Robinpaw paused outside the warriors' den. Like Shadestar's, the den was made out of a small opening in the cave's wall. Ducking beneath the brambles that covered the entrance, Robinpaw crept inside the den. Lying in the corner was a small figure that was difficult to see in the dark. She figured the name Nightcloud was a little too fitting for him now.

"H-Hello," Robinpaw stuttered, unsure of what to say. "It's me, Robinpaw."

Nightcloud did not move, only turning his head to look at his daughter. Robinpaw was stunned by the detached look in his eyes, and realized that coming to see him was a mistake. She felt tempted to say nothing more and leave, but she didn't think it would help either of them.

"I'm...I'm an apprentice now," she tried. "Are you proud of me?"

The question hung in the air, neither cat speaking. Nightcloud took a deep breath before lying his head down between his paws.

"I'm grieving. Haven't you gotten enough praise from everyone else?"

Robinpaw nodded, knowing she shouldn't have expected anything more from him. She tucked her tail and exited the den, watching as groups of warriors exited the SunClan camp. She turned and walked back toward the Highstone, where Cloverpath was still waiting for her. Before Cloverpath could even speak, however, Dovesky shot out from Shadestar's den with her tail lashing. Robinpaw recognized the anger in her mother's eyes and braced herself for what was to come.

"Robinpaw, would you be okay with having me for a mentor? Shadestar says I can't mentor you even though you're my daughter!" Dovesky hissed, staring into Robinpaw's eyes.

Robinpaw struggled for a moment to find something to say, but Shadestar nudged her way in between her and Dovesky. Despite the exasperated expression on her face, she still seemed calm.

"Dovesky, I told you already: parents cannot mentor their own kits," she stated.

"There's no part of the warrior code that says so," Dovesky argued, looking back and forth between Robinpaw and Shadestar. Willowleaf stayed quiet, but Robinpaw noticed her tail-tip twitching.

"Perhaps. But my word is the warrior code. And as such, you will defer to my judgment. Is that understood?" Shadestar growled, stepping toward Dovesky almost threateningly.

Dovesky narrowed her eyes before sighing. "Yes, Shadestar."

"Good."

Robinpaw watched with wide eyes as Shadestar walked toward the entrance of the SunClan camp, Willowleaf following close behind. Cloverpath flicked her tail, glancing at Dovesky before speaking.

"Robinpaw, I'd like to start your training by showing you around SunClan's territory. You need to know your home before you can hunt in it or defend it from others," Cloverpath stated, turning to leave the SunClan camp.

"I'd like to go with you," Dovesky interrupted, stepping in front of the two she-cats.

Robinpaw stayed silent, wondering how her mother could lack any self-awareness. She could feel the tension in the air as the two she-cats stared each other down, and noticed her mentor was digging her claws into the soft ground beneath them.

"You're a warrior now, Dovesky. Maybe you should try contributing to your Clan again."

With a flick of her tail, Cloverpath brushed past Dovesky, with Robinpaw following close behind. Robinpaw didn't dare to look back at her mother, but she could feel her gaze on the back of her head as she walked out of the SunClan camp. She dug her claws into the ground as she walked, hoping Cloverpath wouldn't notice.

"I've never seen any cat look so unhappy to be an apprentice."

Robinpaw stopped in her tracks, unsure of what to say. She wasn't wrong; Robinpaw hadn't even stopped to process her own apprenticeship yet. She was about to speak up when Cloverpath sighed, "Then again, I wouldn't be happy if Dovesky was my mother either."

"She's not so bad," Robinpaw countered, feeling somehow defensive. "She's...just protective."

Her mentor snickered, pausing to turn and look at Robinpaw. "She wasn't always like that, you know."

Robinpaw tilted her head, staring at Cloverpath with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Cloverpath stepped toward her, her voice taking on a more sympathetic tone. "Your mother used to be a great warrior. Beautiful, strong, motivated. But after your sister vanished, I think she just changed. The same thing happened to your father."

Robinpaw stared down at the ground, shifting her paws. "My sister had nothing to do with me. I was only a few days old."

Cloverpath nodded. "Yes, but your parents don't see it that way."

Robinpaw shut her eyes tight, letting out a tense sigh. "Anyway, where do we start?"

"I'm glad you asked," Cloverpath said, flicking her tail. "You've never been out of camp, so I'm going to show you the borders and some important places in SunClan territory. That sound interesting to you?"

Robinpaw looked up, springing to her paws. "Yes! I mean...yes, please."

Cloverpath flicked her tail again, gesturing toward Robinpaw's back. "First, look up there. What do you see?"

Robinpaw turned around, looking up. She hadn't realized it, but they had walked down a steep slope into the forest. She could see the mouth of the cave they'd come out of, as well as a thick crowd of trees surrounding it. "I can see the entrance of SunClan's camp," she responded.

"Right, now look up more."

Tilting her head all the way back, Robinpaw's eyes widened as she took in the mountain that her Clan called home. The size of it was something she'd never seen before-something she couldn't even imagine seeing before. She could see the forest taper toward the peak, leaving the rocky surface of the mountain exposed. At the very top, she could could see snow.

"It's so...beautiful," Robinpaw murmured.

"Yes, it is. The mountain is our home, Robinpaw. StarClan has blessed our territory with prey, water, and shelter...and a great deal of beauty."

"StarClan?" Robinpaw inquired.

Cloverpath nodded, confusion evident on her face. "Yes, StarClan. Has your mother never taught you about StarClan?"

Robinpaw nodded. "She has, just...not very much."

Cloverpath flicked her tail. "Right. Follow me."