Dawnpaw shoved her head into her fur, pretending to be grooming. The Gathering patrol weren't just going to be sharing news. They would be debating Demonpaw's fate with the other Clans.

StarClan, if he gets exiled, protect him. Bring him back to me. Please. Dawnpaw prayed.

Dawnpaw had so much tension in her body; tail flicking back in forth, ears twitching every few heartbeats, eyes darting around warily. Every time her sharp ears picked up footsteps, she froze, assuming it'd be Luckystar and the others, with Demonpaw's fate.

Footsteps!

Dawnpaw jerked her head up. Her fur was shiny from consistent grooming. The moon shone overhead. Golden brown fur glittered at the entrance. Luckystar! For a moment, Dawnpaw's heart stopped and she panicked.

Demonpaw was in the apprentices' den, looking annoyed. He was under guard. "Can I be let out now?" he called.

Demonpaw, please, please, try behave.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Luckystar yowled.

Dawnpaw followed the other apprentices to where they usually gathered. Demonpaw sat on his own, allowed out of the den for the trial.

"ShadowClan is hostile!" Luckystar announced. "But I have decided on a punishment."

Please. Spare him. Luckystar, I beg you.

"What is it?" Firestar seemed interested but his eyes were shadowed. "In my day we didn't punish cats for being disrespectful."

Luckystar nodded respectfully to the retired leader. "Yes, you're right, Firestar. I suppose in your day, your Clanmates didn't steal food and medicine supplies for themselves."

"I ate food out of turn as an apprentice, once," Firestar recalled. "My punishment was to look after Yellowfang, who I had captured." 

"But Demonpaw isn't even Clanborn! He was born a rogue. I'm going to send him into exile. I will also blind one of his eyes." Luckystar argued.

Dawnpaw noticed Goldenperch give a sob of relief. For what? Half blind wasn't a pleasant way to live.

Lionblaze, Foxleap, Dovewing and Brackenfur took hold of Demonpaw's legs, holding him down. The black tom tried to escape, hissing.

"Birchfall, Beetlenose! Help them!" Luckystar commanded as he almost escaped.

Beetlenose seized Demonpaw's head and thrust it onto the ground while Birchfall held down his flailing hindquarters.

Luckystar winced as she stepped down from the Highledge. "Everyone, out of the way unless you're holding him down." She meowed.

Goldenperch didn't. "I'm watching." She insisted.

Luckystar thought about it then gave a slight nod. "You have a right." She admitted.

Dawnpaw stuck her chin up and padded next to Goldenperch. She nuzzled the older cat, giving her silent support.

Dawnpaw watched Luckystar lift a forepaw up into the air.

No! Stop! She wanted to yowl.

Luckystar slashed it down into Demonpaw's right eye. He gave a wail of pain. It was heartbreaking for Dawnpaw. "Demonpaw..." she murmured pitifully.

After what seemed like several lifetimes to Dawnpaw, Luckystar stepped back and she viewed the injured cat. "That'll be enough." She decided. "Demonpaw, leave the camp at once. If we find you in our territory by tomorrow when the sun rises, all warriors have permission to chase you out."

I'll never chase you out.

Dawnpaw tentatively looked at Demonpaw. His right eye was milky and glassy. Blood trickled down from his eye onto his shoulders. He gave a small snarl then left the camp.

They really did it. They injured him. Dawnpaw hissed in frustration, anger and sadness. My beloved Demonpaw.

Dawnpaw barely registered the two ceremonies that lightened the mood; Larkpaw and Snowpaw's ceremonies, making them Larkleaf and Snowfall. 

How dare they celebrate. This should be a sad occasion. We're losing a valuable warrior...and a faithful mate.

Dawnpaw noticed Goldenperch's fur bristling. She moved next to the grieving mother. "I miss him too."

Liar. I don't miss him. I need him. Will I ever be happy again?

"S-so you two were mates?"

"We were going to be," Dawnpaw muttered. "I was sick with greencough this leaf-bare, remember? He brought me catmint to eat. He saved me from death." She looked up with pleading eyes. "Goldenperch, you've got to help me get him back in the Clan! I love him, but I can't leave my littermates to be with him! But I know he's waiting for me!"

Goldenperch said at last. "Maybe. I'll think about it overnight. But right now, my exhausted body isn't going to take any deeper thinking."

"Thank you." Dawnpaw let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Goldenperch could bring Demonpaw back into the Clan.

"I'm not promising anything," Goldenperch warned.

Furball.

"I know." Dawnpaw blinked brightly, trying to cheer Goldenperch up. "But I'm still grateful." She let her fur lie flat and bounded off.

Dawnpaw approached the entrance of the apprentices' den. It seemed empty without Demonpaw. A scream cut through the air.

Help!" Lightningpaw was shrieking at the top of her lungs.

Dawnpaw ran into the den and saw strange cats battling the other apprentices. She quickly went back to back with Frogpaw while Lightningpaw and Thunderpaw had curled up together with claws unsheathed.

Goldenperch had evidently heard the scream, since she came in running next.

"Get back up!" Goldenperch snapped at Sunpaw. "Go find some more warriors! We're under attack!" 

Sunpaw gave her a terrified look before dashing out of the den.

"Echopaw! We'll fight together!" Goldenperch yowled.

Echopaw gave her a confident nod. Dawnpaw wished she could've been that confident, but she didn't have time to dwell on that. A brown tabby was swiping at her face. Dawnpaw quickly ducked the blow and Frogpaw attacked by landing his paw on the tabby's head.

Dawnpaw heard Goldenperch give a small gasp of shock. What happened? Dodging another blow, she risked a glance around.

"Traitor!" A cat caterwauled and the other invaders echoed.

"Traitor! You took your kits and left alongside the other traitors!" the brown tabby snarled.

"What does he mean?" Frogpaw wriggled out from behind Dawnpaw.

"Darkstripe means that Goldenperch once belonged to our Clan, DarkClan, but left to be with this Clan of fox-faces!" The leader purred.

DarkClan?

"DarkClan is evil! That's why I left. But it entices you. Don't join them!" Goldenperch urged.

"Enough!" The leader swiped at Goldenperch's muzzle, but she dodged and flipped over the bigger cat to land on his back.

"Reinforcements are here!" Sunpaw arrived, breathless.

The DarkClan cats looked around wildly and seeing a crowd of cats swarm into the den, fled in terror.

The next few heartbeats passed in a blur. Luckystar and some other cats were doubting Goldenperch for being in DarkClan previously and others were forgiving her. Jayfeather and Larkleaf were moving around the cats, checking them for wounds and applying herbs.

Dawnpaw muttered thanks before finding her nest among the chaos of the den. She curled up on it, her tail balanced delicately on her nose. Drifting off to sleep, she had nightmares of Demonpaw. He seemed to be nuzzling a light yellow she-cat. Jealousy flooded in her, but a call woke her up.

"Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Luckystar yowled.

What now?