"Goldenwillow!" Mistlestar challenged. "What are you doing?"
"It's Goldenstar if you don't mind, pesky warrior," Goldenwillow snapped.
"It's Goldenwillow and you're the warrior!" Confused eyes were slipping back and forth between the two.
"Um, Mistleheart, you missed a lot," muttered Badgerfleck.
Pebblepaw looked astonished. "B-but-"
"Wait. Goldenwillow, you're faking," Mistlestar growled.
"Goldenstar, fox-brain. And you weren't even here." Goldenwillow countered.
"Hey, Mistleheart. Calm down, ok?" Tabbyheart whispered in her ear.
"Ya, Mistleheart. She's leader, ok, face it." another cat said.
"Listen to me, everybody!" Mistlestar flinched every time they called her Mistleheart and Goldenwillow Goldenstar.
"Mistleheart," Goldenwillow said mockingly. "I felt an urge to sleep in the leader's den. StarClan came to me in a dream, and granted me nine lives,"
"Sure," said Mistlestar sarcastically.
Thunder boomed ominously. "What was that?" Goldenwillow hissed.
"StarClan doesn't agree with Mistleheart!" declared a cat.
"No, StarClan doesn't agree with Goldenwillow!" Pebblepaw argued.
"Goldenstar, you mouse-brain." Goldenwillow snarled.
"Listen, guys!" Mistlestar yowled. No cat paid her any heed except for Whiskerpelt and Ravenfoot. They slipped through the crowd.
"Mistleheart, what's going on?" Whiskerpelt whispered.
"I am leader. She's not." Mistlestar said, agitated.
"How?" Ravenfoot cut in.
"I went to Starstone. I fell asleep touching the silver fern…"
"And StarClan came to you and granted you nine lives," finished Whiskerpelt.
"Ya, basically." Mistlestar hoped they would believe her.
"Hmm… I am more inclined to trust you then Goldenstar," Ravenfoot mumbled.
"Goldenwillow," put in Pebblepaw.
"Yes." he continued. "But we all saw a StarClan cat with our own eyes!"
"What?" Mistlestar said, astounded. She looked around, but no glittering dead cat with stars in their fur was wandering through StreamClan's camp.
"Are you sure they weren't fake?" Pebblepaw asked.
Whiskerpelt looked uncomfortable. "Ya, pretty sure. It was a genuine StarClan cat,"
Ravenfoot told her about it. "We were all sleeping, then a yowl from Rowanpaw woke us up." He gestured towards Goldenwillow. "We came to see what it was, and were just in time to spot the cat as it vanished into thin air. Goldenwillow noticed us watching, and she climbed to the top of the hill a minute before you got here,"
"There must be some mistake…" Mistlestar couldn't believe her ears.
"I'm sorry, Mistleheart-"
"Mistlestar," Pebblepaw interrupted forcefully.
"-but she has proof and you, well, don't." Whiskerpelt concluded.
"You seriously don't believe me?"
Whiskerpelt almost jumped a foot into the air. "No!" She exclaimed. "I do believe you, but I can't say the same for the rest of the Clan,"
Ravenfoot nodded grimly. Mistlestar gulped.
"I went to Starstone!" she declared to the Clan. "StarClan visited me and granted me nine lives."
Several cats laughed cruelly. Amberspark and her new mate, Crowleaf scoffed in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Mistleheart, but we did see proof," Tabbyheart apoligized.
"I can't say I believe you, Mistleheart," Badgerfleck admitted.
"Why don't we have a vote?" Goldenwillow asked silkily.
"Yes, that will be fair." Ravenfoot said grudgingly.
"All those in favor of Goldenstar?" Tabbyheart said.
Amberspark and Crowleaf raised their paws. "Evidence counts," she heard them say. Windstorm thrust his paw into the air. So did Dappleheart, Dawnspots, Birdwing, Mouseeye, Badgerfleck, Treebranch, Specklefoot, Tabbyheart, Darkpelt, Russetbranch, Frogpelt, Darkrain, Tanglefoot, Dusksnow, Lionfur, and Reedwhisker. That was nineteen cats.
"And Mistlestar?" Pebblepaw challenged. She raised her paw. So did Emberdawn, Ravenfoot, and Whiskerpelt. Feathersong and Flamewhisker were close behind. The kits all cheered for her, but they couldn't vote yet. Twistpaw and Thornsnow added themselves to her side. Turtlepelt, Paintfur, and Sunnysnow all joined. But that was only eleven.
Goldenwillow sniffed haughtily. "Looks like I won," she concluded, her voice dripping with nastiness. "Proof does count for something, liar."
Pebblepaw growled loudly. "YOU FOX-HEARTED MOUSE-BRAIN!" she screamed.
"YA! YOU BIG BULLY! YOU LIAR! YOU AREN'T LEADER!" screeched Rowanpaw.
"Guys, don't. I'll figure this out," Mistlestar said.
"Hmmm…" Goldenwillow glared at the little cats. "What should I do with these disobedient cats?"
"Nothing," growled Turtlepelt. Goldenwillow ignored her.
"Hunt all day. And no prey for you," she said.
"What? That's not fair! Mistlestar! Do something!" yelped the apprentices.
"Goldenwillow, leave them alone," Mistlestar snapped.
"Sorry, what? Now we have to get this Clan up and running." Goldenwillow jumped down from her perch and started giving out orders.
"Goldenwillow, it's the middle of the night!" protested Sunnysnow.
"Don't complain, and do what's asked of you," Goldenwillow answered.
Mistlestar ignored it when Goldenwillow tried to push her around. She climbed into her nest to think things over.
When Mistlestar woke up the next morning, every cat was up working. No cat had gotten any sleep. She heard Goldenwillow approaching the clearing. She was hauling Rowanpaw, Twistpaw, and Pebblepaw by their scruffs.
"These three were stealing supplies from the medicine den!" she said.
"No we weren't!" Rowanpaw said, but Goldenwillow kicked her and she fell silent.
"We were out hunting!" blurted Pebblepaw. "Like we were-" She too got a face full of fur.
Twistpaw just hung miserably from Goldenwillow's jaws. "I swear we didn't-"
"What are you doing?" Mistlestar stormed over. Rowanpaw broke free from her captor's grip.
"Mistlestar," she panted. "We were out hunting, and we came back to camp with our prey. We sat down for a moment to talk to Twistpaw, and suddenly Goldenwillow's accusing us of stealing!"
"Well, you did." Goldenwillow reported. "And you need a fit punishment."
She jumped onto the Pebble Hill. "Clan!" she roared. "These three have stolen medicinal supplies!"
There was a loud gasp from below. And some meows of protest.
"I see it fit," she taunted, "To hereby banish them from this Clan."