Mintpool felt as though the air had stilled. She was frozen in shock, her tail quivering. This rogue - one who'd attacked their camp - was Mamba? 

Mamba flicked Cobrastrike's ear-tip. "Now, I don't suppose you'll mind introducing me to this... Clan friend of yours?"

Her tone made Mintpool's pelt bristle, completely forgetting about her shock and fear. Mamba spoke the word 'Clan' as though it was something weak and petty. I don't know why I'm so surprised to find out she, of all cats, is Mamba, the gray tabby thought wryly, her tail-tip twitching with anger. In the visions, she certainly wasn't described as a good cat.

"Right." Cobrastrike cleared his throat again. "Mamba, this is Mintpool."

"Oh!" Mamba's gaze sharpened, studying Mintpool more carefully. "Oh, that's right! I remember you. You were the cat who ran away from me." Her green eyes sparkled, as though laughing at the tabby. "Quite an entertainment. That's why we're here at the Clan territory. Clan cats are always so stupid and weak. It's funny to see them pretend to act strong."

The gray tabby leapt to her paws. "Clan cats aren't weak," she hissed.

"Oh, really?" Mamba blinked challengingly. "Fight me, then. As I recall, it was your Clan that needed help from another to fight us off."

Mintpool's pelt bristled. Even though she was a medicine cat, she left like leaping at the black she-cat and tearing her face off. However, Cobrastrike stepped between them quickly. "There's no need for that," he meowed, quickly. 

The gray tabby glared at him. "Can I speak with you for a moment in private, please?"

As Cobrastrike nodded, Mamba answered.

"Of course." Mamba, looking both unfazed and amused, laughing at Mintpool meanly, rose to her paws. "I'll go wait over there. Call me if you need help, Cobrastrike, although I doubt you will, considering you're dealing with a Clan cat." She trotted out of the clearing, her black tail disappearing into the tall grass.

Cobrastrike shuffled his paws awkwardly. He didn't seem to have anything he needed to say, so Mintpool started. "Cobrastrike! How could you be hanging out with rogues?"

"I know, I know," Cobrastrike mewed, "but it's better this way. They're no threat to me if I join them."

"But they attacked the Clans!" Mintpool's green eyes widened, willing her friend to understand. Anger stirred in her belly. How could her friend join rogues? "They're sorry excuses for cats! They don't follow the Warrior Code! They attack whoever they want to and take whatever they want. There's no order!"

Cobrastrike blinked. "I'm not sure I agree with that," he replied slowly. "You haven't even met them yet."

Mintpool stared at him. She couldn't believe her ears. "I've met Mamba and I've seen the cats who attacked my camp." Her tail whisked with anger. "I don't need to meet any more."

"I mean you haven't seen how they live." Cobrastrike twitched his tail-tip. "I'm not saying I agree with what they've done, but this is the best option for me." He paused. "Actually, why don't I agree with them attacking our Clans? What has FireClan, or any Clan, ever done for me? All they got me was being looked at as a monster! My life would be better off if I was never in a Clan."

The gray tabby gaped at him. But she couldn't find a rebuttal to his words, couldn't find anything to defend the Clans against him. Because he was right. His life had been terrible inside FireClan, and the other Clans didn't even seem to care when Viperfang died. The Clans are too unforgiving, Mintpool thought. They wouldn't forgive even Fireclaw's descendants for something their ancestor had done thousands of moons ago, something they had no control over.

She swallowed, nodding. "You're right," she mewed quietly. "But these rogues are still bad news." Worry for Cobrastrike still raged inside her. She knew he was a good fighter, but he couldn't take on so many rogues by himself, if they decided to turn on him. 

Cobrastrike twitched his pelt. "You shouldn't judge them based on what you see on the outside," he meowed. "They're normal cats, just like you and me."

"Normal cats who attacked the Clans for no reason."

"There's not no reason." Cobrastrike leaned down. "Why do you think they've stayed here for so long?"

"To spite the Clans," Mintpool meowed swiftly. That was what she'd been told. The rogues were staying here simply to annoy and bring uneasiness to the Clans. 

Her friend shook his head. "No. The Clans have all done something to them, like they've done to me."

"Really?" Mintpool felt shock flow through her. The Clans had really done something to all the rogues that were here? There was about as much as a Clan, from what she could tell from their attack. "How could the Clans have bothered so many?"

Cobrastrike shrugged. "Well, the Clans have a lot of cats, don't they? Little things can happen, like kicking rogues out of territories at first. Well, then many would run out of food. And you know how the Clans view cats that aren't inside their Clan. They think that if a cat doesn't follow the Warrior Code, they're wrong. In fact, they even view other Clan cats as worst than themselves!" He lowered his voice. "You know Mamba? She and her family were living on the edges of the Clans' territories. Then, one day, they accidently got too close to the borders, and her parents were attacked by FireClan cats." 

Mintpool felt her eyes widen. "Really?" She hadn't ever viewed it from the rogues' point of view. Whenever something like that happened, she would agree with the Clans, thinking that they'd brought safety to the cats. She never thought of how the rogues would feel. "That's horrible."

Cobrastrike nodded. "Nothing as terrible happened to the other cats, but they all still hate the Clans. It was easy to gather them together. They all want revenge."

The gray tabby felt a shiver run down her spine. "Oh, wow." Everything seemed to have shifted now. She was viewing the Clans in a completely different light. However, as terrible thing as the Clans may have done, she was still on their side. After all, she was still a loyal AirClan cat. "That's horrible, Cobrastrike. But they still attacked and damaged so much of my camp and Clanmates!"

Cobrastrike blinked, before dipping his head. "I know you won't understand now," he meowed softly, "but perhaps one day you can realize how much of a menace the Clans are."

Mintpool stepped back, shocked by his words.

"Cobrastrike!" Mamba's voice travelled towards them as the black she-cat reappeared. "Are you done with your chat? It's time for hunting. You know, if you don't hunt-"

"You don't eat," Cobrastrike finished, getting to his paws. "Alright. I'm coming, Mamba." He turned around. "Bye, Mintpool. I know you don't like me joining the rogues, but I don't want that to come in between our friendship."

The gray tabby blinked at him, trying to process everything. He'd joined the rogues! The rogues had attacked and harmed her Clanmates! He didn't want that to come in between their friendship? It looked like a completely unreasonable thing to ask for! However, she understood Cobrastrike's reasoning. And, for some reason, she wasn't mad at him. Even as much as she told herself she wouldn't, she knew she'd come back and visit him again. "Okay. Bye."

Cobrastrike bowed his head, turning around and bounding after Mamba. It was only after that they disappeared that Mintpool acknowledged Mamba's words. If you don't hunt, you don't eat? But what about the queens and elders? She scoffed, getting to her paws, ready to retreat back to the Clans' territories. The rogue life seemed like a terrible one.

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Word Count // 1289

Not Edited

Hi! I'm back from the vacation. It was super fun; we met up with some family that we hadn't seen in a while. Anyway, new chapter! Sorry if the characters seem a little out of their normal personality - I'm kind of forgetting how to write them. I still hope it's okay! I'll probably go back and edit it later. Anyway, that's all for the Author's Note. Bye!