**Alternate Title: Wingless Dove Twixt Tiger and Bumblebee Fangs**

Sunlight bathed the stone hollow richly like a golden lake. The fresh, honeyed scents of greenleaf filled the air and the smell of prey overwhelmed above the stone hollow. It was sunhigh; the empty blue skies promised no sign of rain or any kind of storm. The branches of the trees around the cliffs above the ThunderClan camp bobbed gently in the mild breeze.

Dovewing was seated amongst her Clanmates that gathered beneath the Highledge in the clearing. Their leader, Bramblestar, stood proudly up on the Highledge, his shoulders square and tail and chin held high. He rested his amber gaze down on three apprentices, Dewpaw, Snowpaw, and Amberpaw. The three young cats returned their bright gazes that burned with pride and happiness in the sunlight. Dovewing couldn't help but suppress a rising purr that welled from her throat. She spotted Cloudtail and Brightheart standing pelt-to-pelt near the front of the throng of cats, their tails intertwined, purring loudly. Dovewing would've thought that StarClan could hear them!

Every cat was silent as Bramblestar began. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. These three apprentices have trained hard enough to understand the ways of your noble warrior code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." His warm eyes shifted over to Dewpaw. "Dewpaw," he began, "do you promise to endorse the warrior code and to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The gray-and-white tom shifted nervously on his feet and Dovewing thought that he was going to become reluctant to answer. Then, Dewpaw lifted his amber gaze once more. "I do," he meowed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dewpaw, from this moment you will be known as Dewnose. StarClan honors your patience and determination. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." After finishing, Bramblestar stretched out to rest his muzzle on top of the newly made warrior's head. Dewnose was nervous at first, but he didn't give away his reluctance, by giving Bramblestar's shoulder a quick, but devoted, lick.

As the naming ceremony went on, Bramblestar had went on with the same traditional words for naming new warriors in the Clan. Dovewing watched as Amberpaw became Ambermoon and Snowpaw became Snowbush.

*"Dewnose! Ambermoon! Snowbush!"

The stone hollow filled with the names of the newly made warriors. Dovewing felt her heart warming up. These cats were now officially full-fledged ThunderClan warriors. Their mentors looked upon them with welling pride in their eyes. They've done a very splendid job on mentoring these young, former apprentices. Dovewing couldn't thank Bramblestar any further for picking such wonderful mentors.

Ambermoon bounded up to her parents. "Great, no more searching in Purdy's pelt for ticks!" she meowed.

Cloudtail lifted a paw and good-naturedly cuffed her in the ear. "You'll be searching in mines when the time comes," he teased, his whiskers twitching.

Brightheart gave her mate a loving sidelong glance. She leaned her head against his shoulder and purred, entwining her tail with his once more. Cloudtail hadn't seemed to notice until she purred. He leaned his head on top of hers, their three developed kits around them.

As the Clan began departing and returning back to their normal duties, she rose to her paws and headed for the warriors' den.

"That could've been our kits someday."

Dovewing halted and turned at the sound of Bumblestripe. She narrowed her eyes at the gray tom with black stripes. He stood a couple of tail lengths away from her, his eyes deep pools of sorrow. "What happened to us?" he muttered dejectedly. "We were so happy together back then, but—" He paused, as if there was no need to explain something that she had already knew.

It was several moons ago, when the lake had flooded and its waters submerged the stone hollow, and ThunderClan had to move their camp to the tunnels. ShadowClan was far from their camp, too, and were too vulnerable and arrogant to ask for ThunderClan's help when a group of badgers had attacked them. During the endings of the battle, Dovewing remembered the look on Bumblestripe's face when she and Tigerheart fought side by side with a badger. She longed for the dark tabby warrior every night now; the thought of Tigerheart had refreshed back in her memory, ever since the badger attack and their reencounter. After the battle, Bumblestripe was immediately accusing Dovewing of suspicion. He should've suspected my disinterest in him by now, she thought crossly. Since then, she and Bumblestripe were no longer mates. And, yet, here he was, trying to work things out when it's already done and over with.

"You're the entire Clan to me, Dovewing," pressed on Bumblestripe, pacing closer until their muzzles nearly touched. "You know I'd never leave you like how you left me."

Dovewing's neck fur began to bristle. "Look, just get over it, okay?" she snapped. "Remember, we were assisted in helping ShadowClan get rid of the badgers. Tigerheart is nothing more than a friend of mine." A very handsome friend.

Bumblestripe was clawing the sandy ground, his ears flat and his face twisted, as if he'd been rejected from being a father. "Whatever," he hissed. "I'm just some useless mouse to let your anger off on."

"I'm out of here," growled Dovewing, whirling around and pelting for the warriors' den.

"I'm done playing this game, Dovewing!" Bumblestripe called out, his tail lashing angrily.

"The game's already ended!" snarled Dovewing, not looking back over her shoulder. She slowed down to prevent herself from crashing into the nearby nests. She went over to hers and curled up in her nest, her tail spanking along the mossy nest.

A head poked in and Dovewing noticed that it was Cherryfall. The ginger she-cat sauntered over to Dovewing's side, concern hinting through her amber eyes. "I know I shouldn't be interfering with you and Bumblestripe's relationship," she meowed gently. "But I think it was wrong that Bumblestripe disowned you as mate."

Dovewing lifted her head up, her ears twitching. "Too right!"

"I personally thought that you and he would make a great pair. I even thought that you two would have wonderful kits together." Cherryfall sat down beside the gray she-cat.

Suddenly, Dovewing felt fatigued, as if she'd eaten rotten crowfood. She had to stand up to straighten herself out. Dovewing stared at Cherryfall, her eyes filled with half annoyance and half pleasure. Was it the right time to tell her Clanmate that she was expecting kits? Her belly was barely swollen; it seems flat and evened out as of now. She'd tell her sister Ivypool first, but what was the use of running around camp looking for her? Dovewing suspected that Ivypool was on border patrol. With a sick feeling, she knew that it was time to spill it out.

Dovewing then took a deep breath. "I have something to tell you," she murmured to Cherryfall. "Just promise me that you won't tell anyone."

Cherryfall seemed confused, yet curious, on what Dovewing had to say. She sat closer, angling her ears towards Dovewing, listening intently.

Glancing around to find that no one was near them, Dovewing curled her tail over her forepaws and seated. "I'm…er…I'm expecting kits…" she announced nervously, silently.

Overjoy flooded through Cherryfall's eyes like greenleaf sunlight. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed. Her eyes then clouded with worry. "But you don't sound too happy about it."

At that same moment, Ivypool had slipped through into the warriors' den. "Don't sound too happy about what?" she meowed once she stopped by their side.

"Nothing!" meowed Dovewing quickly. "I just… uh… don't feel as content with my bedding as I used to."

Ivypool looked at her sister's neatly lined moss bedding. "I don't see what's wrong with it," she commented blankly.

Dovewing brushed a forepaw amongst a thin, tiny stick the side of a claw, hidden snugly in her nest. She leaned down to pick it up with her teeth. "There we go," she meowed after letting the tiny stick fall out of her mouth. "That's what's been prodding me in the side at night!" she lied, sounding accomplished.

Ivypool looked at her sister and rolled her eyes playfully. "That small thing?" she snorted. "That could only disturb a fire ant! And it always seem like you aren't getting enough sleep somehow. You're always… sluggish… during the dawn patrols."

Dovewing nearly flinched in shock. I can't let her find out that I've been leaving camp at night to meet with Tigerheart! She gave her shoulder a quick lick. "So. Everyone's lethargic in dawn," she fortified.

"I'm just looking out for you," meowed Ivypool, her eyes heavy with suspicion. They soon faded away into warm eyes. "Now that Snowbush is a warrior, he and his littermates would have to sit vigil tonight. Sorrelpaw is already eager to join him!" She let out a mrrow of laughter, her whiskers twitching.

Dovewing gave a furtive look down at her fluffy belly. She wondered what life would be like if Bumblestripe knew about her kits. She wouldn't dare want a mouse-brain like Bumblestripe to be their father. It is alright, little ones, she thought inwardly to her unborn kits, you'll never know… you may have ShadowClan blood!

***Dewpaw, Snowpaw, and Amberpaw's fan-made names (Amberlight, Snowpelt, Dewcloud) have been changed to their canon, confirmed & official names from the 6th arc (Dewnose, Snowbush, Ambermoon).