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"Something just doesn't seem right with Echoshine. What does she even want my heritage. Wait!" Nightshade remembered that her grandfather was a traitor, a murderer. "She thinks I will be like him."

Fernshade shook her head, her ears pinning back. "No, it's that--" She cut herself off, glancing at the camp full of DawnClanners. She remembered back when she was an apprentice, when Echoshine was a newly-named warrior... Fernshade shuddered the thoughts away.

---

"That what?" Nightshade demanded, flicking her tail.

Fernshade shook her head, refusing to tell. She knew what Echoshine was capable of doing to her own Clan life. With a simple mews, Echoshine could ruin everything for Fernshade. That's why she had to keep the deputy's secret. "Nothing."

---

"I understand. Treepelt won't talk to me anymore, since Echoshine talked to him." Nightshade said, her ears drooping.

Fernshade found Treepelt in the crowd and shot a murderous look to him mentally. She turned back to Nightshade. "It's not that, Nightshade... It's the point that I can't tell anyone. Not even you. And tell me, why won't Treepelt talk to you anymore?" She mewed, her voice softened.

---

"Ever since Echoshine talked to him, he has been hanging around with her, I even saw them two close together, their tails entwined, I guess we are over now..." Nightshade plodded into the Warriors den, upset.

I'll make Echoshine pay for what she's done. Somehow. Fernshade promised to herself as Nightshade padded into the Warriors' Den. Treepelt scowled at her as he was walking by. Unfortunately for him, Fernshade saw this. Her sheathed paw slammed on his back, pinning him to the ground. "You don't deserve to disrespect Nightshade like that, there as well even look at her. Filthy traitor, I'd kill you on the spot right now..." She growled, giving him a hard cuff on the ear. This caught a crowd of attention, but Fernshade just scowled and closed herself into the Warriors' Den.

---

Treepelt scrambled to his feet. "Killing a clan member is being a traitor, fernshade!" Nightshade heard his voice and her paws pinned her ears to her face, not wanting to listen.

Fernshade's head poked out of the Warriors' Den. "That's why I didn't do it, mouse-brain. Don't you mess with Nightshade again. Ever. You will pay if you do, piece of fox-dung." She snapped, and groped back to her nest with waiting for a reply. Acornfur hissed at Treepelt, and lay down next to Fernshade. "Would you really risk your loyalty to DawnClan to defend Nightshade?" He whispered. Fernshade nodded. "I'd do it for you, too. Nobody else. Just you and Nightshade." She mewed in reply. The only ones in this Clan I actually care my life on, She added in her mind.

---

Nightshade stood up. "I need to end this." Nightshade padded out of her den, and approached treepelt. Echoshine jumped in front of him and dug her claws into Nightshade. "Traitor!" Nightshade yelled, getting into battle. Echoshine meowed amusingly. "This is our battle, winner takes Treepelt." Nightshade thought about this. "What about the warrior code?" She questioned.

Fernshade leaped into the scene, bumping Nightshade aside so she could stand nose-to-nose with Echoshine. "You call yourself a deputy?!" She scowled. Echoshine ignored the comment. "I said this is our battle. No interference, if you must." She growled.

Fernshade turned to the ash-black warrior. "Nightshade... If you're really love-sick enough to accept the challenge then I hope you'll win. Think about it--it'd be uncomfortable to be with Treepelt after what he's done to you. For all of sake, I don't even think he wants you back. But... Good luck." She meowed.

Treepelt came into the scene once more, his claws unsheathed. He looked at both of the she-cats. Fernshade gave a threatening hiss in warning to him. "You--stay out of this battle." She snapped. Treepelt disappeared into the crowd. Echoshine's lucky the leader is on a border patrol. I'll report her later. Fernshade thought, and padded backwards to watch the fight. Acornfur had to hold down her tail just in case she got out of control.

---

Nightshade looked at Echoshine. "Not only that if I win, you turn down your undeserved deputy spot!" Nightshade hissed. "It's a deal." Echoshine replied. "Then I accept your challenge" Nightshade snorted.
Echoshine sprang onto nightshade. She pinned her down. Nightshade sunk her teeth into her leg, causing her to yowl.

Fernshade forced herself to just sit there and watch. Nightshade was winning, and Echoshine was being crushed. "I FORFEIT!" The deputy yowled, just as Nightshade was about to land another attack on her. Nightshade let go of her, but the brown-furred feline had a twinkle in her eyes. "Although, I have something to tell you all. Just to let you know about your future deputy..." She looked slyly at Fernshade. She wouldn't dare... The warrior froze in her spot. All the cat's enlightened eyes turned towards her. "Fernshade here wasn't clanborn." Echoshine purred. This started a commotion. 'Does that mean she's a kittypet?' related questions roared through all the DawnClanners. "She was born in a rogue pack.

She used to kill innocent kits and kittypets and eat them when she was a kit." Echoshine hissed, glaring at Fernshade accusingly. The commotion about her was only louder. She stood there in shock. "Stop, stop!" Acornfur yowled in the midst of the chattering. Everyone grew quiet and looked at him. "I think we should ask her first." Acornfur declared. The cats silently gave murmurs of agreement. "Fernshade, is this true...?" Acornfur meowed softly to her. He didn't seem to believe it. Now what do I tell them? Thoughts swirled in her head. She cleared her throat for attention, and sighed, "I can't deny the truth. Acornfur, I'm sorry to say what Echoshine has to tell you is utterly the truth. I have followed the warrior code ever since I joined DawnClan at seven moons, so I expect you don't treat me any differently." She admitted, her fur bristled.

The leader came beside her (suddenly in the camp now), and nodded. "If Fernshade had been plotting to betray us she would've already done it. Now, then--" The leader meowed, but Fernshade raised a paw to quiet her. "Not to be disrespectful, Brindlestar." She added, and the leader gave a nod of understatement. "Echoshine has been plotting to overthrow the leader ever since she was a young warrior." Fernshade announced. Gasps came from the crowd. "All of you are dismissed. This is a matter that Fernshade, Echoshine, and I must discuss in private." Brindlestar mewed. They stayed long enough for Fernshade to anounce, "No. This is a matter that can and will be discussed freely with all of DawnClan." Fernshade meowed.

---

Nightshade nudged Fernshde before she left. "You are still my friend, you were just following the rules, see you later." Nightshade padded off.

"Nightshade, wait. This involves you and your heritage too." Fernshade meowed. Echoshine was stunned. Brindlestar, looking suspiciously at Fernshade and Echoshine, heaved a sigh. "We'll need more details." The leader urged. "When I was a new apprentice at seven moons--the time I joined DawnClan--I was wandering out on the lands hunting." Fernshade began, her tone representing and elder beginning a story to a young kit. "Wait. You were hunting alone?" Came a meow from the crowds. "Yes, I didn't know it was against the rules at the time." Fernshade replied. "Who was your mentor?" Asked another warrior. "Yewfur. Can I go on with the story now?" The she-cat muttered. All the cats quieted.

"I stumbled across a grotto, and heard voices. So I spied on them." Fernshade meowed. "It was Echoshine and a white-furred rogue talking. They were talking about overthrowing DawnClan's leader, and how when Echoshine would become Echostar she would let the rogues join and take over the forest." The she-cat paused. The camp was silent. "Echoshine had a good ear, and she heard my frantic breathing and rustling in the bushes. She confronted me." Fernshade finished. Brindlestar eyed her suspiciously.

"Fernshade, why is that you tell us now, when your a senior warrior?" She questioned. "Because Echoshine somehow found out about my past and threatened me. I was a new apprentice then, not all of DawnClan was ready to trust me yet." Fernshade meowed. "Echoshine was going to use Nightshade as an excuse, according to her heritage, in Brindlestar's death. She was going to blackmail Nightshade." Fernshade meowed. Brindlestar looked at Echoshine. "Is this true?" She demanded. The former deputy was shocked. "I-i... I mean... N-no." She stammered. Yewfur, now an elder, stepped up. "Terrible, cheating liar." The yellow-ish elder growled. "Echoshine, you are hereby exiled from DawnClan. If you are to step on our territory again, our warriors will drive you out. You are dismissed--permanently." The leader declared.

---

"I only have the power and noble ness of my grandfather, I would never break the warrior code." Nightshade purred.

Fernshade nodded in agreement. Brindlestar cleared her throat for a message to all of the Clan. "As my deputy Echoshine has betrayed DawnClan, I must appoint a new deputy. The new deputy is Fernshade." The leader announced. Fernshade stared at her. A part of her told her to step down. The other told her to try for one moon.

---

Nightshade purred with happiness as her friend became the new deputy she knew that Fernshade deserved it.

"Brindlestar--" Fernshade began, but the leader hushed her. "Just try. I'll allow you to step down after a moon." The leader mewed.

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