personality."

Shocked, Fallowstep jerked her head to stare at Thrushstar. "But, Thrushstar! I'm a ThunderClan cat! I'll never be a rogue!"

"If you are a ThunderClan cat, then you will leave us for a moon," Thrushstar replied gently. "Go now. You have until midnight to be out of ThunderClan territory."

Tail dragging and being cut by the sharp stones, she slowly made her way back down to the clearing. Stares burned into her pelt, and she caught a familiar scent. The cats who had offered to help her. For a moment she paused, debating on telling on her clan mates, but she decided not too. Why drown three more cats when she could merely sacrifice herself?

Besides, she couldn't weaken her clan more than she already had. Shame flooded her, more of the strong currents of emotions threatening to sweep her off her feet.

She glanced back at ThunderClan territory as she left it. She was possibly saying goodbye to her family and friends for forever. Fallowstep trembled. It was an order though, and one that deserved to be given to her. The pale ashy gray she-cat had been on the verge of betraying her clan. It was a good thing her leader and deputy had come when they had. They might have saved her from swaying herself into disloyalty.

. 0 . 0 . 0 .

Fallowstep was curled up in a bed of leaves under some scraggly ferns. She was thinking to herself out loud, trying to thrust the pang of loneliness away, the one that pulled and tugged at her heart, trying to crack it and break it.

"I'm a rogue right now. I should change my name," she mewed wearily. Fear crept into her voice as she continued on. "I should be known as the Traitor of the Booming Thunder."

Traitor of the Booming Thunder nodded to herself. It did suit herself, after all. The pale ashy gray she-cat let out a rusty purr, trying to soothe herself into sleep even with distress overflowing her mind's shores. Would water always tug at her emotions, pulling her away and sweeping her off her feet?

Why was it always the same fierce current trying to grab her and tug her?

. 0 . 0 . 0 .

Dawn was breaking when Traitor of the Booming Thunder awoke. Today was the day she returned to ThunderClan. She had gotten used to her rogue life, to the loneliness, to providing for herself and herself only, but it had been hard. Traitor of the Booming Thunder didn't know if heading back was worth it. While the pale ashy gray she-cat was used to the feeling, she might as well stay that way.

But she had to return. She felt ThunderClan's pull tugging her to them, like she was a young sapling and she was reaching towards ThunderClan, the sun and heart of the four lake clans.

She felt it through her paws and through her mind, through her stone heart and through the scar on her forehead. The Traitor of the Booming Thunder was ready to return to her clan and take back up her old name, whatever it had been.

So many long, lonely days had passed that she had forgotten, if she was honest to herself. Traitor of the Booming Thunder trotted towards ThunderClan territory, having nothing but a vague idea in what direction she needed to head. It was been just so long ago.

Suddenly familiar scents filled her nose and she was in ThunderClan's territory again. It smelled so strange to her, but so fresh and new, and at the same time familiar and old. She was home, but she wasn't. Traitor of the Booming Thunder felt slightly uncertain as she padded along a rabbit trail. Was this even the right way to go?

A small white she-cat burst out of the bushes, fur soft and kit like, edging her face gently. The she-cat stared at her, jaws dropping. "F-Fallowstep," she stammered. "You're alive... and you came back."

"You mean Traitor of the Booming Thunder?" Traitor of the Booming Thunder made a face, looking away. "Either way, yes. Why do you look so surprised?"

In the back of her mind she was desperately trying to remember this cat's name. Who was she? Traitor of the Booming Thunder recognized the she-cat as someone she knew, but who it was stayed unknown to her.

"It's been six moons!" The she-cat rolled her eyes, looking amused and irritated. "Don't you know that, Fallowstep- uh, Traitor of the Booming Thunder?"

Traitor of the Booming Thunder bristled, suddenly recalling the she-cat had called her Fallowstep twice now. That must have been her warrior name. After a moment, she shook her head, hanging it.

"Well, come with me. It's about time you rejoined the clan." The she-cat nodded to her.